Before moving to the Riviera Maya, Kai Kirk lived in Texas with his wife. Both were putting in long hours for ungrateful companies. When they decided it was time to have children, they knew their existing lifestyle wouldn’t do. Kai says the decision to move to Akumal in the Riviera Maya changed their lives for the better.
Now with two children, Kai says he is surprised by the number of low-cost, high-quality private schools there are near Playa del Carmen and Akumal. There are both Waldorf and Montessori schools who accept all nationalities. The classes are taught 50% in English and 50% in Spanish, which has made his young son completely bilingual.
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The move was made easier by the fact that Kai is familiar with the Akumal area. His family owned a condo in Akumal when he was young. His mother was an avid cave diver who appreciated the underground rivers in the cenotes.
Kai and his wife have had very few challenges moving to and living in Mexico. Kai recalls one challenge when obtaining a birth certificate for his son due to the difference in the North American tradition of the wife taking the husband’s name at marriage. He didn’t want his son to have the same two last names so he was forced to jump through some hoops at a time when his Spanish was still its infancy. And even then, the U.S. required more documentation to verify the birth than Mexico did.
For those who may have safety concerns about raising children in Mexico, Kai says you can certainly look for danger but danger doesn’t seem to hit innocent bystanders.
For enjoyment Kai and his family visit:
- The colonial town of Merida.
- Turtle Bay Bakery for comfort food.
- Xpuha for long stretches of beautiful beach.
- Xcacel, to swim in a crystal clear cenote.
- A snorkeling spot in Akumal.
Thank you to Buy Playa for sponsoring this episode. They sell only titled properties and are experts in their field!