We sat on the patio last night looking for the stars but instead we witnessed a halo around the moon. I had only just met the young couple. They knocked on my front door as I finished serving steaming Italian pasta dish to my B&B guests. She was American-Mexican and her first time in Mexico and he was American, also his first time here. They were both accountants from LA. Even in the darkness they felt the magic of Mineral de Pozos. International living creeped into their consciousness as we talked.

They wanted to see our place...we leave the front doors opened at night with candles lit and fire ablaze. The romance of our digs always attracts visitors. I had to finish in the kitchen. I cracked open a few Coronas and joined them on the patio. Late December. Cool but okay with a sweater.

The first thing anyone asks, "why Pozos", "why Mexico?" I always start with the closing of my 20 year old apparel design firm and the following two years of relaxation and research on how to re-invent my life. This leads to many topics including politics, Spanish immersion, authenticity, adventure. Without fail, I focus on the fresh air, the big skies, the sunshine, the vistas, all adding to our new priorities in life. TV, the mall, eating out, focus on electronics, have dropped to the wayside. Horse-back riding, long walks through the desert, artistic approaches to everything. These are the new normal. Can international living be normal?

They start to talk about how confronting the US has become. How people seem to want to get away from it all. I have not been there for three and a half years so I can not really comment. The wheels are turning. The woman says "I am already thinking about what I could do here!" A revenue stream is critical. Bring your creative genius and your commitment to adventure and give to the sweet community and the kids who are missing their parents. "Missing, what do you mean?" The parents of many children have gone off to the states to work or to larger cities in Mexico. They send money home and call frequently to stay in touch. Some of the kids come to our house and sit sulking wondering why they do not get to be a family when they see we are all together. My son cries sometimes for his friends as he empathizes with their misery. Compassion unfortunately does not fix it. I explain, more commerce to create more jobs, more attention to providing skills to be more employable, this is what will help make a difference. And, eventually, the parents may be able to come back more frequently or for good. It does seem simplistic and idealistic. I never knew when I moved here that these would be my concerns, my thoughts.

When you are bored, think of Mineral de Pozos. Quiet and reflective, yes; boring, never. I invite anyone ready for a personal adventure, an ' international living ' challenge, to come and see what it is all about. I did say when I first came here, 'still water runs deep in Pozos' and I was right. Mexico has many faults as does any place. We all agreed that night on one theme: we attract the quality of our lives and tranquility is the key to change.