February 11, 2024 • 37 mins
Have you ever fantasized about swapping your daily grind for the tranquility of a tropical locale? Kelly Maher did just that, and in our latest episode, she shares her transformative journey from a high-pressure media sales career in Atlanta to the peaceful rhythm of life in Akumal, Mexico. Her story isn't just about early retirement but finding a new community and redefining what it means to be active and engaged during the best years of your life.
The pandemic was a turning point for many, but for expats in Mexico, it was a chance to forge deeper bonds and discover a renewed sense of purpose. We unpack the powerful narrative of how one expatriate stepped up during a time of crisis, spearheading initiatives to feed families and support the local community. This episode is a profound look at the roles we can play after stepping away from our careers, proving that retirement is far from the end—it's a beginning, full of potential for meaningful contribution and personal growth.
In this heartfelt conversation, we also explore the ripple effect of community service and education. From the evolution of Akumal's Hekab Biblioteca to the inception of a water park in the Akumal Pueblo, these stories illustrate the incredible impact of giving back. Join us to hear how even the smallest acts—be it donating, volunteering, or supporting local arts—can empower a community and create lasting change. Witness the remarkable journeys of those who've traded in their 9 to 5 for a life of purpose in paradise.
We are incredibly thankful for engagement and stories from our listeners, who have found their own sense of 'home' across the globe. Stay tuned as we continue to share the wisdom and wanderlust of those who've charted their unique international courses. We'd love to hear your comments and questions. Email them to expatslikeus@gmail.com
For more information and content, follow Expats Like Us on Facebook and YouTube
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kelly Maher (00:00):
You know, I retired at a pretty young age.
What am I going to drink andsit on the beach for the next 40
years?
No, of course not.
You know, I need more in mylife than that.
Bob Bosse (00:15):
Welcome to ExPATs Like Us.
A co-production with me, vitaMargarita, exploring the world
of US ExPat life in Mexico.
In each episode, we'll meet newpeople and hear their stories.
We'll also learn more aboutExPat life and get a few tips on
everything from making yourmove to settling in, to living
your dreams and, most of all,having fun.
(00:36):
Let's dive in.
I'm your host, Bob Bosse.
In the summer of 2021, my wifeSherry and I sold most of our
possessions and made the movefrom Vermillion, south Dakota,
(00:56):
to Acomal, mexico.
Since that time, we've met someincredibly interesting people
and learned a lot about makingthe transition from tourist to
expats.
Today, I'm excited to betalking with Kelly Mahur.
Kelly is one of the people wemet when we first moved to
Acomal and is well known in thecommunity for, among other
things, her business experienceas well as her community service
(01:19):
work.
Kelly's here to share her storyof making the move to Mexico
and provide some advice, maybe,for people thinking to make such
a move.
Hi, kelly, and welcome toExPats Like Us.
Hi, bob, thanks for having me.
Thanks for being here today,kelly.
Like I said, kelly is one ofthe people that I admire here
because of the things that shedoes and the things that she's
(01:39):
known for, and it's exciting tohave you here today.
So, kelly, tell us a little bitabout your life before making
the move to Mexico.
Kelly Maher (01:50):
Life before Mexico, the last 20 years were spent in
Atlanta.
I'm a little different, I think, than a lot of expats.
I'm single and I don't have anychildren, and my parents both
passed away decades ago, so I'vebeen on my own and doing my own
thing for decades, and I had avery successful but stressful
(02:15):
career in media sales when Ilived in Atlanta Actually, most
of my career was in media sales,so I worked ridiculous hours.
I was an alcoholic.
I always took every vacationday, though, because travel was
really important to me, and so Ijust kept working with this
goal of trying to retire asearly as I could and then to
(02:41):
start traveling the world.
Bob Bosse (02:42):
I know that I worked in media myself in different
areas of media, but it's highstress work and I can't imagine
I was in the production end ofit but sales.
Kelly Maher (02:53):
Oh, my God.
Bob Bosse (02:54):
I can't imagine.
I've seen that stress beforemany times.
Kelly Maher (02:58):
Yeah, it's you know , there's no paycheck.
It's all commissioned sales.
So it's all based on therelationships you build with
your clients, your reputation,your, you know I mean it's.
If you're not honest in theindustry, you don't have a long
career in it.
Right, if a client can trustworthy and clients can trust you
, then you can have a verylucrative career.
(03:20):
And I tend to be a peoplepleaser, so I was good at it.
I retired May of 2019.
May 8th 2019.
Okay, you never forget that day, never forget that day I had
the countdown clock app on myphone, for, like the last year,
was counting down how many daysleft till retirement.
Bob Bosse (03:40):
Yeah, the same way with me.
People would ask me, you know,two years out, they'd say so.
Once you're, when are you goingto retire?
And I'd say June 8th 2021.
Because I always was consciousof that.
So when you, when you retired,you moved to Mexico.
What inspired that I did?
I?
Kelly Maher (03:58):
wanted to get the right moments and think about
the schedule for that morning.
I probably for 20 years I hadalways had in the back of my
mind living outside of thecountry.
Once I retired and I actuallyhad done the research, I'd
narrowed it down to threecountries.
Riviera Maya area was on thelist, but it wasn't number one
on the list.
Actually, belize was number oneon the list, but after doing
(04:20):
some more research I realized itwasn't as good of a fit and I
used to come to this area a lotdoing yoga retreats,
specifically to Tulum.
And then I discovered thiscommunity that we both actually
happened to live in that has apermanent yoga facility on the
property and I thought wait aminute, I can live full-time in
(04:41):
a permanent yoga retreat.
Okay, let's do that.
Bob Bosse (04:44):
Right we should mention.
I haven't really describedwhere we live that much, but
where we live is a very yogacentered retreat type of area.
Kelly Maher (04:54):
People from around the world come here, yeah, yeah,
yeah.
Practice yoga.
Yeah, you know, we have thislovely wellness center that has
meditation and yoga and allsorts of great physical
activities for those of us allin our middle ages to stay
active and healthy.
Bob Bosse (05:09):
And you know what that's.
The other thing is, I'm alwayssurprised at people.
Yeah, we're all in our middleages, but look at, people are in
good shape and people areactive here.
Kelly Maher (05:19):
Well, I mean, you know, we're certainly not our
parents.
You know middle age, right?
I mean, yeah, when I think backto what my vision of someone in
middle age looks like.
They don't look like us.
Bob Bosse (05:32):
Right In my family they always talked about my
grandfather.
He died at like 68 years old.
Wow, and that was considered hejust died of old age.
This is like in the 40s, youknow that's crazy.
Kelly Maher (05:47):
My family is actually a little different,
although I lost my parents at ayoung age.
My grandparents both lived tobe 97.
And my both of my mother'ssiblings were in their 90s when
they passed.
So I'm banking and my financialplanner and I are banking on
the fact that I'm going to bearound for quite a while.
Bob Bosse (06:06):
Yeah, that's a good thing to take into consideration
.
Kelly Maher (06:09):
Yeah, we just had to make sure the money was going
to last.
Bob Bosse (06:11):
Yeah, that's a good thing to know.
That's my father lived to be 98years old, so I get that.
And my mother my mother passedaway when I was a kid, same with
me, but he was active until theend and it was I credit his
physical activity with givinghim the longevity, absolutely.
