Plaid Dad Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 My dw and I have been talking about the possibility of spending 2-3 winter months (Jan.-Feb.-Mar. 2013) in another country. Dw's work is portable, and we think it would be a great opportunity for our dd to expand her horizons. We're also heartily sick of New England winters. :thumbdown: I'd love to hear from any Americans who split their time between the US and another country, or those who live (or have lived) in Mexico or Central America, especially Costa Rica. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Well, the cost of living is low here and the weather is great. What else would you like to know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I've only dreamed of doing this! Dh's job is not portable unfortunately. But I'd love to do it some day - maybe even for 6 months or a year. I've also heard that Belize is wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nancy sv Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 At this point, we are attempting to stay in Idaho for the foreseeable future, but I'm not sure how that will work :) It is very, very doable and a fantastic experience to head south for a few months! Mexico is a wonderful country and the people are lovely. Belize is fabulous. Guatemala and Honduras would be delightful for an extended stay. I have to say, the only country in Central America I wouldn't want to return to is Costa Rica. Go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 A member here, Jamnkats, lives in Mexico and has a blog that will probably have some good info for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 We don't live in Costa Rica, but our daughter has lived there for three years now, and we have visited her there several times. (She is getting married to a Costa Rican young man this winter, so we are busy planning a Costa Rican wedding.) We have found many parts of it very lovely, and it is considered to be one of the safest, most tourist-friendly countries in Central America. You still have to be careful in the capital city of San Jose, but for the most part we have felt quite comfortable there. The more beautiful areas are outside of the capitol. If you have any specific questions you can pm me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Well, the cost of living is low here and the weather is great. What else would you like to know? :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 its like anything else; you need to tweak it til it works for you. you may want to try the shorter end of that time span... say 1 month, and see how you all adjust. we travel with dh, and the longest we seem to manage well is about 5 weeks away. they miss their friends, their activities, their beds..... but for a month or so, it is glorious. the shorter time makes it easier to go without work visas to many places, too. our month in costa rica was fabulous. unfortunately, work required us to spend 5 days in san jose, and that was the "least fun" part. we have spent two 1-month stays in australia, and they were amazing.... explore, have fun, be safe.... (mexico currently wouldn't be on my list; we're in SoCal, and many of our neighbors are from various parts of mexico, and have been quite clear that now is Not the Time for visiting.... often not even for some of them : (. fwiw, ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 If you like to visit another country you have to get visa for that..then you live there.. Good to know. :lol: PlaidDad, we are planning a sabbatical that will last about 3 months. Have you considered visiting some academic/residential libraries? Also, St. George's (it's like a hostel) in Jerusalem (at the cathedral, not the school, tho that's nice, too) is relatively inexpensive and centrally located. (It's my understanding you are not a big religion guy--but it's still culturally interesting.) Would you be more likely to get a place for the whole time, or would traveling be ok with you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 If you like to visit another country you have to get visa for that..:iagree: How do the visas work for the particular country you're interested in? For here, the standard tourist visa can get you about a month now, I believe, but I know it's different in each country. Would you want to work while you're there (visa issues again)? Again here, lots of things can be arranged if you know folks already there - do you know people in the areas you're thinking about who could help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Our family spent a month in Costa Rica this spring, living in one place. What kind of questions do you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I have to say, the only country in Central America I wouldn't want to return to is Costa Rica. Go for it! Care to share why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaid Dad Posted July 25, 2011 Author Share Posted July 25, 2011 Well, the cost of living is low here and the weather is great. What else would you like to know? I'm mostly interested in what housing costs are like for a furnished rental house or apartment. I know that's going to vary dramatically depending on the place, though. Food costs are another question. I have to say, the only country in Central America I wouldn't want to return to is Costa Rica. Why is that, if you don't mind sharing? Our