I have found the expat community in Mazatlán extremely welcoming and friendly. I became part of a WhatsApp group even before arriving here (thanks to a friend), and the group has been extremely supportive, especially in my first week where everything was unfamiliar and foreign.
One lady who lives just across the street from me came over for a little while to chat on my very first afternoon in the apartment. As much as I wanted to learn Spanish and be in contact with local people… it felt so good to just be able to communicate with someone in English.
The next day, I met someone at the local corner store (OXXO), a woman about my age, and she started a conversation. We exchanged contact info and agreed to meet up sometime soon. We ended up going for coffee and breakfast a couple of days later and are quickly becoming friends.
In no time, I had social engagements for every single one of my first few days. Going out for dinner and live music, having dinner and drinks and watch the sunset, a birthday party that I was invited to and where I met even more people… It was incredible.
Now, I realize that I was very lucky to have a friend who traveled to Mazatlan a few months earlier. Credit where credit is due. She had reached out to other expats on Facebook before her trip and established contacts and new friends on her vacation. She found the apartment and leased it for herself (I’m just the roommate who has arrived earlier). My friend put me in contact with a lady who helps newly arriving expats to get a handle of living here (i.e. how to use the bus, where to go shopping, get a Mexican SIM card and plan etc). I really was falling into a made nest. I was very lucky.
It is, however, apparent how easy it is to make contacts among expats while living abroad. There is a commonality that binds together. Foreign experiences, struggle with a foreign language, the awe of discovering new places and cultures…
What an awesome experience!