(06:32):
So tell us, when you moved,what was the process that you
went through in making theinitial move?
Kelly Maher (06:38):
Well, for anyone who knows me, they know I'm a
little structured and I keepspreadsheets on everything, and
so there was a lot of researchthat went into it and a lot of
planning.
It was a four year process oflike winding down my life in
Atlanta and preparing to movehere.
I knew that I would move veryquickly after I retired, and I
(06:59):
did.
I sort of went on a six orseven week farewell tour
throughout the Southeast sayinggoodbye to friends and family
and July 3 of 2019.
I was here full time.
I think that's when I first metyou guys.
Yeah, because I think, you weredown visiting, then we were
Like the week that I had movedhere.
Bob Bosse (07:20):
I forgot about that.
We met here, we met you and wewere just visiting here on
vacation.
Kelly Maher (07:25):
Yeah, and I'm pretty sure it was like that
first week of my living here.
Bob Bosse (07:30):
So you're one of the people that you sold everything
and made the move.
I did, I own anything in the.
United States anymore.
Kelly Maher (07:36):
No absolutely nothing.
Yeah, I sold everything.
I.
Whatever would fit in suitcasesmaking trips down would come
down with me, and that was it.
Yeah, I loved the process.
Actually, the more things Isold and got rid of, the freer I
(07:58):
felt.
Bob Bosse (09:03):
Welcome back.
I'm here with Kelly Maher, anexpat from Acomal Mexico and the
friend of ours.
Tell me, kelly, what you know.
We talk about selling yourstuff and moving here.
What was, personally?
What was the transition to thenew life that you went through?
Kelly Maher (09:20):
Well, you know, it was an interesting time when I
moved here.
I moved here July of 2019.
And so I spent the rest of thatyear sort of being on vacation.
Initially, right, like everyday I needed to go to the beach
and have a couple margaritas,and after a couple of weeks of
that it's like all right.
Well, I can't do this forever.
But I spent the rest of thatyear sort of just getting
(09:41):
acclimated, remembering how toget to the grocery store,
remembering, you know, the pesosto US dollar conversion and
living in the metric system andall of that, and just, you know,
getting my bearings about me,and then my plan being to hit
the road in 2020 and starttraveling right.
(10:01):
And then COVID hit.
Bob Bosse (10:04):
Right, right.
You picked a very interestingtime to make a big change.
Kelly Maher (10:09):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, but it's interesting.
I think it led me down somewhatof a different path than
perhaps I might have takenotherwise, but it's all been
great so.
Bob Bosse (10:20):
Yeah, very cool.
So what was it like COVID downhere?
Kelly Maher (10:24):
It was a little surreal, you know.
Of course, we live in an areathat is very much based on
tourism.
Everyone lost their jobs youknow all of the staff at all of
the resorts and the restaurantsbecause everything closed down.
The beaches even closed forthree months, literally.
You could not go to the beach.
(10:44):
The National Guard, would youknow, would arrest you or remove
you, and that was in thesummertime when it was hot and
it's like boy, you know.
And our swimming pools in thecommunity closed down again for
health reasons, and the wellnesscenter closed down.
So it was sort of those of uswho were here and there were
probably about 70 of us thatwere here during COVID we
(11:08):
bubbled up and we spent a lot oftime in the air conditioning or
we, you know, or we spent a lotof time outside, but it
certainly sort of Everythingcame to a screeching halt in
some ways in terms of gettingacclimated and expanding my life
here.
Obviously, I didn't get totravel, as was my original plan,
so you know, but there weresome really great things that
(11:31):
came out of it as well, right,what good came out of that, or
you know.
Bob Bosse (11:34):
I can imagine, because, first of all, I can
imagine that when that hit that,people here were just like oh
my god, what have I done?
Sure, what is going on?
I'm in a country, I don't knowthe language, I I can't go
anywhere.
Kelly Maher (11:49):
I had friends back in the States begging me to just
move back to the States andmove in with them.
Please don't be trapped downthere in Mexico with COVID, you
know, and I kept saying I feelsafer here than I would in the
US, because so much of life isbuilt around the outdoors, here,
in open air, and you know,until they shut the beaches down
for those few months, I mean, Icould walk on the beach, I
(12:11):
could be in the open air.
The few restaurants that wereopen were all open air.
So you know.
So from that standpoint, yeah.
And then the other thing was itthrew me into the community in
a way that I would have neverenvisioned, certainly not at the
speed at which it did, and Iknow that makes no sense
(12:33):
whatsoever.
Bob Bosse (12:34):
I can elaborate on that, but yeah, tell me about
that being thrown into the sea.
Yeah, what does that mean?
Kelly Maher (12:39):
Well, what it means is quickly, I saw everyone had
lost their job and you knowthere's no such thing as
unemployment insurance here inMexico.
right, you lose your job, youlose your paycheck, you can't
eat because you have no money,and the pueblos that are around
us are very poor pueblos.
I had heard of someone I knewdown in Tulum who was putting
(13:03):
together food bags for the localfamilies down there, and I knew
immediately that's what Ineeded to do, and so I partnered
with Hecababitlioteca, whichhas a long history here in the
community and the director knowsall of the families very well.
I fundraised both here in mycommunity and the local area and
(13:24):
back in the States as well, andput together 100 food bags that
fed a family of four threemeals a day, seven days a week
for 39 weeks in 2020.
So, literally, we started atthe end of March and we fed
families every Friday for thenext week until the end of the
(13:45):
year.
Bob Bosse (13:47):
That is, that's amazing.
I mean you could have easilysheltered yourself in your condo
and said I'm afraid, and justyou know, wallowed in this whole
thing.
Kelly Maher (13:59):
But yeah, but maybe huge difference in people's
needs, huge difference inpeople's needs and I don't know
I mean, you know, I owe a lot ofit to the type of radio
stations that I worked for inthe States and the role that
those radio stations played inthe community and that it's
built into my DNA of there's aproblem I'm capable of solving,
(14:21):
or at least helping to solvethis problem.
I have to do it and it wasautomatic.
It's like I didn't even thinkabout it and it was like I need
a distribution point.
I already know where I can findmoney.
I know how to secure the foodbags done.
Let me just put it together andget it rolling.
Bob Bosse (14:38):
It sounds like you maybe learned a lot about
yourself during that process.
Kelly Maher (14:42):
I did because I had not envisioned that being
something that I was going to dowhen I moved down here.
I figured at some point I wouldget involved in the community
somehow or do something.
I didn't know what that lookedlike and I certainly wasn't
searching for it yet at thatpoint.
Everyone had warned me, when Igot retired, to just be retired
(15:03):
the first year.
Don't get involved in the HOA,don't get involved in nonprofits
, just be retired.
And then at some pointsomething will speak to you and
you'll see a passion or you'llsee a purpose and then go for it
.
And so, yeah, that's exactlywhat I did, I guess.
Bob Bosse (15:21):
Yeah, and I you know that's one of the things that I
like to try and emphasize topeople considering retiring and
making a move is have you needsome sort of plan?
You don't have to have aspecific plan.
It doesn't have to be.
I'm going to be involved withthis specific thing, but you got
to know that you're going tohave to find something.
Kelly Maher (15:43):
You will.
Otherwise, I mean, you're goingto sit every day and drink
which you know comes with itsown set of problems.
It's certainly not veryfulfilling or satisfying.
