Last night was a first for me and maybe for the city of Merida. Five Brothers, four married and one single, got together and hung out in our new adopted homes in Mexico. It’s not the first time we’ve met or have socialized together. In fact, I see and talk to these brothers often. What was so special about last night was it was the first time a small group of us decided to carve out time and break bread together.
Why is this even important?
One of my biggest fears when moving to a foreign country, having grown up and been raised in Atlanta for over 30 years, was not having the type of fellowship I had back home. I’m talking about that guy time at the barbershop where you can discuss life, politics, or anything in a safe space. And to be honest, most of my time here in Merida has been spent around amazing women who have taken to this life of living abroad at a much higher rate than my brothers.
Why don’t more Black men move abroad has been the topic of discussion of several Sunday dinners? And of those that do move abroad, most tend to be married with kids. I’ve thought about this often and even kept a mental count of the brothers I’ve encountered over the last year. Today, I took the time to write down my mental list because I think it’s important for those looking to make this journey to know what the community dynamic is really like.
Over the last year, I’ve met and connected with over 12 married Black Men in Merida, and all but 3 of us have kids. I’ve also met 3 other amazing Brothers who are married but have moved on to other parts of Mexico or the world. I currently know of 5 single black men in Merida. These brothers are of various ages from the late ’20s to the early ’40s. Speaking of age, as I write this, there are only 4 brothers that I've met that are older than me. In fact, at the table last night, I was the OG of the group at 45, soon to be 46.
If you contrast that with Merida's ladies, my wife and I have met 16 single black females who have lived in multiple countries. As I think about the list, Mexico is not the first go-around at living abroad for any of them. Many had a Chiang Mai connection in Thailand. Others have lived in Central or South America, but somehow we have all ended up in Merida. These amazing Sisters' age group is from the early ’30s to late ’60s, maybe even '70's. They all come from different walks of life and have amazing journeys and stories.
Together I think we have met or know more than 45 different black families in Merida, and we are meeting more as each week passes. The point of this sentence is to say that there is a strong community of US here and more arriving every day. We didn’t choose Mexico because of the community here, and just like back home, there are multiple groups of us within the community, families with babies, little kids, teens, older aunties, uncles who have been here for 10+ years, gay and straight. It is the rich diversity among our own clan that makes this group of folks so unique. Although we all left for different reasons, and at different times, we have arrived at the same destination.
Here is to hoping that you will make a move to Merida and bring your uniqueness and perspective to the community.
Please join the MexConnect membership to contribute to more useful content being made. Without your support, this is not possible. Thank you for your contribution to helping us make the transition easier for everyone else.
Until Next Time,
MexitPlans Monte
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