Coming back to Mexico after two years living in Canada was exciting, we met with our family; enjoy our house with our son, it was a dream come true, right? Well the reality woke us up abruptly. We found soldiers on the streets, the Mexican government had a war with the drug cartel and we found a different reality in our beautiful country. I lived in a house in the country side, surrounded by fruit trees without close neighbors, it was a paradise. But now travel to my house every day was different, looking through the rearview mirror, praying that no one follow us, praying that I was not kidnapped. My friend Laura she left her house and she never came back, her car was found burned, nobody ask for a ransom, her family still looking for her.
We cannot continue living in that way. Yes we had everything: I had two amazing jobs, I was an architect and also worked as a radio producer. My husband was a professor in Colima University and he also loved his job. We had people helping in the house chores. We were living our American dream right? Friends and family told us that the things would change soon, but when? We took the decision to return to Canada.
My husband was hired in Algoma University in SSM as a professor, he did not have a big change in his professional life. For me it was different, I cannot work as an architect in Canada if I don’t have my license, and to work in a radio station in English it was not easy either. So I decided to use my skills and knowledge and transfer to a new profession in Canada. I was really lucky because I found a job as a Settlement Counsellor. I help people which is something that I really love to do.
The first time that I was sitting in my living room and saw a group of 5 kids walking to the school, laughing and enjoying the trip without any adult supervising because they are safe walking in the streets I knew that is the life that I wanted for my son. He has the right to walk free and safe in the streets. Now I do not have the lifestyle I had in Mexico, but I really enjoy my life now, I have peace again.
Last week I was in Mexico visiting my family. I think right now, we’re going in the right direction. For the first time I felt safe walking in the street. But I realized that I don’t belong to Mexico anymore. My home now is Canada.