And you know and sort of goingback to the discussion about 68
used to be old right in ourparents' lives, but we all do
live older and you know Iretired at a pretty young age.
(16:04):
What am I going to drink andsit on the beach for the next 40
years?
No, of course not.
You know, I need more in mylife than that.
Bob Bosse (16:11):
So yeah, and one of our guests mentioned that.
You know, part of it is you gofrom being like.
In my case, I was a manager.
I had a bunch of staff One day.
In the next day you're sittingon a beach.
Nobody cares who you are.
Kelly Maher (16:28):
You're not making any decisions.
There's no title after yourname anymore.
There's no paycheck arriving.
Bob Bosse (16:34):
We got nobody, you know showing you deference or
respect or anything.
Your experience means nothing.
Kelly Maher (16:42):
when you're down here, you're absolutely right,
and I see men that I've known,primarily because men tend to be
in more managerial roles thanwomen.
But men suffer with what theirpurpose is, right, I mean
because, yeah, they don't have arole anymore, they don't have a
position and a title, theydon't have a staff to delegate
(17:04):
to.
Yeah, suddenly they're just JoeBlow, yeah, right.
Bob Bosse (17:10):
And yeah, you understand, I understand that
very well because I felt thesame way.
I went six months and thoughtnow what am I going to do?
You know, I've relaxed as muchas I can relax.
I drank half of the tequila inQuintana Roo.
Kelly Maher (17:27):
That wasn't working for you after a while, yeah.
Bob Bosse (17:30):
I've actually, you know, put on weight for so many
tacos, you know, so it's time toget on with the next phase of
our lives right?
Kelly Maher (17:38):
Because we've still got plenty of life to live.
Bob Bosse (17:41):
Absolutely so.
Tell me about the, what you'reinvolved with.
I know that you're involvedwith the biblioteca.
Tell me about the.
Tell me what the biblioteca isfirst and who they serve and why
it's here.
Kelly Maher (17:56):
Sure, hegabe Biblioteca which, by the way,
biblioteca is the Spanish wordfor library is a really special
place here in Acomal and it'soriginally was the very first
public school for Acomal andthen over time, school was built
across the highway and theactual Pueblo and not on the
(18:18):
beach side, and then it became alending, it became a library,
basically for kids, and thesetwo women got a box full of
books that for children thatwere in Spanish, and and loan
them out to children, and, andthat's how it started 35 years
ago it has morphed into beingreally the heartbeat of the
community.
(18:39):
The director Kaori knows all ofthe families in the Pueblo.
She knows the one strugglingthe most, she knows the ones
with special needs, children,she knows when someone loses
their job and she has her fingeron the pulse of everything.
And so we technically provideafter school and summer school
programming for the children ofthe Pueblo, everything from arts
(19:02):
to language, science,psychology, sustainability.
You know, we're children threeto 14 years of age and we're
we're teaching them andproviding them an opportunity to
recognize that they can haveoptions in their future and the
girls don't have to get marriedand pregnant at 16.
(19:24):
The boys don't have to considerleaving and escaping to the
States or joining the cartelssomewhere or something like that
, that with education andfinding their passions and
giving them a little bit ofextra guidance that they really
can realize their dreams.
And the beauty of that is, thenthey're not only pulling
(19:46):
themselves up, they're pullingtheir entire extended families
up as well.
And so we're changing lives.
We truly are changing lives inthe Pueblo and yeah, we do it
poco a poco, bit by bit.
Bob Bosse (19:59):
Yeah, absolutely, and you know I don't.
A lot of listeners probablyaren't familiar with what Acomol
is or what Acomol looks like.
It's a small community and it'svery poor.
I mean, it's very, very poverty, like if you're from the United
States, you've never seenpoverty on this level before,
right, you know.
So yeah, and it just emphasizeshow important a service like
(20:24):
heck I'll be bibliotech it is.
Kelly Maher (20:26):
It is, and we don't get any funding from the
government at all not the local,state or federal Mexican
government so everything'sdonation based.
We have a US 501C3.
So we're an authorizednonprofit in the US and so
that's a benefit that we canoffer to people who want to
donate.
But yeah, we do it.
(20:46):
We do it all on a shoestringbudget and lots of passion and
lots of commitment and you knowyou've helped us out.
You know your wife, sherry, isa constant.
She started English classes andteaches the kiddos English.
Bob Bosse (21:00):
It's an impressive thing that you guys have going
over there, we do a lot with alittle right.
Kelly Maher (21:05):
Oh my God.
Bob Bosse (21:07):
Yes, well, I shot some video of their Christmas
program, but they were showingoff all of the stuff that they
learned recently.
They're learning best practicesand riding bikes.
Kelly Maher (21:18):
They have to learn how to repair their bikes and to
maintain and learn maintenanceon their bikes.
Yeah, the life skills that weteach these children is just
amazing.
And it's, you know, ourdirector and we have two
part-time teachers, one of whom,davide, actually has a degree
in childhood psychology, and sothat knowledge that he brings to
(21:39):
the table and teaching childrenhow to deal with whether it be
bullying or self-esteem, or Imean, he's just tremendous at
you know, what he can impart tothe kids.
Bob Bosse (21:50):
So tell me how you, what do you think that having
that available and having thoseprograms available means to the
town of Acoma?
Kelly Maher (22:01):
It's.
It changes the town and we'renot just the library.
You know we have expanded andthere are a number of other
things that we do, and all underthe Hecabay Biblioteca umbrella
.
But we do an annual artfestival where we paint murals.
We invite artists to come infrom around the world and they
(22:21):
paint murals and so they createthis happy environment for the
pueblo, for this sad, poorlittle pueblo, but all these
beautiful murals that exist inthe area and they actually
attract tourists.
We will be opening a water parkthis year in the pueblo for the
children because it's sodifficult for them to access the
(22:41):
beach.
Even though beaches here arepublic, it's private property a
lot of times that blocks youfrom being able to access it and
there's a big old, crazyhighway between them and any of.
Bob Bosse (22:52):
even if they could get across.
Kelly Maher (22:53):
there's a big old nutso highway, A very scary
highway and the beaches close,technically, at 5 pm.
That's when the parents most ofthe parents stop working, so
it's not like the children caneven go in the evening.
So we're building a water parkwith donations from some
generous people and we're justwaiting for the power company to
(23:14):
hook everything up now and thenwe can flip the switch.
But so there's so much that wedo.
We do spay neuter clinics, wedo an annual free health
assessment for the adults in thecommunity, so everything that
we do is about giving back,empowering, creating a sense of
pride and a sense of ownershipin the community, and because of
(23:38):
that, the Acomal Pueblo looksbetter now than it has in the
past.
And you know, in order to havea building on, you know, painted
with a mural, you have to signan agreement in terms of you
can't have garbage and littersitting around, and so you know
it creates this snowball effectof creating this beautiful
(24:00):
looking little community andwith happy faces, right, I mean,
these children are amazing.
They have so little and yet solittle will make them happy.
And an accomplishment, a simpleaccomplishment of completing an
art project or you know, orgoing on a field trip and gives
these kids so much joy.
Bob Bosse (24:19):
Right, something they would never have the
opportunity to do were it notfor the library.
Kelly Maher (24:24):
But we've got children.
Now we have two young adultsthat are at the University of
Iowa to lead, both gettingdegrees in graphic art design.
