Leaving America E4: The Latin American Dream

Dreaming of a life where your morning coffee comes with a side of tropical birds rather than the military in your neighborhood? You're not alone. As more Americans find themselves struggling with rising costs and political tensions at home, Latin America has emerged as the promised land of affordable living and reclaimed time.

Mexico leads the charge as America's favorite escape hatch, with over 1.6 million US citizens now calling it home. With manageable residency requirements—roughly $2,800 monthly income or $45,000 in savings—Mexico offers diverse living experiences from cosmopolitan Mexico City to the beaches of Puerto Vallarta. Healthcare that costs pennies on the dollar compared to the US has many expats wondering why they waited so long, with doctor visits averaging just $30-50 and often available same-day.

Costa Rica's "Pura Vida" lifestyle attracts those seeking peace, natural beauty, and a country so chill it abolished its military in 1948. While no longer the budget paradise it once was, Costa Rica offers excellent healthcare, stunning biodiversity, and welcoming communities—even for those fleeing political tensions. As one LGBTQ expat couple shared, "The first note we got back was 'Costa Rica welcomes you and your wife. You'll make great citizens.'"

Colombia has undergone a stunning transformation from its narco-state reputation, now offering sophisticated urban living in Medellín (the "city of eternal spring"), colonial charm in Cartagena, and apartments starting at $400 monthly. Other enticing options include business-friendly Panama, budget-conscious Nicaragua, easiest-residency-on-earth Paraguay, progressive Uruguay, affordable Ecuador, culturally rich Argentina, and adventurous Brazil.

The real challenge isn't securing visas—it's adaptation. Learning Spanish becomes essential, along with embracing a fluid concept of time where "I'll be there at 10" might mean noon, and bureaucracy follows its own mysterious logic. Most expats discover that what initially frustrates them—the slower pace, the prioritization of relationships over efficiency, the general "mañana" approach—eventually becomes what they cherish most.

Featuring:

Tim Leffel

Xanthe and Dana

Richard McColl

Basil Elzeki

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Music:
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Episode Transcript

Aaron Martin (00:03):
Imagine living in New Zealand with your family.
If that's your destination ofchoice, new Zealand immigration
law is here to help.
How do we do that?
First of all, a deep divediagnosis to ensure that you've
got the right pathway and thepathway of least resistance.
Because, let's face it,crossing international borders
can be a nightmare.
Borders can be a nightmare.

(00:26):
We also look after youthroughout the application
process ensuring that thatsatisfies New Zealand government
visa criteria and managing yourapplication through the
immigration process, dealingwith the complexities and the
issues that might be raised byImmigration New Zealand.
I'm Aaron Martin and I've beenworking in the immigration space
for 28 years, helping peoplesettle successfully in New
Zealand, and I'm supported by ateam which collectively has 62

(00:48):
years of experience in this area.
If you'd like to know moreabout me and my team and how we
can help you, reach out to us onour website, wwwnzilconz.

Shawn (01:13):
Welcome back to Leaving America, the podcast, for those
of you who look at the price ofeggs, the military marching
through your neighborhoods andthe dwindling number of books on
your library shelves and thinksurely there's another way.
Today we're focusing on LatinAmerica, and particularly on
Mexico and Costa Rica.
These two countries have earnedtheir spot at the top of the
American expat wish list notjust because they're affordable
and relatively easy to move to,but because they offer something

(01:36):
rare a lifestyle that doesn'trequire a bulletproof vest just
to buy some groceries.
We'll also take a quick look atsome of Latin America's
lesser-hyped but equallyintriguing destinations Panama,
colombia, nicaragua, paraguay,uruguay, ecuador, argentina and
Brazil, places where you canreinvent yourself dramatically

(01:57):
lower your cost of living and,if you want, grow a man bun
without drawing unwantedattention.
And, of course, we'll wade intothe murky waters of cultural
integration, because, whilefleeing America might sound
romantic, living in a newculture with its own language,
customs and bureaucratic quirksis not all beach walks and
Instagram reels.
Sometimes it's ants in yourelectrical sockets and visa

(02:20):
officials who've gone on lunchbreak indefinitely.
I'm your host, sean C Fettig,and if you've ever paid $12 for
a dozen eggs while billionairesshoot themselves into space and
tank the economy and democracy.
You're in the right place Tostay updated on the latest
episodes.
Follow, like and share LeavingAmerica on the Deep Dive with
Sean podcast feed.

(02:41):
Wherever you get your podcasts,and if you've made the move to
Latin America, or if you're justwondering if you'll need a
dehumidifier in Costa Rica,please feel free to email me at
deepdivewithsean at gmailcom.
All right, pack your bags.
This is Leaving America.

Tim Leffel (03:05):
Well, I'll start with the Americas, because a lot
of Canadians and United Statescitizens tend to stay in this
part of the world because theycan be on a similar time zone,
which is really important forwork purposes if you're still
working, but it's also easier toconnect with family and all
that, and it's also fairly easyto get residency in most of the

(03:26):
countries in Latin America.
So in that part of the worldthe affordable places tend to be
Mexico, guatemala and Panama,and then when you go down to
South America, it's Colombia,ecuador, peru and then the
southern cone.
It kind of changes a little bitfrom year to year.
So Argentina is sometimes agreat deal, sometimes not.

(03:49):
This year.
Brazil is a good deal justbecause of exchange rate changes
.
Uruguay can bounce back andforth.
Right now it's not that cheap,but those are kind of the main
ones that people end up in.
Some people go to Roatan andHonduras, which is an island.
You know beaches and scubadiving and all that.
Then there are other placesthat are popular with Americans,

(04:10):
like Belize and Costa Rica,that are quite nice, but they're
not that good of a deal.
You don't move there to savemoney, you move there for the
lifestyle.

Shawn (04:18):
That was award-winning travel writer and author of
numerous books, including ABetter Life for Half the Price,
discussing Latin Americanoptions.
He's also an expat living inMexico, so let's start there.
Mexico is a place Americanscan't seem to stop going to,
unless it's to complain aboutthe people coming from it.
Whether you're chasing tropicalsun, lower living costs, better

(04:40):
tacos or simply a life thatdoesn't involve taking out a
loan to pay your healthinsurance deductible, mexico has
emerged as the go-to countryfor US expats.
As of this recording, over 1.6million Americans are living in
Mexico.
Some are retirees, some areremote workers, some are fleeing
politics, some are fleeing HOAmeetings.

(05:01):
Many are fleeing both.
Let's walk through why and howyou might become one of them.
Mexico, to its credit, doesn'tmake you jump through firelit
hoops to get legal residency.
There are two main paths.
The residente, temporal ortemporary residency is the
starter pack.
It's for people who'd like tomove to Mexico but reserve the

(05:21):
right to dramatically changetheir mind in two years.
To qualify, you'll need around$2,800 in monthly income or a
bank balance of about $45,000held for the previous 12 months.
This gets you a one-year visa,renewable for up to four, and
after that you can convert itinto the residente permanente or

(05:41):
permanent residency.
This is the.
I'm not going back unless Texasturns into Sweden version.
You can apply directly for thisif you're over a certain income
threshold, about $4,500 a month.
Other routes to permanentresidency include marrying a
Mexican citizen, producing aMexican child or, as I mentioned
, holding that temporaryresidency for four years.

