Head for Mexico

About the Book

Head for Mexico was edited by Teresa Kendrick, the author of a highly respected guidebook to the Lake Chapala area of Mexico. Her years of experience in living and working in Mexico add an invaluable facet to this book. Bill Haslbauer is a retired Texan who, along with wife Neva retired to Mexico and offered to share their experiences with you. The definitive book on single women moving to Mexico was written by Karen Blue and she shares with you some of her unique insight into what all that entails. Mark Farley has spent years teaching English in placement service. Mark has an extensive network of people who provide information on an astounding variety of locations. and finally, Judy King, who has years of experience in the business world of Mexico and currently co-publishes with Blue, a newsletter about life in Mexico, has provided a touch of her clear-eyed but affectionate prose about her adopted country.

In addition, if you don't find the answers to your questions in Head for Mexico the author provides a website and email address so you can contact him personally. This is the only book to offer the readers exactly the information they need in order to make an informed decision about a possible move to Mexico and it may well be the funniest book you read this year.

About the Author

Don "Adan" Adams currently lives in San Juan Cosala, Jalisco, Mexico with Pirata the One-eyed Wonder Dog, and Max and Mona the totally untrained but lovable brother and sister felines. Since the early 60's he has travelled in many parts of Mexico and finally after several years of living part-time in many places in Mexico retired to full-time Mexico living five years ago.

A Navy veteran who served in DaNang, RVN in 1966-67, he graduated from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas after his discharge. He worked as a truck driver, an oilfield roughneck, a landscape company owner, an insurance adjuster, an auto-body shop manager, an ESL teacher in Mexico, and a coach and public school teacher of behaviorally disordered Special Education students in Texas.

He has published articles in specialty magazines, won awards for fiction, and currently writes a monthly column for the world's largest Mexico-related web site, www.Mexconnect.com. This is his first full length book. He is currently researching a book on the history and craft of the Zapotec weavers of Teotitian del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico.

You may contact the author don@headformexico.com or visit the website, www.headformexico.com.

The Contributors

Teresa A. Kendrick is a professional journalist, writer, researcher, editor, and publicist who has lived and worked full-time in Mexico since 1994. She is the author of the book, "Mexico's Lake Chapala and Ajijic: The Insiders Guide to the Northshore for International Travelers", numerous articles on travel, fine art, folk art, health and culture, and is a former newspaper columnist, and radio and television reporter. She has loaned her skills to create and expand many cultural organizations throughout the years. She lives in Ajijic, Jalisco and can be reached at http://www.chapalaguide.com and at ajijic@chapalaguide.com.

Karen Blue, known by friends as "Blue," chucked corporate life in 1996 at age 52 to live and write in Ajijic, Mexico. She has published several articles in English language newspapers and authors a monthly column on Mexico's largest Internet site, titled "Living in Mexico - From a Woman's Perspective" at http://mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/blue/askblue.html. In the late eighties, she cofounded both the Silicon Valley and San Francisco chapters of the National Association of Women Business Owners. Blue holds a BA in Business Management. She held several corporate management and consulting jobs in Silicon Valley in both business-to-business marketing and international customer service organizations. She has two grown children and two young dogs. Her days are spent enjoying the beautiful weather of the Lake Chapala region, making soft-sculptured dolls, writing a novel - Leap Into Life - traveling, and marketing Midlife Mavericks. She and her friend Judy King publish a monthly newsletter, Living at Lake ChapalaÉMexico Makes Sense, and present weekly newcomers seminars in Ajijic. She also plays bridge, Scrabble, Mah Jongg, Pinochle, and Cranium when she can hogtie people into joining her. Blue welcomes comments and questions. She can be reached by e-mail at:mexicoblue@prodigy.net.mx. Visit her website at: http://www.mexicoblue.homestead.com or at her newsletter website at http://www.mexico-insights.com, e-mail seminar@mexicoinsights.com.

Mark Farley made his first trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in 1984, fell in love with the country, and since then has lived in Morelia, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Cuernavaca, Guanajuato, Merida, Xalapa, and San Luis Potos’. As a teacher of English as a Second Language, Mark discovered how motivated students can earn higher salaries as bilingual employees and feels that he is making a valuable contribution to the country that has received him so well. Mark is currently the Program Director for InternetWorks, a Guaranteed Placement Program, and provides important job, housing, and travel information for The Teach English in Mexico Newsletter. He is also the author of The Teach English in Mexico Employment Guide. In 1993, Mark won 1st place for "Best TV Commercial" in a large market at WSNS-TV in Chicago for a Spanish language commercial he wrote, produced, and edited. Mark attended both the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and the University of Illinois in Chicago. He graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor's Degree. Mark is a current member of both CATESOL and TESOL organizations and his company InternetWorks is a member of the Better Business Bureau of the Southland. You can contact Mark at http://www.teach-english-mexico.com or e-mail him at info@employnow.com.

Bill Haslbauer and his wife Neva retired to Mexico in late 2000. Bill graduated from North Texas State University in Denton, Texas with a BBA in Management, a BS in Industrial Arts and enjoyed a career in Purchasing and Material Management with several companies, predominately Texas Instruments. He has served as a school board member and as a representative to the Texas Association of School Boards, on the county selective service board and the economic development council, on the regional Junior Achievement board, and at one time, the Greater Dallas Homeowners Association board, and as president of his neighborhood homeowners association. The Haslbauers have three grown children who were very supportive of their move to Mexico. Bill enjoys meeting new people and seeing new things.

Judy King has carved her own niche at Lake Chapala to showcase the knowledge gained from a dozen years of living in Mexico learning the "how-to's" for expatriates and understanding some of the cultural differences that make Mexican life a daily adventure. Her professional life focus has been designing and writing projects and promotion for adult education, chambers of commerce, newspapers, real estate sales and management to comfortably ease participants into new roles. In January 2002, she joined forces with Karen Blue to develop and present newcomer's seminars and a fact and insight-filled monthly magazine, "Living at Lake Chapala." Through these venues and from articles on http://www.mexconnect.com, The Lake Chapala Review and speaking assignments for U.S. and Canadian tour companies, she serves as a local resource for writers. Judy provided information to the staff of Forbes for their 2000 and 2001 "Retirement" issues and International Living Magazine's Mexican buyer's guide and real estate market updates. She is currently researching and writing books on Lake Chapala construction tips and techniques and about the virgins, saints and crosses. E-mail Judy King in Ajijic, Jalisco, at judy@mexicoinsights.com or http://www.mexico-insights.com for information about the "Living at Lake Chapala" magazine and seminars.

Bill O'Brien served with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division in the RVN where he spent 13 months as a machine gunner. He participated in 17 combat missions and was twice wounded in close quarter combat. He holds numerous medals and decorations for his service. After his discharge he was self-employed in the construction business for many years. He is a service-connected disabled veteran as a result of his wartime injuries and currently lives in the Lake Chapala region of Mexico. Bill rates the good weather, the laid-back lifestyle, and the lower cost of living as the three major reasons for his satisfaction with his life in Mexico. Bill is a former Second Vice-Commander of the American Legion Department of Mexico and currently serves as Alternate Department Executive Committeeman. As a member of Chapala Post #7 he served as chairman of many committees and as Post Service Officer. He is also a Life Member of the Disabled American Veterans, and a member of both the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Georgina Russell was born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and graduated from Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute and the Universit