I arrived in Mexico at 20 years old, ready for the great adventure of my year abroad. My Spanish at the beginning was awful – it would take me about 10 seconds to get out a three-to-four-word sentence, and once it was out, it was barely intelligible – but after some intensive courses and extended homestays (and I’ll admit, lots of runs to the bathroom for short bouts of frustrated crying…grit ain’t free, people!), I finally managed to get the hang of it.
Since then, I’ve worked as a teacher both in-person and online, learned to navigate Mexican roads, gotten married, had a kid, gotten divorced, and started a new career as a writer and translator. I’ve painted and decorated new living spaces, had a few pets, and eaten a lot of tacos. In short, I’ve settled here.
I’m 40 now, and the love affair hasn’t ended. And while I’ll likely never be mistaken for a Mexican myself, I have nonetheless been embraced, nurtured, and loved by the beauty of this country, its people, and its culture. Mexico is home.
Over the past several years, I’ve been writing about Mexico from various angles.
In my weekly opinion column for Mexico News Daily, my focus is primarily on current events, politics, and the economy. Though not everyone agrees with what I write, I feel incredibly privileged to have been given the space to express myself and to be read by such a wide audience.
You can find all my published articles with Mexico News Daily here (heads up: there’s a paywall after 5 articles for the month).
At Expats in Mexico, I write as Sirena Tejana, and have contributed several articles about the ins and outs of living in Mexico as a foreigner including city profiles, articles about the specifics of Mexican culture, and practical advice for living in Mexico (liking renting a place to live and having pets, for example).
Note: Expats in Mexico has a permanent paywall, but if you are thinking of moving to or are already living in Mexico, it’s a site well worth its small monthly fee.
And of course, if you’re interested in my contributing to your own content in any way, please do contact me at devries.sarah@gmail.com.
Sarah DeVries 