(06:03):
A word of warning here, thoughEach Mexican consulate
interprets these requirementsslightly differently.
One might ask for a printout ofyour bank statements, another
may want those same statementstranslated, notarized,
apostilled and blessed by threelocal saints.
So bring patience and copiesalways extra copies when you're

(06:23):
considering where to live inMexico.
Here's where things get spicy.
Mexico is not one monolithicexpat experience.
It's a gigantic country andit's many countries in one.
Mexico City is urban,cosmopolitan, loud and creative.
The city has neighborhoods likeRoma Norte and Condesa, where
you can find third-wave coffee.

(06:44):
Like Roma Norte and Condesa,where you can find third-wave
coffee, vegan tacos and peoplewho use design thinking
unironically.
It's great for remote workerswho want culture and chaos in
equal measure.
San Miguel de Allende is ahilltop colonial fantasy full of
expats, artists, yogainstructors and people who are
really into energy, and you justkind of need to know what they
mean by that.

(07:04):
Real estate is pricier here,but the streets are made of
cobblestones and it really doesfeel almost like old world
Europe.
Merida is in the Yucatan.
It's on the opposite side ofthe Riviera Maya.
It's hotter than hell's boilerroom in the summer I can vouch
for that I was just there.
But consistently ranked amongthe safest cities in Mexico,
it's affordable, calm and fullof pastel-colored homes.

(07:27):
Ajijic and Lake Chapala are forthe 65 and up crowd who want
mountain breezes andEnglish-speaking neighbors.
Oaxaca is a cultural jewel witha strong indigenous heritage, a
deep culinary tradition andmore types of mole than you
could ever remember.
It's also increasingly becominghome to digital nomads who
arrive for the mezcal and stayfor well everything else.

(07:50):
And then there's PuertoVallarta.
It's a long-standing LGBTQ plushaven, particularly the Zona
Romantica Think tropical KeyWest, but with better tacos and
fewer Confederate flags.
As for the cost of living inMexico, it varies where you live
, but generally we could put itthis way If you've ever looked
at your bank account after aweekend in San Francisco and

(08:11):
felt a small stroke, coming on,mexico feels like the medication
.
A few ballpark figures toconsider Rent for a modern
one-bedroom in Oaxaca will costabout $400 to $600 a month.
Dinner for two with drinks isabout $20 to $30.
And if you want a housekeeperonce a week, that's going to
cost about $15 to $25.

(08:31):
A private doctor's visit isabout $30 to $50, and it's often
same day.
And then a note here on tippingit's encouraged, but it's not
required, to keep the lights onin a service worker's home.
So tip if you can, of course,but your waiter's not trying to
pay off $60,000 in student debtwhile working three jobs.
Private healthcare in Mexico isone of its most attractive

(08:53):
secrets, except it's not reallya secret anymore.
Many American expats actuallyreport better care than what
they received in the US, withshorter wait times and,
crucially, actual eye contactfrom the doctor.
You can pay out of pocket oryou can enroll in IMSS, the
public health system, for a fewhundred dollars a year.
For many expats a hybrid modelworks best.

(09:15):
Use public care for routinevisits and private clinics for
anything serious, like if yourknee gives out mid downward dog.
Medical tourism is big business.
People fly to Mexico for dentalwork, cosmetic surgery and
routine procedures because, evenat full price, it's often 70 to
90% cheaper than in the UnitedStates.
The elephant in the room hereis safety.

(09:38):
Is Mexico dangerous?
Sure in places, just like theUnited States, just like
everywhere.
There are entire cities.
You probably wouldn't drivethrough in America at night, but
you don't cancel the wholecountry because of them, unless
you're a Fox News anchor.
This is Tim Leffel describingthe situation.

Tim Leffel (09:58):
So, yeah, that is a misconception.
Misconception and I think partof it is what I try to do to put
it in perspective for people isyou know, if you live in the
nicest neighborhood in Chicago,you're not really dealing with
the crime that's happening onthe street in Chicago, no matter
how bad the stats may look.
You know, most of the crimehere is cartel against cartel.

(10:20):
They're fighting against eachother about territory and you
know personal beefs and whatever.
But it's pretty rare that anyforeigner ever gets caught in
the crossfire unless they'rejust really in the wrong place
at the wrong time.
So it doesn't really impact ourdaily lives here.
I have not witnessed any crime,violent crime in my whole time

(10:44):
that I've been here and I don'tknow anyone who's personally
been a victim.
So you know, even though I'm ina state, guanajuato, that often

(11:07):
gets called out for having highlevels of cartel violence, it's
not something you see if you'rein Guanajuato City or San
Miguel de Allende, where there'slots of tourists and expats,
you hear about it in the news inthese industrial cities, like
there's pipeline theft and youknow gas trucks being hijacked
and things like that.
So it happens and it's veryreal and there is real violence
but it's not as random as it isin the US.
Like you know, you can get shotin a movie theater or a mall or
something in the United Statesand it's completely random and

(11:29):
it's all innocent victims.
Somebody comes into work with aAK-47, you know that kind of
thing just does not happen hereit's.
When there is violence, it'sgenerally some kind of hit or
some kind of, you know,firefight in the street between
two cartels and maybe the police.
So it's just a whole differentanimal.
I don't want to minimize itbecause it is for real.

(11:51):
You can see the stats.
You know they're alarmingsometimes, but it generally
doesn't impact people who arevisiting or moving here from
another country.
I mean, the cartels don't wantthat kind of attention.
Honestly.
You know they don't want theNational Guard from the US
coming in or drone strikes orall these other things that have
been threatened.

Shawn (12:11):
Places like Merida, san Miguel and Puerto Escondido are
statistically safer than manymajor US cities.
That said, you should still doyour homework.
Avoid states with persistentcartel violence and don't flash
your wealth.
Homework, avoid states withpersistent cartel violence and
don't flash your wealth.
Okay, so you've got your visa,you've got your cute Airbnb,
your morning cafe con leche.
You might be asking yourselfwhat could go wrong, and the

(12:37):
answer to that is plenty, if youexpect Mexico to be America,
but cheaper, and I see this inMexico all the time.
So you should know and beprepared for the fact that
bureaucracy is a sport here andthe rules change mid-match.
Some pharmacies sellantibiotics like candy and
others won't give you aspirinwithout a prescription.
People may not show up on time,but they'll show up with warmth
, a beer and possibly threecousins you weren't expecting.

(12:59):
Your internet might go downmid-zoom call your landlord,
might fix something by paintingover it and someone somewhere
will play bad mariachi at 3 amas though it's their patriotic
duty.
But you'll also start smilingmore, eating slower, learning to
enjoy Tuesday afternoons again.
A note on expat life in Mexico.

(13:20):
Many Americans in Mexico don'tintegrate.
They build lives that look likelittle pieces of Scottsdale or
Sarasota lifted whole andplopped into colonial towns with
slightly better weather andguacamole.
But if you push past that,learn some Spanish.
Join a local cooking class shopat the mercado, celebrate Dia
de Muertos with your neighbors.

(13:41):
You'll find that Mexico isn'tjust a backdrop for your
personal reinvention.
It's a fully developed culturewith depth, generosity, pride
and more than a little humor.
The ultimate expat secret isyou get more from Mexico when
you stop expecting it to behavelike America.
Okay, next let's talk aboutCosta Rica.
Costa Rica is a country sochill it doesn't even have a

(14:03):
military, and hasn't since 1948.
Imagine disbanding your armedforces and deciding to spend the
money on education andhealthcare instead.
It's a place where pura vidaisn't just a saying.
Pure life, it's a lifestyle, amindset, A greeting, a farewell,
a toast.
It's the Costa Rican HakunaMatata.
For many Americans, costa Ricarepresents the dream Jungles and

(14:26):
beaches, no hurricanes, decentroads, decent politics and the
option to see a toucan beforebreakfast.
So let's talk about what ittakes to move there.
Costa Rica offers several waysto stay long term, and they all
have cheerful names that comewith a lot of paperwork.
But it is manageable, asAmerican expats Xantha and Dana
discovered.

