Has San Pancho captured your heart too?
Recognizing and contextualizing the community growth in San Pancho, Mexico
Remember the days of driving around San Pancho and not seeing more than ten people the whole day? Can you remember easily being able to find parking in town? How about the days of being on the beach and not having anyone else around you? No? Believe me, these were common experiences in San Pancho taking place no more than ten years ago.
Sometimes I get frustrated when I see what San Pancho has become and is still becoming. I think about how much I miss the quiet little town where all the faces were familiar and I miss the massive, empty beach. On the other hand, I really enjoy the wonderful people this little town has attracted and collected. I enjoy meeting new people who have just moved to town or are looking to move here and become a part of the incredible community that encompasses San Pancho. When I ask newcomers what attracted them to San Pancho, the reason that everyone seems to have in common is that San Pancho has captured their heart. I love hearing this, as this is what this little town did to my family and I. San Pancho quickly became my special place. We all learn at an early age that it’s polite to share, so I know that San Pancho is not only my special place, it’s everyone’s special place.
Every year, I see more and more local shops; unique, hand picked and made jewelry shops, special artisan shops, surf shops, a wide variety of restaurants from fine dining to delicious street tacos and many other local businesses that have will be the future, local staples of this enchanting little community.
Most importantly, I see families and children thriving. I see skilled workers, housekeepers, gardeners, cooks, massage therapists and teachers all able to find steady work, right here in San Pancho thus eliminating the need to commute to other cities as far away as Bucerias and Puerto Vallarta. I see less privileged children and families being offered a better education with extra curricular programs such as EntreAmigos, Mujeres Por Amor a San Pancho, Cirque de los Ninos, La Bodega Teatro and other wonderful community programs.
However, with this inevitable growth in community, development and infrastructure, there are, of course negative repercussions that we are seeing. If these growing pains are not addressed properly, San Pancho could suffer. Obviously, we need to accept that growth can be both positive and negative. I am hoping that we can all do a service to our special place by remembering that whether we were born here, came here five, ten, twenty years ago or even arrived yesterday, that we all share a common reason for being here, which is that San Pancho has captured our hearts! There is not one issue that can be fixed immediately, however, I feel we all need to do our part by educating and sharing our love for this special place to every new person who decides to become part of this community.
In this post and posts to come, I want to highlight our special community centers. These are the people who have dedicated their time and energy to maintain and enhance San Pancho socially, economically and environmentally. I want to personally recognize each of these organizations and/or people. With our combined effort and support for one another, we can all create a vision for the best possible future for the community of San Pancho.
