Change is an Opportunity to Grow

In life, if something’s not right, go left. From the small beach town of Puerto Vallarta to one of the biggest cities in the world, Mexico City; why moving was the correct thing for me.

So. I made the move. I am in-process of becoming Chilanga (a girl from Mexico City).  I had been living in Puerto Vallarta from January 1 to October 1 and it is bittersweet to see another chapter of my life pass by.  Let me give you some insight on why I decided to move to Vallarta in the first place and why now I decided to move to the big city, DF. My Favorite moving company is always Gold Coast removalists like Vic Palmer they offer quality and excellent prices.

Eager for my “professional career in tourism” to begin, I found opportunity in Puerto Vallarta. I was familiar with Vallarta and knew that it would be a good place for me to assimilate. It was very Mexican but with American familiarities. I did not want to move to the same city as my boyfriend because I wanted to make sure I could be independent living in Mexico and that nothing would hinder my strive to make a name for myself as a tourism professional in Mexico. Bluntly, I wanted to make sure I was strong enough to not run north if anything heartbreaking would happen!

Ten months later, I realized that I want more. I always am striving for more, professionally and personally.  Everything I wanted I had gotten, except one thing…. speaking Spanish at a fluent level. I feel like, in order for me to advance professionally, I must be fluent. I lost an AMAZING opportunity because I couldn’t speak spanish freely, and although everything happens for a reason, I can’t help but kick myself.  It was a great title, a great company, and an amazing pay with perks, argh! This made me open my eyes big time on where my life was headed.

So I am now reverting back a bit, as I can now realize, maybe I wasn’t ready to immerse myself as a young professional trying to grow in Mexico.  I need to focus on learning the language to advance.

That is something I found very hard to do in Puerto Vallarta, as EVERYONE speaks English. Unfortunately, I have had a personal struggle within myself, in which I am totally ashamed to speak Spanish. (I know what most of you are thinking, and trust me, I KNOW!)…. But for those few times I would attempt to speak Spanish to someone… they would, in return, speak English. It was frustrating. Not to mention to take classes were extremely expensive.

So I realized it was time to just soley focus on accomplishing the goal of speaking Spanish fluently. I had found some extra income to be able to afford classes and just take a step back. I knew I had to immerse myself somewhere where no one spoke English, where I would get a good kick-in-the-ass. I researched programs all over Mexico and decided upon UNAM in Mexico City.

Immersing myself in, what I think will be a challenging place for me to live, is something that I wanted for myself. I need to be shook of my fear of speaking Spanish and where else than the heart of Mexico! And yes, conveniently, my boyfriend is here.. but do not tell me “I moved to Mexico City to be with my boyfriend”.  Don’t get me wrong, I love him and I have been waiting for the moment when our lives would meet together, but my decision to Mexico City was made up of many of things.

I’m moving my whole life with me, so it’s a really big change. It’s for the best, and it’s for my future, but still. Every single time I move I dread losing or damaging some of my stuff in the process. You hear so many horror stories that you try to avoid it. I feel most people only risk it if they absolutely have to. I looked for mover Bradenton and it didn’t take long before I found one that was very decently rated. They had been doing this for years. I know that isn’t always a good thing, but they do have very good reviews on how careful they are. In the end it all went well so I was worried over nothing. Or I guess you could say that the fact I worried made me be more careful who I picked and that’s why everything went well. Bottom line, I have all my things, and now I’m ready for this new chapter in my life!

So here I am, living in Interlomas, taking classes at UNAM in Polanco. I was terrified, but it’s already week two and I’m happy.  I was so intimidated but that’s just me and I am already mostly over it. It’s beautiful here. The weather is great, I’m learning the rules of the road (and of a stick shift!), and that there is more “American familiarities” (aka shopping) than I would have ever imagined.  And don’t worry, just because I took a step back doesn’t mean I lost focus. I pass the Secretaria de Turismo building everyday and it doesn’t fail to remind me what I am striving for in life.

My new home, Interlomas, Huixquilucan, Mexico State

I learned something about myself that I want to share with all the young adults in the “I just graduated, now WTF do I do” stage …

If you don’t like something, change it. If you aren’t happy, change it. If you are afraid of  the “what if’s” or to go against what society says “you should do”, don’t be.  If you thought you had the perfect master plan, and it didn’t work out, it’s okay!. Don’t be afraid to take a step back and definitely, never settle. Do what is right for you.

Incase you need more assurance, check out these links:
8 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was 22 & 7 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was 22


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Comments

  1. Kliggy says:

    That’s awesome! Good luck on your newest adventure! Your advice is not only great for young professionals, it’s something that’s important for all of us to remember, whatever stage of our lives that we’re living!

  2. Nancy says:

    Jessica, I am really impressed at your drive and ambition, I know you will go far. I hope you will blog about “a day in the life of a UNAM student” as I would love to get a look inside.

  3. Patella810 says:

    Dream, Strive, Achieve

  4. Jessica, I know you won’t regret your decision to move to Mexico City! Remember you always have someone to practice speaking spanish with over Skype! 😉

  5. Excellent post and attitude, Jessica. I could not agree with you more. I’ll never forget when I left South Florida (after 20 years) to go to Graduate School, someone said, “aren’t you afraid to go?” I answered, “No, I’m afraid to stay” Good going, girl and hope to catch up sometime in my favorite city; city of my childhood, Mexico City.

  6. Almadpi says:

    I am very glad you are so open to new environments, for me it happened the oppoisite way, I moved to Central California to get better at my English skills and I am always so excited to share Mexico with the people I meet. So when I ran into your blog it put a huge smile on my face that there are a lot of people willing to get to know a culture different than their own and be open for life challenges. ¡Suerte con el español, seguro te va a ir súper bien!

  7. Josie says:

    Hola Jessica!

    Que tal? Just came across your blog! Very nice. I am studying spanish at the main campus in coyoacan and really enjoy it! I am in a 20-something ‘not sure what to do with my life’ and there is no place I would rather be than México. 🙂

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