A University of Expats guide
The Net
What Catches You in an Emergency
A practical guide for living well in San Miguel de Allende
Kat Sparks
Know what to do. Know where to go. Feel prepared in San Miguel.
A practical guide for living well in San Miguel de Allende, created by someone who actually lives here. From emergency contacts and healthcare to your home, finances, documents, pets, community, and aging in place, The Net puts the information you want close at hand.
The everyday reality
You don't need to expect the worst. You just need to be ready for ordinary things.
Living in another country comes with a different set of practical questions.
- Who do you call?
- Which hospital do you go to?
- Who has your spare key?
- Where are your important papers?
- What happens if your phone doesn't work?
- Who looks after your dog?
- What if you suddenly can't manage things yourself?
The answers are often scattered across WhatsApp messages, phone contacts, old notes, websites, and conversations you meant to write down. The Net brings those answers together, because important information has a habit of disappearing when you need it most.
Scattered information
Numbers, contacts, documents, and advice can live in ten different places.
Local systems are different
Healthcare, banking, emergency response, utilities, paperwork, and everyday life don't always work the way they did back home.
Panic isn't the time to learn
The goal isn't to memorize everything. It's to make the important things easy to find.
NET
Everything that used to live in ten places, gathered into one.
The Net puts it all in one place, so you can stop keeping track of it in your head.
Inside the guide
11 chapters. One practical system for living here.
Organized the way you would actually look something up, not the way a website is built.
01
Know Your Numbers
Emergency contacts, local response, English-language help, emergency Spanish, and the numbers worth saving before you need them.
02
Your Home Base
Smoke alarms, propane, gas, water shutoffs, power outages, CFE, SAPASMA, and making your home easier to leave quickly if necessary.
03
Money Matters
Mexican banking, residency requirements, financial scams, local currency, and protecting yourself when managing money across two countries.
04
Papers & Proof
Passports, residency, CURP, RFC, phone registration, medical records, digital copies, and making sure someone else can find what matters.
05
The Bag Itself
How to build a practical Bug Out Bag for yourself, children, elders, and the things you need when you have to leave quickly.
06
Health & Body
Hospitals, ambulances, doctors, physical therapy, medications, mobility, and knowing where to go before you're the person who needs help.
07
Furry Family
Veterinarians, pet records, microchips, boarding, pet emergency planning, and building a bag for the animals who depend on you.
08
When Things Actually Happen
Earthquakes, flooding, water shortages, power outages, and what to actually do when something happens.
09
Your People
Buddy systems, check-ins, spare keys, community, WhatsApp groups, and why your network may be your most important resource.
10
Aging in Place, or Not
Home care, assisted living, advocacy, end-of-life planning, and the conversations worth having while you still have choices.
11
Staying Calm, Staying You
Because preparedness isn't supposed to make you anxious. It's supposed to let you get the work done, put it down, and go enjoy your life.
Local knowledge
Created by someone who actually lives here.
San Miguel isn't a place Kat discovered while researching a guide. She has been coming here for more than twenty years. She grew up in Cozumel, built ExperienceSMA and University of Expats, and has spent years helping expats navigate healthcare, community, local services, and the practical realities of making a life in Mexico.
For the last two years, she has been running emergency preparedness meetings, building Bug Out Bags, and creating checklists people could actually use. The Net is where all of that experience finally came together.
- Built from local experience and local relationships, not from a search engine.
- Written for how San Miguel really works, in the neighborhoods people really live in.
- Part of University of Expats, alongside courses on Healthcare, Visas, International Moving, and Community Integration.
βThe net is not about bracing for the worst. It is about being calm enough to enjoy the life you built here, con calma, knowing that something, and someone, would catch you if you ever fell.β Kat Sparks, Founder, University of Expats
Prepared doesn't mean worried. It means confident.
You don't need to live in fear of what might happen. You simply need to know where to turn if you ever need help. That is the whole idea behind The Net, and it is why the guide reads like a friend answering your question rather than a warning label.
Kept current
Your guide keeps up with the town.
SMA changes. Phone numbers change. Businesses move. Services change. Banks get acquired. That's why The Net isn't simply a PDF you buy once and forget.
The guide is reviewed and updated twice a year, and your digital copy always reflects the current version β no need to buy it again.
Who it's for
Made for people building a life in San Miguel.
The Net is especially useful if you:
- Recently moved to San Miguel
- Are planning to move here
- Live here part-time
- Are over 50 and thinking about the years ahead
- Live alone
- Have pets
- Care for a spouse, parent, or another family member
- Want your important local information organized in one place
- Simply want the peace of knowing you have a plan
You don't have to be worried to be prepared.
Get the guide
Get The Net
Instant digital access. Read on your phone, tablet, or computer β no shipping, no waiting.
Prefer a printed copy?
Limited printed copies are available in person in San Miguel de Allende. contact [email protected]
SMA 911 Digital Guide
19.99$
One time purchase
- Instant access to the digital SMA 911 guide
- Read on your phone, tablet, or computer
- Access to the current version at /sma911
Questions
Good things to know
What is The Net?
Is The Net digital or printed?
How do I receive the digital version?
Can I get a printed copy?
How often is the guide updated?
How it works
Three steps. Then get on with your life.
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01
Get The Net
One-time purchase, delivered digitally.
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02
It's yours instantly
Digital access arrives right after purchase β read it on your phone, tablet, or computer.
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03
Make it yours
Fill in your Emergency Information, save the numbers, build your bag, and give your buddy a copy.
Check it twice a year. Live your life the rest of the time.
Feel prepared. Feel confident.
Keep the important local information close. Not because you expect something to go wrong, but because San Miguel is home, and knowing how things work makes it easier to enjoy it.
A University of Expats guide, made in San Miguel de Allende.
