After years of travelling together, Brooke and Rick Gazer, both from Canada, were used to staying in interesting places.
And as they bedded down at a guesthouse in San Miguel, Mexico, owned by a couple from Nebraska, Brooke wondered what it would be like to move away and open up their own bed and breakfast.
âI was just observing (the owners) and thinking, âThese people really have a wonderful life, so one day Iâd like to do this,ââ Brooke tells CNN Travel of that memorable stay in 1986.
Relocation dream
Over a decade later, they relocated to the North American country to do just that.
The couple, whoâve been married for 38 years, had both lived abroad previously, and enjoyed travelling together, âso it wasnât a completely foreign idea to move out of the country.â
However, it wasnât until Brooke lost her job as a pharmaceutical rep in 1996 that they made the decision to quit their life in Calgary, Alberta, and open up their own bed and breakfast.
Rick was skeptical about âthe economics of owning a B&B anywhere,â so they resolved to try it out in their own home as something of a test run.
This proved to be âa tremendously successful experiment,â says Brooke.
As they had a frail sheep dog who âwasnât going to relocate easily,â the couple opted to wait a few years before taking the plunge. But where would they go?
âOur criteria was, if we were going to change our lives, weâd live someplace warm near a beach,â says Brooke.
The couple say they âgave Thailand a good look,â but ultimately decided that it wasnât the right destination for them.
âAnd then we said, âWeâve always had a good time when we went to Mexico. That might be a good place,ââ says Rick. âSo we started looking at Mexico seriously.â
After doing some research, they realized that Mexico, the country where theyâd first considered taking this step, was the right fit for them, as well as the most financially viable option.
âIn Mexico we could afford to hire help, a maid and gardener, plus a handyman when needed,â she says.
While they were pretty confident with their decision, some of their friends and family were less convinced by their choice of destination.
Selling up
âEverybody else was terrified for us,â says Brooke. âAs a matter of fact, my best friend said something to the effect of, âBrooke, if youâre having a midlife crisis, wouldnât it be easier to do something simple, like changing your hair colour?â
Undeterred by the reaction of their loved ones, Brooke and Rick pressed ahead with their big move.
âMexico was not at all scary to us,â says Rick. âAnd itâs a lot easier to learn Spanish than it is Thai.â
Once their dog passed away, the couple finally felt ready to leave Canada behind.
Although theyâd initially hoped to rent out their home for six months, Brooke and Rick ultimately decided to sell up.
âWe put (the relocation to Mexico) off for another several months while we sold the house,â she adds. âAnd then we picked up and left.â
In February 1999, they left Calgary, Alberta, and headed for Mexico.
The couple say they spent at least six months exploring the country, limiting their search to Mexicoâs Pacific Coast, in order to find the perfect place for their bed and breakfast, and ultimately decided on Huatulco, a coastal town in Oaxaca.
âWe both agreed this was the place,â says Brooke, before explaining that it took them a few months to find a suitable section of land where they could build their project from scratch.
âHuatulco is kind of a funny place,â she adds. âIt was developed by the government, and they would put land up for sale periodically. But in between, we just had to wait.â
While they were waiting, Brooke and Rick, who were aged 49 and 54 when they relocated, traveled to Guatemala to study Spanish.
âWhen we came back 10 days later, they had a sale, and we put a bid in on two properties,â says Rick. âAnd we got one of them and we were very happy.â
The couple purchased the land for US$75,000 in August 1999 and began drawing up plans to build a six-guest-room B&B overlooking Tejoncito Cove.
âIt took time to get the proper papers and find an architect,â explains Brooke, adding that things sped up once they âbroke ground.â
âPeople said that was an impossible goal but we needed to get open for the winter season. We had about 50 workers onsite through much of the process.â
As things began to take shape, they were able to get to know Huatulco and quickly settled in the town, which is a relatively recent tourist development.
âWhen we got there, it was still literally being uncrated,â says Brooke, recalling how she quickly noticed that the local church âhad no doors.â
âWe thought that was really odd, and we found out about three days later that the town itself was only nine years old.
âThe government had come in and built the infrastructure and just started the town, so the church wasnât finished.â
Building dreams
According to Brooke and Rick, the locals were incredibly welcoming and instantly made them feel at ease.
âOne of the reasons we chose Mexico was because people really are nice here,â says Brooke.
They opened their B&B, Agua Azul la Villa, in January 2002. The total cost of the build came to roughly US$350,000.
âRunning a B&B was a wonderful lifestyle,â says Brooke. âOne of the things we enjoyed most about travelling was the people you met along the way.
