When we left Ann and Mike last, they’d bought in Belize…built in Belize…sold in Belize…and were preparing to indulge their entrepreneurial inclinations on this country’s Temptation Island… “I’d been in my new VP position for only two years,” Ann explains. “I was doing well and enjoying it. Not yet 50, my transition timeline was seven years out. But Mike had grown to like Belize, and he was itching for the next, grander challenge. “We had fun kicking around ideas for businesses we might both enjoy. The better we got to know the island, the more niches we saw that needed … Continue reading Entrepreneurs In Paradise–How To Fund Your New Life In Belize

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Why Did I Do This In The First Place?

July 6, 2010July 1, 2010 Admin

When my boss at the time came to me to explain that the U.S. publishing company where I’d been working for 13 years was interested in setting up a new base in Ireland and to ask if I’d be interested in making the move to open that office for him, I jumped at the chance. I was 34 years old, ready for a change, and eager for an adventure. I’d been covering this live, retire, and invest overseas beat for a long time, but I realized that that was not the same as living it. This was my chance to … Continue reading Why Did I Do This In The First Place?

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The Simple And Satisfying Pleasures Of French Country Life

July 6, 2010July 1, 2010 Admin

“We recently visited an organic beef and lamb farm,” writes France Correspondent Lucy Culpepper from her home in the southwest of that country. “It was part of an annual, all-weekend event held across France. Farmers opened their doors (and their stables) to visitors to show off their animals, their cheese making, and their meat, wine, and vegetable production. “We visited the farm of Josie and Jean Pierre Pommiés, just outside the pretty village of Coarraze in the beautiful rolling countryside of the Haut Béarn. Jean Pierre is a classic shepherd; in early summer he drives his animals, on foot, up … Continue reading The Simple And Satisfying Pleasures Of French Country Life

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Sand-Fringed, English-Speaking, And Seriously Tax-Advantaged

July 5, 2010July 1, 2010 Admin

“Initially, I was attracted to Belize by its natural beauty and environment, including the opportunity it offers for scuba diving and water sports,” writes Correspondent from that country Ann Kuffner. “Thinking back to when this country first got my attention, I realize that, then, I wasn’t in a hurry. I had a lucrative career. I wasn’t thinking of making an international move. Instead, my husband and I invested in a vacation home on the island of Ambergris Caye. For eight years, we traveled to Belize yearly, to relax and to scuba dive. “I wanted to be sure before committing to … Continue reading Sand-Fringed, English-Speaking, And Seriously Tax-Advantaged

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The Simple And Satisfying Pleasures Of French Country Life

July 3, 2010July 1, 2010 Admin

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The Town Of Everlasting Peace

July 2, 2010July 1, 2010 Admin

“Greetings from Taiping,” writes Intrepid Correspondent Vicki Terhorst this morning. “This place is an historical and hidden gem in Malaysia. So few Westerners visit the ‘town of everlasting peace’ that Paul and I attract attention wherever we go. Young folks yell ‘Welcome to Malaysia’ from car windows, school bus windows, and motorcycles. Older folks come up to us when we are eating or out walking, to greet us and to ask where we are from. “The other day I walked by a huge convent school that teaches in English, and their motto caught my attention: Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in … Continue reading The Town Of Everlasting Peace

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The Top Three Reasons Not To Retire Overseas Debunked!

July 2, 2010July 1, 2010 Admin

Reason #1 Not To Retire Overseas: You have young children. Bring them with you! The advantages to raising children abroad are many, from a second (or even third) language to a second passport. Children raised overseas are generally self-confident, open-minded, and resourceful. They learn to make friends easily and to adjust quickly to change. If you’re hesitating making an international move because you have children, you’re making a mistake. That, however, is not to say that raising kids in another country is easy. When you make a move overseas with children, they, specifically the options for their education, become your … Continue reading The Top Three Reasons Not To Retire Overseas Debunked!

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Emergency Health Care In Belize–One-Third The Cost You’d Pay Stateside

July 2, 2010July 1, 2010 Admin

“After a lovely weekend with friends,” writes Belize Correspondent Ann Kuffner, “my husband Mike and I stepped into our condo at dusk Sunday evening. I had just picked up my new prescription sunglasses at the Hoy Eye Center in Belize City. I was pleased that the transition lenses are very dark but not yet used to focusing with them. Entering the house, I did not see our big, black dog, Ziggy, asleep on his favorite dark rug… “Before I knew it, my heels were in the air, and I had landed on the unforgiving tile floor, directly on my hip. … Continue reading Emergency Health Care In Belize–One-Third The Cost You’d Pay Stateside

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Retire Overseas Fundamentals

July 1, 2010 Admin

Lief and I have begun conversations with our first Live Overseas Personal Consulting clients, and I’m being reminded of the fundamentals. For example… Language This can seem an intimidating, even paralyzing hurdle. If you’ve never spoken a second language or even if you speak, say, a little Spanish but not enough to hold a business conversation or to negotiate a rental lease, you can worry how you’ll get things done, how you’ll keep from being taken advantage of, and how you’ll make friends. The concern can be greatest if you’re thinking of making a move on your own. I do … Continue reading Retire Overseas Fundamentals

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Culture Shock In Reverse

July 1, 2010 Admin

A couple of months ago in Paris, I had lunch with another long-time American expat, whose children, like ours, have grown up outside the States. “We’re moving back,” he remarked that afternoon, “to Bethesda.” At first, I thought he was joking. After more than 13 years in France, he was opting now for Bethesda, Maryland? Then he explained. “Only for a couple of years, until our youngest son goes off to college. We feel like we need to do something to help his transition back to U.S. life. His older brothers have struggled with it so.” Then I understood. I’ve … Continue reading Culture Shock In Reverse

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Nobel Laureates, Sugar Cane, And Cruise Ships–The

July 1, 2010 Admin

“St. Lucia is like a pretty girl with only her smiles to live off,” writes Correspondent Paul Lewis, continuing the reports from his early-winter cruise through the Caribbean. “The island’s main export is Nobel Prize winners–it has had two so far. With a population of only 160,000, this makes it the world champion Nobel Prize-winning country. “St. Lucia’s first laureate was Sir William Arthur Lewis, who received the Economics award in 1979. He launched the United Nations Development Program and championed the idea that education is more important than money in promoting development. “St. Lucia’s second win came in 1992, … Continue reading Nobel Laureates, Sugar Cane, And Cruise Ships–The

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See Asia In 2010

July 1, 2010 Admin

“I grew up in the 1950s and 60s, and China was closed, full-stop closed, permanently closed,” writes Intrepid Correspondent Paul Terhorst. “Mao’s Revolution had taken hold,” Paul continues. “One thing we knew for sure was that we’d never, ever get to travel in China. “Today I can still hear my older brother saying, with that grave, pontificating voice that 14-year-olds assume, that China, not Russia, looked to be the biggest danger in our future. Remember that, during the Cold War, Russia–actually the Soviet Union, but everyone called it Russia–was Enemy Number One. My brother figured China would be even worse … Continue reading See Asia In 2010