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Mexico and Brazil - I like their diversity, history, culture and food. As a vegetarian it would be quite a challenge to live somewhere like Argentina (though I read its getting better).
Uruguay's progressive culture is very attractive though, but I just don't know enough about it otherwise.
Brazil is too dangerous in most of it's cities...I wouldn't recommend it.
I seriously doubt you'd want to live in Cuba....have you ever been there?
Uruguay is ok, but I thought that Montivideo, the capital city was rather run down and dilapidated. Rural Uruguay and some of the small towns are nice, as is Argentina, in the very rural areas.....although that also 9 times out of 10 means no internet, no electricity, no transportion ( some rural towns might only have a bus that comes once every few hours, or .....only once a day. Taxis or remises, if their "were" any would cost you a fortune, lot's of folks in the rural areas here just hitchhike... Restaraunts, night life in the rural areas of these countries? Seriously...jobs in these small towns? Nope...?
I'd choose Chile hands down, if I had the money and could purchase some land. It's relatively safe, ( although it's deteriorating quite a bit in the cities) compared to it's closest neighbors, organized, not as helter skelter as other latin countries and the folks are more laid back. Besides it has some of the most beautiful scenery in all of SA. Even so chilean spanish is mighty tough to master....even other latinos have a hard time understanding them.
I'll give most north americans 2 years max in some latin american countries, then they'll be rarin n' ready to come back, especially being from California. Colombia, Peru, Central America, Mexico? I give most only 1 year max, then they'll head back. It seems that the California ex-pats have the hardest time adjusting. We americans just have too many amenities and conveniences to let go of....because you have to give "alot" of it up when you come down here....it's a whole other ball game gents! Unless of course you have some big bucks, but living it down here doing the "reality" thing, "real life" trying to make a living, really living the culture, it's a very mixed blessing....
I had 3 sets of friends that came to Arg from Calif to live, both were gone and ready to go back after 1 year, they had a rough time adapting, had trouble learning the language as well. One set of friends I had from San Diego said they had no interest in returning other than a brief visit, but if they had to do it all again they wouldn't have come here to live.
I read alot of comments on these forums from folks that are ready to get out of the US and start all over in one of these countries, all googley-eye'd and ready for adventure with their rose colored glasses LOL. I understand, I was just like them, a bit adventurous and also naive... so I understand. Most of them wouldn't last 1 year, some less....some will make it as long as I have, but very very few. It's not easy, it takes alot out of you, you'll go through some stuff, but if you can stick it out, you'll have a lifetime of experiences and memories that nobody can take away I will say that! I'd like to stay, but I just can't see it, my wife either. She has the most to lose with her family being here, but she's ready. Having a child and a family changes alot. We just don't like the way things are going down here, the direction....it's really changed and it's really quite sad.
Another one of my best friends, married to an Argentine, been here 14 years, started a charity...they're gone, out by years end.....
I dunno maybe my vision is tainted, I've just seen and dealt with too much here since I've been here I guess....especially these last 2 years or so. It kinda affects you when you see you're friend lying in a hospital with 3 bullit holes in his back, all because some punk wanted to rob a few laptops. It's great to visit but think long and hard about trying to live in one of these countries, adapting to another country is generally more challenging than one thinks, but, it does have it's rewards.
Last edited by EricOldTime; 09-16-2014 at 02:51 PM..
I would choose Peru and Uruguay, but as I have lived in Peru for 11 years, I guess just Uruguay. YW is hellbent on living in the USA for 5 years so she can collect my SS survivor bene's,so I do not see it happening!
I would choose Peru and Uruguay, but as I have lived in Peru for 11 years, I guess just Uruguay. YW is hellbent on living in the USA for 5 years so she can collect my SS survivor bene's,so I do not see it happening!
Hahaha - Let me guess YW is your wife or girlfriend? How's Peru treating you? One of my best friends is Peruvian a Limeño from Lima...I've wanted to get up there for a visit but it's soo expensive. How long have you been up there?
Definitely Brazil. As an American I do appreciate what the country offers in terms of size, diversity, and culture. I agree with what RudyOD statement about Brazilian cuisine being phenomenal. It will also be nice to not have to deal with so much racial hostility like you see in the United States. I know Brazil isn't a perfect utopia but it's nice to not have to be constantly reminded everyday that I am "Black" as opposed to just being seen as an American. That is something that I do appreciate when I travel to different countries as I am normally viewed as a foreigner first before my skin color. In the United States it's the opposite, they tend to look at your skin color first than perceive you as a foreigner second. I plan on learning Brazilian Portuguese soon.
