Magic Made in Mexico: Live Your Dream . . . in Mexico

In 2004, Barry Golson wrote an award-winning article for AARP magazine about Mexican hot spots for retirees longing for a lifestyle they couldn't afford in the United States. A year later, he and his wife Thia were taking part in the growing trend of retiring abroad. They sold their Manhattan apartment, packed up their SUV, and moved to one of those idyllic hot spots, the surfing and fishing village of Sayulita on Mexico's Pacific coast.

With humor and charm, Golson details the year he and his wife spent settling into their new life and planning and building their dream home. Sayulita -- population 1,500, not including stray dogs or pelicans -- is a never-dull mixture of traditional Mexican customs and new, gringo-influenced change. Before long, the Golsons had been absorbed into the rhythms and routines of village life: they adopted a pair of iguanas named Iggy Pop and Iggy Mom, got sick and got cured by a doctor who charged them sixteen dollars a visit, made lasting friends with Mexicans and fellow expatriates, and discovered the skill and artistry of local craftsmen.

But their daily lives were mostly dedicated to the difficult yet satisfying process of building their house. It took them almost six months to begin building -- nothing is simple (or speedy) in Mexico -- and incredibly, they completed construction in another six. They engaged a Mexican architect, builder, and landscape designer who not only built their home but also changed their lives; encountered uproariously odd bureaucracy; and ultimately experienced a lifetime's worth of education about the challenges and advantages of living in Mexico.

The Golsons lived (and are still living) the dream of many -- not only of going off to a tropical paradise but also of building something beautiful, becoming a part of a new world, making lasting friends, and transforming their lives. As much about family and friendship as about house-building, Gringos in Paradise is an immensely readable and illuminating book about finding a personal paradise and making it a home.

South of Cancun, Mexico and down a long narrow road ending in turquoise blue water, you will find Soliman Bay. Here is where most people?s dreams are found, a small bay, white sand and palm trees, and a reef just offshore full of colorful fish. If you are visiting, the dream looks real, but if you intend on staying the locals have one bit of advice - guard your sanity.

Though it may not seem possible, this comedy you are about to read is 99% true. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

May you laugh at our expense.

Happier Than A Billionaire: The Sequel continues the journey of one couple’s adventures in Costa Rica. 

Follow the author and her husband as they move to the beach to build their dream home. Although the seafood is fresh and the sunsets are golden, it doesn’t take long for Nadine to find that this process won’t come easy, even when living in one of the prettiest places on earth.

In the midst of it all, Nadine entertains her parents and mother-in-law, kayaks crocodile-infested waters, and obsesses over howler monkeys that reside above her neighbor’s house.  

She also discovers that not all dreams come in the form of brick and mortar. Some appear after taking a chance when all odds are against you

She and her husband, John, with their pate-loving dog, Folly, rejuvenate themselves by trading long work hours, traffic jams, and fast food for art, biking, and goat's cheese direct from the supplier. They garble French but figure out how to earn the best baguettes.

Gone with the Wine is not just a delightful story of their life, it also provides fascinating and fresh insights on everyday life, history, and the people of the earthly paradise called the 'Garden of France'. Joyful reading for real-life voyagers and armchair travelers alike!

TWO PLANE TICKETS, NO PLAN, ONE DREAM