Seasonal shadows amidst holiday cheer in Puerto Vallarta

I unrecorded successful Puerto Vallarta, a spot galore ideate arsenic the cure-all for everything that hurts. Winter present doesn’t get with sleet oregon darkness; it arrives successful a burst of vivid colour. 

December sunlight spills crossed the bay, and poinsettias stack successful superb towers astatine each marketplace stall. Palm trees shimmer with strings of Christmas lights. ‘Tis the play erstwhile radical from colder countries flood in, chasing warmth they can’t find astatine home.

Holiday blues travel, adjacent to Puerto Vallarta

Sunsets are spectacular successful Puerto Vallarta, immoderate clip of year. (Unsplash/Manuel Marín)

But this warmth isn’t conscionable the benignant that heats your skin. It’s the vacation spirit. It’s the laughter spilling from crowded plazas, children singing carols and fireworks coating the nighttime sky. Yet amidst this vibrant celebration, a antithetic warmth wholly seeps into your bones. It reminds you of what you mightiness beryllium missing, making the heaviness you transportation consciousness adjacent heavier.

If you endure from depression, it doesn’t enactment behind; it travels with you. I cognize this due to the fact that I unrecorded with it, and I admit it openly, adjacent erstwhile societal expectations suggest I shouldn’t. It’s crossed borders with maine much times than I tin count.

People presume that moving to Mexico means sadness evaporates. Friends backmost location person asked, “What bash you person to beryllium depressed astir there?” arsenic if thenar trees and sunshine tin shield maine from my ain mind.

But slump doesn’t cheque your situation earlier settling in. It doesn’t attraction that others deliberation you should beryllium happier than you are. When I moved here, I hoped the prima would soften my depression, and sometimes it does, but much often, it simply adapts. You tin relocate your body, but your caput ever comes with you.

Beauty isn’t ever a balm

Sharing my struggles tin sometimes beryllium met with disbelief, arsenic if the quality surrounding maine should enactment arsenic a balm for my sorrow.

At times, the quality feels astir mocking. The satellite astir maine is excessively agleam for the heaviness I carry. I’ve watched sunsets that should evoke thing heavy wrong me, yet I felt numb, walking the waterfront successful hunt of relief, lone to instrumentality location with the aforesaid value tightening my chest.

Even connected a beauteous formation oregon with thenar trees swaying, 1 tin inactive person a pugnacious day. (Elmira Danilova / Pexels)

The hardest portion is explaining this to friends who judge I won immoderate affectional lottery by surviving by the ocean. Sometimes, it’s easier to say, “I’m good,” than to delve into wherefore I inactive struggle, adjacent with thenar trees swaying extracurricular my window.

My slump sharpens astir the holidays. The joyousness of the Christmas play bursts distant successful a cascade of lights, euphony and laughter. There are posadas, parades and truthful galore displays of life. Yet nary of that cancels retired the ache of region for those of america who grew up with cold-weather Decembers and shared rituals.

Missing wintertime weather

When wintertime is stripped away, the affectional bushed your assemblage remembers feels lost. The familiarity of snowy rooftops and the scent of conifer is replaced by thenar trees draped successful lights and sun-soaked mornings. While Santa successful committee shorts is adorable, I sometimes miss the magic of snowfall falling softly extracurricular my window.

According to an American Psychological Association study, a important percent of radical with slump spot symptoms summation during the vacation season, adjacent without accepted wintertime darkness. For expats, the feeling of vacation loneliness tin besides increase. The prima doesn’t destruct these feelings; it sharpens them against the vivid backdrop of celebration.

Beyond idiosyncratic struggles, this wintertime feels much emotionally strained. Fewer radical are travelling oregon making large moves, and it isn’t conscionable due to the fact that of formation prices oregon planetary events; we’re each carrying much than usual. 

Mexico doesn’t cure depression, but it does change one’s acquisition of it

Mexico’s upcoming 2026 residency request changes adhd different furniture of accent altogether, with higher fiscal thresholds and stricter processes. The anxiousness surrounding slump doesn’t motivate action; it freezes it.

Living successful Mexico whitethorn not cure depression, but its bonzer earthy quality and abundant outdoor activities whitethorn change your narration with it. (Agencia Perspectiva/Cuartoscuro)

Living successful Mexico hasn’t cured my depression, but it has altered my narration with it. The gait is slower, the airy lingers longer and there’s thing grounding astir buying effect from the aforesaid vendor each greeting oregon watching fishermen propulsion successful their nets astatine sunrise. 

Small rituals person go my lifeline. A dilatory locomotion to the marketplace earlier the vigor settles in, a thrust to a adjacent municipality wherever beingness feels simpler, and days spent listening to waves alternatively of my swirling thoughts. These rituals whitethorn not heal me, but they clasp maine and sometimes that’s enough.

When I archer the information astir however I feel, erstwhile I let myself to say, “I’m not good today,” I find alleviation successful vulnerability. It isn’t weakness; it’s a mode to lighten the load I carry.

How airy returns

If you’ve ever spent a wintertime successful a scenery that seems similar paradise but you inactive felt hollow, you’re not alone. If you stayed location this wintertime due to the fact that readying a travel felt overwhelming, you haven’t failed. If the thought of moving overseas abruptly feels excessively heavy, you’re not weak. If the holidays marque your thorax tighten, you’re not broken. You’re conscionable balancing memory, anticipation and bushed each astatine once, and that value deserves acknowledgement, not judgment.

Depression doesn’t inquire for permission, and it doesn’t vanish astatine the crook of a calendar conscionable due to the fact that your surroundings improve. Seasonal oregon not, it craves gentleness, a slower rhythm, softer mornings and support to simply beryllium without the unit to beryllium blessed each the time.

And healing doesn’t necessitate thing expansive oregon dramatic. It tin beryllium arsenic elemental arsenic a greeting erstwhile the fog lifts conscionable a little, an day erstwhile a laughter bubbles up without effort, oregon an evening erstwhile you consciousness a flicker of anticipation again. That’s however airy returns: gradually, unexpectedly and softly.

Personal acquisition and Puerto Vallarta

‘This winter, wherever you find yourself, springiness yourself support to admit your struggles without shame.’ (Charlotte Smith)

I’m not a doctor. I can’t prescribe solutions. But I tin stock my experiences. 

I unrecorded with depression, and I talk it aloud. It’s good to consciousness dense successful a spot that seems perfect.

This winter, wherever you find yourself, springiness yourself support to admit your struggles without shame. Allow the airy astir you to coexist with the acheronian within. Slow your mornings, immerse yourself successful the sounds of the waves oregon the whispers of the wind, and fto pauses beryllium enough.

I don’t person each the answers. I lone cognize that surviving with depression, particularly successful a beauteous spot similar Puerto Vallarta, has taught maine that it’s imaginable to support showing up for yourself, adjacent erstwhile it feels impossible. That’s my offering: my ain acquisition and the quiescent reminder that you don’t person to transportation this alone.

Hold your struggles close, and cognize that gentleness is simply a acquisition you tin springiness yourself, particularly amidst a vibrant vacation season.

Charlotte Smith is simply a writer and writer based successful Mexico. Her enactment focuses connected travel, politics, and community. You tin travel on with her question stories at www.salsaandserendipity.com.