My second choice would be Belize since I have some family members who live there but if the OP is excluding Belize from the conversation than I would say Colombia.
Brazil is too dangerous in most of it's cities...I wouldn't recommend it.
I seriously doubt you'd want to live in Cuba....have you ever been there?
Uruguay is ok, but I thought that Montivideo, the capital city was rather run down and dilapidated. Rural Uruguay and some of the small towns are nice, as is Argentina, in the very rural areas.....although that also 9 times out of 10 means no internet, no electricity, no transportion ( some rural towns might only have a bus that comes once every few hours, or .....only once a day. Taxis or remises, if their "were" any would cost you a fortune, lot's of folks in the rural areas here just hitchhike... Restaraunts, night life in the rural areas of these countries? Seriously...jobs in these small towns? Nope...?
I'd choose Chile hands down, if I had the money and could purchase some land. It's relatively safe, ( although it's deteriorating quite a bit in the cities) compared to it's closest neighbors, organized, not as helter skelter as other latin countries and the folks are more laid back. Besides it has some of the most beautiful scenery in all of SA. Even so chilean spanish is mighty tough to master....even other latinos have a hard time understanding them.
I'll give most north americans 2 years max in some latin american countries, then they'll be rarin n' ready to come back, especially being from California. Colombia, Peru, Central America, Mexico? I give most only 1 year max, then they'll head back. It seems that the California ex-pats have the hardest time adjusting. We americans just have too many amenities and conveniences to let go of....because you have to give "alot" of it up when you come down here....it's a whole other ball game gents! Unless of course you have some big bucks, but living it down here doing the "reality" thing, "real life" trying to make a living, really living the culture, it's a very mixed blessing....
I had 3 sets of friends that came to Arg from Calif to live, both were gone and ready to go back after 1 year, they had a rough time adapting, had trouble learning the language as well. One set of friends I had from San Diego said they had no interest in returning other than a brief visit, but if they had to do it all again they wouldn't have come here to live.
I read alot of comments on these forums from folks that are ready to get out of the US and start all over in one of these countries, all googley-eye'd and ready for adventure with their rose colored glasses LOL. I understand, I was just like them, a bit adventurous and also naive... so I understand. Most of them wouldn't last 1 year, some less....some will make it as long as I have, but very very few. It's not easy, it takes alot out of you, you'll go through some stuff, but if you can stick it out, you'll have a lifetime of experiences and memories that nobody can take away I will say that! I'd like to stay, but I just can't see it, my wife either. She has the most to lose with her family being here, but she's ready. Having a child and a family changes alot. We just don't like the way things are going down here, the direction....it's really changed and it's really quite sad.
Another one of my best friends, married to an Argentine, been here 14 years, started a charity...they're gone, out by years end.....
I dunno maybe my vision is tainted, I've just seen and dealt with too much here since I've been here I guess....especially these last 2 years or so. It kinda affects you when you see you're friend lying in a hospital with 3 bullit holes in his back, all because some punk wanted to rob a few laptops. It's great to visit but think long and hard about trying to live in one of these countries, adapting to another country is generally more challenging than one thinks, but, it does have it's rewards.
The problem some Americans have when they want to move to another country is that they have this mentality of expecting other countries to adapt to their culture and language. Some feel a sort of entitlement to it and be very closed minded. You have to be open to learning the native culture and language of the country you plan on moving to. Don't come there expecting it to be exactly like the United States because your most likely to be in for a rude awakening.
I hate to bash Californians but some of them do feel a sense of entitlement wherever they go. I remember a person who moved from California to the Northeastern United States. He couldn't last one year there and he told me the reason he left was because he didn't like the people and the culture of the Northeast region of the US.
Brazil is too dangerous in most of it's cities...I wouldn't recommend it.
I seriously doubt you'd want to live in Cuba....have you ever been there?
Uruguay is ok, but I thought that Montivideo, the capital city was rather run down and dilapidated. Rural Uruguay and some of the small towns are nice, as is Argentina, in the very rural areas.....although that also 9 times out of 10 means no internet, no electricity, no transportion ( some rural towns might only have a bus that comes once every few hours, or .....only once a day. Taxis or remises, if their "were" any would cost you a fortune, lot's of folks in the rural areas here just hitchhike... Restaraunts, night life in the rural areas of these countries? Seriously...jobs in these small towns? Nope...?
I'd choose Chile hands down, if I had the money and could purchase some land. It's relatively safe, ( although it's deteriorating quite a bit in the cities) compared to it's closest neighbors, organized, not as helter skelter as other latin countries and the folks are more laid back. Besides it has some of the most beautiful scenery in all of SA. Even so chilean spanish is mighty tough to master....even other latinos have a hard time understanding them.
