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Enjoy your guests and still have time for yourself
By Harriet Murray • Photos by Jesús de Avila· March 2009

“True friendship’s laws are by this rule express’d, welcome the coming, speed the parting guest.” - Alexander Pope

Most of us have experienced the thrill of being able to share our new second or retirement home with our friends who live elsewhere. We sometimes overdo trying to make their stay as great as we possibly can.  The problem is that we can do too much and then find that on subsequent trips our guest are too dependent upon us and we enjoy them less.

If we can form a plan and follow it, we can enjoy our guests and still have time left for ourselves.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Create a personal book for your home. Customize it with lots of information and maps to give out. Include emergency phone numbers, a map customized with cab and bus information. Make this book available in the living room or kitchen. Talk about it as part of the fun and adventure of being able to be independent while visiting. Go through it with your guests as you start a conversation between them and yourselves.  Include recommended doctors, hospitals, hairdressers, masseuse, facialists, etc.

2. Create a little visitor kit and include these items: Buy debit cards for your guests to make calls from pay phones, and explain how they work.  Make a call while you are out so they are comfortable with the use of these cards. If your guests have cell phones which work in Mexico, you can teach them how to use them to call local numbers.
   
   There are lots of little books with primary Spanish phrases to use while shopping, dining, and using transportation. Include one of these or make up one from the Internet.
              
   Copy or create a good map showing your home and main areas or places of interest for your guests.
   
   Include in the kit a distinctive key chain (not with your street address or name of the condo) so that they can easily find the house key. Also include the phonetic pronunciation and Spanish spelling of the address of where they are staying, and directions if necessary.

3. Ask your guests to plan an activity or night out for all of you. Let them be the "hosts" and organizers of this.

4. Introduce your guests to people who live here full-time, perhaps the owner of your favorite restaurant, a local business owner. There are charities, which look for volunteers, groups that need a fourth for bridge. 

5. Give your guests a disposable camera if they don't carry one with them and show them how your computer works for email or give them a card for a few free trips to a good local net house.

6. Teach them how to make long distance, local and cell phone calls from your home phone and from a pay phone. Demonstrate to them how to use the television and have written instructions near the set itself. You may want to show them how to use the washer and dryer for their personal use.

7. If you introduce the participation and involvement of your guests from the beginning of their stay, they will become more proactive and independent while still enjoying themselves.

8. You should be able to teach your guests to go and come from the airport on their own. Get a cab and send your guests back to the airport for their return trip home.  As you say goodbye, discuss your pleasure and excitement of having them return again. 

The map you give them and the written directions to your home in proper and phonetic Spanish, will be for them to keep and use on their return.

These exercises and suggestions should be done as a normal part of the visit and incorporated into your own personality type.  We hope these suggestions make it less work for you to enjoy your friends when they visit.

Remember: a book with lots of information and cards of favorite restaurants, shops and services is great to have out. Include a space for comments from guests on their recommendations, as well.

Harriet Murray
E-mail: harriet@casasandvillas.com

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