Would you be brave enough to sell your belongings and move your children to the other side of the world?
That’s exactly what single mum Mairi Holden did, with no job or home to go to, unable to speak the language and only a suitcase of belongings for herself and 11-year-old son Oscar.
But the pair have just returned to Kinghorn, in Fife, from what they describe as they best year of their lives in Mexico.
And as well as a good grasp of Spanish and cherished memories, Mairi hopes she has equipped Oscar, now 12, with a sense of adventure and confidence which will enrich the rest of his life.
Mairi, 42, spent months meticulously planning and saving for their move to Playa del Carmen, selling her car and all but the essential and most treasured of her and Oscar’s possessions.
To add to several streams of income, including an online business, she took on dog-sitting to raise extra cash.
Then she booked their flights and a hotel for two weeks.
Despite her extensive research, she admits she remained so anxious she told few people until the last minute to avoid being put off by others’ fears.
Oscar had been about to begin his final year of primary school when Mairi “saw a window of opportunity” and began planning their overseas adventure.
She said: “After Covid and a few other major events in my life, I realised you can’t really plan for anything because you never know what is around the corner, and life can change, or end, in an instant.
Home-schooling in Mexico
“I decided for Oscar’s final year of primary school, since we’d already been home-schooling for almost a year with Covid, that I would take him abroad and let him experience another culture, language and way of life whilst home-schooling at the same time.
“I wanted him to be able to have confidence he could cope well with change in this very fast paced world, and also not to be materialistic.
“I feel it’s not things that are important in life, it’s people, relationships, love, kindness, giving, life experience, communication and empathy.”
Mairi wrote a “huge” masterplan which took her seven months to work through, including getting the correct visas.
She said: “I sold everything I owned, my car, my furniture, toys, books, everything!
“I took on extra work to save money for our trip before we went and we left with one large suitcase and a set of hand luggage each. That was all we needed.”
Along with summer clothes, one set each of warm clothes for any emergency return, school materials and laptops, they took some toys Oscar couldn’t bear to be parted with and his PlayStation so he could keep in touch with friends.
Finally, at 3am one morning last October the pair left their rented flat, posted their keys through a neighbour’s letterbox and took a taxi to the airport.
The moment of departure
The magnitude of what they were doing struck hard.
Mairi said: “All we had were Oscar’s and my suitcases. It was that moment of ‘okay, let’s hope we get there ok! This is our life’. It was a big feeling.”
She had been assured by a friend who had previously moved to Mexico they would find accommodation quickly.
And within four days of arriving the pair had moved into the apartment they were to call home for the next 12 months. Their new life had begun.
Mairi said: “It was amazing.
“Oscar’s met some beautiful international friends, he’s had experiences of a lifetime, he’s been totally immersed in the Mexican way of life, nature, animals, and enjoyed a lot of outdoor time in the sun!”
Oscar also took up martial arts, swam with sharks, swam in cenotes – deep water wells revered by the Mayans – and the pair visited Mayan ruins and Chichén Itzá.
He and Mairi were particularly taken by local animals, including street dogs, cats and iguanas they would see around their home, and they volunteered as dog walkers for a local sanctuary for strays.
Keeping up with school work in their apartment was interspersed by days on the beach, like a holiday and real life combined.
Mairi said: “As well as living next to the Mexican locals, we met a lot of Americans and Canadians in our time there too; so many beautiful people were put in our path who will now be friends for life.
“It is a daunting thought to make such a big move, especially as a single parent, but as they say, the magic happens out of your comfort zone and it certainly did for us!”
Having learned some basics before their departure, Oscar quickly picked up Spanish and became their chief communicator, taking the lead in shops, restaurants, on transport.
With no set duration for their stay in Mexico, Mairi was open to the move being long or short term depending on their circumstances.
“It was a really good year, I learned so much about Mexico.”
Oscar
She said: “I never plan further than six months ahead because things can change so rapidly.”
Six months in they felt settled and decided to stay for another six months.
But as they approached a year, Mairi decided a return to the UK would be best for Oscar, giving him a more structured secondary school education and a safer environment to grow his independence.
She explained: “Before we went, I thought Oscar will benefit more from a year abroad than he will at primary school right now.
“But coming to the age he is at now and looking at what I could provide for him over there, I thought he now might benefit more from being at high school in the UK.
“In his teenage years he needs his peers, his independence.
“If he thrives [back here] great, if not we can always head back to Mexico!”
Now back in Fife, Oscar has started at his local secondary school.
He said: “It was a really good year, I learned so much about Mexico.
“Chichén Itzá is very interesting, everything about Mexico is just really interesting and cool.”
His favourite experience, he said, was swimming in cenotes.
“Sometimes it can be a bit scary because you can’t see the bottom of the water, but it is really deep so you can just jump in.”
Mairi co-authored a book with tips on moving to Mexico while she was there, entitled A Flourishing Life in Playa del Carmen, and created a guide to launching a digital business to help people work from anywhere.
She urged parents considering a similar move overseas to follow their dream but to do their research.
She said: “When you want to do something enough you can absolutely do anything.
“It’s not thinking ‘can you do it?’, it’s thinking ‘how can you do it?’
“I’m so, so glad we did it.
“I didn’t really know what to expect and I must admit the fear was there, but I couldn’t focus on the fear and let it stop me.
“Oscar has experienced so much and it’s something he will remember forever.”
Conversation