Small-Town American Lady Loves Mexico's Friendly Neighbors: The Nicole Baltimore Interview

Villa Santiago, located 30 minutes from Monterrey, Mexico in the Sierra Madre Mountains, attracts visitors for outdoor adventures: boating, fishing, camping, hiking and religious retreats.

It is a Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town) selected by Mexico's Tourist Secretary and honored for its charm, historic and religious heritage, nearby scenic waterfalls, forested mountains and hot springs.  It is a small town and I wondered if I could find an American living here who could tell me about their experience.

There was no apparent American community, so I asked around. Quite a few Mexicans spoke some English in this Magical Town. Joe Trevino, the policeman nearest my hotel, said, "There is an American teacher at Renacimiento School." Joe took me to the school and introduced me.

It was morning and  the American teacher, Nicole Baltimore, did not have a class. The secretary dialed Nicole at home, and then handed the phone to me. I said hello and explained, "I'd like to interview an American who lives in small-town Mexico and hear about your experiences."

Nicole said, "I'm two minutes away." She gave me directions, and I drove to her lakefront home.

Nicole Baltimore Olloqui lives in Villa Santiago by choice. She is blond, blue-eyed, naturally friendly and radiates enthusiasm. She's 35, from small-town Missouri and has lived in Mexico for 15 years. She teaches English at the primary school, grades 4-6. She says that wages are modest but satisfaction is enormous.

I asked, "What brought you to Mexico?"

Nicole said, "When I was in high school, my parents offered our home to the Exchange Student Program. Paulina came and lived with us. Paulina then invited me to Monterrey, Mexico for the summer.” "Prepa (preparation: Mexican's word for high school) was in session. U.S. and Mexico's school semesters overlapped, so I went to prepa and met Daniel. We have three children and we've been married 15 years."

That was quite a story, and I imagined a long-distance romance.

"We first lived in Del Valle, an upper class neighborhood in Monterrey. Houses were side-by-side and we didn't even know our own neighbors. I cried all the time. I'm a country, small-town girl, and I missed casual friendliness, a place where everyone knows each other. Daniel is a land developer. Villa Santiago is only a few miles from Allende, where he is engaged in a subdivision."

"Is there an American community in Villa Santiago?" I asked.

"There are a few scattered Americans. My best friend is American; there is a Baptist community with a number of Americans, but we are Catholic."

When I asked what she missed in Missouri, Nicole was quite positive that she had found it in Villa Santiago: friendly, open people and concerned neighbors. Daniel mentioned that in a small town there is a real mix. Doctors live next door to carpenters, and neighbors are friends. I thought of Thornton Wilder's play, "Our Town" and the people who populated Grover's Corners, the fictional name of Wilder's hometown.

"What would it cost," I asked, "for a retired couple to rent and live modestly, but well in Villa Santiago?"

Nicole and Daniel discussed prices. They agreed, "$1000 month." That would be rent, food: the basics.

"What's the price range of middle class houses?" I asked.

Daniel reached for a newspaper, El Viernes No Cuesta (Friday is Free), an advertiser. "Here is a house in El Centro, about 2 miles away, $60,000." Nicole and Daniel agreed that $60,000 to $150,000 would be middle class and attractive.

"Taxes?" I asked.

"They would be $300 to $500 a year," Daniel said.

"Activities?"

"There are lots of cultural activities. We have theater, dance, and music in the plaza. And there is bingo. It's called lotto, here." Nicole mentioned the artisans market, "Seven miles of handicrafts along the highway." She said, "

"The lake and mountains keep Villa Santiago cool," said Daniel. "The hot months are June to September, but it cools off quickly in the evening." I wouldn't have guessed it, but this Show-Me lady from Missouri convinced me that she had found an echo of small-town Missouri in the Magical Town of Villa Santiago, Mexico.

Dick Davis travels frequently. He has taught in both Mexico and Spain and is happy to share his experiences. A resolute companion in his Mexican travels is his Grand Marquis. He can be contacted at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .