Translator contemplating move to Mexico
Thread poster: Sonya Gerisch
Sonya Gerisch
Sonya Gerisch  Identity Verified
Local time: 05:11
German to English
Nov 17, 2013

Hello all, first apologies for writing in English, but my language pair is German into English. I am already an established freelance translator and have been doing this for 13 years now. For the past 2 years I have been thinking about moving to the Lake Chapala area (near Guadalajara) for several reasons. I was waiting for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) to be implemented to see what my options were and unfortunately I am one of the 5% who will not be helped. I am self-employed, a bit older... See more
Hello all, first apologies for writing in English, but my language pair is German into English. I am already an established freelance translator and have been doing this for 13 years now. For the past 2 years I have been thinking about moving to the Lake Chapala area (near Guadalajara) for several reasons. I was waiting for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) to be implemented to see what my options were and unfortunately I am one of the 5% who will not be helped. I am self-employed, a bit older (48), and so therefore make a bit more money and any new plan is actually worse than the plan I have now which is pretty bad already. Plus I will not qualify for any subsidies. I do not mind paying for health insurance or care, but in the last 2 years I have paid out $17,000/year in medical expenses. I cannot keep this up without risking losing everything.

Secondly, I like that type of climate and I like the mountains. Thirdly, there are already a lot of Americans and Canadians living in this area. The other option is Germany, but the cost of living is very high there compared to Mexico, and in Lake Chapala, other than housing which will be about the same, everything else will be much, much cheaper.

I am writing to see if anyone wants to share any of their thoughts, good or bad, on this -- especially if you are a translator who has done something similar. Or even if you aren't I would like to hear your thoughts on what it is like to work in Mexico, particularly as a non-Mexican national. Or any Mexican nationals working as translators are welcome to comment. You can also contact me via email.

Thank you very much.

Sonya
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luisoncln
luisoncln  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 02:11
Spanish to English
+ ...
wondering Jan 15, 2016

Hello Sonya,
I came upon your thread and was wondering if you actually moved to Mexico and if so , what have been your experiences thus far. I am thinking of moving also.

Greetings.


 
Sonya Gerisch
Sonya Gerisch  Identity Verified
Local time: 05:11
German to English
TOPIC STARTER
Not moved yet Jan 18, 2016

Hi, no I have not moved yet.
Some things came up like cancer with my father, but I am still thinking about it.
My health insurance went up to $600/month this month.

I don't qualify for any subsidy under Obamacare so it's quite expensive.

So even though I can get the insurance, my expenses have not really gone down much at all.

Therefore I can't really give you any information at this time and no one responded to the post as you can see.
<
... See more
Hi, no I have not moved yet.
Some things came up like cancer with my father, but I am still thinking about it.
My health insurance went up to $600/month this month.

I don't qualify for any subsidy under Obamacare so it's quite expensive.

So even though I can get the insurance, my expenses have not really gone down much at all.

Therefore I can't really give you any information at this time and no one responded to the post as you can see.

Good luck to you!
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rebeccahila
rebeccahila
United States
Local time: 05:11
English to Spanish
+ ...
Advice Feb 28, 2016

Hi Sonya, I know your language pair is German English, but do you speak any Spanish at all? (Even on a basic, survival level?). If so, that'll go a long way. If not, I'd suggest taking the time to learn some basics. Duolingo is a fun app for language learning (I'm currently using it for Portuguese!). Additionally, if you have a network or at least some contacts in the area, that would be advisable. (I lived in Mexico City for a year and had an incredible experience). Best of luck.

 


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Translator contemplating move to Mexico






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