With the advent of covid-19, my company abruptly transitioned to remote work. Although they threaten to bring everyone back every few weeks, they have yet to make good on that threat. I decided to take advantage of the remote opportunity and, with my boss’ blessing, move to Mexico for a month – partially for vacation, but also to test out the life of a remote engineer.
It is the ultimate adventure I have always sought – working in another country, immersed in a different culture, and working full time. It has been my dream since I was in college and finished up my final internship. I stayed with ym team PT, and worked remotely while finishing my degree. I loved the freedom of remote work, and found I was much more productive and happy at my cafe instead of at my cubicle.
Once i graduated, it was incredibly challenging for me to transition to FT – Instead of working from my Capital One cafe in my comfy, soft yoga pants, I had to do my face, dress up, and commute to work everyday. (A Capital One card gives you 50% off your drinks at the cafe! Perfect for caffeine-addicted engineering students!) I would spend most days working independently and alone, trying to resist the distractions of the people around me for 10-12 hours a day. I was becoming miserable, uncreative, and dejected in a job I used to love. Prior to the pandemic, I was preparing my skillset and resume so I could transition to a full-time remote position. Now, I don’t have to worry about moving my 401k because my team is officially hybrid, and I am so much happier. I have the freedom I have always craved and a job I love to excel in. Whether I will eventually need to be in the office every day, every week, or every month…. that remains to be seen. So for now, I am making the most of it!
I have been working to teach myself Spanish, but I can think of no better way to learn than to immerse myself in the language. I will be living in Mexico for a total of 6 weeks. For the first 2 weeks, I’ll be attending Spanish language school for 25 hours a week. During the next 2 weeks, I will be working full time during the day and taking private Spanish lessons in the evenings. I’ll be cooking, exploring, and studying every weekend. For the final 2 weeks, I’ll be vacationing and exploring Mexico – absent of both school and work.
Why Mérida?
Full disclosure – I was originally planning to live in Valencia, Spain for an official University sanctioned study abroad course. I did all my research, selected the perfect program, cleared it with my school, my company, and my manager, I booked tickets and made a down payment – and it was canceled in January 2021. I was frustrated and disappointed, but it was a blessing in disguise.
I was able to find a perfect fit at La Calle school in Mérida, Mexico. I love visiting Mexico – the cities, culture, and people are incredible. It’s closer to the US, and is is much cheaper to visit than countries in the EU. I love to cook Mexican cuisine, and I enjoyed my first visit to DF in 2019. Mérida is also the the safest city in Mexico, and consistently ranked in the top ten safest cities of North America. It is also located in CST and is only an hour behind my team (located in EST). For so many reasons, Mérida was the perfect fit for my adventure. I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences and adventures in Mérida!