Country Insider Websites Archives

Are You Cut Out for the Expat Life?

By Suzan Haskins Ecuador |

July 22, 2014

What makes for a happy expat? This is something I think about often, because honestly...not everyone is cut out for the expat life. The rewards are tremendous and it's a wonderful, life-changing experience, but there are challenges—and most are easy to get beyond. From my experience (and I've been an expat for 13 years now), those who thrive living overseas are those who are well prepared ahead of time. They've done lots of research and they know what they're getting into. Overall, they have positive, optimistic perspectives about most everything...

Are You Cut Out for the Expat Life?

By Suzan Haskins Ecuador |

July 22, 2014

What makes for a happy expat? This is something I think about often, because honestly...not everyone is cut out for the expat life. The rewards are tremendous and it's a wonderful, life-changing experience, but there are challenges—and most are easy to get beyond. From my experience (and I've been an expat for 13 years now), those who thrive living overseas are those who are well prepared ahead of time. They've done lots of research and they know what they're getting into. Overall, they have positive, optimistic perspectives about most everything...

Are You Cut Out for the Expat Life?

By Suzan Haskins Ecuador |

July 22, 2014

What makes for a happy expat? This is something I think about often, because honestly...not everyone is cut out for the expat life. The rewards are tremendous and it's a wonderful, life-changing experience, but there are challenges—and most are easy to get beyond. From my experience (and I've been an expat for 13 years now), those who thrive living overseas are those who are well prepared ahead of time. They've done lots of research and they know what they're getting into. Overall, they have positive, optimistic perspectives about most everything...

Winter Has Finally Hit Panama City…

By Jessica Ramesch Panama |

July 22, 2014

Mangoes are falling, ripe, to the ground. A light breeze flutters through the fruit-laden trees, and a yellow tanager takes flight. A couple passes me, wearing tank tops and shorts. I'm at one of Panama City's many parks, thinking life just doesn't get much better than this. It's warm, the sun is shining, and everything around me is dripping in rainforest green.

Endless Opportunity in Easy-Going Panama

By Larke Newell |

July 14, 2014

Oklahoma...Montana...Minnesota...Chile. Neil Sander has lived in numerous destinations, been involved in countless projects, and has had a plethora of careers...but since arriving in Panama in 2004 he has had no desire to live anywhere else. He was approached to move to this beautiful Central American country and supervise the designing and building of a retirement housing development in a virtually uninhabited area of Bocas del Toro.

Our Great Life in Panama

By Susanna Perkins |

July 14, 2014

We enjoy a busy social life here in Las Tablas, Panama. That’s partly because eating out is so inexpensive. We indulge several times a week and it’s easy for friends to join us. Dinner for the two of us averages about $15, and lunch can be as little as $2.50 apiece for the menú del día, which includes a soup, the main dish, and a beverage.

A Wilder Retirement in Panama

By Larke Newell |

July 7, 2014

Picture this: You’re sitting with an iced glass of banana/mango/papaya smoothie in your hand, in a comfy chair on the terrace. A slight breeze tickles your skin as you enjoy a symphony of birdsong, the chirping of geckos on the walls, and iguanas nibbling the grass in the yard in front of you. You might even see a giant green leaf bug perched on the chaise lounge.

The Duncans Couldn’t Quite Relax in Costa Rica…

By Jason Holland Costa Rica |

July 7, 2014

On that trip in 2000, the couple bought a lot for $30,000 in a gated community just outside the small village of Ojochal, which sits just off the two-lane coastal highway. Their aim was to build a home for their retirement and use it as a vacation property themselves and also for rental income. They visited often during the building process. In 2007, they moved down permanently.

Is It Crazy to Retire to Costa Rica?

By Jen Seymour |

July 7, 2014

People often tell us how brave they think we are, and that they admire us for venturing out and doing this crazy thing—quitting our jobs in our early 40s, giving up all stable income, and moving to and living in a foreign country. Of course, some people have also told us that we're crazy. And, it's true: it is crazy...but it works for us!

June 2014

By IL's Costa Rica Insider |

June 30, 2014

I'm just back from the Ultimate Retire Overseas Conference in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It was great to see all my colleagues from IL, gathered from around the world to showcase the top expat hotspots, from Mexico to Malaysia and everything in between. I had two presentations on Costa Rica. But what takes place on the stage is just part of the conference.