Rituals To Keep Me Grounded Living Abroad

Nicole  | 

Living abroad can be exhilarating, chaotic, beautiful, disorienting, and deeply transformative—often all at once. Mexico City has challenged me, expanded me, and gifted me countless moments of joy. But as anyone who’s uprooted their life knows, staying grounded in a place that isn’t quite “home” (yet) requires intention.

Over the years, I’ve built rituals that help me feel anchored in the middle of the unknown. They’re not elaborate or rigid, but they create a soft structure in my life that brings comfort, clarity, and presence.

Here are some of the daily and weekly rituals that help me stay grounded while living abroad:

Morning Coffee + No-Scroll Time

Before the world floods in, I make a french-press cup of coffee with cinnamon and sit with it—sometimes in silence, sometimes with light music. I try to avoid picking up my phone for at least the first 30 minutes of the day. This gives me space to arrive in the day before responding to anyone else.

A steaming green ceramic mug sits on a wooden bedside table, with a cozy, unmade bed and soft morning light in the background.
Photo by David Mao on Unsplash

Essential Oils + Breathwork

A few drops of oil can completely shift my energy. Frankincense if I’m feeling scattered. Citrus if I need a lift. Lavender if I’m anxious. I often pair oils with a short breathwork practice—something as simple as four-count inhales and exhales.

A person in a white robe applies essential oil to their forearm using a dropper, surrounded by amber glass bottles, a lit candle, and delicate purple flowers on a rustic wooden table.
Photo by Chelsea shapouri on Unsplash

Movement, Even If It’s Tiny

Dancing in my living room. A walk around the block. Five sun salutations or a yoga class. My body needs to move to feel present, especially in a city as dynamic as CDMX. It doesn’t have to be long or structured—just enough to shift the energy.

A woman practices yoga indoors on a black mat, positioned in a low lunge pose with hands on the ground, wearing black leggings and a dark top.
Photo by Mathilde Langevin on Unsplash

Nature Escapes

Mexico City is huge, but there are pockets of green that feel like medicine. Parque México, a tree-lined café patio, even a sunny terrace—these little slices of nature remind me to slow down and breathe.

Sunlit pathways curve through the lush greenery of Parque México in Mexico City, with tall trees, manicured hedges, and a few people strolling or resting in the shade.
Photo credit: Image courtesy of CaminandoG

Journaling + Checking In

Every few days, I open my notebook and let it all spill out: What’s feeling good? What’s overwhelming? What am I craving? It helps me see my inner world more clearly—and reminds me how far I’ve come.

A cozy morning scene with a lined notebook and pen on a white bed, an open book, a soft brown blanket, and a wooden tray holding a cup of black coffee and a small potted plant.
Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

Sunday Re-Set Ritual

Sundays are sacred. I clean my space, grocery shop, wash fruit, change the sheets, and light some incense. I try not to schedule too much. It’s my day to reset my nervous system and prepare for a new week.

Little Altars, Big Meaning

On a shelf in my living room, I keep a few meaningful objects: a photo of my cat and my grandpa, a candle, my favorite crystals, a stick of palo santo. It’s not about religion—it’s about remembering what matters to me.

Why Rituals Matter Abroad

Rituals don’t just make life feel calmer—they help me feel like me, even when everything else is unfamiliar. When I lose my routines, I feel disconnected. But when I come back to these simple practices, I reconnect with myself.

And in the end, that’s what grounding is all about: coming home to yourself, no matter where in the world you are.

If you’re living abroad (or even just feeling ungrounded at home), try building a few tiny rituals into your days. The world feels a lot more navigable when you have an inner compass.

xo,
Nicole

Made the full move – emotionally and physically – to Mexico City!

Nicole  | 

I’m going to share some of my transitional experiences over my next posts.

I’ve been “trying on” Mexico since 2021. Playa del Carmen was NOT it for me. From there, I hopped over the Mexico City to test run for 5 months. Despite having an absolute shit roommate situation, I fell in love with this city. I went home for a few months to gather my thoughts and my belongings, and flew back to Mexico City to find my permanent home.

I am now completing my first year contract living in my own apartment, which I also furnished by myself – big move for a commitment-phobe.

In my next post, I will talk about the insane emotional rollercoaster decision to sell my car in the United States – the only thing that I “owned” in my world. Uf, that was a tough one.

Today – we’re talking about closing USA accounts and opening Mexican accounts, specifically Amazon!

I know there is plenty of controversy about Amazon, but we’re going to leave the politics out of this post today.

I opened an Amazon Mexico account a couple years back, distrusting the idea of it working well in Mexico. To my purchase, it has been a wonderful experience. You need to have a tiny bit more patience than you do with USA Amazon (side note: a lesson to learn living in Mexico is patience).

