I wanted to create a retreat space in San Miguel from the beginning. My background is in property management and short-term real estate, so I always thought that would be my only path to entrepreneurship in Mexico. But Afro Expats was birthed first and though COVID put my retreat hosting and guesthouse plans on pause in 2020, I continued pursuing them because I knew that it would give people interested in visiting, or possibly moving here in the future, the perfect opportunity to try the city on.

I looked into renting local hotels and other accommodation spaces, but those options didn’t work cost wise. And I wouldn’t be able to customize or make them into the oasis space I envisioned for my guests. Last November, I had an epiphany and started to comb

Los Frailes, an established San Miguel neighborhood, in search of a home that met my expectations. When I pulled up in front of what is now Casa ELM, my heart skipped a beat, and within a few weeks the house was mine. Now, I’m able to host San Miguel relocation tours, extended stays for future expats, and women wellness retreats. This multi-purpose space came right on time. I am thanking the universe.