Hola, somos los Cervantes y llegamos de México hace 2 años, exactamente el 30 de Marzo del 2005. Our names are Javier, Monica, Santiago and Andrea Cervantes. I (Javier) work for BMW and am beginning the last year of our three-year stay. We moved to Simpsonville, South Carolina from Toluca, Mexico.

What are the best things about moving to Upstate SC?
From the professional point of view, it is a good opportunity for me (Javier). For the family, we consider it a great chance to have an international experience, learn a second language and interact with a different culture. A big advantage is that the Upstate of South Carolina is a safe place to live with lots of friendly people and beautiful places to enjoy.

What is the hardest part of moving to Upstate SC?
In our case, the hardest part was when we physically relocated. We saw our furniture, clothes, children's toys, etc. being packed. Then, for some time, we basically had no home. (In our case we were lucky, it lasted only 1 month!)
When we arrived in the U.S., we did not know anybody (Monica particularly), and it took a while until we found our way around and got to know how things work in the US. Relocating was the most difficult time for us, especially because we used to think often about our family, friends and the fiestas we left behind in Mexico.

What has been the biggest difference you have seen between here and your home country?
The fact is that the U.S. is a rich country and Mexico is a country still in a developmental phase, so there are huge differences. Both countried have good and bad traits. We can say, for example, that people’s behavior is not the same, for some reason it seems like Mexicans tend to be more relaxed, warmer and more open. It is a mentality that we can describe as “let’s enjoy life regardless of our circumstances.” Americans are definitely more organized, more respectful of the rules and the environment.

How are you handling the language challenges?
Although we both spoke English before we came, speaking it in daily life is completely different than using it for business or for vacation.
The unique southern accent, which our children have already adopted, made it difficult to understand at the beginning. Well, thinking about it, is still difficult to understand sometimes! We are very lucky to have Wetzel helping us out to face this situation. I (Monica) am still participating in the Networking class and Javier took the Professional English class.

Besides family, what things are you missing most from home?
The house keeper, the gardener, the electrician and general house maintenance people. In Mexico, you can afford to have someone clean your house, wash clothes, iron, cook and wash the car outside your garage on a daily basis. To hire someone to do maintenance in the house is not expensive, and it is more convenient. It saves you time that can be spent enjoying the weekend instead of working in your house on your days off. Here, we have to do all of this by yourself. Javier always complains when something at home has to be repaired. He does not know how to do it and he gets upset after 2 hours trying to replace a light bulb. Of course we also miss our best friends, the endless parties that we use to have with them and the family events. In Mexico we very often used to have huge gatherings with our family, with lots of music, dance, food, tequila, beer, wine, etc.

What are your goals during this expat contract?
Our primary goals as a family are to have an international experience, to learn another language and to explore different places and a different culture.

What is your favorite restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina?
My (Monica) favorite restaurant is Tsunami in downtown (I love sushi!), and Javier loves downtown, so any place there is fine. He likes to have American food like chicken wings and hamburgers together with a good beer. For the kids, the best restaurant is Joe’s Crab Shack because of the playground.

What is your best recommendation for a day trip so far?
Table Rock is a nice place to go if you like hiking with young children. For Santiago (6) the best place for a day trip is Carowinds.

Do you feel like you have assimilated well? Have you met many Americans?
Yes, people are nice. We have many American friends.

What have you learned about yourselves through this experience?
We have learned that we are very flexible and adaptable to different places and cultures. We have made friends from different nationalities. I (Monica) also have learned to survive far away from my big family in Mexico. Javier has learned to do some basic house maintenance by himself.

Do you have any embarrassing stories?
Three months after our arrival, Andrea, our little girl, had to have surgery. Of course, we were both a little bit worried and nervous because we had never have any previous experience like this. Andrea was taken to the operating room and I (Monica) began to cry and cry. After 20 minutes, the doctor came out to the small waiting room. He started to talk and talk. After 20 minutes of an uninterrupted speech full of medical terminology, he stopped and asked if we had any questions. The fact was that we did not understand a word of what he had said. He was a little bit upset.

How has Wetzel helped with your expat experience?
VIVA WETZEL!!!!!!!!!! We look at them not only as a service provider but we really consider them an important part of our experience in South Carolina.

What have you or do you hope to see while in the USA?
Our children’s dream is to Visit Mickey Mouse and his crew at Disney World in Orlando, and we have planned that for this summer! One of the things Javier wants is to go to New York and watch the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Baseball is his favorite sport and he is a Yankee fan. He did it last September and he is planning to do it again. I (Monica) want to go everywhere: Florida, Niagara Falls, Washington D.C., New York, Las Vegas, go snow skiing every winter, etc. We have done as much as we can and although we know that we will not cover all of this, we will try to do our best.

What advice can you give to other expats who may come to Upstate S.C.?
Have your own experiences. There is a lot available for everyone's wishes and preferences. This is the country of opportunity. Shopping is great, there are big shows, events, and sports. Live like an American with your own foreigner's touch.