Bob Bosse (24:32):
That's amazing.
Kelly Maher (24:33):
And because we've sort of adopted them under our
Acomal Arts program.
They've shown the propensityand the talent and the
willingness to do what it takesand we found donors to support
them.
Yeah, and you know, that'sgoing to change the lives of
those families.
Bob Bosse (24:48):
So where do you find your donors and do you have like
a website or something thatpeople can go to and find out
more?
Kelly Maher (24:54):
Yes, we do.
We have heckabayorg.
You can find us on Facebook ifyou search heckabay as well.
We take donations on both and,yeah, you know it's outreach.
We use a lot of social mediafor outreach.
(25:15):
We have a quarterly newsletterthat we send out.
You can sign up for it if yougo to our website.
As you know, I tap into thecommunity here that we live in,
our neighbors, a lot asking forhelp, and as do the other board
members who are involved too,and you know it's all about just
once we tell our story and oncesomeone comes and visits us,
(25:36):
once you're hooked.
Yeah, at that point you justcan't say no, and whether that's
does not have to be financialdonation.
It can be volunteering, it canbe.
We've got an Amazon wish listand you can go buy something off
that wish list and have itshipped down to us.
Bob Bosse (25:54):
And you have a bazaar where they take people people
clear out their closets aroundhere.
Kelly Maher (25:59):
All of you guys love when I say, yes, come on
and bring all your things.
Yeah, and it's phenomenal.
That provides, it's a bigfundraiser for us.
It allows the local populationto buy products, you know,
products that we bring down,that we spend sometimes hundreds
of dollars on, and they can pay, you know, just mere pesos for
(26:21):
good quality clothing, goodquality household goods,
furnishings, etc.
And so, you know, it allows thelocal population to be able to
take their hard earned money andbuy some fuel quality.
And and again, it's afundraiser for us.
So, yeah, everybody wins withthat type of scenario.
Bob Bosse (26:40):
And I will say, having worked a little bit with
with the director there, Kairi,she makes a lot happen with very
little right.
She's amazing.
She throws nothing out.
I know that she's well knownfor that.
Kelly Maher (26:57):
Yes, she is yes, and I'll tell you early on.
Bob Bosse (27:01):
I'll tell you a quick story.
Kelly Maher (27:02):
I was over there and she was cutting up some
threadbare white towels that oneof the hotels had donated to
her, and I mean they werethreadbare.
I've thrown away much betterlooking towels than what she was
cutting up and she was turningthem into paint canvases for the
kids so they could paint on.
And when I saw that I said youknow what?
(27:23):
I'm no longer qualified todetermine what is trash and what
is treasure.
Right, I'm bringing you a lotmore things than I have brought
you in the past.
You decide what to throw away,because I can no longer make
that decision.
I've thrown away things ofvalue, right that she repurposes
.
I mean it's lovely, acomal, youknow, is the land of the
turtles.
I mean that's what the Mayanname is about, and so we really
(27:46):
try to live sustainably here andshe embraces that to such a
great degree with repurposingeverything that's given to her,
you know, and turning it into aproject for the children and a
learning experience.
Bob Bosse (27:57):
She personifies sustainability more than anybody
I've ever met.
Kelly Maher (28:02):
She does, and you know, and Kory is Japanese,
right, she comes from living onan island where you have to live
that way right.
So she brings that mindset hereto the bibliotech and is just
wonderful.
Bob Bosse (28:13):
We're blessed to have her.
Just an example of the amazingpeople you meet over at HECABE
the amazing experiences you canhave over there.
Kelly Maher (28:21):
Yeah, yeah.
I encourage everyone if youcome to visit this area,
definitely stop by and see thekids.
Bob Bosse (28:27):
Absolutely.
And visit the Pueblo in Acomaland you get to see.
The first thing you're going tonotice is the poverty, but you
are going to go through thereand you're going to start seeing
the artwork and you're going tostart seeing the things that
are going on there and it'struly amazing.
It's a great experience, yeahit really is.
(29:03):
And it's a special place we live in.
Bob Bosse (29:52):
If you had a list of things that you would suggest to
people considering looking toretire and move to Mexico, what
would those be?
Kelly Maher (30:01):
Ask yourselves some questions.
Are you curious, are youinquisitive, are you patient?
Living in a foreign country canbe challenging.
Some of us have transitionedEasier than others have.
We've watched people not makethe transition and have already
gone back to the states.
(30:22):
So you really need to sort ofdig deep and understand who you
are and how, how you'll meetthose challenges if you meet
them with the right attitude.
It's an incredible, eye-openingopportunity that really expands
your worldview and your heart.
So that's that, that would bemy advice absolutely very good.
Bob Bosse (30:46):
And what advice would you have for people looking For
fulfillment and retirement?
Kelly Maher (30:53):
I'll pass along the advice that was given to me
just be retired for the firstyear.
Don't don't jump into everyproject and everything I don't
recommend spend every day on thebeach drinking, but, but just
be retired.
But but start paying attentionand see what's around.
And and then also, you know,you've got to listen to yourself
(31:16):
, right?
So I a lot of self-reflection.
I think that's important.
You know we're we're thrustinto an entirely different phase
in our lives where we don'tknow who we are anymore, right?
You know, I very much had fullydefined who I was with my
career and Without having that,I had clients who had bets that
(31:39):
I would be back in 18 months,that there was no way I could
remain retired.
They've all lost those bets.
I've found that next phase inmy life.
I found the fulfillment, Ifound the joy in the happiness,
and.
But you've got to be open to it, you've got to be accepting of
it and, yeah, go for it, allright thank you so much for
joining me.
(31:59):
Thanks for having me.
This has been great.
I've enjoyed it.
Bob Bosse (32:06):
In each episode of expats like us, we're gonna
teach you a new Mexican slangword.
This is something you may notfind in your phrasebook or your
online Spanish class or yourSpanish app or wherever you're
learning your Spanish.
Instead, this is a term usedprimarily by Mexican Spanish
speakers.
Today's word is Cheeto cheeto.
(32:30):
Thank you, Erica Kovalsky.
From Mi Vida Margarita, tell uswhat cheeto means.
Awesome, awesome.
Tu carro esta chido you usethat in a sentence You have an
awesome car, okay, chedo, chedo.
I think I've heard that youknow Moving around in Mexico a
(32:51):
little bit, but I guess I neverknew what it meant.
So it must be good news ifsomebody's saying cool.
(32:57):
Yes, that is awesome.
Bob Bosse (32:59):
Cheeto Gracias.
We'd love to hear your thoughtson today's topic.
Just look up Xpats.
Like Us on Facebook or send usan email at xpatslikeuscom.
You can also see the videoversion of today's discussion
and all of our discussions onour YouTube page.
(33:19):
Follow, like, subscribe andleave us a review.
Thank you to today's guest,kelly Maher.
Thanks also to co-producersChris and Erica Kowalski.
From Me, vita Margarita and mywife, sherry Bussey.
Most of all, thank you fortuning in to Xpats Like Us and
thank you for interacting withus on social media.
(33:40):
Next time we'll bring you morefirst-hand information about
your international move.
And until then, remember ourhomes are not defined by
geography or one particularlocation, but by memories,
events, people and places thatspan the globe.
(34:56):
Oh justice, where did you run to?
Really great to come back, cosI've been missing you.
And love, sweet love.
