Catherine Matson

Status: Single

Employed or Retired:  Employed

Where are you living now / where are you from:  I am currently living in Aticama, Nayarit, about 80 miles north of Puerto Vallarta. I have been here 3 months and will be here until October 15, when I am planning to move to Puerto Vallarta. I have lived in Costa Rica and am from Hawaii originally, and then California.

Timeframe for a move:  I will be arriving October 16 or so, staying probably at an AirBnb for a little while while I look for an apartment.

Where else are you considering:  Nowhere else.

Why Vallarta:  I want to learn to Scuba Dive, and I understand there is a good school there. I love the ocean and want to live as near it as I can. I love Mexico, but have been living so remotely, where there is very poor infrastructure and almost no services. I am attracted to Puerto Vallarta for many reasons, and am really looking forward to being there! Community events, both local and the expat gatherings are a big pull for me. It seems too that for a Mexican or Latin American city, there is a healthy gay and lesbian community.

How can ExPats in Vallarta assist you: I would so very much love to feel that when I come down Oct 16 I at least know a few people virtually! Just to have contacts upon arrival is a huge boon in a new place! I can really use any tips on apartment hunting, that would be big. And any suggestions on a place to stay the first weeks while I look for an apartment. But perhaps my biggest question right now is one that another soon-to-arrive person asked who is also someone that works online: Where is PV wired for the fastest internet? Does constancy and the upload and download speed vary by area? I don’t know if anyone sent her the speed tests she requested, but I also could really benefit from that information.