I'll give most north americans 2 years max in some latin american countries, then they'll be rarin n' ready to come back, especially being from California. Colombia, Peru, Central America, Mexico? I give most only 1 year max, then they'll head back. It seems that the California ex-pats have the hardest time adjusting. We americans just have too many amenities and conveniences to let go of....because you have to give "alot" of it up when you come down here....it's a whole other ball game gents! Unless of course you have some big bucks, but living it down here doing the "reality" thing, "real life" trying to make a living, really living the culture, it's a very mixed blessing....
I had 3 sets of friends that came to Arg from Calif to live, both were gone and ready to go back after 1 year, they had a rough time adapting, had trouble learning the language as well. One set of friends I had from San Diego said they had no interest in returning other than a brief visit, but if they had to do it all again they wouldn't have come here to live.
I read alot of comments on these forums from folks that are ready to get out of the US and start all over in one of these countries, all googley-eye'd and ready for adventure with their rose colored glasses LOL. I understand, I was just like them, a bit adventurous and also naive... so I understand. Most of them wouldn't last 1 year, some less....some will make it as long as I have, but very very few. It's not easy, it takes alot out of you, you'll go through some stuff, but if you can stick it out, you'll have a lifetime of experiences and memories that nobody can take away I will say that! I'd like to stay, but I just can't see it, my wife either. She has the most to lose with her family being here, but she's ready. Having a child and a family changes alot. We just don't like the way things are going down here, the direction....it's really changed and it's really quite sad.
Another one of my best friends, married to an Argentine, been here 14 years, started a charity...they're gone, out by years end.....
I dunno maybe my vision is tainted, I've just seen and dealt with too much here since I've been here I guess....especially these last 2 years or so. It kinda affects you when you see you're friend lying in a hospital with 3 bullit holes in his back, all because some punk wanted to rob a few laptops. It's great to visit but think long and hard about trying to live in one of these countries, adapting to another country is generally more challenging than one thinks, but, it does have it's rewards.
Lots of American expats live in Mexico, many even in not so safe places like Tijuana (though that city has great culture and exploding gastronomic scene, I don't think the security issues would make up for it for the average American). I know there are communities in Sinaloa (Mazatlan) and Guanajuato (San Miguel de Allende). They definitely last more than a year.
Having that said, most Californians don't head south, but rather east (Arizona, Colorado, Texas) and north (Oregon, Washington), as all they have to do is leave the state for more a affordable COL, while still maintaining (or upgrading) their QOL.
I otherwise agree with you though, that most people don't realize how much they give up when leaving the U.S. for another country, especially ones in Latin America. You have to have a certain mentality, one of being ready to adapt to another culture, place, and not necessarily just importing your own.
As for me, I've spent enough time in Mexico (on vacation, albeit) to know that I can live there. My problem though would be adjusting to some parts of the culture. Like when someone (even family members!) tell you they will meet you for dinner or to chat at a certain time, and either they are very late or never bother showing up. I've always found that incredibly annoying...not sure if that is just a Mexican thing, or if happens across Latin America.
Cities in Mexico I wouldn't mind living in: Puebla, Guanajuato, Tuxtla-Gutierrez/San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico-City (might be too much for me though), perhaps Guadalajara (though I hear it's going down the drain due to crime).
I like what Tijuana has to offer (craft beer scene, emerging arts, food, jobs in biotech), but it isn't far enough from the U.S.A. LOL Monterrey was just bleh. If it weren't for my family living there, I would have no reason to visit again.
The problem some Americans have when they want to move to another country is that they have this mentality of expecting other countries to adapt to their culture and language. Some feel a sort of entitlement to it and be very closed minded. You have to be open to learning the native culture and language of the country you plan on moving to. Don't come there expecting it to be exactly like the United States because your most likely to be in for a rude awakening.
I hate to bash Californians but some of them do feel a sense of entitlement wherever they go. I remember a person who moved from California to the Northeastern United States. He couldn't last one year there and he told me the reason he left was because he didn't like the people and the culture of the Northeast region of the US.
Not all Californians are like that, but for whatever reason (like New Yorkers and Texans) we tend to stick out like a sore thumb when we move somewhere else, part of it due to our 'nostalgia' for back home. For a while Colorado and Oregon folks used to dislike Californians for that reason...until, that is, enough Californians 'invaded' to import a bit of the California culture/amenities they want (Trader Joes for example, haha).
I think for the most part, this might be a human trait. Some people just carry stronger doses around with them than others.
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