It was so easy to apply for my permanent residency to Mexico, as long as you qualify and have all your documents required! The last document I was waiting for arrived Wednesday October 20. Next day I went Mexican Consulate office in downtown Calgary.  I could not believe how fast it went? Less that an hour and ½ and only $57.00 Canadian.

The interviewer told me that I was  a very lucky guy! I was not scheduled to be there that day and they were very  busy this time of year. I answered by saying that  everything was meant to be! The dots connected quickly when my final document arrived!

My Canadian friends living in Mexico suggested that it is better to get my Permanent not Temporary Residency. Many great benefits to me!  I also discovered that I cannot drive my campervan to Mexico. The Mexican government requires that a permanent resident must purchase cars in their country! All trucks, rv’s, suv’s and scooters are not permitted entrance to Mexico from another countries. I will get great savings  on healthcare, dental,  golf, travel and so much more….
​They also have nine Mexican Consulates offices across Canada. 

So my new life begins… Pete from WorldTripPete.com 

Now that I’m fully retired, I have been looking at residency in Panama or Mexico, each having its own advantages and disadvantages. I am deciding on Mexico because it has direct flights to most places around the world. Panama uses the US dollar and could hurt me when the dollar increases in value. The Mexican peso is always less than my Canadian dollar, giving me greater value there. The Mexican Consulate has an office in Calgary and I have a meeting with them next month to discuss residency status. The US border then opens November 8th 2020 allowing me to drive my campervan “Old faithful” to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. (I drove the same van to Panama City, Panama 6 years ago from Calgary, Canada.)
Another reason I picked Mexico over Panama. I can buy a nice condo in a gated community with pool and gym for about $90,000.00 USD. A comparable condo in Panama would cost me more than $200,000.00 USD.

I am now focused on my road trip to Mexico. I started the first part of the leg (one third) from Toronto where I picked up the campervan from my friend Tim. His hapyhipi instagram place is one of my favorite hangouts on earth. I drove 31 hours Toronto to Calgary and plan to drive another 62 hours to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Cost of the trip is going up! Six years ago my road trip to Panama cost me $20/hr and today cost will be $22/hr. (Most people go by miles per gallon but I go by gas/hr!)

Looking forward to Change, life is good!.... Pete from WorldTripPete.com

Had Christmas 2020 early with family, I went to both my Daughters Crystal, Tiffany and their families to hand out gifts the pass couple days being safe (COVID-19) in their back yards. The past 18 years I think I have been home about 4 times for Christmas, we normally celebrate Christmas about a month before so I could get away somewhere warm, they did not mine.

I really enjoyed shopping for them and just see the kids’ faces opening their gifts was priceless, I normally ask their parents what I should get them but this time I did it all on my own and it felt great, I even bought myself a Christmas present an all-wheel drive Lincoln SUV.

Most of the people on my Facebook I met while travelling and I know the feeling we get just hopping on a plane somewhere warm and maybe somewhere new, the travel bug will never go away but after this COVID-19 thing is all over we will all appreciate life so much more.
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I was going to do a drive by Christmas gift drop off but the weather in Calgary was warm this past week so I divided to ask my daughter’s if we can meet up in their backyards 2 meters apart with facemask, no problem it worked out great. My daughter Crystal also put a family zoom so other family members including sisters Carol, Janet, Colleen and some of their family members so we can all see each other; it was a great safe early Christmas for us all.
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Merry Christmas to all stay safe and stay home until this COVID-19 thing is gone.