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RE: The Makings of an Expat - Hard Road Edition
It's amazing how many people tell similiar stories and find themselves throughout Central and South America, happier than they ever were in their home countries. Someday, I'm sure I'll be joining people like you. I might end up in Costa Rica though, since that's where my friends and business associates (mostly farmers) live. But I've heard that Panama is great, too, so maybe I'll get a place on the border!
It's always good to hear success stories about ex-pats. I often hear about retirees, but not too many about the younger generation. I think that trend is now changing, finally.
I wish continued success to you. Thanks for sharing!
I have friends up and down the Americas. We have a bunch in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador. The opportunities to live the life you want are everywhere. I always recommend you test the waters first by visiting for an extended period.
Some folks don't like the chaos of Panama. I have learned to adapt to it. Believe me it is difficult sometimes! It helps making friends in the local community. I always laugh when folks complain but they stay on their overpriced expat compounds.
Costa Rica is definitely more of a rural lifestyle. I have friends that love it but my wife who is Tico by blood prefers the cosmopolitan Panama lifestyle.
Thank you for stopping by!!
See, I'm the opposite of your wife. I'd rather have a house overlooking the mountains and valleys and coffee farms. Those rural towns are a lot more peaceful for me, but I'd also be ok with perhaps splitting my time between a loft in the city or a beach house. The best part is having those options without needing to be a millionaire.
I've already been working on some plans with my friend and partner in the mountain towns of Costa Rica for a retreat house or farm tours, so I'll at least have a place to go anytime I feel like getting away. It's a start.
I'm with you, though access to a metropolitan area is pretty important when you expat. I was told repeatedly that I should live in Santiago when in Chile, at least for the first two years. I like the city, as far as cities go, but I really didn't want to live there. Instead, I found a nice farming town that's small enough but large enough, and an easy commute to a city with everything we could need. Other factors got in the way of that attempt, but I'm still working on it.
Yeah, give me a rural community anyday.
The particular area where my partner lives has a population around 30,000 - so it's not too small. The surrounding towns are a lot smaller, but the distance between them is short, so there's probably close to 60,000 people across a span of maybe five to six miles along the route and some of its branches.
I would be close enough to these towns and with my friend and his family, and they do get American visitors fairly frequently who do business with some of the coffee farmers and cooperatives.
I appreciate your insight, though. You can never have too much information and guidance when it comes to making plans about moves like this.
Within an hours drive is vital if you are looking to do business and go through immigration steps like I have. Yesterday was a perfect example, I had to go to immigration to take my next step in permanent residency and they said, "sorry your papers are not complete yet". I was pissed but what can I do? Try again next week is the only option.
Not all of Panama is chaotic. Boquete and Coronado are very quiet, but awesome! Great post!