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After 1,000 Fire Drills, I Traded a Navy Ship For a Caribbean Island

On the bridge of the ship riding the tail of a cyclone all the way home.|©BelWoodhouse

The alarm was screaming.

Boots pounded down narrow passageways. Hatches slammed shut. Orders crackled over the speakers. 

I pulled on my breathing gear, heart hammering, I ran toward the danger while everyone else moved away from it.

Fire on board. Nothing is more frightening on a ship in the middle of the ocean.

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Except… there was no fire.

It was a drill. Again.

And that was the problem.

I had run about 1,000 fire drills. The same alarms. The same passageways. The same gray steel walls. Five months at sea, six weeks home, deployment after deployment.

I joined the Navy to see the world. And there had been some exciting times… like riding the tail of a cyclone back home. I was on the bridge of the ship for the entire journey, it was one hell of a ride…

But somewhere along the way, my life had become humdrum. Regimented. Gray.

I knew exactly how my future would go. Another 20 years at sea, a Navy pension, then a quiet retirement in my hometown.

I did not want to spend the rest of my life running fire drills.

13 Years Without a Break

For my 40th birthday, I treated myself to a month in Bali. My first holiday in 13 years. Sitting on the beach staring at the sea, it hit me: "I'm tired. I don't want this life anymore."

For the first time, I knew exactly what I didn't want. I wanted color over gray. Freedom over scheduled days. Creativity over regimentation.

I handed in my discharge papers. It took a year to leave the Navy, and selling my house funded my new life for a while.

Then I went exploring. More than 15 countries. 

My first time spelunking, 650 feet down into Slovenia's Škocjan Caves. Ancient ruins and golden Buddhas in Cambodia. I tried living in Belize for a few months, then spent two years teaching English in Antigua, Guatemala. 

Beautiful places. But something was missing.

Then I remembered the Mexican Caribbean. It called to me like a siren's song.

Landing in Cozumel, that's when I felt it. The feeling of acceptance and safety.

This is where I felt at home.

Why Americans Choose Mexico Over Anywhere Else

I'm not the only one. IL has been scouting opportunities in Mexico for decades. Back in 1990, it was telling readers how retirees were living well in Guadalajara and Lake Chapala. It named Mexico the world's top retirement haven in the late 1990s, and again in 2007 and 2008. And today, more Americans live in Mexico than in any other country outside the US.

It's not hard to see why.

In Cozumel, people say good morning on the street. The abuelas at the supermarket give me a hug and a kiss. As a single woman, feeling safe was my highest priority. Here, I walk down the street in sandal-wearing bliss, met with smiles.

Neighbors became family. When the girls downstairs, who'd become like daughters to me, got married in Mexico City, I was the only foreigner at the wedding. They seated me next to one of their mothers at the family table.

I don't even have a car. I walk the waterfront, swim in the Caribbean, and fill sketchbook after sketchbook with the plants I find along the way. 

The color I was craving on that beach in Bali? It's everywhere here. Cheeky green parrots in the guarumo trees outside my balcony. Shades of blue in the Caribbean that still make me pinch myself.

Of course, making it work took more than falling in love with a place. Over almost 10 years, I've sorted out residency, healthcare, and renting, and built an income as a writer, photographer, videographer, and artist, all on my own. 

These days, I share what I've learned as International Living's Mexico Correspondent. 

What surprises me most isn't Mexico. It's me. 

The woman who ran fire drills by the clock and went 13 years without a holiday now loses whole mornings sketching guarumo leaves. 

I didn't know she was in there. The Navy never needed her. This life does.

Now I look out over the ocean every morning, and every day brings something unexpected.

Like the day I got headbutted by a shark. Or the morning a crocodile showed up on my local beach.

Yes, really. I'll tell you all about those soon. Stay tuned to your Daily Postcards.

Too Late at 40? 3 Steps to Start Tomorrow

If you're sitting at home wondering whether you've left it too late, I was 40, single, and exhausted when I made my decision. I didn't have a plan. I had a feeling, and a year to figure it out.

You don't need to know where you'll end up. 

Start with a trip. Rent before you commit. And pay attention to how a place makes you feel when you walk down the street.

Whether you're 40... or 60... or 70... It's never too late to go after the life you want.

I'm living proof.

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Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Greece... You’ll find gorgeous, culturally rich cities and towns and beautiful sunny beaches. You can enjoy a high quality of life—yet a surprisingly low cost of living. Starting at $2,500 a month, a couple can live well. With more, you could live large.

If you’ve been dreaming of life in Europe, join us March 20-22, 2027, for International Living’s Fast Track Europe Conference. We’ll meet in Portugal’s sunny Algarve, and our focus will be on Europe’s best destinations to retire better, live well, and spend less.

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