The reasons foreigners start a new chapter in Mexico are as varied as the constellations in the sky. Each story is a unique adventure, often seemingly destined by circumstance. The compelling story between Carol and Doug Romain is proof of this, as they embark on a journey filled with new experiences and unexpected twists.
Roma’s family lived for many years in British Columbia, Canada. Carol owns The Ladybug Playcare, an integrated special needs center that offers before and after school child care. At the same time, her husband Doug worked in the marketing division of MacMillan Bloedel, a well-known lumber company. In 1997 Doug was sent to Durango, Mexico, to oversee sales. Carol joins him at Christmas and says he almost froze to death. The locals gave him tequila, his first taste, to warm him up. It was also in Durango that they got their first taste of what life in Mexico was like as expatriates.
But even better than that, it was here that Doug also learned how easy it was to help people in his position; he discovered benefits for company employees, allowing them to upgrade their education for free. Says Carol, “The problem was that no one knew until Doug came along, probably because of the language barrier, as the manager only spoke English.” But that position only lasted three months when its parent company, Weyerhaeuser, sold its Mexican division.
It was during a casual conversation with one of Doug’s clients that the Roma family first heard about the beachside paradise of Zihuatanejo. His client, who had a holiday home in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, spoke with such enthusiasm about the area that the Romans were intrigued. When they retired in 2006, they decided to explore Zihuatanejo as a potential new home. They buy a mobile home and embark on a journey that will take them to this charming coastal town.
Carol says, “We checked everything from San Carlos to Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta, Barra de Navidadand Manzanillo before finally landing in Zihuatanejo on January 3, 2007.”
“Zihuatanejo ticks all the boxes. Small town feel, everything we needed and nothing we didn’t. Friendly people, lots of things to do, and a great mix of expats and locals. It was like having instant family when we arrived.”
With Zihuatanejo as the backdrop to the next chapter of their lives, the Roma are motivated by a desire to give back. Inspired by Doug’s impactful experiences and Carol’s background in parenting, they looked for ways to contribute to children’s education. Fate intervened again, leading them to a conversation with local expats about a promising new organization, For Kidsdedicated to supporting local education from primary schools to universities.
After several attempts to contact someone at the organization, they finally attended a meeting. Almost immediately, the director at the time, the late Lawrence Marbut, bestowed the title of “Donations Chairman” during a brief meeting “in the grocery store,” Carol said. He became Chairman of Sailfest a year later.
Carol’s dedication to her community does not go unnoticed. In 2013, he was awarded the prestigious Immigrant of the Year status for the state of Guerrero, a testament to the commitment and impact of his work.
In 2017, Carol took on a new role as administrator of Por Los Niños, a position she held until a few years ago when she became president of the organization. His leadership was instrumental in overseeing important fundraisers, such as Sailfest, which significantly increased the organization’s annual funding. Its dedication and hard work is truly inspiring, increasing from around 70,000 pesos per year at its inception to six million pesos in 2023.
Carol’s philanthropic efforts, combined with the support of the local mayor, Jorge Sanchez, had a transformative impact on the community. The mayor’s donation of 50% of the construction costs required to build the school was a significant boost to their fundraising efforts.
During this time, having become fully entrenched in the lifestyle and culture, Carol felt it was important to change her immigration status from permanent resident to full citizen, as she did five years ago.
Last year, Carol’s extraordinary contributions were recognized when she was awarded the prestigious title of Woman Of The Year for the city of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. This award is a testament to the positive impact he has had on his community.
When asked if there were any challenges or things he didn’t like about living in his adopted country, he answered, “No. I came here and accepted the culture and even learned to accept their tardiness. I love everything about living in Mexico.”
The author divides his time between Canada and Zihuatanejo.