I could use a hand, but no oneelse can hear me love.
No one else can hear me love.
(35:16):
I know you understand.
Sweet love, make yourself known.
Sweet love, come on back home,sweet love.
Let your light shine bright.
(35:37):
Sweet love freedom comestonight.
Sweet love freedom comestonight.
I'm taking my place in lifeWith a long line of people.
(35:59):
It's a long time we're comingand I never stop believing I
will never.
I'll be there.
Make yourself known, sweet love.
Come on back home, sweet love.
(36:21):
Let your light shine bright.
Sweet love freedom comestonight.
Sweet love, make yourself known.
Sweet love, come on back home,sweet love.
(36:45):
Let your light shine bright.
Sweet love freedom comestonight.
Sweet love freedom comestonight.
Sweet love freedom comestonight.
You know, I retired at a pretty young age.
What am I going to drink andsit on the beach for the next 40
years?
No, of course not.
You know, I need more in mylife than that.
Bob Bosse (00:15):
Welcome to ExPATs Like Us.
A co-production with me, vitaMargarita, exploring the world
of US ExPat life in Mexico.
In each episode, we'll meet newpeople and hear their stories.
We'll also learn more aboutExPat life and get a few tips on
everything from making yourmove to settling in, to living
your dreams and, most of all,having fun.
(00:36):
Let's dive in.
I'm your host, Bob Bosse.
In the summer of 2021, my wifeSherry and I sold most of our
possessions and made the movefrom Vermillion, south Dakota,
(00:56):
to Acomal, mexico.
Since that time, we've met someincredibly interesting people
and learned a lot about makingthe transition from tourist to
expats.
Today, I'm excited to betalking with Kelly Mahur.
Kelly is one of the people wemet when we first moved to
Acomal and is well known in thecommunity for, among other
things, her business experienceas well as her community service
(01:19):
work.
Kelly's here to share her storyof making the move to Mexico
and provide some advice, maybe,for people thinking to make such
a move.
Hi, kelly, and welcome toExPats Like Us.
Hi, bob, thanks for having me.
Thanks for being here today,kelly.
Like I said, kelly is one ofthe people that I admire here
because of the things that shedoes and the things that she's
(01:39):
known for, and it's exciting tohave you here today.
So, kelly, tell us a little bitabout your life before making
the move to Mexico.
Kelly Maher (01:50):
Life before Mexico, the last 20 years were spent in
Atlanta.
I'm a little different, I think, than a lot of expats.
I'm single and I don't have anychildren, and my parents both
passed away decades ago, so I'vebeen on my own and doing my own
thing for decades, and I had avery successful but stressful
(02:15):
career in media sales when Ilived in Atlanta Actually, most
of my career was in media sales,so I worked ridiculous hours.
I was an alcoholic.
I always took every vacationday, though, because travel was
really important to me, and so Ijust kept working with this
goal of trying to retire asearly as I could and then to
(02:41):
start traveling the world.
Bob Bosse (02:42):
I know that I worked in media myself in different
areas of media, but it's highstress work and I can't imagine
I was in the production end ofit but sales.
Kelly Maher (02:53):
Oh, my God.
Bob Bosse (02:54):
I can't imagine.
I've seen that stress beforemany times.
Kelly Maher (02:58):
Yeah, it's you know , there's no paycheck.
It's all commissioned sales.
So it's all based on therelationships you build with
your clients, your reputation,your, you know I mean it's.
If you're not honest in theindustry, you don't have a long
career in it.
Right, if a client can trustworthy and clients can trust you
, then you can have a verylucrative career.
(03:20):
And I tend to be a peoplepleaser, so I was good at it.
I retired May of 2019.
May 8th 2019.
Okay, you never forget that day, never forget that day I had
the countdown clock app on myphone, for, like the last year,
was counting down how many daysleft till retirement.
Bob Bosse (03:40):
Yeah, the same way with me.
People would ask me, you know,two years out, they'd say so.
Once you're, when are you goingto retire?
And I'd say June 8th 2021.
Because I always was consciousof that.
So when you, when you retired,you moved to Mexico.
What inspired that I did?
I?
Kelly Maher (03:58):
wanted to get the right moments and think about
the schedule for that morning.
I probably for 20 years I hadalways had in the back of my
mind living outside of thecountry.
Once I retired and I actuallyhad done the research, I'd
narrowed it down to threecountries.
Riviera Maya area was on thelist, but it wasn't number one
on the list.
Actually, belize was number oneon the list, but after doing
(04:20):
some more research I realized itwasn't as good of a fit and I
used to come to this area a lotdoing yoga retreats,
specifically to Tulum.
And then I discovered thiscommunity that we both actually
happened to live in that has apermanent yoga facility on the
property and I thought wait aminute, I can live full-time in
(04:41):
a permanent yoga retreat.
Okay, let's do that.
Bob Bosse (04:44):
Right we should mention.
I haven't really describedwhere we live that much, but
where we live is a very yogacentered retreat type of area.
Kelly Maher (04:54):
People from around the world come here, yeah, yeah,
yeah.
Practice yoga.
Yeah, you know, we have thislovely wellness center that has
meditation and yoga and allsorts of great physical
activities for those of us allin our middle ages to stay
active and healthy.
Bob Bosse (05:09):
And you know what that's.
The other thing is, I'm alwayssurprised at people.
Yeah, we're all in our middleages, but look at, people are in
good shape and people areactive here.
Kelly Maher (05:19):
Well, I mean, you know, we're certainly not our
parents.
You know middle age, right?
I mean, yeah, when I think backto what my vision of someone in
middle age looks like.
They don't look like us.
Bob Bosse (05:32):
Right In my family they always talked about my
grandfather.
He died at like 68 years old.
Wow, and that was considered hejust died of old age.
This is like in the 40s, youknow that's crazy.
Kelly Maher (05:47):
My family is actually a little different,
although I lost my parents at ayoung age.
My grandparents both lived tobe 97.
And my both of my mother'ssiblings were in their 90s when
they passed.
So I'm banking and my financialplanner and I are banking on
the fact that I'm going to bearound for quite a while.
Bob Bosse (06:06):
Yeah, that's a good thing to take into consideration
.
Kelly Maher (06:09):
Yeah, we just had to make sure the money was going
to last.
Bob Bosse (06:11):
Yeah, that's a good thing to know.
That's my father lived to be 98years old, so I get that.
And my mother my mother passedaway when I was a kid, same with
me, but he was active until theend and it was I credit his
physical activity with givinghim the longevity, absolutely.
(06:32):
So tell us, when you moved,what was the process that you
went through in making theinitial move?
Kelly Maher (06:38):
Well, for anyone who knows me, they know I'm a
little structured and I keepspreadsheets on everything, and
so there was a lot of researchthat went into it and a lot of
planning.
It was a four year process oflike winding down my life in
Atlanta and preparing to movehere.
I knew that I would move veryquickly after I retired, and I
(06:59):
did.
I sort of went on a six orseven week farewell tour
throughout the Southeast sayinggoodbye to friends and family
and July 3 of 2019.
I was here full time.
I think that's when I first metyou guys.
Yeah, because I think, you weredown visiting, then we were
Like the week that I had movedhere.
Bob Bosse (07:20):
I forgot about that.
We met here, we met you and wewere just visiting here on
vacation.
