It all started for Dawn Fleming on the 405 freeway in L.A. in 2003. After years of living the SoCal lifestyle in Orange County, she and her husband Tom were in culture shock. They looked at each other and said, “This is our life? What are we doing here?” That conversation started them on a journey that took 13 years before finding the end of their rainbow in Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

Michael Nuschke, a Canadian from Halifax, Nova Scotia, knows a thing or two about moving and adjusting to new places. His U.S. Air Force father moved his family at least once a year for 13 years, making adaptability a necessary survival skill for him. A professional financial planner, he now owns a business that helps aspiring expats from other countries learn all about living in Lake Chapala.

Beaches like Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and the like all have tropical and hot weather almost all year. The average daytime temperatures range between 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit.

High elevation cities like San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Ajijic, Chapala, Guadalajara, Oaxaca, Mexico City, and San Cristóbal de las Casas will experience cold nights during the winter months. But the temperature will seldomly drop below 40 degrees at night.