The easy thing is to call it a "midlife crisis." But it wasn't so much a crisis - just a deep longing I finally responded to three years ago when I uprooted and moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

For years I'd felt stuck in a cycle - working jobs I wasn't suited for to pay for the car to get there and the clothes to play the part. I lived for rare vacations to tropical beaches, places where my body and soul felt at ease. Each time I headed back to Chico, California, it was with a certainty in my bones: I would be back at the ocean - and not just to visit, but rather to live life - somewhere, somehow.

When I shared my dream with friends, most of them nodded and smiled with raised eyebrows - kind of like patting the head of a child with an overactive imagination.

The impetus to quit dreaming and actually go for it came during a chat with "Yoga Jim" Salber at Peet's Coffee in Chico back in 2013. Salber had long been a favorite yoga teacher and inspiration, and, at age 70, he continued to impress me with his vibrancy. It was right before my 50th birthday, which I was dreading.

"No, no, 50 is when things really begin, when you can really start living your dreams..." Salber told me.

Something clicked. I'd been to Puerto Vallarta - or PV - for brief jaunts for decades, always stretching my stay as long as possible. I envied those I met who'd moved there from other countries. 'These people can't all be richer and smarter than I am,' I thought. 'There must be a way.'

So, knowing a couple of friends who lived in PV - mostly through Facebook connections - I packed up my Chihuahua, Snickers, bought a one-way ticket, and off we went to Mexico.

The Payoff

No matter the exact reason I moved - I'm still not quite sure myself - the payoff has been an overflowing of amazing opportunities and experiences. Politeness is huge there, as is the feeling of genuine caring, among strangers and friends.

In PV, I fell in with a group of entertainers - actors, musicians, writers and other talented folk - with diverse experiences and backgrounds. They're what makes the region's entertainment offerings so vibrant. I've gotten interesting work: acting, modeling, directing, writing and hosting a weekly karaoke night.

Earlier this summer, a new Mexico City-based soap opera, Despertar Contigo, filmed for a few weeks in Puerto Vallarta. Through connections with talent scouts, several of my friends and I got work as actors and extras on the shoots. The title means "To wake up with you." It premiered August 8 on Canal de las Estrellas, which translates as the Stars Channel.

The highlight of my four days on the set was being in a scene at a sports bar where actor David Guilmette and I pretended to celebrate our anniversary. In other scenes, I'm eating a sandwich at a beachfront restaurant, walking across a hospital lobby, and dragging a suitcase through the PV airport.

In real life, I live in an apartment in a spacious ceramics gallery that bursts with art supplies, sculptures and creative energy. I became friends with the artist and owner a couple of years ago. She rented me the apartment this summer, while she's teaching workshops and traveling in the United States. It's a block from The Boutique Dinner Theatre, where I work.

A typical day begins with a yoga or Zumba class, then meetings, rehearsals, maybe an audition, and work on the computer. Often, I yield to a spontaneous message from a friend, drop what I'm doing and head to the beach. At night, I usually go listen to live music or see a play to enjoy and support the talented people I've gotten to know.

My PV friends and I have a saying: "Why doesn't everyone do this?" It's when the situation is just too good - ordering fresh tacos for 10 pesos (about 60 cents) from a street vendor, dancing with strangers to free Mariachi music, pausing for a dramatic sunset that washes the sky with neon.

There are fewer laws and rules to deal with on a daily basis here. You have to mess up pretty badly to get in any kind of trouble. Jay-walking is a nonissue. Most anywhere, you can wave your gay pride flag, smoke, drink, dance like no one is watching - and no one gets in your face about it.

Moreover, the tropical climate just suits me. The ample sunshine is better for my joints, circulation and skin. I can swim in the ocean year-round. Lots of people look much younger and report improved health.

Sure, there have been low points. Anyone who's survived "Montezuma's revenge" can empathize. I despise the mosquitoes and other flying creatures that constantly bite me. The scariest thing I've lived through in Mexico was Hurricane Patricia, last October. Friends and I played Scrabble, thinking we all might be literally washed away overnight.

We quietly watched CNN report "the worst hurricane in the world" headed for Puerto Vallarta. Our frightened loved ones jammed our email inboxes with messages. Thankfully, the storm passed us by.