Kelly Maher (07:25):
Yeah, and I'm pretty sure it was like that
first week of my living here.
Bob Bosse (07:30):
So you're one of the people that you sold everything
and made the move.
I did, I own anything in the.
United States anymore.
Kelly Maher (07:36):
No absolutely nothing.
Yeah, I sold everything.
I.
Whatever would fit in suitcasesmaking trips down would come
down with me, and that was it.
Yeah, I loved the process.
Actually, the more things Isold and got rid of, the freer I
(07:58):
felt.
Bob Bosse (09:03):
Welcome back.
I'm here with Kelly Maher, anexpat from Acomal Mexico and the
friend of ours.
Tell me, kelly, what you know.
We talk about selling yourstuff and moving here.
What was, personally?
What was the transition to thenew life that you went through?
Kelly Maher (09:20):
Well, you know, it was an interesting time when I
moved here.
I moved here July of 2019.
And so I spent the rest of thatyear sort of being on vacation.
Initially, right, like everyday I needed to go to the beach
and have a couple margaritas,and after a couple of weeks of
that it's like all right.
Well, I can't do this forever.
But I spent the rest of thatyear sort of just getting
(09:41):
acclimated, remembering how toget to the grocery store,
remembering, you know, the pesosto US dollar conversion and
living in the metric system andall of that, and just, you know,
getting my bearings about me,and then my plan being to hit
the road in 2020 and starttraveling right.
(10:01):
And then COVID hit.
Bob Bosse (10:04):
Right, right.
You picked a very interestingtime to make a big change.
Kelly Maher (10:09):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, but it's interesting.
I think it led me down somewhatof a different path than
perhaps I might have takenotherwise, but it's all been
great so.
Bob Bosse (10:20):
Yeah, very cool.
So what was it like COVID downhere?
Kelly Maher (10:24):
It was a little surreal, you know.
Of course, we live in an areathat is very much based on
tourism.
Everyone lost their jobs youknow all of the staff at all of
the resorts and the restaurantsbecause everything closed down.
The beaches even closed forthree months, literally.
You could not go to the beach.
(10:44):
The National Guard, would youknow, would arrest you or remove
you, and that was in thesummertime when it was hot and
it's like boy, you know.
And our swimming pools in thecommunity closed down again for
health reasons, and the wellnesscenter closed down.
So it was sort of those of uswho were here and there were
probably about 70 of us thatwere here during COVID we
(11:08):
bubbled up and we spent a lot oftime in the air conditioning or
we, you know, or we spent a lotof time outside, but it
certainly sort of Everythingcame to a screeching halt in
some ways in terms of gettingacclimated and expanding my life
here.
Obviously, I didn't get totravel, as was my original plan,
so you know, but there weresome really great things that
(11:31):
came out of it as well, right,what good came out of that, or
you know.
Bob Bosse (11:34):
I can imagine, because, first of all, I can
imagine that when that hit that,people here were just like oh
my god, what have I done?
Sure, what is going on?
I'm in a country, I don't knowthe language, I I can't go
anywhere.
Kelly Maher (11:49):
I had friends back in the States begging me to just
move back to the States andmove in with them.
Please don't be trapped downthere in Mexico with COVID, you
know, and I kept saying I feelsafer here than I would in the
US, because so much of life isbuilt around the outdoors, here,
in open air, and you know,until they shut the beaches down
for those few months, I mean, Icould walk on the beach, I
(12:11):
could be in the open air.
The few restaurants that wereopen were all open air.
So you know.
So from that standpoint, yeah.
And then the other thing was itthrew me into the community in
a way that I would have neverenvisioned, certainly not at the
speed at which it did, and Iknow that makes no sense
(12:33):
whatsoever.
Bob Bosse (12:34):
I can elaborate on that, but yeah, tell me about
that being thrown into the sea.
Yeah, what does that mean?
Kelly Maher (12:39):
Well, what it means is quickly, I saw everyone had
lost their job and you knowthere's no such thing as
unemployment insurance here inMexico.
right, you lose your job, youlose your paycheck, you can't
eat because you have no money,and the pueblos that are around
us are very poor pueblos.
I had heard of someone I knewdown in Tulum who was putting
(13:03):
together food bags for the localfamilies down there, and I knew
immediately that's what Ineeded to do, and so I partnered
with Hecababitlioteca, whichhas a long history here in the
community and the director knowsall of the families very well.
I fundraised both here in mycommunity and the local area and
(13:24):
back in the States as well, andput together 100 food bags that
fed a family of four threemeals a day, seven days a week
for 39 weeks in 2020.
So, literally, we started atthe end of March and we fed
families every Friday for thenext week until the end of the
(13:45):
year.
Bob Bosse (13:47):
That is, that's amazing.
I mean you could have easilysheltered yourself in your condo
and said I'm afraid, and justyou know, wallowed in this whole
thing.
Kelly Maher (13:59):
But yeah, but maybe huge difference in people's
needs, huge difference inpeople's needs and I don't know
I mean, you know, I owe a lot ofit to the type of radio
stations that I worked for inthe States and the role that
those radio stations played inthe community and that it's
built into my DNA of there's aproblem I'm capable of solving,
(14:21):
or at least helping to solvethis problem.
I have to do it and it wasautomatic.
It's like I didn't even thinkabout it and it was like I need
a distribution point.
I already know where I can findmoney.
I know how to secure the foodbags done.
Let me just put it together andget it rolling.
Bob Bosse (14:38):
It sounds like you maybe learned a lot about
yourself during that process.
Kelly Maher (14:42):
I did because I had not envisioned that being
something that I was going to dowhen I moved down here.
I figured at some point I wouldget involved in the community
somehow or do something.
I didn't know what that lookedlike and I certainly wasn't
searching for it yet at thatpoint.
Everyone had warned me, when Igot retired, to just be retired
(15:03):
the first year.
Don't get involved in the HOA,don't get involved in nonprofits
, just be retired.
And then at some pointsomething will speak to you and
you'll see a passion or you'llsee a purpose and then go for it
.
And so, yeah, that's exactlywhat I did, I guess.
Bob Bosse (15:21):
Yeah, and I you know that's one of the things that I
like to try and emphasize topeople considering retiring and
making a move is have you needsome sort of plan?
You don't have to have aspecific plan.
It doesn't have to be.
I'm going to be involved withthis specific thing, but you got
to know that you're going tohave to find something.
Kelly Maher (15:43):
You will.
Otherwise, I mean, you're goingto sit every day and drink
which you know comes with itsown set of problems.
It's certainly not veryfulfilling or satisfying.
And you know and sort of goingback to the discussion about 68
used to be old right in ourparents' lives, but we all do
live older and you know Iretired at a pretty young age.
(16:04):
What am I going to drink andsit on the beach for the next 40
years?
No, of course not.
You know, I need more in mylife than that.
Bob Bosse (16:11):
So yeah, and one of our guests mentioned that.
You know, part of it is you gofrom being like.
In my case, I was a manager.
I had a bunch of staff One day.
In the next day you're sittingon a beach.
Nobody cares who you are.
Kelly Maher (16:28):
You're not making any decisions.
There's no title after yourname anymore.
There's no paycheck arriving.
Bob Bosse (16:34):
We got nobody, you know showing you deference or
respect or anything.
Your experience means nothing.
