Backstory
For most of my working life, I lived in Southeast Asia.
I worked with an NGO based in Hong Kong focused on countering human trafficking in the private sector. That meant working collaboratively with large companies across finance, supply chains, and hospitality to identify and prevent cases from happening. The work took me across the region. It stays with you.
When I moved to Mexico, I continued that work for a time before eventually stepping away to build my own company here. I still advise the organisation on its Latin America efforts. That part never fully leaves.
How I Ended Up in Valle
Mexico City was always the plan, but only as a starting point. I knew early on it wasn’t where I wanted to stay. It was the bridge.
The idea came while I was visiting my mom in Canada. She has a place on a lake. I remember sitting there and thinking: is there somewhere in Mexico that feels like this?
That’s how Valle de Bravo came up. A mountain town with a lake, about two and a half hours from Mexico City, surrounded by pine forest at nearly two thousand meters in elevation.
What I couldn’t find was anything that explained what it was actually like to live here. Not visit. Live. Everything I read felt like it stopped at the surface.
So I went to see it.
It didn’t immediately click.
Four Years In
That was four years ago. I’m still here.
The quiet that took some getting used to is now the thing I’d find hardest to leave.
Most of what I understand about this place didn’t come from research. It came from being here. From paying attention. From getting things wrong and adjusting.
The neighborhoods. The pace. What daily life actually feels like once you’re not passing through.
Why This Blog Exists
There was no clear picture when I was figuring this out. I moved on instinct and filled in the gaps over time.
Qué Onda Valle is my way of making that process easier for the next person. It’s written from actually living here, not from a weekend visit. Just what I’ve learned by being here.
If you have questions, feel free to reach out.