Xanthe and Dana (14:49):
Yeah, and I would say it just takes some
perseverance, like you just keepdoing the next right thing.
You know if you're really goingto do it, like there were many
times you were just like, oh myGod, one more thing.
But when you look back it'slike, oh, that wasn't so bad.
But you know, of course, whenyou're in it it's just like wait

(15:10):
, we have to produce what.
But um, you just stay after it,like I think it's probably kind
of the same in the states.
You know there's a lot ofpaperwork, there's a lot of kind
of bullshit stuff, but, um,looking back, I don't think it
was the hardest part was sendingthat volume of money out of
country.
We were stopped at our bank, wewere stopped with legal, we were

(15:31):
stopped so many places abouttransferring that amount down
that we finally actually thebuyer lived in Raleigh, north
Carolina.
So we finally connected and wedid a transfer that way.
But it was a big deal trying tomove that volume of money and
I'm not talking about millionsby any means, I'm talking less
than 500,000.
But that was a big problem torun into.

Shawn (15:56):
The retiree route is the pensionado visa.
It's perfect if you'recollecting Social Security or
another guaranteed pension.
You'll have to show proof of atleast $1,000 a month in
lifetime income.
This income must be permanent.
An IRA doesn't count.
A job doesn't count.
Selling Etsy earringsdefinitely doesn't count.
It's got to be something like apension or Social Security.

(16:16):
You also have to live in CostaRica for at least 122 days per
year.
This is ideal for retirees whowant tropical peace, public
health care access and the joyof watching hummingbirds fight
over hibiscus flowers.
It's like a tiny, polite MMAmatch.
For the self-funded non-retiree,the Rentista visa might be your

(16:37):
best option.
The requirements for this arean unearned income of $2,500 a
month for at least two years, ordeposit $60,000 into a Costa
Rican bank and let it sit there.
Don't expect to make money bygoing this route, though.
It will earn roughly the sameinterest as if it were sitting
under your mattress.
You don't have to earn thatincome monthly.

(16:58):
You just have to show that it'scoming from investments, trusts
or a benevolent relative,whatever.
The downside, though, is thatCosta Rican banks love paperwork
.
They will want your financialrecords, your notarized
documents, etc.
If you have a little disposableincome, the inversionista visa
might be best for you.
You must invest at least150,000 US dollars in Costa

(17:20):
Rican real estate, business orstocks.
It's a decent option if youwant to start a bed and
breakfast, buy a jungle villa oran oceanfront condo or finally
open that gluten-free surfboardcafe.
But be warned if you want tostart a business, you can own it
, but you can't work it.
So unless you have a separatework permit, you can't be the
one selling the smoothies.

(17:40):
You'll need to hire someone todo that for you.
Think of yourself as a passiveinvestor.
Costa Rica isn't just beachesand happy monkeys.
It's also bureaucracy,volcanoes, microclimates and a
surprising number of expats whothink pura vida means they don't
have to pay taxes.
So let's get real.
Despite its reputation foraffordability, costa Rica is no

(18:02):
longer the budget paradise itonce was.
It's more like California-liteCheaper than the US, sure, but
not as cheap as, say, ecuador orNicaragua, which we'll get to
later.
Rent for a one bedroom in SanJose is about $500-800 a month.
In expat-heavy beach towns likeNosara, tamarindo or Santa
Teresa, upwards of $1,200 amonth for something walkable

(18:25):
with hot water and screens onthe windows.
As far as groceries go, if youstick to local produce and not
imported goat cheese, you'll befine.
Costa Rica also taxes luxuryitems heavily, so if you're
hoping to import your car oryour Vitamix, prepare for
sticker shock when it comes tohealth care.
Costa Rica has two systems forsticker shock.

(18:46):
When it comes to health care,costa Rica has two systems the
public system, caja, and arobust private system.
Most residents use acombination of both.
To enroll in Caja, you'll needyour residency and a monthly
payment, usually between $60 and$150, depending on your income.
Once you're in, you get accessto basic care, prescriptions and
emergency services.
Just don't expect speed.
You'll wait for appointmentsthe same way.

(19:08):
You're going to have to learnto wait for dry season longingly
and possibly for months.
Private care is excellent andaffordable.
By US standards, a specialistvisit costs around $80, and
surgery is one-fifth the cost ofthe United States and dental
care.
People fly to Costa Rica justfor cleanings, crowns and
full-on smile makeovers.

(19:29):
Costa Rican dentists have donemore for American smiles than
most US insurance plans everwill.
And as far as culture shockgoes, there are some things that
, as an American, may take somegetting used to, but it's all in
pursuit of pura vida, a slower,more intentional life, and
isn't that one of the reasonsyou're considering escaping the
United States anyway?

(19:49):
Xantha and Dana explain.

Xanthe and Dana (19:56):
People aren't as many rules and it's.
You can't sue people here either.
So if you get hurt, you're justa dumb ass, right?
You know?
The other culture shock thatI've gone through is I'm the
shopper too.
So, like grocery shopping, likeit's really challenging.
Well, it's not challenging, butyou learn.
Like you don't buy meat in agrocery store here, like I

(20:19):
haven't found it tasteful oranything, so you go to a butcher
and I found my butcher I liketo use, so that's one stop.
And then we go to a fruit standfor our fruits and vegetables,
because you don't buy vegetablesand fruit in a grocery store.
They're expensive and not verygood.
So we go there and then youhave to go to the grocery store,
but the grocery store we likeis way out, so then you have to
get Uber.
So it's just like learning that.

(20:42):
It's just like learning that.
So now we've learned it.
And also, we don't have a carhere.
So it's been.
We rent a car, maybe once everythree weeks maybe, especially
if we have guests in town.
But we have bikes from priority, which we love.
I mean, you could bike to doerrands anywhere and it's easy
to get around on a bike.
Yeah, but it's a, it's a like Iwanted to make.
I made vegan bacon the otherday and I'm not a vegan for her,

(21:05):
and, um, I need liquid smokeand you can't find like, there's
things you just can't get andyou know the lady took me to
smoke paprika, so there's thingsthat you just have to be able
to adjust.
And the funniest thing is,anyone who flies down brings us
lipton onion soup so we can make.
You can't really buy that.

(21:26):
Yeah, so the culture shock isjust learning like at home, you
know, you drive to whole foodsor safeway, you get your
groceries and you go home likeoh yeah, and there's no.
We're so instant anything youwant, we're just like we're just
ordering and amazon't come here, like you don't really have an
address, yeah.
Whenever it's not in Saco,you're not going to get it.

(21:48):
Yeah.
You don't like.
You're not getting the primetrucks every day rolling around
Saco.
It's not happening in Costa Ricaperiod, so yeah, you just sort
of, if you can't get it, youjust switch your plans.
Yeah, because you really can'tgo on the phone and be like,

(22:12):
well, amazon will deliver it onFriday.
It doesn't exist like that,which I actually like.
Like the small businesses, youget to know them and you rely on
them, and I like it.

