Karl and Norene Palapa 65

Swim up bars. Endless buffets. Room service and daily entertainment.

These were the things our son imagined in his future—and more than likely the reason his answer was a resounding “YES!” when we asked, “How would you like to move to Mexico?”

Who could blame him? The year was 2004, and we had just returned home to Toronto, Canada, after an incredible week-long all-inclusive vacation in Playa del Carmen. We were riding that post-vacation high, dreaming about more family time, warmer weather and a diet rich in tacos and cervezas. In our son’s mind, however, moving to Mexico probably meant permanent access to unlimited ice cream and poolside snacks.

It took us a full year of planning—selling our home, arranging leaves of absence from work, and figuring out schooling for the kids—but in August 2005, we officially made the move.

What could possibly go wrong? Well… Cat 5 Hurricane Wilma, for starters. Little did we know that a couple of short months after our arrival, our beloved Quintana Roo would be hit with the most intense tropical storm of the Atlantic Basin EVER recorded! Suffice it to say, it was an experience none of us will ever forget, and a first-hand look at how extremely powerful Mother Nature can be.

Our original very loosely formed plan was to open a small restaurant. Karl was looking to move away from his construction background and has always loved cooking and feeding family and friends, so it seemed like the perfect fit. It didn’t take long, however, to realize that our budget and our dream weren’t quite aligned.

Although we arrived with no jobs and no concrete plans, we did have one very important thing: Doug (and Kim).

This family friend had moved to Playa del Carmen several years earlier and along with his wife became invaluable guides as we settled into our new life. They shared local knowledge, introduced us to people in the community—some of whom eventually became sources of employment—but most importantly, they offered friendship when we needed it most.

As a part-time real estate agent, Doug also introduced us to PAAMUL. When a beachfront property came up for sale—Palapa 93—Karl’s dad bought it sight unseen for a VERY reasonable price. Ahhhhh… the good ol’ days.

Some of our young family’s fondest memories were made here. Weekends were spent swimming, sharing meals, playing games, and taking afternoon naps in front of that quaint, yet slightly ramshackle palapa. It wasn’t fancy, but it was PERFECT. See views from Palapa 93 below….

For convenience, we initially settled in Playa del Carmen. Eventually, though, we found ourselves drawn farther south to our little beachfront community.

Over the years, we have lived and loved 3 different lots here in Paamul (#59, #98 and finally #65). Over those same years, word began to spread about Karl’s background in construction, plumbing, and electrical work. What started as a few small repair jobs for residents gradually grew into larger projects. Before long, those projects evolved into room additions, renovations, and eventually the construction of entire homes.

A special thank you goes out to Bekke and Brad, who took a chance on Karl and entrusted him with his very first stand-alone home-building project in Paamul. Their confidence in him helped pave the way for what would become many years of creating and improving (over 40! and counting) homes throughout the community. We have nothing but love for Paamul as it is a very big part of our ‘life story’, and feel very lucky to call it home, all because we made a decision to take a chance on Mexico all those years ago.

You are only one decision from a totally different life.
Wilferd a Peterson

Fun fact: When we moved to Paamul in 2008, it was largely a community of retirees. In fact, our kids were the very first “little people” to call Paamul home. As you might imagine, not everyone was immediately thrilled about that.

After all, children tend to bring things like bicycles, soccer balls, and the occasional dose of chaos. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for (most of) the community to discover that those same things also bring a lot of life, energy, and fun.