âWith a B&B, people came to us. We met fascinating people from over the world. Everyone brought something interesting to our breakfast table.â
Brooke and Rick stress that things werenât always smooth sailing when it came to their business, and there were years when they struggled, but they managed to keep going by living âfrugally.â
The couple found that their money went much further in Mexico, but it took them a little while to navigate some of the cultural differences.
According to Brooke, the somewhat laid-back approach to time and scheduling appointments in the country has been one of the most challenging aspects for them.
âSometimes people will say that theyâre going to come,â she says. âAnd they intend to come, but something comes up and it just doesnât occur to them that they need to tell you theyâre not coming that day.
âThat does seem to be part of the culture that time is not of the same essence that we allot it to.
âBut generally speaking, I just find that people are very, very considerate and very pleasant and caring.â
In fact, Brooke says sheâs found Mexico to be a âkinder and gentler societyâ overall.
This sentiment is echoed by Rick, who has a heart condition, and says that heâs always struck by how well heâs cared for whenever he receives medical care.
Cultural differences
âThereâs a culture of caring that is non-existent in Canada,â he says. âNothing against Canada, but thereâs a civility (here).â
After happily living in Huatulco for two decades, the couple decided to sell up and move to a bigger city due to Rickâs health issues.
âHe has undergone several stent surgeries,â says Brooke, before explaining that they couldnât find a cardiologist in or near Huatulco.
âFortunately, we bought medical insurance years ago.â
According to Brooke, they currently pay 114,000 pesos (around US$5,970) annually âwith a hefty deductionâ for medical insurance.
Keen to stay in Mexico, the couple opted to move to Merida, a much larger city in Yucatán with more medical facilities.
âAt fifty, we felt immortal, but in a blink of an eye, that can change,â says Brooke, who has written a memoir, âHouse of Blue Water,â about their experiences in Huatulco.
âWe have no regrets about our time in Huatulco. In fact, it was the best time of our lives. and I miss the natural beauty that surrounded me. But there are times to be practical.â
The couple have been living in Merida, known for its Spanish-colonial architecture and traditional Mayan culture, since 2021 and say they feel blessed to be there.
The U.S. State Department currently advises against travelling to six of Mexicoâs 32 states, with crime and kidnapping listed as the cause for advisories for the majority.
The Government of Canada advises its citizens to âexercise a high degree of cautionâ while visiting the country and avoid ânon-essential travelâ to specific regions, including central Mexicoâs Guanajuato.
Although their friends and family initially expressed concern about their safety when they decided to move to Mexico, Brooke and Rick say itâs never been an issue for them, pointing out that they are far removed from the areas of the country with high crime rates.
âThere are people who will read about one incident that happened five years ago, and they tar the whole country, which is ridiculous,â says Rick.
âWeâve traveled in many parts of Mexico, and there are a few I wonât go back to. But other than that, to me itâs a safe country.â
They rarely return to Canada now â Brookeâs last visit was in 2022 â and canât really imagine living there again.
âWe really like it here,â she says. âAnd quite frankly, when I go back to Canada, even in the summer, I find it a little bit chilly.â
Brooke goes on to recount being stunned at the price of a âsimple breakfastâ during her last visit.
âIt was like $25 Canadian (dollars),â she says. âAnd here we can go out for a nice breakfast and it would be $8 or $10.â
Although Brooke and Rick originally entered the country on tourist visas and went on to get resident visas, they both became Mexican citizens a few years ago.
âWe did this because we can never afford to live in Canada again,â says Brooke. âDitto for the U.S.A.â
Rick says he rarely feels the urge to go home, and returned last year to visit family for the first time in about 14 years.
âHome is where you hang your hat,â he says. âWe hung our hat here 25 years ago, and this is home.â
The couple say theyâd advise anyone thinking of relocating to a country like Mexico to rent somewhere in their intended destination first and avoid committing to buying a property until theyâre absolutely sure.
âMexico is a big country, and thereâs a lot of choices,â says Brooke. âAnd we also have had neighbours that have moved here.
âAnd within a year or two, they decided it wasnât for them for one reason or another, and they moved back. And things arenât that easy to sell (here).â
While they say theyâre able to communicate reasonably well, both still struggle with aspects of the Spanish language.
âWeâve been able to communicate fairly well for years,â says Rick. âBut 100 per cent fluency? No, Iâm ashamed to say, Iâm not 100 per cent fluent. But then Iâm not in English either.â
But the couple, who are now retired, absolutely love the lives theyâve built in Mexico and are looking forward to the future.
âWeâve been very lucky,â says Brooke. âI know people who have come in their late 70s or early 80s and theyâve had trouble getting health care.
âSo the trick is to do it sooner rather than later. And in fact, if people ask if we have any regrets, the only regret that we have is that we couldnât afford to do it sooner.â