Cozumel Hit List
Could we be happy living in Cozumel? I think the answer is yes and that’s what we’ll be trying to figure out while we’re there. We’re leaving for Cozumel in just a few days so of course we have a hit list of things we want to accomplish there.
It’s also our first vacation in a year and a half so there will be plenty of reading, chilling, diving, and margaritas included! I can’t wait to be totally free and disconnected for a week, it’s been too long! When I think of everything that’s happened since our Mahahual trip it’s absolutely mind boggling.
I talked a little bit about our goals in a post a few weeks ago but let’s make a list of things that are important to figure out so we can revisit it when we get back and give it a fair evaluation. When we were there four years ago we weren’t expecting to be making a move as soon as we are so we didn’t evaluate it as a potential home. I did daydream about the possibility of living there while I lounged by the gorgeous turquoise water but I always do that on vacation, don’t you?
A lot can change in a place in four years though so I’m heading there with a blank slate. I think my biggest concern about living in Cozumel is that it might be too crowded and busy for us. Being busy brings some plusses but also some minuses. After Key Largo almost anywhere will be busier. One of the plusses of a more bustling place is that more services are readily available.
- Grocery stores – there are at least two large grocery stores one of which we can walk to from our place. Our place has a full kitchen so we’ll be doing some shopping and making some meals there. It’s nice to shop and look for things you need and see how that goes. I’ll wander around too and check out the variety, prices, and availability of items.
- Prescriptions – I know the names of a few pharmacies so I’ll pop in to see if I can easily source a maintenance drug that I need. I had no problem finding it in Mahahual so I don’t think I’ll have an issue in Cozumel.
- Veterinary Care – there are at least two vets on Cozumel which is great news. I hope to learn more about them from other expats and from anyone involved in the local rescue. We have to make sure our dog children are covered!
- Cost of Housing – you can only do so much research online. I know it can be done fairly inexpensively. I talked to a woman in a Facebook group I belong to a couple of days ago and she’s renting a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom place for $550+ utilities. Rentals are always cheaper on the ground so we’ll definitely be taking a look around.
- Potential to work there – we absolutely don’t want to take a job from a local but there are a lot of foreigners working in diving there filling roles that couldn’t be filled locally on the island. I plan to talk to those people to learn more about their situation and the potential to work a little.
- Talk to other expats – I want to hear all about their experience moving and living there. I’m sure we’ll run into some somewhere.
- Evaluate Safety – this might be far down this list but it’s at the top of my overall list. I need to feel safe wherever we move.
- Car free living – when we leave the states I’d strongly prefer not to have to have a car. I’d like to be somewhere close enough to the stores to bike or walk to them but still a couple blocks away from the busiest area. A car would also take a bite out of our budget that I’d rather avoid.
- Beach access – I’d like to check out a few of the beaches where I’ve read you can use the beach as long as you buy a soda or some snacks from the establishment. We’ll be on a fixed budget once we leave our jobs so cheap access to the beach is a must. I’m also curious how far from San Miguel they are since we’d most likely settle there so we can walk/bike to everything.
I think that’s it! Stay tuned for lots of information on this beautiful little island coming soon!
Until next time,
Stay warm friends!