Shawn (22:16):
actually.
When it comes to crime, CostaRica is one of the safest
countries in Latin America.
As I said earlier, it abolishedits military in 1948 and hasn't
looked back.
This means you're unlikely tosee soldiers at roadblocks and
more likely to see school kidsplaying soccer where tanks might
otherwise be.
Violent crime is low, but pettytheft is common, so lock your

(22:39):
doors, don't leave laptops incars and don't assume your
beachfront hammock is a securestorage solution.
Police are friendly butsometimes under-equipped.
If someone steals your bike,file a report, but don't expect
a CSI-style manhunt.
Safety concerns in Costa Ricaare very different than those of

(22:59):
the United States, as Xanthaand Dana discovered.

Xanthe and Dana (23:03):
You know, it just kind of felt like it was
becoming a train wreck up there,especially has anxiety and, uh,
you know, so much so that it'srubbing off on me, oh my good
lord.
But anyway it here.
It's like all the news andeverything just isn't in your

(23:24):
face Like it's.
I mean, definitely you canchoose.
You can go out there, you know,have your routine, whatever, but
it's just not like it's not allthe conversations you hear
everywhere.
It's not like we're notwatching any TV.
You know we're not getting like.
We don't turn on the TV in themorning and get all that Like

(23:44):
just in your face and no one'sgetting shot here and we don't
have kidnappings Like kids,aren't?
That is?
so crazy when people will say tous well, do you feel safe here?
Or you'll look at traveladvisories or something like oh,
you know, in Costa Rica and I'mlike, have you looked at the
United States?
I mean everybody has guns.
I'm like, have you looked atthe United States?

(24:05):
I mean everybody has guns,everybody's like yeah, I think
there were travel advisories tothe United States.
I feel definitely safer here.
Half of our family in Pueblohave been through shootings.
That's a big number.
We are three, no, four niecesand nephews have been through
shootings, and so you don't, youdon't have that fear here, like

(24:28):
if you have a disagreement withsomeone.
You're just like, well, yeah,yeah, okay, well, peer, beat up.
I mean not everybody has guns.
That's different too.
And you don't have the machismo.
It's not like it's familyoriented, so that's the
difference too.

Shawn (24:56):
In fact, Costa Rica in general is a very friendly and
welcoming place.
Xantha and Dana obtainedresidency in Costa Rica as an
escape route from the Trumpadministration and growing
anti-LGBTQ sentiment in thestates.

Xanthe and Dana (25:07):
You know, in 2016, we had been visiting for
so long and we decided we neededan escape route, and it turns

(25:29):
out we still may need an escaperoute.
Yeah, so, luckily know, in 2016, when we first started looking,
we were able to, you know, getsome housing.
It was what I think was a gooddeal now, like way about doubled
, but, um, yeah, it just feltlike a place to go where it was
pretty chill, like thecommunity's really strong.
Uh, you know, if we just needto get out of the states, if

(25:49):
there's like a train wreck thatit seems like we might be headed
for, we kind of have a safehaven that we built community
and home and ticos.
Those are the locals.
They're just lovely andaccepting, like they.
When Trump got in the secondtime, I sent the note saying,

(26:11):
okay, let's pull the plug andstart working on our residency,
and the first note we got backwas Costa Rica welcomes you and
your wife.
You're going to make greatcitizens for us.
Like it was a welcoming versuslike I don't know.
You just feel more welcome downhere and the Ticos are lovely
yeah.

Shawn (26:32):
The number of US expats in Costa Rica is estimated to be
over 70,000, many of whomcluster in a few specific zones.
The Central Valley, whichcontains Escazú, grisia and
Atenas, has mild weather, decentinfrastructure and great
healthcare access.
The Pacific Coast, which hasTamarindo, nosara and Ovita, is

(26:54):
full of surf towns with yogastudios, smoothie bars and Wi-Fi
that works most of the time,and then the Caribbean coast is
full of places like Puerto Viejo.
There's more Afro-Caribbeanculture, reggae beats and a
super chill vibe.
These communities range fromretirees sipping piña coladas in
linen shirts to spiritualseekers who moved here to find

(27:14):
themselves and are still looking10 years later with a MacBook
and a podcast.
But as with any place you moveabroad, it's great to have other
expats to connect with, butit's also important and
rewarding to immerse yourself inthe local culture and community
.
Here are Xantha and Danadiscussing what this looks like
for them in Costa Rica.

Xanthe and Dana (27:36):
We've made an effort to be a part of this
community, like not just we'regoing to come and go.
Come and go Like there arethings that well, specifically
that we liked about Paco why weended up here.
But you know there's grocerystores not ideal one that Santa
loves but you know you can go tothe market.

(27:58):
It's not like you're, you knowyou got to drive someplace or
whatever.
There's grocery stores.
There's churches which we don'treally go to church, but I like
that.
It's like a community thing.
Schools.
Oh, there's a little schoolparades down Main Street that
are so cute like, and everyonecomes out for them.
Yeah, you kind of meet the samesurfers out on the beach, you

(28:20):
see the same, you know, at thefruit stand.
We see the same people all thetime Like you.
You just kind of become a partof unless that's not who you are
in your regular communityanyway Like they've had
different projects here.
Like we painted all the lightposts down Main Street.

(28:40):
It was kind of like this paintby number thing that went on for
a few months and you would justgo downtown and they had the
paints and you know you paintedthe light post and it made it
really decorative and um and itwas a community effort.
Yeah, it was just the communitydoing that.
There's um beach cleanups.
Like you know, the beach hereis really clean, um, as far as

(29:03):
beaches go, and you know,sometimes you'll'll even see the
school kids are out there, likeyou know, hand in hand walking
you know they're 50 feet andwalking down the beach and
cleaning up.
They all have a little trashbag cleaning up the beach, just
being, you know, a part of it.
Like there are a few peoplearound town that have some

(29:25):
challenges and you'll see them.
Oh, ronald, ronald.
Everyone takes care of Ronaldthey pick up cans, you know
every day and stuff.
But if you see Ronald, you justbuy him an empanada.
You just look at the waiterEveryone does Like you.
Just if no one does it, you'relike I have them, and so they
just.
You know it's homeless here.

(29:51):
I like, I just don't.
You might see someone sleepingon the beach, but it might be a
Tico who missed the bus and he'sgot to work the next day and
you can't.
You can sleep on the beach ifyou want, and so you'll see him
get up and maybe go.
There's some showers for Ticosover here, or for any, I
shouldn't say just for Ticos.
Anyone visiting who wants totake a shower and stuff there's
right behind us and you'll seethem go, take a shower and stuff

(30:13):
and go off to work.
So it's not a, it's just.
It's just so chill.
It's just.
It's just different.
Yeah, like it's.
It's just a kind of laid backlifestyle, which is exactly why
we're here right now.

Shawn (30:32):
Here's what you won't see on the Costa Rica Instagram
reels.
Bureaucracy is slow and opaque.
Think Department of MotorVehicles meets tropical climate.
Your documents will probablyget lost.
Your appointments will berescheduled, your expectations
recalibrated.
The internet is generally good,but not everywhere.
If your job depends on fiberoptic speeds, choose your town

(30:54):
carefully or accept thatWednesdays are now your slow,
loading, buffering, facefreezing days.
Also, wildlife is not just cute.
You'll see toucans, sure, butalso monkeys that throw things,
disgusting things, snakes curledup in unexpected places and
spiders that remind you whoreally owns your bathroom.
Also, mold is a lifestyle.

