Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - When people find out I permanently relocated my children, then ages 4 and 5, from Canada to Puerto Vallarta, I get just about every reaction possible. Some stare at me in disbelief as though I am jeopardizing their future while others just plain think it is pretty cool.

Inevitably this leads to a discussion as to why we made the move and how we are making out as a family. Hopefully my thoughts below will help others when determining whether making a similar move is right for them.

First let's discuss why we made the move. There were the normal factors in our making the move for which others make similar moves. We had family that lived here, we were tired of the snow and cold, and we wanted a career change. But more important than that there were several things that we really wanted for our children and our family, which we felt, Puerto Vallarta could provide.

We really wanted to be able to spend more time with our family. Both of us, having had high stress jobs while in Canada, found that there was little flexibility in our day to be able to go to the kids' soccer games, pick them up at school or just spend a day at the beach. Now we have the time to do this and with a more laid back way of life we are enjoying our time more with them.

We wanted our children to get a great education. You may ask then why Mexico when Canada has a great public education system. Firstly, we wanted our children to be in a private school. The cost of a private education, such as the one my children are getting at the American School Puerto Vallarta (ASPV), would have been beyond our reach in Canada. At ASPV, our children are getting a first rate bilingual education at a much lower cost.

Which leads to the next reason we moved to Mexico. We wanted our children truly bilingual, and what better language for them to learn than Spanish, the fastest growing language in the world? After three years here, they both are becoming truly bilingual so much so that sometimes they only know a word in Spanish.

We wanted them to be truly multi-cultural. As part of being immersed in a school with friends that are largely of Mexican descent, they are learning new customs, trying new foods and experiencing a whole new way of life. Who knew there was a tooth rat instead of a tooth fairy?

So has our experience been all sunshine and roses? I would be lying if I said yes. The first year we heard "I hate Spanish" a lot. Our kids had difficulty fitting in at school without being able to speak Spanish as most of their friends largely spoke Spanish. They weren't particularly fond of some of the food, and definitely not the candy. But fast forward three years and they have great friends at school, speak and read Spanish well, and get stressed about going back to Canada for the summer as there won't be tacos and tortillas, or their most favorite... sopes!

Things are working out just great, and we wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

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Warren Brander is an expert real estate agent working with Remax in Puerto Vallarta. He can be reached at 322-200-2253, or by email at warren(at)remaxinpv.com. You can also check out his website for a great selection of Puerto Vallarta condos and homes for sale at WarrenBrander.com. To learn more about Warren Brander Real Estate, click HERE.