Why did I move to Belize? That’s the question everyone asks.
I did the math.
Back in Cleveland, I was working all out as a management consultant. I took two weeks’ vacation a year, and every year I spent those two weeks in the Caribbean. If I moved to the Caribbean, I figured, even if I continued working full time, I’d have 104 days a year to mess around in the Caribbean.
So I went online and googled “cheapest f-ing places in the Caribbean.” Belize came up first.
I started reading up on Belize. Not only is it affordable, but they speak English here. Plus (and this was big news for me): No liability insurance.
I’ve always been good at drinking in a bar… so I figured I’d be great at owning a bar. That was my plan for what to do wherever in the Caribbean I ended up. When I saw that I could own a bar in Belize without having to pay for liability insurance, it was a revelation for me.
Now here I am. I own a bar in Belize, on Ambergris Caye. If you get drunk, fall off your barstool, and crack your head open in my bar, I’ll pay for your taxi to the hospital.
I’ve got no liability, not even for the taxi… but, hey, I’m a nice guy. I want you to get better as quick as possible so you can come back to drink at my bar again.
How do you move to Belize?
You sell everything you own and tell your family.
Honestly, that can be the toughest part of the whole thing… telling your family. My wife’s parents weren’t on board with our plan to come down here at all. But they’ve come around. They see how happy we are now.
We’re living much better lives… much healthier lives. I lost 70 pounds in the first eight months here. We just eat better, and we naturally get more exercise.
What’s the biggest challenge once you’ve made your decision where you want to go? I’d say it’s finding a place to live. Good news here in Belize is that everybody’s a real estate agent.
I’m serious. I’m not kidding about this. Every taxi driver, every waiter, every bartender, and every person who sits down next to you in a bar has real estate to sell you. You need to be careful.
Am I happy here in Belize? That’s the other question I get all the time.
I can tell you this… I don’t see myself ever going back to the States. Why in the world would I leave my beautiful island in the Caribbean?
I certainly don’t see myself going back to the States to work the way I used to work. I’m way too used now to my 15-hour work week…
Rob Burrow
