Everything is better with an ocean breeze.

After vacationing in the Caribbean for years, David and Randi Harrity knew that they wanted to retire there, but where was the question. While living in Texas, they frequently visited Mexico. Randi said, "Dave did so much research; we were really well-prepared." Three years ago, they permanently relocated to Akumal, a small town between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, a little over an hour away from the Cancun airport. They reside in one of TAO Mexico's 14 communities. Since 2006, TAO Mexico has been building residential communities in the Riviera Maya that create a sense of belonging in Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Akumal.

Although Randi doesn't speak much Spanish, she learned two important phrases right away: mañana and no pasa nada (don't worry about it). She said, "Mañana doesn't mean tomorrow; it just means not today." And, there are no worries for the Harritys. David said, "It's a slower way of life here. It's a good community — people really help each other out. Even in isolation, we have "too many" friends. It's a social area, and everyone here is looking for the same thing. We often just need a night off."

Even during the shelter-in-place orders, they were able to socialize with their friends. They would see their friends at the beach and the pool. Of course, they stayed socially-distant, but they were able to sit at their friends' penthouse, enjoy the scenery, and still stay together, but apart. When the coronavirus started spreading, they were in the states visiting their children, and they debated staying in the states or coming home to Mexico. Randi happily said, "We made the right decision. It was still better here. Everything is better with an ocean breeze."

According to the Harritys, they feel very safe at TAO Mexico. They feel very comfortable both going out and staying within the double-gated entry community. They have good restaurants around and an international airport nearby where they can get anywhere within a few hours, and great healthcare. They have both had surgeries in Mexico and found that all of the doctors speak English, and the costs were a fraction of that in the U.S. As a matter of fact, during their first year, they kept their U.S. health insurance but then gave it up as they were so happy with the healthcare option in Mexico.

David and Randi were fortunate and put themselves in a good position to enjoy their lives. They advise others to come and try it first for a few months to see if you like it. "But don't wait until you're too old to enjoy it!"

To see videos of interviews, go to ideal-living.com/ happy-homeowner-interviews/

"It's really good to see that when the world is going crazy, there are rocksolid people here at Keowee Key doing good in the community. The people are very generous and giving," said Lenore Malin. Lenore and her husband moved to Keowee Key in 2009 from the Washington, D.C. area to escape the traffic and find a lower tax area with better weather. She says, "I'm always so touched by the goodness and generosity of the people down here in general. Maybe it's because we are more relaxed and less stressed than in D.C., where everything is hustle, hustle, hustle, all the time."

She said that during the stay-at-home orders, the Keowee Key's board of directors "has been very proactive in keeping us safe, closing down some of the amenities as needed, and implementing social distancing when reopening. I think we are much less isolated than other communities because we still have that sense of neighbors. I believe in America. I believe we are forwardthinking, and we will get through it. "

During non-COVID times, Lenore is very involved in the community. She is an avid tennis player and enjoys walking the trails and spending time with the Keowee Key members. She says, "We are blessed to be on this beautiful lake [Lake Keowee]. We're pretty active. Well, the whole community is pretty active. I always say that when you come to Keowee Key and you want to play tennis, you don't just get 14 tennis courts, you get 150 tennis friends, and even more with pickleball. Pickleball is growing, and we're putting in even more courts. I know it sounds a little corny, but we really are a family here."

"We're pretty active here. We love to bicycle whenever we can. We go down to the river and walk on the RiverWalk in River Bluffs. We love to kayak. And, it's only nine minutes to downtown Wilmington, and we go to enjoy the nightlife with all the restaurants and concerts. Of course, the area beaches are not far from us at all," said Jim. He and his wife Judy relocated from Naperville, IL, just outside of Chicago. He continued, "We don't miss the commute or the taxes. Our property taxes are about one-tenth of what we paid in Illinois."

Judy added, "Everyone is so friendly and neighborly. It's a great community to live in for sure. We both work from home, which is one of the reasons we moved here. We have open areas here. We can be separated from people, but we can still be social. During the stay-at-home orders, we've still been able to get out and enjoy walking, biking, and the weather. We've had great weather. We've been able to interact with some of our friends. We will go to each others' homes and sit on the patio (socially-distant, of course) and bring our own bottle of wine. We sit on the patio every day for lunch. The grocery stores have remained stocked, and people try to keep their distance and wear masks."

"We have made very close friendships in such a short time. When the quarantine wasn't in effect, we would go to Porches Cafe for live events with music on the weekends for good food and socializing," said Judy.