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maryellen1952

maryellen1952 is a Reader contributor. See staff page for published articles.

We went to Mexico to get ahead. We smuggled cheese to get back.

Everything in life has a price and a sacrifice. I have lived as a single 60-something female in Mexico (Tijuana and Rosarito) for the past 2 years and I definitely have more $$ in my pocket than when living in the U.S. (I have never lived in the San Diego area due to low paying jobs and high rent). I don't have Sentri and I have adjusted my mental state to accept the fact that it might take me 3 hours to cross at times. Because the San Diego area continues to have continuing low employment opportunities my job prospects have actually been worse this year 2012 than the past 4 years. Due to the fact that I am paying only $300/month for rent at a Rosarito beachfront property apartment, I have been able to survive on the occasional temporary job; I would not be able to survive anywhere in the U.S. much less San Diego. I have 3 small dogs in my apartment without paying a pet deposit and dogs can walk on any beach here in Mexico; that would never happen in the U.S. I feel I have more freedom here in Mexico without the excessive rules and regulations and laws that plague the U.S. And we don't know everything about this couple's lifestyle in terms of how much they spend on things other than rent. Most Americans I know who have adjusted to life here don't attempt to maintain their American lifestyle here in Mexico and shop at Mexican stores rather than stores such as Walmart (which is expensive in terms of Mexican prices). And the younger Americans seem to have the most difficult in adjusting compared with those age 50+ perhaps because they are too impatient. Also the border area has always been the most expensive part of Mexico to live due to proximity. Once I start Social Security in a year I definitely am moving on the Mexican mainland where it is cheaper and not so Americanized. All the retired Americans have caused the Baja peninsula to be more expensive and for me Baja is comparable to Florida in terms of the elderly population.
— December 20, 2012 6:18 p.m.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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