How to Be A Good Expat in Belize or…Anywhere Relocating to a new country can be exciting and…terrifying. Paperwork, packing, pet transfer, saying good-bye to friends and family…there is so much to focus on during the process, and even more when you arrive in your new country. For the first few months and even theKeep reading »
Moving To Belize
15 Things No One Told You About Living in Belize
Living in Belize is fantastic. But it is a BIG adjustment when you move from another country…from the US or Canada. And while I’ve been here full time for 13 years now and it is my home, I learn something new pretty much every day. And I love that. Almost always. So, here’s my listKeep reading »
Things I Never Knew I Needed: My Life In San Pedro, Belize
My Necessities When Shopping on Ambergris Caye Thirteen years ago, I moved to Ambergris Caye, Belize from Manhattan, NYC, the “Big Apple”. My life has changed in so many ways over that time period… Things that I never knew I needed and now I wonder…how did I live without this stuff? The answer is simpleKeep reading »
How To Follow Belize On-Line
It happens with surprising frequency. You are on your first trip to Belize. Perhaps you are staying in San Ignacio and strolling Burns Avenue or you are chatting with some new friends at the Sports Bar in Caye Caulker and you think… I could TOTALLY live here. There is something about Belize that seems soKeep reading »
My Cost of Living on Ambergris Caye, Belize
How much does it REALLY cost to live in Belize? A friend of mine just forwarded me an article: 8 Countries Where $200K Will Last 30 Years of Retirement. The list includes all the budget retiree hot spots: Panama, Ecuador, Thailand but then also includes Belize. Nerd that I am, I plugged that amount intoKeep reading »
Expat in Belize: Moving to Belize and Working Remotely
I receive a bunch of questions each day…some about booking a trip, many about where to eat or what to see, some about moving to Belize but my #1 question? Can I get a job in Belize? Obviously lots of people dream of moving to a tropical location… but the working and making money partKeep reading »
How Much Does It REALLY Cost To Live In Belize?
This is the #1 question that I get asked. And I can’t give you the exact figure that will work for you, but I can tell you how much it costs me to live on Ambergris Caye. Keep in mind: Ambergris Caye is probably the most expensive part of Belize. And also remember $1USD = $2Keep reading »
Packing for Your Move To Belize
When moving to a new country (particularly the tropics), you have some tough decisions. I came to Belize two times in my first few months…both times with two large over- packed suitcases…both suitcases dangerously teetering on the 50lbs limit. Everything else was sold at a garage sale. But now that I look back, there are things thatKeep reading »
How I Got My Residency – An Expat’s Move, The End (For Now)
So…I had my work permit, was managing a popular bar/restaurant in town. Time to become permanent. $2000bzd a year for a work permit is a big expense and getting permanent resident is a life-long work permit, a one time expense. But applying for permanent residency in Belize is more of a waiting game than anything else. There areKeep reading »
How I Stayed in Belize (Getting a Job) – An Expat’s Move, Part 2
Ok…so where did I leave off…I was single (still am), 32, with no kids. I put everything in storage, sold my car and moved to San Pedro, Belize in early 2007. I was ready to take a year off and enjoy my new country. I had met lots of Brits, Canadians and Americans who had moved here. Keep reading »
How I Came To Belize – An Expat’s Move, Part One
I’ve actually been getting a bunch of emails from all over the world asking me a few questions: How did I pick Belize? How easy was it to get a job? Why have I stayed? What do I love and what would I change? Well, as you can imagine, this is a long and tediousKeep reading »