Take the case of Billy Kaderli. He found exploring the Caribbean in a sail boat restful, but he didn't get in much tennis. Then he and his California beauty, Akaisha, settled in Chapala across from the public park with its four fine tennis courts.

It was a short term trial period, or so he thought. He began playing tennis and since he was also interested in basketball, he coached a girl's basketball team at the Chapala gym.

But there was still a slight glitch in his life. Everyone on his block, on his teams and at the courts spoke a different language than had been taught in Cincinnati: The learning curve was climbing as he worked to improve his tennis game, master the lingo, and absorb the cultural etiquette needed in coaching a girl's team.

Sailing in the Caribbean

Then he noticed a serious problem. The scoring of the basketball games was not always on the up and up. Arguments and dissension broke out on a regular basis. The issues seemed to center around which team's relatives and friends were scoring that particular game.

To resolve the situation, Billy found himself back in Cincinnati, successfully bargaining for the donation of a large, lighted scoreboard for the Chapala gym.

Upon the arrival of the giant scoreboard, he engaged in a whole new career, that of negotiating with the aduana, as well as the Chapala city fathers, activities not at all programmed into his retirement game plan. But then neither had he programmed the joyful glee of the basketball community upon the installation of the scoreboard. Billy was an overnight hero in Chapala.

The Plaza is the heart of Chapala, Mexico

As one of our younger and more energetic retirees, Billy's life is spent at the tennis courts in Cristiania Park chalking up more volunteer hours than any gringo around.

Especially notable is his accomplishment in integrating the Mexican-Anglo communities through tennis leagues and tournaments that he organizes at the park. Un-able to play for the past year due to a broken bone, he continues to run what he likes to call the "pro shop."

He uses those profits along with the minimal playing fees to impeccably  maintain the courts and has miraculously accumulated half of the 85,000 pesos needed to resurface them.

Coaching Team Ajijic to the Finals

So this is how retirement has turned out for Billy. There have been days he thought life was easier when he was managing a stock brokerage firm or running his busy restaurant. But it was never, never so sweet. With generous loans from friends of the park, the resurfacing is completed and the Mother of All Chapala Tennis tournaments was held on January 13, 1996.

About the Authors

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors on topics of finance, medical tourism and world travel. With the wealth of information they share on their award winning website RetireEarlyLifestyle.com, they have been helping people achieve their own retirement dreams since 1991. They wrote the popular books, The Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement and Your Retirement Dream IS Possible available on their website bookstore or on Amazon.com.

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