(31:15):
It could claim your shoes, yourbooks, your everything.
Dehumidifiers are not optional.
They are part of your emotionalsupport system.
But I'll tell you, I live inSeattle and you can build this
into your life.
But if you can take it all witha grain of sea salt and a
sturdy sense of humor, costaRica has a way of working its
magic.
You'll slow down, you'll learnto shrug, you'll befriend people

(31:36):
who build driftwood furniture.
You might even befriend thesloth living in the tree outside
your rental.
Costa Rica is not for everyone.
If you need tight schedules,premium deodorant or high speed
anything, this might drive youmad.
But if you want a life wherenature is your morning commute
and people say Pura Vidaunironically because they mean
it, then this just might be yourparadise.

(31:57):
Just remember Pura Vida doesnot mean pure convenience.
It means relax, it means acceptthe mess, it means your plumber
is also your surf instructorand he'll be there when the
waves die down.
So maybe Mexico feels a bit toofamiliar and Costa Rica a
little too glossy.
Maybe you want something offthe well-worn path, somewhere
that still surprises people.

(32:18):
Good news Latin America's big,really big, and it's full of
countries quietly rolling outthe welcome mat, letting you
know they're not crowded yet.
There are plenty of countriesthat offer affordable residency,
unique lifestyles and thechance to become that friend who
moved somewhere interesting.

Richard McColl (32:38):
Today, colombia is better than it was 15 years
ago and 15 years before that.
It was better than then and itkeeps on going.
It is a slow evolution but itis changing.
Colombians, of course, and manyof them, 50% because everywhere
in the world is polarized rightnow.
But Colombians will tell youwell, 50% of them will tell you

(33:01):
how badly everything's going.
But it's not like it was in the1980s, when sometimes the
children of the wealthy weresnatched from the classroom at
university to be kidnapped.
I mean that, can you think ofhow brazen some sort of a
kidnapping of that staturetaking place?

(33:23):
So we're not there.
We're not there.
We have moved on that we cantravel around much of the
country that you know.
The Columbia makes the top.
Well, there, top 360 places tovisit, or whatever it is, or 27
places to visit in the New YorkTimes that we are in that list
this year In the Wall StreetJournal.

(33:44):
We're in the Financial Times.
It's a huge turnabout from whatit was before, when it was just
written off.
Narco state yes, the narco money, the narco cash, permeates
absolutely everything here.
There's no doubt about it,because there's too much money
involved.
How do we stop that?

(34:05):
Well, that would have to besome sort of agreement between
everyone in every differentcountry, from transshipment
countries to the productioncompanies, to the consumer
countries.
That's the reality of it.
That has to be all put together, and if you're coming here, you
too can participate in animprovement of the country by
not involving yourself in theillicit goods on offer in

(34:31):
Colombia and returning to thecountry, your home country, and
talking about how marvelous itis, how wonderful the people are
, and that it's really criminalthat Colombia should still be a
byword for cocaine, kidnappingand Pablo Escobar.

Shawn (34:51):
That was Richard McCall, journalist, hotelier and host of
the podcast Columbia Calling,discussing Colombia's reputation
and how much it has evolvedover the years.
Colombia is a country that manyAmericans still associate with
Pablo Escobar, despite the factthat the man has been dead since
fax machines were consideredcutting edge.
If Colombia still makes younervous, good news, it probably

(35:17):
means you haven't been there orread about it in a while,
because today's Colombia is fullof charm, contrast and color,
not to mention some of thefriendliest people on the
continent and real estate pricesthat make you question why you
ever bought a house in theStates.
Colombia offers multiple pathsto legal residency, most of
which are refreshingly clear,especially when compared to, say
, the United States, whereimmigration policy seems to be
written by Kafka on a bender.

(35:39):
Here are your main options theM-11 retirement visa is for
retirees with a pension of about$1,000 a month.
The M-5 rentista visa is forthose with passive income, also
about $1,000 a month, frominvestments, dividends or other
not-a-job sources.
You can get the M-10 propertyowner visa if you invest what is

(36:01):
currently roughly $90,000 inColombian real estate, and then
for the digital nomad visa,which is new as of 2023, you
need proof of remote income $700a month and health insurance.
Visas are usually granted forone to three years, depending on
the type.
After five years, you can applyfor permanent residency and

(36:22):
eventually citizenship, ifyou're feeling particularly
committed.
The application process ismostly online.
Thank God, the fees arereasonable and, unlike some
other countries, officials don'tseem to make it their mission
to ruin your Tuesday.
When you're considering placesto live in Colombia, it's
important to know that thecountry is geographically
dramatic.
Mountains, jungles, beaches andcities all pile on top of each

(36:46):
other, and your choice of citywill completely change your
experience.
Medellin is the darling ofdigital nomads and expats, with
a Pinterest aesthetic.
It's known as the city ofeternal spring.
It has year-round 70 degreeFahrenheit weather, fast
internet, affordable housing,great health care and a
surprisingly robust startupscene.
It also has cable cars thatfunction as public

(37:08):
transportation.
The downside is that Medellinis becoming more popular, so
there is some gentrificationtension and the occasional
gringo tax at restaurants.
Bogota is Colombia's capital andhighest altitude culture shock.
It's cold, cosmopolitan and alittle chaotic.
It's great for urban types whowant museums, big parks,

(37:29):
international food and an excuseto wear jackets again.
Just don't expect anyone toshow up on time.
Cartagena is on the Caribbeancoast.
It has a colonial history andit has super thick humidity.
It has stunning architectureand it's wildly popular with
tourists.
But if you move to Cartagena,be prepared to pay extra for air
conditioning and don't expecttoo much personal space.

(37:51):
And then there's the coffeetriangle with Pereira, menazales
and Armenia.
This region is ideal for thosewho want small town life,
mountain views and the abilityto visit a coffee farm before
breakfast.
The cost of living in Colombiais amazing.
It's one of the most affordablecountries in Latin America for
day-to-day life.
Rent, food, transportation andhealthcare are all dramatically

(38:14):
cheaper than in the UnitedStates.
Rent for a furnishedone-bedroom in Medellin is about
$400 to $700 a month, dependingon the neighborhood.
A typical meal out is about $3to $6 for lunch and then $10 to
$15 for dinner with drinks.
Healthcare in Colombia isexcellent and shockingly cheap.
A private doctor's appointmentis $30 to $50 and it's often

(38:36):
same day, and the top hospitalsin Bogota and Medellin regularly
rank among the best in LatinAmerica.
A couple living modestly butcomfortably in Colombia can get
by on $1,500 to $2,000 a month.
In most cities More than thatand you're practically Colombian
royalty.
But Colombia isn't for everyone.
It's not squeaky clean.

(38:56):
Power can go out.
Noise is a lifestyle.
Bureaucracy again still exists,though it tends to be
friendlier and less Kafkaesquethan in Mexico.
Richard McCall explains some ofthese things.

Richard McColl (39:11):
If you've grown up in Northern Europe, or if
you've grown up in NorthernEurope, or have you grown up in
the US or Canada, you expectcertain things.
You expect good infrastructure.
This is a part of the worldthat is lagging in
infrastructure, in particular inColombia, where there are very
high levels of corruption ineverything, and this goes back

(39:33):
to a lot of the sort of everyonetrying to cash in as much as
they possibly can because youdon't know what's going to
happen tomorrow.
So you have to be aware of this.
If it means paying an extra $10or 10,000 pesos not $10 or
something to get something done,sometimes you just have to suck
it up.

