I am married and living in Victoria, Canada. I am now retired and living a life filled with love and contentment.

I had no idea that receiving the book The Secret as a gift in 2006 would have such an impact on my life. It was the best gift that I have ever received!

Of course, after reading The Secret for the first time, I began using it in my life situations. And yes, I learned that I can change negative things into positive things.

My husband and I had reached the stage in life where we could retire. After having vacationed in Puerto Vallarta twice, my husband thought it would be a great place to retire. So, without my knowing, he researched everything about moving there, from the cost of rent to the cost of food and electricity and even the process of getting our residency cards. He then convinced me it was the thing to do.

So, we sold or gave away everything we owned except for a few household items, and off we went, each with a suitcase, set of golf clubs, and a carry-on item. We were now minimalists.

We arrived in Puerto Vallarta on October 1st, 2020. We had finally settled into a nice condo as our first place was too big in January 2021. It was a big complex in Marina Vallarta where most people came for the winter months. It was great. I met lots of people, saw the sights, and ate great food. By the end of April most everyone returned home. Very few people lived at the Marina year round. Then came summer. The humidity, the rain, and being sticky all the time caused me to suffer, and I was always uncomfortable, even with air conditioning and taking up to 5 showers a day. I just couldn’t get used to it. Even the pool and ocean were too warm. We couldn’t return to Canada for a break because of COVID-19, but somehow, we did manage to make it through the summer. And after that it was time for everyone to return for the winter.

Early in the new year, 2022, I was beginning to feel like the ‘honeymoon’ was over. I was really just living in a resort doing the same things every day, and I was getting bored. So, how do I discuss this with my husband? Not easy to do. Remembering things I read from the book The Secret, I began to only think of going back home to Canada. Visualizing being with my grandchildren, hugging them, hearing them laugh. And, of course, visiting old friends. I was also trying to figure out how to talk with my husband.

Then, one morning, when I was checking my email, I received my ‘last free article of the month’ from Mexico News Daily. The headline was something like ‘everyone, from citizens to temporary residents, has to get a tax number by July 1st and will eventually be required to file taxes on income, including worldwide income. Now, that became a game changer!

I showed my husband the article, and right away, he did some research, crunched some numbers, and even met with an accountant. His conclusion was that it would greatly affect our income. We couldn’t stay in Mexico for over 183 days, or we would be taxed, and we would also become non-residents of Canada, losing Canadian tax credits. Wow! It was time to move back to Canada!!!!

However, my sister was having some serious family issues at the time, so my husband thought that maybe we should move to Calgary to help out and provide support. It was not a bad idea. Calgary is a great city, and we lived there before. I could easily fly or drive to visit our grandkids, so off we went.

By Christmas, my sister’s situation was under control, and again, I was bored and cold and missed the grandkids. Again, all I could think about was returning to Victoria. I started looking at apartments for rent and jobs in case my husband wouldn’t come with me. I knew in my heart I was going, husband or not. Again, I tried to figure out when to talk to my husband. I thought it best when we got our lease renewal on April 1st. So I just waited and kept looking for an apartment and thinking about being with the grandkids once again.

Then, one day, before we got our rent increase notice, out of the blue, my husband said to me, “What do you say we pack up everything and go back to Victoria?” I was absolutely shocked. I had tears in my eyes!!! I just could not believe what I was hearing.

That day, we started looking for an apartment online. My husband found one and flew to Victoria to sign the lease. I could not fly with him yet because of recent cataract surgery. We packed up our belongings, said goodbye to family and friends, and off we went.

So, now I am happily living back in Victoria in a fabulous apartment near the grandkids and yes, with my husband as well. It has been just over a year now and I can’t believe how amazing my life is. And my husband and our relationship is stronger than ever! And yes, we are still going to keep returning to Puerto Vallarta to visit our friends in the winter months, but not over our allotted 183 days. Now, I have the best of both worlds.

I am so glad that I received the book “The Secret” and have read it so many times that it is dog-eared and falling apart, as well as all the other books in the series. So, Rhonda Byrne, it is amazing how when your life was in a bad place, you found a way out and then shared it with the rest of the world. You and your staff are amazing. I can never thank you enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you, everyone.

LOA = Life Of Amazement!