In Mexico City, most items arrive within 2-3 days. I’m starting to see a lot more same-day delivery now though!

I had kept my Amazon USA account open because on occasion I would check prices for items from Amazon USA to see if them item was cheaper even when including tariffs. I think only once or twice did I find that to be beneficial. I also did go back to Detroit for some months during the summer where I would stock up on Amazon items that I needed.

This year, things shifted and I only returned back for three weeks. My time in the USA is turning into a sliver, and it’s truly showing me that my new life is in Mexico City.

Yesterday, I decided it was time to let go of the Amazon USA account. It was a student account so I kept thinking “it’s just $8 a month, who care?” But that’s nearly $100 a year literally being wasted. I have an Amazon MX account that has all the same benefits – Prime Video, Amazon Music, etc. so I wouldn’t miss out on anything if I cancelled really. I had just been charged, so I cancelled the USA account the same day and they refunded me for the month.

But how do I change my Amazon Music account?

This morning as I’m playing Amazon Music from Alexa, there are a ton of commercials and the station “Shawn Mendez” is including Shania Twain, Whitney Houston, and I’m just confused. Then I remembered- it pushed me back down to the “free-est” version of Amazon Music.

So I wondered, can I shift my Amazon music account from my USA account to my Mexico account, where I have Prime? And yes- thanks to Google’s AI search (I love it so much), I changed my Amazon Music to my MX account in less than a minute. Here’s what it told me to do:

  • Transfer to a different country or region – If you’ve moved to a new country, you can transfer your Amazon Music account to the local Amazon marketplace. To do this, you can:
    1. Go to your Amazon Music Settings 
    2. Scroll to Amazon Music Account Country/Region 
    3. Select Move your Music account 
    4. Select the marketplace you want to transfer to 
    5. Add your local payment method and billing address 
    6. Select Confirm transfer 

I couldn’t quite figure out how to do this from my phone, so I did it from my desktop. Then once that was complete, I logged out and back into my Amazon Music on my phone app. I went to setting and verified that it now showed that I was logged in under my Prime account with Mexico.

I went into my Amazon Home app and under “Music & More” went to settings and re-opened Amazon Music to make sure it was connected properly. We’ll see if that does the trick!

Now just for fun- I’d like to show you something…

As of today (November 16, 2024), these are the prices for Amazon USA:

Current Amazon Prime membership pricing:

  • $14.99 per month
  • $139 per year
  • Prime Video membership is $8.99 per month

And these are the prices for Amazon Mexico:

  • $99 MXN per month
  • $899 MXN per year

As of today (November 16, 2024) with the exchange rate at 20.35 MXN pesos to $1, this equals $4.87/mo or $44.19/year. Our dollar has been strong to the peso the last month so I upgraded my membership to the annual plan a couple of days ago.

Crazy, huh?

Voting as an American Expat in Mexico City

Nicole  | 

I began my involvement in politics after the 2016 election in Michigan. I started working at the polls as an election worker. Sadly, I wasn’t aware that sometimes we have 4 elections per year. Smaller, city or county-based elections, but elections that are important nonetheless. My final election before I left the United States was the 2020 election where I was promoted to the polling place lead.

Over those 4 years, I learned so much about the voting process, registering people to vote, how votes are counted, etc. It quickly became a passion of mine to help with voter registration.

I left the United States in 2021, so I had to figure out what to do with my county clerk before I flew south.

Per the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs

VOTING IS NOW EASIER THAN EVER BEFORE

U.S. citizens can receive an absentee ballot by email, fax, or internet download, depending on the state they are eligible to vote in. Go to vote.gov to find more information about registering to vote in your state.

Voting Eligibility

Most U.S. citizens 18 years or older who reside outside the United States are eligible to vote absentee for federal office candidates in U.S. primary and general elections. In addition, some states allow overseas citizens to vote for state and local office candidates and referendums. For information about your state, see the Voting Assistance Guide.

In some states, U.S. citizens who are 18 years or older and were born abroad but who have never resided in the United States are eligible to vote absentee. Direct your questions about eligibility to local election officials.

Absentee Voting Basics

Absentee voting is a simple two-step process:

  1. Each year, submit a completed Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to your local election officials. They will:
    1. Confirm your eligibility to vote and put your name on a list to receive absentee ballots for any elections held that calendar year.
    2. Send you a blank absentee ballot electronically or by mail.
  2. Complete and return the ballot so it arrives before your state’s ballot return deadline. OR
    1. If you have not received your blank ballot 30 days before an election, use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot to vote.

