If you’d have told me 10 years ago that I’d be married and living in a foreign country, unable to speak the language, I probably would have shrugged my shoulders and responded, “It’s possible,” but I wouldn’t have truly believed it.

Moving to Mexico has been a possibility since I considered the idea of marrying my high school sweetheart 10 years ago. Mexico always held a special place in J’s heart. His family owns property and businesses there, and he spent nearly every summer there growing up, so I knew taking over the family business was something he hoped to do. Secretly, though, I assumed he’d get older and forget about the idea. It was possible, but not plausible.

Then there were the big obstacles I’d surely face. What about my job and the fact that I don’t speak Spanish? What about my life? OK, so not speaking Spanish shouldn’t really be an issue. In this hypothetical future, I’d have over 10 years to learn, so it shouldn’t be a problem. (Alas, I never learned and it is now a problem.) My career, on the other hand, now I knew that would never work. J would just have to earn enough to support us both so I could be a happy stay-at home wife if I were to follow him to Mexico. Nope! I think I’d go crazy just sitting at home with no one to talk to and nothing to do but cook and clean. Fast forward to 2013 – I was working for a online company and was given the opportunity to work from home. Well, there went a second obstacle.

So here I am, newly wed, living in Mexico with my oh-so-Mexican husband. (His Mexican heritage has really come to the surface and it’s hysterical to me. Who is this cowboy boot-wearing man blasting banda in our car?) That hypothetical future has become my reality, and it’s kind of great. Yes, it’s a struggle to communicate, but I’m slowly learning and little by little I’m getting there. And that third obstacle? What about my life? Well, I’m adding another adventure to the list. Of course I miss my family, friends, and pets terribly (thank goodness for Skype and international data plans), but now I’m getting to know my new extended family and making new friends. Plus, there’s this little guy to keep me company.