When we put our notice on the Yahoo Groups San Miguel Renter’s Forum, Sher and Garry Davidson were the first people who contacted us right away. We are now so happy that they did. Sher sent over the link to their AirBnb listing (they are now no longer on it) so we could get an idea of what the house looked like and we immediately loved it. BUT, we were a bit unsure of it because of the location which we felt was a little further west than we wanted and we really couldn’t find it on Google Maps. Sher explained to us where it was and eased our concerns and we got sold on it. It helped that it was very much within our budget and included all utilities.
It is 2200 sq. ft. with 3 1/2 baths, 3 bedrooms (one is a den now with a pull out bed), big kitchen (we are still trying to figure out the stove and temperature settings since they are celsius), great living area, two patios and a fabulous terrace off the master bedroom. We sometimes don’t know what to do with all the space, but it will be perfect when friends and family come down to visit. It truly is wonderful!!
We do not see any other houses close by from inside our house. But we can see some houses in the distance and at night their windows light up nicely. The house is very conducive to our new lifestyle. It is very comfortable, bright, sunny and colorful. And it is a gallery of artwork. Many of the pieces are Sher’s and they have a range of styles which we really enjoy. I have also started reading her book which is available, Under the Salvadorian Sun, and like it.
We have gotten used to the walk into the Historic Centro from our San Antonio neighborhood. It really isn’t that far and is certainly helping us with achieving our 10,000 steps a day plan. One day we even did over 18,000 steps!! Now that ought to help us get in shape.
We also really like the area because it is so quiet where we are. The traffic is lighter and the cannons that tend to go off in the Historic Centro do not affect us as much here at all. However, we do have a rooster that crows about 3am, but we are getting used to him and kind of like the sound. There are only a couple of houses on our private street and we usually don’t see anyone else. We are getting used to the neighborhood and all the little streets. Eventually each day we walk over to Ancha San Antonio which is a main street nearby leading into Centro. On that we can find a great wine store, several restaurants, a drug store, an artisans market and more. There are also quite a few tiendas along the way which we like to step into when we need little things.
We are tending to make a leisurely start to the day. I make coffee while Glenn does his tai chi on the patio, and then we have breakfast there with the lovely fountain on. We love water features, so were particularly glad to find the house had one. The house is called Hummingbird House and there are hummingbird references all over and they flit among the trees and flowers. We are at peace and relaxing. Glenn is still getting used to the idea of retirement, but finds out how it suits him more every day. We are not doing much, but doing anything can take a while (see our previous post), which we are not minding. We like the slower pace.
After breakfast we hang out and plan the day. We have taken to going out around noon and eventually have lunch somewhere in the shade. We then run what errands we need to do and head home to a wonderfully cool house. Glenn may have a siesta and I add photos to our Instagram account from the days meandering. And of course, work on the blog. We are a bit behind on catching you up with all the goings on but new posts should be out soon.
After Glenn’s siesta he makes dinner. My job now is to do the dishes, however, we are planning on searching out recipes for new dishes to try to make together. A Mexican cooking class may also be on the horizon, perhaps when friends come down in July. That may be a fun thing to do although a bit intimidating.
Whatever we decide for our day we have a haven that we are loving to come home to and a wonderful new life to pursue.
6 Comments
You sure know what you’re talking about. Everyone is going to soon be visiting your site.
Do you think you might eventually find a place to own? I know we would not look forward to having to move at the end of the lease. After 10 years on the road in our RV we are ready to nest. 8^)
No, we don’t have any plans to do that. We don’t really have the large financial requirements to invest in a house. And we really want to be free to do all the travels we are planning. That is a big priority. Glenn owned a house for 20 years, and it was great. But we got tired of the upkeep and having tenants and expense. We are very happy to not own anything right now. Most of the stuff we do own can be easily replaced. It is nice to be free at this stage in our life. I can see where it would be different being in a van for 10 years. But with the great rentals out in the world right now moving 3 suitcases each every 6 or so months is not a big deal. Best wishes for your transition.
Oh no, not a van. We live in a 40′ motorhome, ~400 sqft. 8^)
Oh, yes, excuse me. I did actually catch that. We thought of doing that a couple years ago too. Our in-law apartment we lived in in the basement of our house was only 600sqft. We rented the upstairs so we could fund our retirement. I guess there are just some of us that strive for the freedom to explore. Hope your explorations bring you a lot of happiness and joy.
Our exploring days are not over. I promised the wife we would still travel after we sold the RV. We intend to fly and cruise at least 3 months of the year. 8^)