by LCR 
If you do a quick Google search for “best places in the world to retire”, Mexico and Lake Chapala will always be one of the first search results (#3 /2021) wherever you are in the world. That’s because Chapala, San Nicolas, Riberas del Pilar, San Antonio Tlayacapan, Ajijic, San Juan Cosala, Jocotepec communities of Lake Chapala have become a popular retirement destination for years. Not only is it an affordable country to live in, but the quality of life in Lake Chapala is very high. In fact, Lake Chapala is still ranked very high. https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Mexico/happiness/ 6.47 on a scale of 1 to 10. The world average is 5.48 out of 150 countries.
This is because Lake Chapala residents have a shared sense of happiness on a variety of different topics. The report measures countries based on these 5 elements of a citizen’s life:
- Purpose
- Social
- Economic
- Community
- Physical
The people of Lake Chapala tend to live a slower pace of life, and as a result, there is a general feeling of less stress in the environment. They are seen smiling and laughing a lot, and treat each other with respect. They enjoy life. For many, this will be the most important factor in choosing their next home. How much the people around you smile, greet you and make you feel at peace while respecting you.
Being a foreigner in Lake Chapala
A slower pace of life may take some getting used to. Once you don’t impatiently wait for your order at a local restaurant. You’ll notice that you’ve taken more time to smell the flowers. Perhaps a friendly conversation with the table of strangers next to you.
Being a foreigner in a foreign country means playing by your host’s rules. Given that there are an estimated one million foreigners living in Mexico. Full-time or part-time suggests that the rules are not that difficult to adopt, and in fact may harbor some internal value.
“Being Patient costs nothing and pays big rewards.”
