• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home Countries Belize

Angela And Rick’s Big Adventure In Belize, Part I

“I’m Going To Belize… With Or Without My Husband-To-Be”

Live And Invest Overseas by Live And Invest Overseas
Jun 15, 2022
in Belize, In Focus: Belize
0 0
0
belize caye
264
SHARES
3.8k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

I could barely contain my anticipation as I gazed out the window of our 15-seat turboprop airplane at the turquoise Caribbean waters below…

It was February 1999. My husband Mike and I were on the last leg of our trip to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. I was so mesmerized by the sight of the waves breaking on the barrier reef that the size of the oh-so-small airstrip barely registered.

Growing up in Michigan, I’d spent the summers of my youth frolicking in warm inland lakes and local swimming pools. As a Pisces, I’ve always gravitated toward the water.

When I moved to San Francisco, I was disappointed to discover that the Pacific Ocean is cold, dark, and dangerous. Still, I learned to scuba dive in my 20s, venturing many times into the wild waters off the California coast.

I yearned to travel to the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Mexico, where the waters were said to be warm, clear, and alive with sea life…

caribbean
Underwater life in the Caribbean Sea…

Eventually, I visited each of these places. But, for me, nothing compared with diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean—the color and clarity of the water and the abundance of life in the Caribbean Sea was unparalleled.

I had to put my aquamarine fantasy aside as I climbed the corporate ladder, but I never forgot my Caribbean experience.

snorkel belize
Snorkeling and making memories in the warm and
clear waters of Belize…

How Our Adventure In Belize Started

In the late 90s, I began reading about Belize and Ambergris Caye, reigniting my repressed desires for a Caribbean adventure.

Belize had not yet been “discovered,” so land prices were still within reach, unlike in Saint Thomas, Virgin Gorda, and other Caribbean islands, where property prices were in the stratosphere.

I did my due diligence and signed up for a one-week vacation tour focused on investing and living in Belize.

Only one problem: My significant other wasn’t nearly as excited about the idea as I was.

“What about Guatemala? Aren’t they ready to invade Belize?” he asked.

“Isn’t it humid?

“Aren’t there a lot of bugs?

“Is the government stable?”

I’d done enough research to satisfy myself that Belize was the place and this was the time. After all, there are only so many English-speaking islands in the Caribbean that are easy to reach and reasonably priced.

I was a professional woman who’d made up her mind. I was going on that Belize tour, with or without my husband-to-be. And, if I liked what I saw, I knew I would buy.

In the end, Mike did join me. That trip was the beginning of an adventure that continues to unfold…

The tour was fantastic.

During that week, our group flew to three different regions within the country. It was a whirlwind trip to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye and then to the mainland to see Placencia on the south coast and San Ignacio in the Cayo.

At each location, we listened to speakers, met local politicians and real estate agents, sampled the local cuisine, and enjoyed the sights and entertainment.

By the end of the week, we were on information overload. Each location had pluses and minuses. The barrier reef was but a half-mile offshore from Ambergris Caye, where there was also an established community, a town, and a lot to do.

Placencia had the best beaches and the lowest beachfront property prices. It was quiet and laid-back. The Cayo was lush and mountainous, with Mayan ruins and lovely eco-lodges. Each region had its charms.

xunatunich
The Xunantunich Mayan ruins in Cayo, Belize…

We went through the process of analyzing what was most important to us. At the end of the week, we were leaning toward San Pedro. We extended our trip a few days and decided to return to Ambergris to dig deeper.

Mike and I walked the beach in San Pedro, cross-examining every expat and local resident we met willing to tell his story. Each one fascinated us, and it was these conversations that pushed us over the tipping point.

We were ready to leap, ready to commit to a property purchase. It would be easy to re-sell later, we told ourselves, if we decided we didn’t like San Pedro as much as we thought we would… and likely for a profit.

After meeting with one of the recommended real estate agents to view condos and land, we decided on a lot purchase. Mike is a contractor, so we felt comfortable taking on the challenge of building our own place. We plunked down our money.

Then something occurred to us.

How would we know if we liked Belize if we didn’t have a place to stay when we visited?

We wanted to be able to spend time in Belize starting immediately. It would take time to build. Plus, would it be wise to try to build something right away, before we’d had a chance to really get to know the place?

As we flew back to San Francisco, Mike was already into designing our new home in the Caribbean. The week before a doubter, now he was diving enthusiastically into this design/build adventure.

I was about to step into my new position as a VP in a Fortune 500 company. I expected to be traveling a lot, so I was pleased Mike was embracing the house-building effort whole-heartedly.

Although he owned a contracting company, he was burned out dealing with difficult clients. At this turning point in his career, I encouraged him to take a break from contracting in the Bay Area and to focus on designing and building our first home in Belize…

Ann Kuffner
Belize Insider

Tags: 'Belize'Belize expatsbuild a house in belizebuy a house in belizeExpats in Belizelife in belizelive in BelizeMove to Belize
Share106Tweet66
Live And Invest Overseas

Live And Invest Overseas

Live and Invest Overseas is the world's savviest source for top opportunities to live better, retire in style, invest for profit, do business, and own real estate overseas. Established in 2008, the Live and Invest Overseas' editors and correspondents have more experience researching and reporting on top opportunities for living well, investing for profit, doing business, and owning real estate around the world than anyone else you'll find.

Related Posts

Beautiful Caribbean sight with turquoise water in Caye Caulker, Belize.
Belize

Why You Shouldn’t Get The QRP Visa Of Belize

by Carolyn Casey
February 22, 2023
0

Belize’s Qualified Retirement Program (QRP) gets a lot of press. It’s one of the most user-friendly retirement visa programs in...

Read more
A beautiful red house in Carmelita Gardens, Belize

How I Ended Up In Carmelita Gardens

February 8, 2023
Cyprus: Better Than Your Neighbor’s Retirement To Florida

Why So Many Expats Are Moving To Belize

January 25, 2023
Placencia, Belize

A Placencia, Belize, Primer: Communities, Costs, And More

January 18, 2023
Aerial Drone view of South Water Caye tropical island in Belize

The Belize Conference: Your Fast Pass To Launch Your Dream Life

January 15, 2023
Paradise beach on island caye Carrie Bow Cay Field Station, Belize

The Greatest Advantage Of Moving To Belize

January 4, 2023
Underwater image of boy snorkeling through coral reef near Ambergris Caye, Belize

The Top Reasons Why Belize Is The Ultimate Adventure Destination

December 28, 2022

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas ...

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.

Get ​Your Free ​Belize Report Today!
 

​Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you our ​FREE REPORT – ​​Discover Belize: Reef, Ruins, Rivers, And Rain Forest… Plus Easy Residency And Tax-Free Living
 

LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2023

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Download your FREE report on

The Best Places To Retire In 2023

New Year, New You, New Life Overseas

Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

Get Your Free ​​Belize Report Today!
 

​​Learn more about ​​BELIZE and other countries in our free, daily Overseas Opportunity Letter​​, as well as our ​In Focus: Belize ​newsletter​​​​​​. Simply enter your email address below and we’ll send you our FREE REPORT – ​​Discover Belize: Reef, Ruins, Rivers, And Rain Forest… Plus Easy Residency And Tax-Free Living