“How do I feel like I’m on vacation when I’m at home?” Have you ever asked yourself that question?
Maybe it was a different form of the question:
- “Why do I feel better on vacation”
- “How can I be less stressed like when on vacation”
- “Why do I dread going home from vacation?”
Living in Mexico for the past eight years has shown me something about American culture I couldn’t see when I was in it. Like a fish doesn’t know it’s in water, I didn’t realize how the constant pressure to achieve & do more was affecting my health and happiness.
From my quiet beach town, I watch Americans & Canadians alike arrive for vacation. Their success markers are clear: the designer luggage, the scheduled activities, the need to make every moment “count.”
Even on vacation, they’re measuring, achieving, optimizing.
What Success Looks Like Here
But Mexico measures success differently. Here, a good day isn’t about what you accomplish. It’s about how present you are. How deeply you connect. How much joy you find in simple moments.
In those first few days, our visitors fidget with the down time. They check their phones while waiting for meals that take “too long.” They feel anxious when waiting even though theres nothing to do. There’s nowhere to be. The empty space feels super uncomfortable.
But that uncomfortable boredom? It’s actually a gift. It’s in these quiet moments – the ones we usually fill with endless scrolling or busy work – where we rediscover ourselves. Where real conversations happen. Where creativity and connection have room to grow.
The Wake-Up Call
By about day five, something else emerges. Their heart rates slow down. They look more relaxed. Their smiles come easier. They stop checking the time. Their bodies remember something their minds had forgotten: We weren’t meant to live in constant doing. AND success doesn’t have to mean exhaustion.
They start asking different questions:
- Why can’t life always feel this peaceful?
- What if I didn’t have to escape my “real” life?
- Is it possible to feel like this at home?
Learning to Let Go
Eight years ago, We left our five-bedroom house in Austin for a simpler life two blocks from the Caribbean Sea. The transition wasn’t just about moving countries – I didn’t know it would completely change my relationship with success, time, and even my own body.
At first, I felt guilty. Guilty for having a housekeeper. Guilty for spending afternoons at the beach. Guilty for living what felt like someone else’s dream life. Who was I to be able to experience this pleasure? The American work ethic runs deep.
Want more about Living in Mexico?
A Health Coach’s Perspective
As a health coach, I’ve watched my own views on wellness evolve. In Austin, I pushed the “no excuses” mentality. Exercise on vacation? Absolutely. Track those miles. Keep the routine.
Now I see things differently.
The Truth About Stress
Your body doesn’t know the difference between the stress of a hard workout and the stress of a packed schedule. Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is rest. Truly rest.
Here in Mexico, I’ve learned to trust my body again. I eat when I’m hungry, usually local foods in natural portions. I move because it feels good, not because my watch told me to. The pressure to optimize every moment has melted away.
The result? Better health. Not because Mexico is inherently healthier – you can over-consume and we still have problems here too. But because slowing down let me hear what my body actually needs.
This shift didn’t happen overnight. But watching thousands of visitors experience their own transformations has shown me: we all carry the ability to live differently. We just need the space to remember how.
What Actually Changes
The transformation is subtle at first. You might notice you’ve stopped checking your phone as much. The constant hum of anxiety fades. That mental list of “should do” items gets quieter.
Your shoulders drop. Your jaw unclenches. You sleep deeper.
The Magic of Nothing
In Mexico, there’s a different relationship with time. No rushing through meals. No stacking appointments back-to-back. No feeling guilty about “wasting time” watching the sunset.
This space – this nothingness – is actually everything.
Without the constant pressure to be productive, your nervous system remembers how to relax. You notice things:
- The warmth of the sun on your skin
- The taste of fresh fruit
- The sound of waves hitting the shore
- Real conversations with people you meet or your travel companions
- Your own thoughts and feelings
Finding Your Natural Rhythm
You start moving at a different pace. Meals take longer because you’re actually tasting your food. Sleep comes easier because you’re not planning tomorrow in your head. Decisions feel simpler because you’re listening to your body instead of your schedule.
Most importantly? You remember who you are without the constant doing.
The pressure lifts. The anxiety fades. And in its place, you find something that feels a lot like peace.
What’s Really Possible
That peace you feel on vacation isn’t just about the beach. It’s about space. Space to question what really matters. Space to imagine a different way of living.
You don’t have to move to Mexico to change your life. But you do need to create space for change.
The Real Transformation
I’ve watched countless visitors have the same realization: This feeling of being present, relaxed, and truly alive? It’s not about location. It’s about intention.
Some take small steps:
- Creating technology-free zones at home
- Protecting their meal times
- Making space for real conversations
- Questioning their “have-to” lists
Others make bigger changes:
- Reimagining their work lives
- Setting new boundaries
- Redefining what success means to them
- Building lives they don’t need to escape from
The Common Thread
Whether they return to their lives with small changes or big dreams, they all understand something vital: That peaceful, present person they become on vacation isn’t their “vacation self.” It’s their true self, finally given room to breathe.
Want to explore how to create this kind of transformation in your own life? Join me for an informal discussion at Alma Libre Bookstore, every Tuesday at 4pm. We’ll talk about practical ways to bring this peace home with you.
Not in Puerto Morelos? Let’s connect about other ways to work together.
The Cost of Waiting
Each time you return home from vacation, the cycle starts again. The tension creeps back into your shoulders. The phone demands attention. The calendar fills up.
“Someday,” you tell yourself. “Someday I’ll make changes.”
But here’s the truth about someday: It never comes on its own.
The Hidden Price
Every year in this cycle costs you:
- Precious time with people you love
- Deep sleep that actually restores you
- Mental clarity that comes with true rest
- Connection to what really matters
- Your health and vitality
The longer you wait, the deeper these patterns become. The harder they are to change.
That peaceful feeling you have right now? It’s showing you what’s possible. Don’t let it slip away. Don’t wait for “someday.”
Your transformation can start today.
Ready to Create Change?
If you’re visiting Puerto Morelos, join me for an intimate conversation at Alma Libre Bookstore. Every Tuesday at 4pm, I host informal sessions where we explore how to bring this sense of peace and presence into your everyday life.
No registration needed – just stop by. Bring your questions, your concerns, and your dreams of what could be possible.
Not in Puerto Morelos?
This conversation doesn’t have to end when your vacation does. Reach out to learn more about how we can work together to create lasting change in your life, wherever you are.
Contact me here to learn more and continue the discussion.
Other Resources:
- Abbey Del Sol Blog
- Why We Moved to Mexico
- Listener QA: Moving to Mexico
- Our House Hunters International Episode
