It wasn't very long ago that Mexico was thought of as poor, dangerous and violent.  In the year 2009 over 60% of all reports about Mexico in the US newspapers were unfavorable.  In 2012 a survey that was done showed that only 14% of people in the US said that Mexico was known as a, "good neighbor". 

In 2012 Mexico's economy increased by 3.9& and they were given the nickname the "Aztec tiger" by the Financial Times. Mexico's overall appearance started making a impressive shift from the previous years.  The government elected new leaders who boosted the spirits of the country as well as made other countries around the world take notice.  Thomas Friedman wrote two different articles about Mexico.  These were both about Mexico being an international policy favorite and identified Mexico to be the next country to dominate economic power.  

Mexico continues to be foreign to a lot of Americans who have for a very long time been interested in other continents around the world.  But what they are quickly realizing is that the connection between the United States and Mexico is one of the most important that there is.  It has been twenty years since the signing of (NAFTA) North American Free Trade Agreement between Mexico the US and Canada.  This helped to eliminate the barriers with trading and investment.  This brought the immediate elimination of tax.  Mexico imports more U.S. products than any other country other than Canada in the world and is the third major supplier of oil to the United States.  The Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development now identifies Mexico as having the 14th largest economy in the World.  

For a long time Mexico has been almost like a sleeping giant.  The people that live in Mexico know what is so great about their country and the benefits that Mexico offers to their neighbors and now other countries are starting to see this as well.  They are seeing the strong economic, cultural and agricultural benefits that Mexico has.  They see the strength in the economy and that it continues to get stronger year after year.  Mexico is taking steps all the time to advance in every way possible while still maintaining their ethical values.  When you visit Mexico you see with every turn that family is very important and that the values that are being instilled in the children are going to be the values that the future leaders of the country have. 

Mexico is now building a new reputation. One that is based off of their economic status as well as other things.  Mexico is starting to become known as a country where people move to teach their children a slower way of life.  A way of life that helps teach family values.  A place where people move after retirement to relax.  They are known for their friendly people, beautiful landscapes and booming economy.  The U.S. now has a neighbor that they are taking notice of in new and positive ways.  

After years of being accustomed to the healthcare costs in the US, a medical bill from a Mexican hospital is a refreshing glimpse at what it must be like to have something that is more affordable in a health-care cost setting.  

Americans today are facing high healthcare cost which are leading to large national deficits as a result of the increasing costs. When people learn about the difference in healthcare cost in Mexico compared to US, they can hardly believe it.  In most cases standard check ups, and common  treatment are almost free under their national healthcare system.  In contrast, in the US not only would one have to pay a co pay of at least $25 dollars at the time of visit but you would also receive numerous bills from the office, the lab, and various places depending on all the testing that you have done.  While one would not discourage to get check-ups, it just does not seem fair that standard and common visits should drain the bank account in the US, but it sometimes does.

A reasonable option, is just south of the border of the US.  While certainly there are hospitals and clinics of high and lower quality, one should still do research and look for treatment in the bigger cities, where hospitals in some cases look like resort hotels offering world class treatment.  

This has not always been the case in Mexico.  As a matter of fact it has taken Mexico many years to emulate the systems created in Europe that offer universal healthcare.  It was not until very recent that Mexico made it a universal right for everyone to have access to healthcare and for children to have free access to treatment in the case of cancer.  

Maybe this is a model that we can enjoy by visiting Mexico or a model that we can learn from, as the mortality rate is not much different and in some cases better than what we enjoy in developed countries.