A “Typical” Day

A few people expressed concern that I would be bored in retirement.  I find that somewhat amusing!  I wonder how people who work have time to do anything other than work.

My day-to-day life is probably similar in some ways to that of some people who live in the US, but in other ways my life, as an expat living in Mexico, it is probably different.  Also, over time, I have made some changes to how I spend my time based on priorities and letting go of things that no longer serve me well.

The following is a “typical” day.  Typical is in quotes because things do vary as described below.

Before Sunrise

As I mentioned in my post on Meditation, I now voluntarily get up before sunrise without an alarm.  I have a routine, some of which I have been doing for years, but it is ever evolving.  Other than typical morning ablution activities, I do some stretching and yoga, some meditation, and then I review my “to do” list for the day.

Breakfast

Next on the agenda is breakfast.  Kevin usually is the breakfast chef.  I also drink some green tea.  While waiting for breakfast, I usually check the weather and during football season, check on some of the latest NFL news, scores, analysis, etc.

Techie Time

Next is what we refer to as “techie time.” This is time spent online checking email, Facebook, a very select few news items, Instagram.  I spend less and less time on this, currently it is about 15 minutes most days, if I have more time, it could be up to 30 minutes.

Journal Review

Last time we were in the US we retrieved all the logs and journals from our 2004-2006 sailing adventures from Kevin’s sister’s house.  Every day we have been reviewing all the entries from that day, from 17 years ago.  This is a fun project.  The website portion still appears to be accessible (although it was down for a while recently) if you are interested in checking it out.

Walk

If I don’t have any errands to run, I go for a walk on the trail above our house.  The length of the walk varies depending on how long breakfast took and what else I have going on.

Shower/Grooming

Next, I get dressed for the day.

Errands

Next, I usually run errands, and if I have errands this is my walk.  We live on a hill and in a very hilly city, so walking to and from errands around town gives my plenty of exercise.  Also it is a very picturesque city so I make a point of looking around at the scenery as I make my way around town.

Sometimes the errands are in my more immediate neighborhood – there is a smaller grocery store, several fruterias (produce stores) and an OXXO (like a 7-Eleven) where I sometimes pay bills (cable TV, power, water, renewing my phone plan).

Some errands are in Centro (downtown).  I described some of the various routes to Centro in this post, including many pictures.  Typical errands in Centro are paying rent (at a branch of my landlord’s bank), paying bills (at a different OXXO if I am heading to Centro), shopping for food or other items not available in my neighborhood, shopping for clothes (although this is rare), or shopping for supplements.

Usually once a week Kevin and I go together to a larger supermarket in a local mall.  We walk one way and take a taxi back.  This is where we buy items not available in our neighborhood or centro, or items that are heavier to carry – organic products, tofu, wine, beer, dry goods.

Study Spanish

After walking and errands, if I have time before lunch, I study Spanish.  I am currently wrapping up an online class that involved video lessons, twice a week group video session, audio quizzes, studying flash cards, and writing in Spanish.  If I don’t finish before lunch, this continues after lunch.  I have realized that this will be a lifetime learning activity, so after my class finishes, I will continue to spend some time studying Spanish most days, if not every day.

Lunch

Kevin and I usually eat lunch together, outside unless it is too cool or windy.  We usually eat leftovers from the prior night’s dinner, or we make tacos out of part the prior night’s dinner.

Dishes

Kevin and I split dishes duty; lunch dishes are my responsibility.

Nap

I usually try to take a 20-minute rest/nap after the dishes are done.  I find that if I don’t, I often fall asleep during my afternoon meditation session.

Gardening

We have a lot of plants here, mostly outside and a few inside.  During rainy season there was no need to do much of anything except water the inside plants.  Now I rotate amongst the various plants to trim them as needed and water them approximately once per week per group of plants.

Blogging

Next, I work on writing this blog if I am currently working on an entry.  I have no set schedule for this; I write when I think of a new topic.  Depending on the topic and how many pictures are involved, it probably takes me an average of a week (in 30-60 minutes sessions) to write and post an entry.

Yoga

Most days, if I have time, I spend 45-60 minutes doing yoga.  I rotate amongst various practices based on things I learned at the studio I went to in Carson City.

Meditation

Every afternoon, even if for only 5 minutes, I meditate before going into my evening routine.  I usually do guided meditations from a meditation ap.  The length of my afternoon practice depends on how much time I have before cooking or eating dinner.

Reading

If I have time, I spend some time reading something enjoyable before dinner.

Cooking Dinner

Kevin and I both like to cook, so we take turns cooking dinner.  This usually takes 1-2 hours depending on what I make.

Eating Dinner

Kevin and I eat dinner together every night.  We eat at the kitchen table unless football is on; then we eat on TV trays in front of the game.  Watching football also serves as a Spanish lesson because we prefer watching the games in Spanish.

After dinner if it was my night to cook, I do the dishes.

Evening

Kevin and I spend our evening together either watching television (football, cooking shows, travel shows, concerts) or listening to various music programs from radio stations via their websites or aps.

Sleep

We usually go to bed between 8:30 and 9 pm (because we get up before sunrise).