(39:53):
It's not a gringo price, it'sjust someone trying to make a
quick buck because they don'tearn enough money.
Now there are obviously awfulexamples of corruption and the
corruption in the road buildingand corruption in everything.
But you just have to sort ofpick your battles so you sort of
know that the plumber might notarrive today to fix what you

(40:15):
need fixed, but you'll saylisten, I'll make it worth your
while.
You add a little bit on top andhe'll be there, and then the
next time you need him he'll bethere again.
So you just have to understandthat people live a lot of people
live hand to mouth and don'tknow where the next paycheck is.
So many people are informal,they don't work in, let's say,

(40:39):
formal employment and so this isa very precarious existence.
So pick your battles, that'sthe kind of thing, and don't
always sit there and say, oh,this in the US worked, or this
in the US, or this or that, andit's not going to.
But there's a charm to Colombia.

(41:00):
Why are you moving here?
Because you wanted somethingdifferent, because you want to
be elsewhere.
So you're going to have to takethese things on board.
I mean, there's the obviousthings as well.
And of course there are theobvious things Time keeping,
time keeping.
If you're from Canada, the USor the UK, you expect things to
happen on time.
It just won't.

(41:21):
I mean, that's the reality toit.
I mean, if someone's 15 minuteslate for a meeting, they are on
time but expect them to belater.
Another thing is Colombiansdress remarkably well.
They will always turn out wellto anything.
So if you turn up in your boardshorts and flip-flops, you will
be frowned upon, even in arelaxed situation.

(41:45):
You have to gauge where you'regoing, what you're doing who
you're going with.
Colombians are proud people andlike to turn up, not looking
like a backpacker to most places.
So this is very interesting onthat front, something I had to
learn myself a lot.
Although in Bogota, where I'mbased, no one should wear shorts

(42:06):
it's not hot enough for that orflip-flops.
So you just you look afteryourself a bit better.
You don't look like you've justsort of rolled out of bed or
been picked up out of a puddle.
But cultural shocks will alwaysbe the most superficial but the
most prevalent one noise.

(42:26):
If you are in a town, a city,it's noisy, you can live in,
obviously, an area, maybe,perhaps that there's a little
less noise, but expect there tobe noise in traffic, expect
there to be loud music, expectthere to be parties.
It's just one of those things,but you take it on board.
Maybe it's, you know, a joie devivre.

Shawn (42:50):
And while safety has improved dramatically, it's not
a free-for-all Street.
Smarts still matter.
Petty theft is real.
Don't flash your iPhone in acrowded market.
Don't wander into unfamiliarneighborhoods at 2am looking for
authentic vibes.
Also, spanish.
Colombians speak some of theclearest Spanish in Latin
America, which is great forlearners, until you realize how

(43:12):
fast they speak it.
So, as with every country I'vementioned so far, you can get by
with little Spanish, butlearning Spanish will make your
experience in Colombia muchbetter.
Richard McCall explains.

Richard McColl (43:26):
It's incredibly important to know Spanish.
The level of English inColombia is improving, but
previously it was very, very low.
But there was no need.
The flow of foreigners throughhere was so little.
Tourism was in its I mean, itwas less than its infancy when I

(43:47):
first came here in 1998, youcould, you would stop.
You would be stopped by anotherforeigner in the street if you
came across one you know, justto talk because it was so
unusual.
Now you can't swing a cat incertain areas of the main cities
without fighting a foreigner.
But in order to get anythingdone, in order to ingratiate

(44:10):
yourself in the right way, youneed to speak Spanish and make
an effort to speak Spanish, evenif you're dreadful at it.
To speak Spanish, and make aneffort to speak Spanish, even if
you're dreadful at it, but asmile and an attempt to do so
will get you so much furtherwith the local people.

Shawn (44:30):
It's worth taking the time to learn Spanish.
Colombians are famouslywelcoming, eager to help and
will celebrate your effort evenif you mangle it.
The bottom line here isColombia offers one of the best
combinations of climate, cost ofliving, health care, natural
beauty and vibrant cities in theregion.
It's not perfect, but it isfull of potential for expats,
retirees, remote workers oranyone just looking for a second
act, with better coffee andfewer car payments.

(44:52):
So if you've written offColombia because of what you saw
in a narco drama on Netflix, doyourself a favor look again.
Panama is often described asLatin America's business class.
There's infrastructure, there'sair conditioning and you need
it and there's banking secrecy.
If you're into that sort ofthing, this is the only country
on the list where your movemight get you asked do you work

(45:13):
in finance?
No one will assume you're herefor ayahuasca, but if you are,
that's fine too.
You just might want to head alittle further south.
Panama has the Friendly NationsVisa, which can be a residency
path If you're from one of the50-plus friendly countries.
And yes, the US still makes thecut, but you know that could
change.
Panama welcomes you as of now.
The retirements include a jobcontract with a Panamanian

(45:36):
company or ownership of aPanamanian business or a real
estate investment of $200,000plus.
It's a relatively simpleprocess.
The two main places that expatschoose to live in Panama are
Panama City and Boquete.
Panama City is like Miami, butwith more humidity and fewer
people filming Real Housewivesspin-offs.

(45:57):
And Boquete is a popularmountain town for retirees
Spring weather all year, lots ofcoffee and an expat community
large enough to host poetrynights and book club brunches.
Also, panama uses the US dollar, so no currency conversion
headaches.
But beware, the cost of livingis creeping up in Panama.
Imported goods are pricey anddon't expect quaint cobblestone

(46:19):
charm, unless you count thepotholes.
Nicaragua is the budgetbackpacker's dream turned expat
possibility.
It's stunning, it's peacefulmost of the time and it's
incredibly inexpensive.
Nicaragua has a retiree program, a pensionado program, and the
requirements for that are $600 amonth in pension income.
Additional benefits includeduty-free import of household

(46:41):
goods up to $20,000 and onevehicle every five years.
So you can bring your reclinerand your Subaru outback and not
pay a dime in import duties.
But the catch Politics.
The country has anauthoritarian government and a
complicated relationship withcivil liberties.
It's fine if you're keepingyour head down, drinking Florida
Canya and living by the beach,but not ideal if your hobbies

(47:05):
include protesting or journalismor having an outspoken opinion.
So if you're escaping theUnited States because of its
politics and authoritarian tilt,then Nicaragua's not a
trade-off.
That said, thousands ofAmericans live happily in
Granada, san Juan del Sur andLeon, enjoying cheap rent, great
surfing and a low-pressurelifestyle.

(47:25):
Paraguay is another great option.
It's landlocked, yes, but it'salso one of the easiest places
on earth to get residency.
Their residency path isessentially deposit about 5,000
US dollars into a Paraguayanbank, apply for permanent
residency, wait a few months,you're a legal resident.
There's no income requirement,no age limit.
They just want to know you'renot a criminal and that you

(47:48):
brought your own money.
Life in Paraguay is quiet,stable, inexpensive.
You can live on $1,000 a monthor less.
Paraguay doesn't get manytourists, which means no crowds,
no Airbnb price hikes and nopeople yelling for shots at
beach bars.
Asuncion, the capital, ismodern but manageable, and the
rest of the country is green,spacious and full of people who

(48:10):
will politely tolerate yourSpanish Again.
Learn it If you want to be leftalone, to write your novel,
raise goats or reinvent yourselfas a Paraguayan cowboy.
This might be your spot.

Basil Elzeki (48:24):
Uruguay also has an interesting program via real
estate to get residency.
That's often overlooked, so Ithink more and more Americans
are beginning to look there, butit's often overlooked.
But we're beginning to mentionit more and more and see a trend
with our clients when they'relooking for diversification
tactics.