IMPORTANT: U.S. citizens abroad must submit a new FPCA each year to vote in U.S. elections. Submit your FPCA at the beginning of the calendar year, or at least 45 days before an election, to allow ample time to process your request and resolve any problems. Once approved, your name will be put on a list of voters to receive absentee ballots.

Registration/Absentee Ballot Request

To vote from abroad, you must register with local election officials in your state of voting residence AND request an absentee ballot. You can use the FPCA to do both. Submit a new FPCA early each year, every time you move, and whenever you change your address, email, or name.

Start at the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) website, where an online assistant walks you through the process. You can also pick up an FPCA and copy of your state’s requirements from U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, or from many overseas U.S. citizen civic or political groups.

You can always return your FPCA by mail. In addition, most states allow you to send in your FPCA by fax or email. Consult the online Voting Assistance Guide for your state’s current instructions. If you need help completing or submitting the form, contact the voting assistance officer at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Receiving Your Blank Absentee Ballot

Forty-five days before November general elections, your state will send you a blank ballot either electronically or via mail at the address you provided on your FPCA.

Ballots will generally be mailed out 30 days before primary, special, and run-off elections. Depending on your state and your status abroad, you may receive absentee ballots for all elections or abbreviated ballots for federal office elections only.

If you are already registered, you should receive your ballot on or around September 21, 2024 for the Presidential Election on November 5, 2024.

Voting and Returning Your Ballot

Complete your ballot carefully, legibly, and as early as possible. Make sure to return it to local election officials in time to meet your state’s deadline.

Overseas voters have a number of options for returning completed ballots:

  • Local mail – If you have a reliable mail service to the United States, put your ballot in the mail with appropriate international postage.
  • U.S. Embassy Diplomatic Pouch – You or another person can drop off your ballot request (FPCA) or completed ballot at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for return to the United States. It must be addressed to your local election officials and have sufficient U.S. postage, or be in a postage-paid envelope. A postage-paid envelope is available on the FVAP website. Contact the U.S. embassy voting assistance officer or visit the embassy’s website for specific instructions.
  • Fax, Email, or Internet – Some states permit electronic transmission of completed ballots. Consult the Voting Assistance Guide for options in your state.
  • Express Courier Service – If time is short or local mail unreliable, you can use professional courier services such as FedEx, DHL, or UPS at your own expense. NOTE: FedEx does not deliver to P.O. boxes.

I voted for my first time from Mexico City in the 2024 Primary. I was emailed my ballot from my county clerk where I am registered, printed it out, filled it out, folded it as directed. I went to a FedEx office and had my ballot sent as cheaply as possible (I had over a month before the election), which costed around $75USD! Crazy! I’ve since then learned that you can drop off your ballot at the U.S. Embassy and they will mail it for you.

U.S. Embassy Mexico City accepts in-person drop-off of absentee ballots on days the Embassy is normally open between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. without appointment. Bring completed, sealed, and stamped voting materials to our Embassy’s main entrance on Reforma Avenue. Our staff member will direct you where to place your voting materials. If you prefer to drop your ballot at your nearest Consulate or Consular Agency, check with that location to see if in-person ballot drop-off is available.  Send questions to: VoteMexicoCity@groups.state.gov.

Embassy of the United States in Mexico City

At the bottom of this page is a link to U.S. Embassies in other areas in Mexico.

Using an Emergency Write-in Ballot

If you completed all required steps but have not received your ballot 30 days before an election, submit a completed Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). Contact the voting assistance officer at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for help, or visit the FVAP website  to complete an FWAB using the online assistant. Write in the candidates of your choice, then print, sign, and send the FWAB to your local election officials. If your regular absentee ballot arrives after submitting a FWAB, you should still complete and return it. Your FWAB will be counted only if your regular ballot does not reach local election officials by your state’s deadline. This will not invalidate your vote or result in casting two votes.

Verifying Your Registration

Most states have websites to verify voter registration. If you are unsure of your status or want to confirm that local officials have received and approved your registration, check the FVAP website for a directory of state voter registration verification websites. You can also write, email, or call local election officials directly.

Voting and Taxes

Voting for candidates for federal offices does not affect your federal or state tax liability. Voting for candidates for state or local offices could affect your state tax liability. Consult legal counsel if you have questions.

Read more specific details about voting in Mexico City HERE.

Remember, your vote matters. The American Citizens Abroad estimates that, as of 2022, there were 5.1 million U.S. citizens abroad, comprised of 3.9 million U.S civilians, plus 1.2 million service members and other government-affiliated Americans. Getting registered, filling out your ballot and sending it back in time is crucial!