What do expats find most challenging?

We asked expats and digital nomads what they find the most challenging about the local culture in Mazatlan. They wrote...

"One of the most challenging aspects of adjusting to life in Mazatlan for expats is the language barrier. While English is increasingly gaining a foothold among the younger generation, many of the local people and institutions remain largely Spanish-speaking. Additionally, understanding the local customs and culture can take some time for newcomers to the area to learn and adapt to. Mazatlan is also a very traditional Catholic city, with strong religious and cultural influences being readily seen in the way people interact with each other and in the social activities available in the area. For expats seeking to blend in, a thorough understanding of these customs and norms is required in order to be accepted by the local population," explained one expat living in Mazatlan, Mexico.

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"Getting used to the acceptance of bureaucracy, the lack of urgency, the hierarchy of society and wondering where I fit sometimes. The gender roles - I get really upset when my wife asks a question and I get the answer. I really hate it when a National assumes that I am a snowbird, a vacationing tourist or a retired person. The locals are really not used to people our age (in our 40's) moving here working and raising a family. They have trouble categorizing us. That has made it a little hard to make local friends, but we are persistent and it is starting to pay off. We ask things like when is the first day of school. In the States that is a reasonable request and when you get an answer it is a certainty. Here, it is a moving target. That fact is not mentioned in the answer and we have to get used to asking back after the answer (to almost anything), "might that change?"," said another expat in Mazatlan, Mexico.