Shawn (48:42):
That was Basil Elzecki, managing Partner at Henley
Partners, which assists withresidence and citizenship by
investment, describing one of myfavorite South American
countries that doesn't get a lotof attention but offers a lot.
Uruguay is progressive, safe,quiet, it has four seasons and
it's refreshingly normal.
If Latin America had a Canada,this would be it.

(49:03):
They've legalized cannabis,same-sex marriage and civil
unions.
Uruguay offers residency withno strict income requirements.
You just need proof of funds tosupport yourself.
It's not clearly delineated.
You also need an address inUruguay and a criminal
background check.
You apply in-country and theprocess can take a year or more,
during which you get aprovisional ID.

(49:25):
After a few years, you canapply for citizenship, no
renunciation required.
As far as places to live inUruguay, montevideo is the
capital city.
It's relaxed, with a beach,bookshops and lots of tango.
Punta del Este is a beach townfor the wealthy Think South
American.
Monaco, bring linen pants andColonia del Sacramento.

(49:47):
It has cobbled streets, wineand vibes that suggest you
should open a tiny art galleryhere.
The downside is winters can bechilly, but the upside is you
can wear socks, and who doesn'tlove some big, fluffy socks?
Ecuador is increasingly popularwith American retirees.
It's not too hot, not too cold.
It's got mountains, beaches,jungles all within a day's drive

(50:08):
.
The residency paths to Ecuadorare the pensioner or investor
visas.
For the pensioner visa, youhave to show an income of $1,275
US dollars a month.
For the investment visa, youhave to invest $45,000 US
dollars in property or localbusiness.
The visa is good for two yearsand it's renewable After three

(50:28):
years.
You can apply for permanentresidency.
For places to live in Ecuador,cuenca is expat central.
It's got a cool climate, richhistory, high walkability and a
lot of people who seem like theyjust transplanted from
Asheville.
Loja is smaller, sleepier butmore authentic.

(50:51):
And Vilcabamba is known forpeople who live to 110.
It's also known for new agehippies who are striving to live
forever.
Ecuador is affordable, it'sbeautiful, it's friendly.
You might lose some Wi-Fi, butyou'll gain altitude and
perspective.
Argentina is the most Europeanof South American countries,
both in architecture and in theintensity of its political
opinions.
The residency path intoArgentina is the rentista visa.

(51:12):
You need to show monthly incomeof about $2,000 to $2,500, or
you can apply through investment, family ties or work.
The process isn't hard but itis bureaucratic.
Bring every document, bringcopies, bring snacks.
Some of the most popular placesto live in Argentina are Buenos
Aires.
It's a lot like Paris, it'slouder but it has better steak.

(51:33):
Mendoza is wine country andthen there's Patagonia, if you
want to live in a naturedocumentary.
Something to know about here isthe black market blue dollar
rate, which makes your US cashgo further, sometimes double
Inflation is wild in Argentina.
Prices change weekly, but ifyou earn in dollars you'll live
like royalty.
Argentina can make you cry frombeauty and from bureaucracy.

(51:58):
Brazil is for the adventurous,the culturally curious and the
naturally sweaty.
The residency path is theretirement visa.
You have to show proof of about$2,000 a month in pension
income and add $1,000 a monthper dependent.
Other paths include marriage,investment and digital nomad.
Some popular places to live inBrazil include Rio de Janeiro,

(52:20):
which I think can be summed upin four Cs Carnival, crime,
chaos, christ the Redeemer.
There's also Sao Paulo, whichis a workaholic megacity with
better food than almost anywherein the world, and then
Florianópolis, which is beachy,relaxed, full of surfers and it
actually has working Wi-Fi.
Brazil is huge.
It's wildly diverse, deeplymusical and breathtakingly

(52:41):
beautiful.
But again, bureaucracy iscomplex.
Crime varies by neighborhoodand you'll need to be able to
speak Portuguese, not Spanishand Brazilians are a little less
forgiving about this.
So there you have it acontinent of possibilities, each
with its own trade-offs, quirksand magic.
You can choose stability inUruguay, affordability in
Paraguay, urban energy in BuenosAires or tropical escapism in

(53:05):
Nicaragua.
If you want infrastructure andair conditioning, panama might
be your place.
If you want coffee plantationsand volcanoes, maybe Ecuador.
If you want something bold andsamba-soaked Brazil.
There's no one-size-fits-all,but there are plenty of options.
So once you've figured outwhere you want to be, your
visa's approved, your lease issigned, your new apartment has a

(53:30):
balcony, a hammock, you'vestocked the fridge with
unfamiliar fruits and one bottleof blistering hot sauce.
Now comes the part.
No one really warned you aboutbecoming a functional human
being in a place where almostnothing behaves the way you
expect.
Cultural integration is not thesexy part of moving abroad, but
it's absolutely the part thatdetermines whether your new life
works.
So let's start with the obvious.
Unless you move to one of theEnglish-heavy enclaves in San

(53:53):
Miguel, boquete or Tamarindo andeven there you're pushing it
you're going to need to learnSpanish or, in Brazil,
portuguese.
Yes, you can get by with basicphrases, but if your plan is to
build a real life here, not justa postcard version.
You need more than survivalSpanish.
You need people to understandyou when you're sick, when
you're confused or mildlyhysterical at the bank.

(54:15):
So some embarrassment isinevitable.
Get over it.
Keep practicing.
If you do, progress isguaranteed.
The day you argue over yourwater bill in another language
and win, you'll probably bragabout it.
Also, if you are an Americanwith a calendar that looks like
a military operation color-coded, cross-referenced, updated
hourly you're in for a rude andpossibly life-changing awakening

(54:38):
.
In much of Latin America, timeis fluid.
It flows, it bends, itdisappears altogether and then
reappears two hours late.
Now might mean later, latermight mean tomorrow and tomorrow
might mean never.
Tim Leffel describes thisphenomenon.

Tim Leffel (54:55):
Tim Leffel- describes this phenomenon.
So you're going to run intothis whether you're moving to
Ecuador or Costa Rica orArgentina or Mexico, and that is
the sense that time moves muchmore slowly and it's very fluid
in the sense of, like, whenyou're expected to be at a party
, if somebody says it's at 7, orwhen someone's going to come to

(55:17):
your house, if you're askingthem to do work in your bathroom
, they don't think anything willbe two hours late.
To them, that's not really late.
It's in the ballpark and soit's fine, whereas a type A
American is going to say, lookat their watch at five minutes
after and go, hey, where is thisguy?
So that's something that's hardfor a lot of people to get used

(55:39):
to.
Also, the fact that family comesfirst and work is second or
third or fourth down the listand you know, workaholic
Americans are obsessed withtheir jobs and it's, you know,
what they live for is part oftheir identity, whereas here
it's sort of just something youdo to make money.
You know it's the work to liveinstead of live to work thing.

(55:59):
So, uh, you know, family'ssuper important, fun is super
important.
Parties take precedence overstaying late at work, so that's
just a different sense ofpriority, which I really like,
but it does take some gettingused to, especially, like I said
, if you're hiring somebody todo work in your house or
something like that, you knowthey're going to work hard when

(56:21):
they're there but they're goingto show up when they show up and
so it's kind of hard to to getused to for some people.
And you can get that kind ofthing done by a real person
still, get your TV repaired,whatever, which is really nice,

(56:44):
and they'll do it fairly quickly.
But then you know a lot ofthings just kind of move at
their own pace and they get doneeventually, but maybe not as
fast as you wanted them tohappen.