Kelly Maher (16:42):
when you're down here, you're absolutely right,
and I see men that I've known,primarily because men tend to be
in more managerial roles thanwomen.
But men suffer with what theirpurpose is, right, I mean
because, yeah, they don't have arole anymore, they don't have a
position and a title, theydon't have a staff to delegate
(17:04):
to.
Yeah, suddenly they're just JoeBlow, yeah, right.
Bob Bosse (17:10):
And yeah, you understand, I understand that
very well because I felt thesame way.
I went six months and thoughtnow what am I going to do?
You know, I've relaxed as muchas I can relax.
I drank half of the tequila inQuintana Roo.
Kelly Maher (17:27):
That wasn't working for you after a while, yeah.
Bob Bosse (17:30):
I've actually, you know, put on weight for so many
tacos, you know, so it's time toget on with the next phase of
our lives right?
Kelly Maher (17:38):
Because we've still got plenty of life to live.
Bob Bosse (17:41):
Absolutely so.
Tell me about the, what you'reinvolved with.
I know that you're involvedwith the biblioteca.
Tell me about the.
Tell me what the biblioteca isfirst and who they serve and why
it's here.
Kelly Maher (17:56):
Sure, hegabe Biblioteca which, by the way,
biblioteca is the Spanish wordfor library is a really special
place here in Acomal and it'soriginally was the very first
public school for Acomal andthen over time, school was built
across the highway and theactual Pueblo and not on the
(18:18):
beach side, and then it became alending, it became a library,
basically for kids, and thesetwo women got a box full of
books that for children thatwere in Spanish, and and loan
them out to children, and, andthat's how it started 35 years
ago it has morphed into beingreally the heartbeat of the
community.
(18:39):
The director Kaori knows all ofthe families in the Pueblo.
She knows the one strugglingthe most, she knows the ones
with special needs, children,she knows when someone loses
their job and she has her fingeron the pulse of everything.
And so we technically provideafter school and summer school
programming for the children ofthe Pueblo, everything from arts
(19:02):
to language, science,psychology, sustainability.
You know, we're children threeto 14 years of age and we're
we're teaching them andproviding them an opportunity to
recognize that they can haveoptions in their future and the
girls don't have to get marriedand pregnant at 16.
(19:24):
The boys don't have to considerleaving and escaping to the
States or joining the cartelssomewhere or something like that
, that with education andfinding their passions and
giving them a little bit ofextra guidance that they really
can realize their dreams.
And the beauty of that is, thenthey're not only pulling
(19:46):
themselves up, they're pullingtheir entire extended families
up as well.
And so we're changing lives.
We truly are changing lives inthe Pueblo and yeah, we do it
poco a poco, bit by bit.
Bob Bosse (19:59):
Yeah, absolutely, and you know I don't.
A lot of listeners probablyaren't familiar with what Acomol
is or what Acomol looks like.
It's a small community and it'svery poor.
I mean, it's very, very poverty, like if you're from the United
States, you've never seenpoverty on this level before,
right, you know.
So yeah, and it just emphasizeshow important a service like
(20:24):
heck I'll be bibliotech it is.
Kelly Maher (20:26):
It is, and we don't get any funding from the
government at all not the local,state or federal Mexican
government so everything'sdonation based.
We have a US 501C3.
So we're an authorizednonprofit in the US and so
that's a benefit that we canoffer to people who want to
donate.
But yeah, we do it.
(20:46):
We do it all on a shoestringbudget and lots of passion and
lots of commitment and you knowyou've helped us out.
You know your wife, sherry, isa constant.
She started English classes andteaches the kiddos English.
Bob Bosse (21:00):
It's an impressive thing that you guys have going
over there, we do a lot with alittle right.
Kelly Maher (21:05):
Oh my God.
Bob Bosse (21:07):
Yes, well, I shot some video of their Christmas
program, but they were showingoff all of the stuff that they
learned recently.
They're learning best practicesand riding bikes.
Kelly Maher (21:18):
They have to learn how to repair their bikes and to
maintain and learn maintenanceon their bikes.
Yeah, the life skills that weteach these children is just
amazing.
And it's, you know, ourdirector and we have two
part-time teachers, one of whom,davide, actually has a degree
in childhood psychology, and sothat knowledge that he brings to
(21:39):
the table and teaching childrenhow to deal with whether it be
bullying or self-esteem, or Imean, he's just tremendous at
you know, what he can impart tothe kids.
Bob Bosse (21:50):
So tell me how you, what do you think that having
that available and having thoseprograms available means to the
town of Acoma?
Kelly Maher (22:01):
It's.
It changes the town and we'renot just the library.
You know we have expanded andthere are a number of other
things that we do, and all underthe Hecabay Biblioteca umbrella
.
But we do an annual artfestival where we paint murals.
We invite artists to come infrom around the world and they
(22:21):
paint murals and so they createthis happy environment for the
pueblo, for this sad, poorlittle pueblo, but all these
beautiful murals that exist inthe area and they actually
attract tourists.
We will be opening a water parkthis year in the pueblo for the
children because it's sodifficult for them to access the
(22:41):
beach.
Even though beaches here arepublic, it's private property a
lot of times that blocks youfrom being able to access it and
there's a big old, crazyhighway between them and any of.
Bob Bosse (22:52):
even if they could get across.
Kelly Maher (22:53):
there's a big old nutso highway, A very scary
highway and the beaches close,technically, at 5 pm.
That's when the parents most ofthe parents stop working, so
it's not like the children caneven go in the evening.
So we're building a water parkwith donations from some
generous people and we're justwaiting for the power company to
(23:14):
hook everything up now and thenwe can flip the switch.
But so there's so much that wedo.
We do spay neuter clinics, wedo an annual free health
assessment for the adults in thecommunity, so everything that
we do is about giving back,empowering, creating a sense of
pride and a sense of ownershipin the community, and because of
(23:38):
that, the Acomal Pueblo looksbetter now than it has in the
past.
And you know, in order to havea building on, you know, painted
with a mural, you have to signan agreement in terms of you
can't have garbage and littersitting around, and so you know
it creates this snowball effectof creating this beautiful
(24:00):
looking little community andwith happy faces, right, I mean,
these children are amazing.
They have so little and yet solittle will make them happy.
And an accomplishment, a simpleaccomplishment of completing an
art project or you know, orgoing on a field trip and gives
these kids so much joy.
Bob Bosse (24:19):
Right, something they would never have the
opportunity to do were it notfor the library.
Kelly Maher (24:24):
But we've got children.
Now we have two young adultsthat are at the University of
Iowa to lead, both gettingdegrees in graphic art design.
Bob Bosse (24:32):
That's amazing.
Kelly Maher (24:33):
And because we've sort of adopted them under our
Acomal Arts program.
They've shown the propensityand the talent and the
willingness to do what it takesand we found donors to support
them.
Yeah, and you know, that'sgoing to change the lives of
those families.
Bob Bosse (24:48):
So where do you find your donors and do you have like
a website or something thatpeople can go to and find out
more?
Kelly Maher (24:54):
Yes, we do.
We have heckabayorg.
You can find us on Facebook ifyou search heckabay as well.
We take donations on both and,yeah, you know it's outreach.
We use a lot of social mediafor outreach.
(25:15):
We have a quarterly newsletterthat we send out.
You can sign up for it if yougo to our website.
