Next Steps

Both of us being planners by nature, this weekend was spent trying to figure out what are plans for the next 1, 5 and 10 year time frames should be. While we haven't hammered out all of the details, we made some really good progress.

One Year Out:

I still have a little over a year left on my commitment to the State Department so now is the time to start figuring out next steps. Fortunately, Jahkedda enjoys the work that she's doing for the organization that hired her a few months back. Given that there is no physical location and all of the work is done virtually, that frees us up quite a bit geographically. We seriously considered a move to London directly following our time in the DR. And then after our time in Mexico, we were convinced that Mexico City was where we needed to be. After discussing what made the most sense for us career-wise and financially, we decided that maybe a move back to the US would be in our best interests. While London boasts a dynamic and multi-faceted economy, London is such an expensive place to live and the British haven't quite been able to pull themselves out of the recession just yet. Mexico City, on the other hand, would be a great place to spend a couple years, but it didn't seem to be the best place for my career goals, at least not in the short term. So, the US seemed to be the best place for us while we work on building a foundation in the new directions that our careers are leading.

As far as Jahkedda's concerned, although her job is virtual, being back on the East Coast would put her geographically closer to many of her clients, which provides opportunities for her to build her professional network.

As for me, I'm considering a move into consulting on climate change and sustainability issues. While London may have been an ideal place for such work, the East Coast also has many very interesting developments in that area. In an effort to slowly begin to make a name for myself in that industry, today I launched a new website focused on that arena, still under the address of my previous website, www.aarontyrellmitchell.com.

Five Years Out:

We still have our sights set internationally. Both London and Mexico City still maintain their appeal for us, and we're sure over time, we'll only add to the list. Although continued presence abroad is not looking like the best option at this point in the game, we definitely expect to live abroad again once we're more established in our careers. Jahkedda is well on her way to developing the type of work that can be done literally from anywhere in the world. It's now up to me to figure out how to add a component of mobility to my career so that we can live in a place simply because we like living there, as opposed to the job opportunities present. The goal is be ready to pack up and ship out in 2-3 years time, but that all depends on where we find ourselves at that point in our lives.

Ten Years Out:

Having lived on the East Coast and here in the Caribbean, we've learned that extreme weather is something that is best avoided. Neither hot and humid summers nor cold and snowy winters hold much appeal for us. The ability to maintain two separate residences in different parts of the world is the principle idea behind this part of the plan. To make this happen, we would need to clear any and all debt, so we created an Debt Reduction Calculator spreadsheet in excel (to wrap our minds around paying-off our ever-looming student loans in this lifetime). We'd love to be in a financial and professional position to have an apartment in DC or NY for the temperate part of the year, but be able to escape to South America or Southern Europe once summer becomes too oppressive or winter too unbearable. When you take away the need to make debt payments every month while developing careers without geographic limitations, much of the risk associated with living wherever you want simply fades away.

So that's the plan. We're interested in seeing how it all plays out.

MEXICO

We just got back from spending about a week and a half in Mexico and it was AWESOME! So awesome, in fact, that we're thinking about moving there after we leave the DR.

Mexico was a lot different than either of us had expected. Despite its proximity to the US, Mexico City is much more of a European-style city than an American one. There were sidewalk cafes and restaurants all over the city; the cafes and teahouses were full of young people discussing life, art, politics; the main traffic arteries were made up of wide tree-lined boulevards; contemporary art galleries dotted the city; the traffic circles boasted elaborate fountains and larger-than-life sculptures; and the city's many parks were full of students and office workers chatting, reading and eating lunch. It had very little in common with capitals of other developing countries that we've visited.

When we first arrived here in Santo Domingo, we spent 10 weeks in the Marriott Hotel close to the embassy while we waited for our apartment to be ready. Those 2.5 months in the basic Marriott Courtyard in Santo Domingo earned use 3 nights in the super fancy J.W. Marriott in Mexico City with Executive Lounge privileges for my birthday weekend. It was hands down the best hotel we've ever stayed in. First, it was located in the super posh part of town, which was replete with art galleries and high-end boutiques. Secondly, the service was impeccable: the concierge scored us dinner reservations and event tickets; the hotel bar staff was great; and the exec lounge was always stocked with free booze and food whenever we wanted.

There were, however, definitely some shady parts to the city too. On my actual birthday, we got tickets to the Lucha Libre, an even more over the top Mexican equivalent of WWF Smackdown. Trying to hail a cab afterwards, we quickly came to the realization that the arena was definitely in the 'hood. And as the only black people in Mexico, we were desperately trying to snag a taxi before we brought any more attention to ourselves. The Lucha Libre itself was pretty cool, in a "what the hell is going on" sort of way. From the masked "luchadores", to the ridiculous choreographed antics in the ring, to the overly exuberant fans in the seats, it was well worth the US$8 ticket.

In addition to Mexico City, we also checked out the much smaller cities of Puebla and Cholula, which were also really cool. All in all, Mexico is definitely worth a visit. In the US, we hear about all of the violence and mayhem in the northern border region, but when you're in Central Mexico, it's like you're in a whole different country.

Breakfast at Café de Carlo

Before the Aventura Concert

Colonial Church: Cholula

Birthday Cake Time!

Pyramid Ruins: Cholula