Closing on a property in the United States, where everyone speaks the same language, is pretty straightforward. You're at the table with the property owner, their attorney, your attorney, real estate brokers, and someone from the bank. Pleasantries are exchanged. The mood is light. In my case, as I signed my life away, each page was described to me and the bank handed over the check. Wide smiles and "congratulations" all around. A few weeks later, I received a package in the

There are a lot of little things about buying a house in another country that you don't have to think about when you purchase in the United States. Other people may have different experiences, but when I bought my apartment in the US, it came with cabinets and most of the closets (I had to build one in the bedroom). The windows came with screens and the staircase had railings. My house in Mexico didn't come with those things. It's both good and bad. The good was being able to

I am a walking contradiction. I'm both a meticulous planner and someone who thrives on spontaneity. Definitely not a risk-taker, yet someone who bristles at anything resembling commitment—I always reserve the right to change my mind. The more I think about it, I realize I'm a planner when money or life-changing decisions are involved, but I prefer flexibility in everything else. Take my move to Merida, for example. It's been meticulously planned. Beyond securing the house, my

When I was younger, I never thought about my future in terms of who would get what after I died. It's morbid and we all want to think we're invincible. As I've gotten older, especially this past year, I've started thinking seriously about Black generational wealth. I read a couple of hard-hitting articles about Black land being stolen through dirty tricks the white power structure deliberately put in place. I read about older Black people being systematically taken advantage

I swear the wait was about a year, but closing was finally within sight. I was a bundle of nerves and excitement. I'd never done anything like this before, and I was relieved too. Relieved because if things went the way I expected them to go in the US, my family had our escape hatch. The Plan That Almost Wasn't The plan was simple enough: sign a power of attorney so my attorney could handle the closing since the timing didn't work with my limited vacation schedule. The house

After months of charts, spreadsheets, and late-night calls with my mother, I finally decided on the property that would become my new home—in Mexico. It wasn't an easy decision, but it came down to practicality. I faced three options: A poorly constructed property with a mandatory private club membership I'd have to pay for even when absent A beautifully designed home in a smaller community where if someone defaulted on maintenance, each owner would shoulder a larger financia

I do stupid things quite often, but I can usually think or talk my way out of any mess. Or at least get a good laugh out of it. This morning’s mess was one for the ages, which is why I’m skipping over an important part of my trip. The morning I was scheduled to leave, I waited at the reception desk for the cab I’d requested the previous night. When he arrived, right on time I might add, I reached into my wallet to make sure I had my passport and I came up empty. I checked the

My decision-making process is just that--a process. Part of it is instinct and vibe, and part of it is old-fashioned pragmatism. Oh, and I’m cheap too, so there’s that. Case in point: the swanky country club. I ain’t gonna lie, there was something really cool about living within a country club community and that something was both good and bad. The good was the necessities were right within walking distance which was great because the community was a little isolated. The bad

My mother likes to say when I get a bee in my bonnet, I’m going to win at whatever it is. I hate to admit there’s more than a grain of truth to that. Some may say it’s a character flaw, but I think it’s an asset that has served me well…most of the time. When I am focused and determined to “win,” I usually get what I want. For better or worse, it’s how I’ve operated my entire life.  As a football fan, I like to think I have a little bit of Bill Belichick in me (get your nasty

Like most people, I love being right. I don’t gloat, but I get a self-satisfied grin on my face or try to further explain why I’m right. Not to rub it in, just to make sure my point is really heard. It can be annoying. I can be annoying. At the same time, I love a good debate. I love when people try to punch holes in my thinking and I try to plug them. There are times, like now, when I ask people to do just that.  My cousin, with whom I am very close, is one such person who c

I’m a pretty cautious person, dipping my toe in the water, testing, swirling it around a bit to make sure nothing is going to bite me before I slip further inside.   I suspect if you were to ask family and friends, they would say, “Girl, you don’t give a f*ck, you are going to do exactly what you want to do.” They’d point to my willingness to do any and everything with myself—theater, dinner, concerts, travel. To me, those are the safe things because I don’t have to combat my

Confession: I used to love HGTV. I could sit for hours with the television tuned to my second favorite station. Myles of Style  was my show because, yes, Myles  is Black, and I root for (almost) everybody Black, but she also taught us how to use our creative skills to level up on a budget. There was Color Splash  too, which stimulated my never-ending thirst for bright colors. Incidentally, that is where the idea for my red, back-painted backsplash originated.  After a while I

I am not a beach person. I can't swim. But I needed to test whether I could actually travel to Mexico alone. Here's what happened in Cancun.

Purchasing a house is a big decision. Moving to a different city or state is a heavy lift. Building a life in a different country? That’s a whole other thing and for someone who isn’t a natural risk taker, it’s daunting. But sometimes, for one’s on sanity, you need an escape plan just in case things go sideways.  When I finally made the decision to draft a “get on up outta here” plan, I had a romanticized idea of how my next act would look. My imagination created unrealistic

A friend once asked, “Girl, do you even have a pulse?”  I wear my calm stillness as a badge of honor, chest poked out and everything, but looking back, I’m not sure she meant it as a compliment. I’ve always been a quiet lake on a perfect summer day. Underneath the surface, there’s a lot going on, but the chaos is invisible to casual watchers. So yes, I have a pulse and you’ll never know how fast it races. I am a woman in America. I can buy an expensive gift or two without bat