We Left the US for Mexico. We Stopped Chasing the American Dream. | Invesloan.com

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with 36-year-old Bianca Ramos about moving from the US to Mexico. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

My husband and I are both Mexican-American. In our culture, we were taught to put our heads down and work hard to make a name for ourselves.

We both made six figures, so our household income was over $200,000, but I don’t know if we were really happy.

My father-in-law moved to America so my husband and his siblings could build a better life. When my husband and I got married in 2018, our aim was to keep pursuing the American dream by moving up the corporate ladder.

But we were stressed and exhausted. It felt like no matter how hard we worked, it would never be enough to meet our American dream.

In 2024, we moved our family to Mexico. We’re earning less money and downsized our lifestyle, but I have more time with my kids and get to redefine what success means to me. It’s been worth it.

I started to struggle with the idea of the American dream

In the US, I pursued a career in HR, focusing on inclusion and diversity. My husband worked in sales.

Before kids, all I thought about was moving up the corporate ladder. I had a vision to be a VP of HR.

We bought a four-bedroom house in Austin. He drove a Tundra, and I drove an Audi. A lot of our money was spent on paying the nanny for our two kids.

I felt pressure to keep upgrading our lives: a bigger house, nicer cars, and more things, because that’s what I thought success was.

Every upgrade meant working harder and losing time with my kids.

We initially struggled to have children. We finally had our son in 2021 and daughter in 2022. Having my son completely shifted my values. Time with my children felt more important than working in a corporate job to afford more stuff.

We decided to leave the US

Although I worked remotely in the US, back-to-back meetings made spending time with my kids difficult.

Around the same time, I also started thinking more about my identity as a Mexican-American. We began to think moving to Mexico could help our kids understand more about their cultural identity.

In 2022, my husband and I started talking about leaving America.

We spent two years having long conversations about moving. We cut back on our finances, started saving, and got our documentation for moving to Mexico. We slowly sold our things, including both of our cars, and put our house up for rent.

We both handed in our resignations and moved to Mexico in August 2024.

Telling our families was difficult. My husband’s family left Mexico to come here, so sitting them down and saying we were moving back was terrifying. We were afraid they’d feel like we were failing them.

We’ve made sacrifices financially

My husband, who dabbled in day trading before the move to Mexico, has decided to pursue it full-time. His pay is less predictable, but the flexible hours mean he can spend more time with us.

When I resigned from my job, my company offered me the option to move to a part-time, remote role with them. Now, I have the flexibility to focus on my family while also pursuing content creation. My ultimate goal is to build an online community for people who want more freedom and balance in their lives.

We make $2,400 from renting out our house in the States, but our professional incomes are less than they were in the US. Both of our businesses are in their infancy, but we have a big vision for our future.

We don’t consume just to consume anymore. In the States, I enjoyed interior design and filling my house with stuff, but in Mexico, my kids share a room and the decorations don’t match like they used to. Having everything looking pristine is no longer important or financially realistic.

While most things are less expensive in Mexico than in the States, branded shoes and clothing are more expensive here.

We live in a two-bedroom condo in Playa del Carmen, which is smaller than our old home. We pay $1,300 a month for rent, which is less than our monthly mortgage payment. We live a 10-minute walk from the beach, and our kids love sharing a room. It’s made me realize we never needed a big house to begin with.

I’m redefining success outside the corporate ladder

My life’s taken a dramatic turn. I have more time to be present with my children because I’m not stressed and always checking my emails.

I’ve never had so much freedom. I’m responsible for creating my own success and pursuing my business dreams. It’s a blessing to be able to grab control of my life.

In the US, work is always a part of your identity. When you meet new people, the first thing they’ll ask is what you do. In Mexico, people work to live instead of living to work. When you meet people, they ask about your family or invite you for a drink.

Walking away from my corporate dreams was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. I worked so hard to get to where I was, and had more climbing to do. But I’m glad I’m betting on myself and redefining what the future looks like for me and my family.

Do you have a story to share about leaving America? Contact this reporter at ccheong@businessinsider.com.