As you know, I tap into thecommunity here that we live in,
our neighbors, a lot asking forhelp, and as do the other board
members who are involved too,and you know it's all about just
once we tell our story and oncesomeone comes and visits us,
(25:36):
once you're hooked.
Yeah, at that point you justcan't say no, and whether that's
does not have to be financialdonation.
It can be volunteering, it canbe.
We've got an Amazon wish listand you can go buy something off
that wish list and have itshipped down to us.
Bob Bosse (25:54):
And you have a bazaar where they take people people
clear out their closets aroundhere.
Kelly Maher (25:59):
All of you guys love when I say, yes, come on
and bring all your things.
Yeah, and it's phenomenal.
That provides, it's a bigfundraiser for us.
It allows the local populationto buy products, you know,
products that we bring down,that we spend sometimes hundreds
of dollars on, and they can pay, you know, just mere pesos for
(26:21):
good quality clothing, goodquality household goods,
furnishings, etc.
And so, you know, it allows thelocal population to be able to
take their hard earned money andbuy some fuel quality.
And and again, it's afundraiser for us.
So, yeah, everybody wins withthat type of scenario.
Bob Bosse (26:40):
And I will say, having worked a little bit with
with the director there, Kairi,she makes a lot happen with very
little right.
She's amazing.
She throws nothing out.
I know that she's well knownfor that.
Kelly Maher (26:57):
Yes, she is yes, and I'll tell you early on.
Bob Bosse (27:01):
I'll tell you a quick story.
Kelly Maher (27:02):
I was over there and she was cutting up some
threadbare white towels that oneof the hotels had donated to
her, and I mean they werethreadbare.
I've thrown away much betterlooking towels than what she was
cutting up and she was turningthem into paint canvases for the
kids so they could paint on.
And when I saw that I said youknow what?
(27:23):
I'm no longer qualified todetermine what is trash and what
is treasure.
Right, I'm bringing you a lotmore things than I have brought
you in the past.
You decide what to throw away,because I can no longer make
that decision.
I've thrown away things ofvalue, right that she repurposes
.
I mean it's lovely, acomal, youknow, is the land of the
turtles.
I mean that's what the Mayanname is about, and so we really
(27:46):
try to live sustainably here andshe embraces that to such a
great degree with repurposingeverything that's given to her,
you know, and turning it into aproject for the children and a
learning experience.
Bob Bosse (27:57):
She personifies sustainability more than anybody
I've ever met.
Kelly Maher (28:02):
She does, and you know, and Kory is Japanese,
right, she comes from living onan island where you have to live
that way right.
So she brings that mindset hereto the bibliotech and is just
wonderful.
Bob Bosse (28:13):
We're blessed to have her.
Just an example of the amazingpeople you meet over at HECABE
the amazing experiences you canhave over there.
Kelly Maher (28:21):
Yeah, yeah.
I encourage everyone if youcome to visit this area,
definitely stop by and see thekids.
Bob Bosse (28:27):
Absolutely.
And visit the Pueblo in Acomaland you get to see.
The first thing you're going tonotice is the poverty, but you
are going to go through thereand you're going to start seeing
the artwork and you're going tostart seeing the things that
are going on there and it'struly amazing.
It's a great experience, yeahit really is.
(29:03):
And it's a special place we live in.
Bob Bosse (29:52):
If you had a list of things that you would suggest to
people considering looking toretire and move to Mexico, what
would those be?
Kelly Maher (30:01):
Ask yourselves some questions.
Are you curious, are youinquisitive, are you patient?
Living in a foreign country canbe challenging.
Some of us have transitionedEasier than others have.
We've watched people not makethe transition and have already
gone back to the states.
(30:22):
So you really need to sort ofdig deep and understand who you
are and how, how you'll meetthose challenges if you meet
them with the right attitude.
It's an incredible, eye-openingopportunity that really expands
your worldview and your heart.
So that's that, that would bemy advice absolutely very good.
Bob Bosse (30:46):
And what advice would you have for people looking For
fulfillment and retirement?
Kelly Maher (30:53):
I'll pass along the advice that was given to me
just be retired for the firstyear.
Don't don't jump into everyproject and everything I don't
recommend spend every day on thebeach drinking, but, but just
be retired.
But but start paying attentionand see what's around.
And and then also, you know,you've got to listen to yourself
(31:16):
, right?
So I a lot of self-reflection.
I think that's important.
You know we're we're thrustinto an entirely different phase
in our lives where we don'tknow who we are anymore, right?
You know, I very much had fullydefined who I was with my
career and Without having that,I had clients who had bets that
(31:39):
I would be back in 18 months,that there was no way I could
remain retired.
They've all lost those bets.
I've found that next phase inmy life.
I found the fulfillment, Ifound the joy in the happiness,
and.
But you've got to be open to it, you've got to be accepting of
it and, yeah, go for it, allright thank you so much for
joining me.
(31:59):
Thanks for having me.
This has been great.
I've enjoyed it.
Bob Bosse (32:06):
In each episode of expats like us, we're gonna
teach you a new Mexican slangword.
This is something you may notfind in your phrasebook or your
online Spanish class or yourSpanish app or wherever you're
learning your Spanish.
Instead, this is a term usedprimarily by Mexican Spanish
speakers.
Today's word is Cheeto cheeto.
(32:30):
Thank you, Erica Kovalsky.
From Mi Vida Margarita, tell uswhat cheeto means.
Awesome, awesome.
Tu carro esta chido you usethat in a sentence You have an
awesome car, okay, chedo, chedo.
I think I've heard that youknow Moving around in Mexico a
(32:51):
little bit, but I guess I neverknew what it meant.
So it must be good news ifsomebody's saying cool.
(32:57):
Yes, that is awesome.
Bob Bosse (32:59):
Cheeto Gracias.
We'd love to hear your thoughtson today's topic.
Just look up Xpats.
Like Us on Facebook or send usan email at xpatslikeuscom.
You can also see the videoversion of today's discussion
and all of our discussions onour YouTube page.
(33:19):
Follow, like, subscribe andleave us a review.
Thank you to today's guest,kelly Maher.
Thanks also to co-producersChris and Erica Kowalski.
From Me, vita Margarita and mywife, sherry Bussey.
Most of all, thank you fortuning in to Xpats Like Us and
thank you for interacting withus on social media.
(33:40):
Next time we'll bring you morefirst-hand information about
your international move.
And until then, remember ourhomes are not defined by
geography or one particularlocation, but by memories,
events, people and places thatspan the globe.
(34:56):
Oh justice, where did you run to?
Really great to come back, cosI've been missing you.
And love, sweet love.
I could use a hand, but no oneelse can hear me love.
No one else can hear me love.
(35:16):
I know you understand.
Sweet love, make yourself known.
Sweet love, come on back home,sweet love.
Let your light shine bright.
(35:37):
Sweet love freedom comestonight.
Sweet love freedom comestonight.
I'm taking my place in lifeWith a long line of people.
(35:59):
It's a long time we're comingand I never stop believing I
will never.
I'll be there.
Make yourself known, sweet love.
Come on back home, sweet love.
(36:21):
Let your light shine bright.
Sweet love freedom comestonight.
Sweet love, make yourself known.
Sweet love, come on back home,sweet love.
(36:45):
Let your light shine bright.
Sweet love freedom comestonight.
Sweet love freedom comestonight.
Sweet love freedom comestonight.
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