Shawn (56:56):
This is a bit of hyperbole, but if you get into
this groove, you'll be fine.
Plumbers will arrive when theyfeel spiritually aligned with
your pipes, Immigration officeswill ask for documents they
swore they didn't need last week, and when you show up at 10 am
sharp for a governmentappointment, you may find a
locked door, a handwritten signthat says vuelvo pronto, and

(57:16):
absolutely no idea of what thatmeans.
Incidentally, vuelvo prontomeans be back soon.
There you go.
First lesson.
This isn't laziness, it'scultural.
It's about prioritizing peopleover clocks.
It's about not letting thetyranny of time dictate your
every move.
It's frustrating until it's not.
Eventually, you'll stopchecking your watch every five

(57:36):
minutes and start reading a bookin line at the bank.
You'll accept that your dinnerreservation is just a mood.
You'll drink your coffee slowly.
You'll talk to strangers,you'll forget the meaning of on
time and, as with any place,you'll most likely have to
adjust to a new diet.
And a common misconception isthat Latin America equals tacos.
Yes, tacos are a thing, adelicious thing, in Mexico, but

(57:59):
they don't travel much furtherthan that.
Each Latin American country hasits own dishes, its own diet,
and you'll have to adjust.
Sooner or later you will ordersomething at a restaurant that
turns out to be not at all whatyou expected or wanted.
You will also misidentify alocal vegetable, mistake sugar
for salt and buy what you thinkis yogurt but turns out to be
buttermilk.

(58:19):
These moments are not failures.
I mean they are, but they'realso rites of passage.
There will be magic too Freshmangoes that ruin supermarket
fruit forever, a mysteriouslocal cheese that makes you
emotional, hot chocolate thattastes like a sacred beverage
passed down by the gods.
It's humbling, it's hilarious,and eventually they become some

(58:40):
of your favorite stories.
As far as expat life goes, youwill find your people, or, more
accurately, you will find thepeople who look and sound like
you, huddled around a coffeeshop table complaining about the
Wi-Fi bureaucracy and the priceof imported peanut butter.
This is the expat bubble andit's seductive.
English is spoken, people havesimilar issues and concerns and

(59:02):
nobody raises an eyebrow whenyou mention kombucha or Trader
Joe's.
There's no shame in enjoyingthe bubble, especially when
you're new, disoriented or justneed someone to explain the
mobile data system in plainEnglish.
But here's the catch Stay inthat bubble too long and you'll
miss the country you came toexperience.
You'll live in a simulation ofyour old life Slightly sunnier

(59:23):
more mangoes, fewer workingelevators, but still a
simulation.
Some expats never leave thatbubble.
They never learn the language,they only shop at expat-friendly
stores.
Their local friends consistentirely of waitstaff who nod
politely and stop listeningafter Buenos Dias.
Others break out of it.
They join community events,volunteer at local schools, date

(59:45):
someone local, which comes withits own vocabulary test.
They mess up constantly andthey build a life that feels
rooted, not just rented.
Cultural integration isn't neat,it's not efficient.
It's not something you candownload or't neat, it's not
efficient.
It's not something you candownload or outsource.
It's fumbling throughconversation.
It's going to the wrong busstop.
It's buying goat cheese whenyou meant to get shampoo.

(01:00:05):
It's being embarrassed,confused, delighted and then,
over time, changed.
It's learning that life doesn'thave to be understood fully to
be lived fully.
So, after all the talk of visasand mangoes, bureaucracy and
beach towns, accidental Oregonmeets and delayed plumbing
appointments, what are we leftwith?

(01:00:25):
A complicated truth LeavingAmerica for Latin America is
absolutely not for everyone, butit's for more people than you
think.
And it might be for you Becauseunderneath the spreadsheets,
the paperwork, the culturalcurveballs and the slightly damp
ceiling in your rentalapartment in San Jose, damn it,
costa Rica.
Underneath all that, there'ssomething else, a way of living

(01:00:49):
that feels freer, not in thejingoistic, truck commercial
sense of freedom, but in thegentle, quieter sense of having
time again time to walk, time tolearn, time to get to know
people, time to make mistakes ina second language and still be
invited to dinner.
Xantha and Dana areexperiencing this right now in
Costa Rica.

Xanthe and Dana (01:01:13):
It's I would say it's slower, you know, when
you're at your home, home orwhatever.
But it tends to be more andmore of that here.
Like I'm always dilly dallyingaround the house and doing
projects and stuff like that,and I now do more of that here.
Like I like figuring stuff out,doing things like that.

(01:01:34):
I'm working on redoing thistable out on our deck right now,
so we'll have little projectsand things, but in general you
just kind of get into a routineof being outside doing something
.
Maybe we go for a walk, we gojump on our beach cruisers.
Um, I follow the tide of thesurf because surfing is

(01:01:56):
different every day.
Yeah, we go by the tidesactually Like our.
It's not dictated, butliterally the morning morning
conversation is what time issurf?
Yeah so, and sometimes duringthe month it's only once a day,
and then sometimes she's able tosqueak it in twice yeah so

(01:02:17):
what's different is, I think itjust slows us down.
We get up earlier, we go to bedearlier, it's, you know, that
time thing you get in the rhythmof.
I don't know if we cook in morehere.
We have been.
When it's the two of us, wecook it, it's just easier.
And then when we have guestscome Because that's partly why

(01:02:40):
we got a bigger place and that'sa lot of fun Like for sure, you
know you have friends andfamily visit.
I love it.
And then, but all of a suddenthey're like do you want a
margarita?
And you're like it's a little.
Oh yeah, I'll have one.

(01:03:00):
You know, uh, you know whenpeople I do think you have to
get into a rhythm of when peoplevisit, because they're on
vacation and you know, like I donot enjoy going out to dinner
every single night and you know,like eating and drinking like
that, like you know, yes, youshould absolutely do that on
vacation, but we're sort of notum, so, uh, you have to kind of
find this balance.

(01:03:21):
When people are visiting, likeyou know, just do your thing I'm
learning ai and buildingwebsites a little bit.
Yeah, xanthus, just doing thingsjust like she's become from the
restaurant business andretirement.
She has found this love andhobby of her hands Like she's

(01:03:42):
built a deck for us at home witha with a pergola.
I just YouTube shit and call myneighbors yeah.
Yeah.
So she's here doing so.
She does projects and stuff,and so I've just now thought,
well, I built out one websiteand now I'm playing with one
that I might just go down to ashop that can't afford it and be

(01:04:03):
like hey look, I made this foryou and if you want it, it's $60
for three years and I'll justgive it to you.
Right?
But you know so little thingslike you.
Have more time.

Shawn (01:04:20):
So if you've been thinking about it, really
thinking about it, maybe this isyour sign.
Plan the visit, take thelanguage class, run the numbers
again, reach out to someone whoalready made the move, Visit a
consulate, even just to getannoyed and inspired in equal
measure, because while theAmerican dream may feel
increasingly out of reach, theLatin American dream is becoming
very real.
It's not always easy, it's notalways smooth, but it is

(01:04:42):
possible and sometimes possibleis more than enough.
In the next episode we'reintroducing a new element to
this series A close look at onespecific country with a friend
that has lived abroad in thatcountry.
So next week we'll bediscussing expat life in
Honduras, with Caribbean beaches, world-class diving and

(01:05:03):
extremely inexpensive living.
Like extremely inexpensive thisis Leaving America, because
sometimes home isn't where youstarted.
Thank you.