By Marlene Robertson
"Guys are just looking for a nurse and a purse"; "Women are looking for a doctor and diamonds"; "Some fly in on a wing and a prayer and bring their own wheel chair"; "Here Saturday, burned out Sunday and gone Monday." This is just some of the "friendly" chit chat I got from friends when I first moved down here, and the pace increased when I became single again. So as a single person you might ask yourself, "Do I really want to move to the Lakeside?"
Alone or with a partner, you can't beat the good life at the Lakeside. I know because I've done it all.
What is it like to be a single person in Mexico, and specifically at the Lakeside? Not bad at all, my friend. In fact pretty darn good. As good as a special glass of champagne with a taste so magical the bubbles seemed like stars. Did you ever have champagne with a surprise waiting for you at the bottom of the glass? But wait a minute. I'm getting ahead of myself.
I came to Lake Chapala with a partner then after four years became a single woman once again. My kids wanted me to come back "home," but I had an unbeatable network of friends and knew I could handle anything that came my way. So, six years later I'm still lucky enough to live in this little piece of paradise.
At first it was strange being on my own, but I soon found a perfect place to live and started on my next great adventure. That's one of the most amazing things about living here; you can keep reinventing yourself, exploring different avenues, trying your hand at writing, painting, acting, or a myriad of other things you probably thought you could never do—or didn't have the time to try. If you're living as a single, I can't imagine a better place to be than right here at Lake Chapala. There's so much going on that I defy you not to make friends, have a busy social schedule and perhaps even fall in love. You'll be so busy that you'll soon be looking for an excuse to spend an evening at home, and I can pretty much guarantee that you'll never feel uncomfortable unwanted, scared or threatened.
But what if you're looking for someone special? Everyone told me that if you are looking for a partner, this isn't the place to be, but I have news for you. It's back to the champagne. While volunteering at a gala event for the Casa Ancianos (the old folk's home in Chapala) I met a wonderful man. A few months after we met, he poured me a glass of champagne, and there in the bottom of the glass was a beautiful diamond ring. A friend said "That man is going to make you fall in love with him," and be darned if he didn't. We've been together for over two years now and life is good. Incredibly, another couple who met at the same function also fell in love and has since married. What are the odds? Just goes to show that you never know what wonderful surprises are in store for you, especially in a magical place like the Lakeside.
Marlene Robertson writes a monthly environmental column for El Ojo Del Lago and is part of a committee who just presented the very successful Third Annual Lake Chapala Writers Conference. She has had ten years of adventures at the Lakeside.