family spent a month in Costa Rica this spring, living in one place. What kind of questions do you have? Cost of housing is the biggest one. What part of the country were you in? We would likely stay in one place but do short trips to other areas of the country. We're still doing lots of research about this, so any experiences folks would like to share would be much appreciated. You can also PM me, if you like. Thanks, all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I'm mostly interested in what housing costs are like for a furnished rental house or apartment. I know that's going to vary dramatically depending on the place, though. Food costs are another question. Cost of housing is the biggest one. What part of the country were you in? We would likely stay in one place but do short trips to other areas of the country. We're still doing lots of research about this, so any experiences folks would like to share would be much appreciated. You can also PM me, if you like. Thanks, all! We stayed in Puerto Viejo, on the Caribbean coast. We paid $1500 to rent a two-bedroom home for one month. (We are a family of 6.) I don't remember the details of food costs. We mostly bought groceries from the corner store and cooked. Sometimes we bought food from street vendors. Sit-down restaurants were not very cheap. We had to take our son to the medical clinic in town for suspected strep throat. The doctor visit was $60. DH took him, so I don't remember if that price included the medicine (antibiotic and something to reduce swelling and pain). Have you thought about how you want to spend your days? Our youngest was enrolled in a private school. The 11 yos, 15 yo, and I took Spanish lessons for three hours each morning. It helped us feel like we were living there instead of traveling. We really liked Puerto Viejo. I recommend it over the Osa Pennisula, where we stayed several years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Have you read Maya Frosts The New Global Student? I think it might contain some good info for what you are looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I'm not familiar with Central America, but we spent 3 months in South Africa several years ago, and I absolutely loved it. We considered doing it as an annual thing, but it didn't work out. We were there slightly off season (Feb, March, Apr) and only had to rent for the last month, which is their autumn, so the house rental prices were cheaper, about $500/month for a 3 bedroom with a pool. Dh thinks that it would run closer to $700-$800/month for Jan/Feb/Mar. Food prices were so much cheaper than what we're used to here in the UK, and the food was fantastic. The people are wonderful, friendly, laid-back, welcoming. There are crime issues there, so you need to be alert, but we were staying in a fairly safe area, south of Cape Town. Anyway, not C.A., but I thought I'd throw the idea out there for you to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 In my previous life I got to travel to a lot of south and central American countries and Guatemala was by far my favorite. They have so many ethnic groups, beautiful people, ancient ruins, awesome food, etc. I actually spent a month there, in Antigua, and they had very reasonable but intensive Spanish classes you could take. Maybe you and your dd could double up taking Spanish four days a week, and then sightsee over 3 day weekends. Dayle (who is on here) lives in Antigua--maybe contact her for ideas! jeri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 I'm mostly interested in what housing costs are like for a furnished rental house or apartment. I know that's going to vary dramatically depending on the place, though. Food costs are another question. Getting furnished rental house or apartment is going to drive the cost way up. These are usually geared towards tourists and priced accordingly. In that case, I would really shop around. If you come to Mexico, veggies are best and cheapest at open air markets, meats at small butcher shops and other things vary by region. Where are you thinking of? Do you want to be immersed in the culture or live among other Americans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodgollycr Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 We've been in costa rica for 5 years now. Upon entering your passport stamp is a 90 day visa. Food costs can be high unless you plan to eat like the locals, beans and rice, fresh fruits and veggies. Local markets are wonderful. I agree with the pp that a furnished place will be more because it caters to tourists. There is a craigslist costa rica that you could explore to get an idea of some rentals, but of course beware of scammers. We live in a suburb of San Jose, in a 4 br/ 2 ba home with amazing views for under 1,000 a month. (unfurnished) The weather is very nice. Down around the coast it is hotter and muggy. Antigua, Guatemala is beautiful and we have friends that live near there but Guatemala in general is getting more dangerous. San Juan del sur, Nicaragua is a nice little coastal town near the costa rica border. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaid Dad Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share Posted July 29, 2011 Thanks again, everyone! I'm noting all your suggestions down, to help us decide if this is something we can do. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.