Meet Tim: The San Francisco Guy Who Moved to Guadalajara and Started 'Out in Mexico'

Tim left San Francisco, quit a corporate job, moved to Guadalajara on a three-month trial, and never really left. He's the guy behind Out in Mexico, the LGBTQ+ travel site that's become our first stop for anything Mexico-related.

We met on Instagram. We'd been chatting for a little while, swapping messages about Mexico and blogging, and then we suddenly ended up in Guadalajara. We got in touch, and Tim showed us around.

That's one of the best parts of this job. Blogging can feel lonely, so it's lovely to connect with like-minded people, talk through ideas, and collaborate. Tim is also the one who sent us to Revuelta Queer House in Mexico City, which ended up being our favorite bar there.

We've been building out our own Mexico coverage (Guadalajara, Oaxaca, Zipolite), so we sent him ten questions. Here's what he said.

From San Francisco to Gaydalajara

"San Francisco after the pandemic had become kind of a depressing place to live," Tim told us. "I love it there but was ready for a change."

The timing worked out. About three years ago his company offered employees a buyout, and he took it. He'd always wanted to do something in travel, so he started a blog.

Guadalajara wasn't the obvious pick. It's not super touristy, but it has culture, great food, good weather, and a gay scene that's easy to like. Tim gave himself three months to see if he could live there. "It surpassed my expectations."

Why a home base beats constant movement

Tim's hit 60+ countries over the last 30 years, so he's not exactly a homebody. But he likes having somewhere to come back to, and Guadalajara is a good launchpad for exploring the rest of Mexico.

There's also a more human reason. "I like to date and make connections and that is a hard thing to do when you are constantly traveling."

Fair. We're two people who've spent years living out of backpacks, and we'd be lying if we said we never think about this.

What surprised him most

The friendliness, mostly. Tim loves walking down the street and getting a "Hola" or "Buenos días" from strangers. He gets around on the MiBici bike share, and friends (and total strangers) will tell him, "I saw you on your bike last week."

The downside is air pollution. When it gets bad, he hides in his air-conditioned apartment.

The slow part of Latin America (and the safety part)

Tim's been to 17 of Mexico's 32 states and plans to keep going. His core four are Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico City, and Zipolite, and he goes deep on each one, like his "best cocktail bars in Mexico City" roundup. Very few people look beyond the resort towns, which he's trying to change.

We asked what outsiders get wrong about LGBTQ+ travel in Latin America. His answer is worth reading twice.

Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Argentina all have strong legal protections. Public attitudes haven't always caught up, though. "You need to be savvy where you are going," he said, and that can mean toning down public affection on the street.

The other thing is infrastructure. Many great places don't have a nearby airport, so you're taking a bus, and it can take a while.

When Google changes the rules

We asked Tim about a project that flopped, and he didn't dwell on one. His approach is to pivot fast. What's hit him hardest is Google. Every algorithm update moves his traffic, and not always in his favor.

So after "sitting on my hands for a bit," he started promoting the site harder in Facebook groups and building his newsletter. As bloggers, we nodded the whole way through that answer. Relying on one traffic source is a gamble, something we are also very aware of and probably don't take enough measures to mitigate.

Solo vs. duo

Working alone slows things down, Tim says. It's great to bounce ideas off someone, and "having someone take pics and videos is a very nice thing to have." He's been slow to get into video because filming himself is, in his words, "a pain in the ass."

The upside is flexibility. When something goes wrong, he doesn't have a stressed-out travel companion next to him making it worse.

As a duo, we get the photos and the brainstorming. We also get the added stress, which is a fair trade, probably.

The goal for Out in Mexico

Tim wants Out in Mexico to be self-sustaining, and the first place LGBTQ+ travelers go when planning a trip to Mexico, then the rest of Latin America. He's also building a network of LGBTQ+-friendly hotels, tours, and restaurants in each key destination.

His advice for anyone dreaming of a similar move: "Do your research and plan your budget pessimistically." Most cost-of-living numbers online assume a very frugal life, and he doesn't see foreigners actually pulling that off.

Tim's Guadalajara tips

We asked for something that isn't on any blog yet. He gave us two.

• Rufus Cafe is a new spot near his place with great chilaquiles and outdoor seating in front of a beautiful restored building.
• Mecenas Bar makes all of its own liquors, and the cocktails and space are both gorgeous. It might not stay a secret much longer, because it was just named #18 on the list of best cocktail bars in North America.

Both are going on our list for the next trip.

Tim is launching something new

Here's the news. At the end of this month, Tim is launching two paid series on Substack:

• Uncensored: explicit reviews of saunas, sex clubs, and other places you won't find in a typical travel guide.
• Routes: itineraries for major Mexican destinations, including bar and taco crawls.