Ok I'm going crazy!

[valleydude]

... in response to Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by zack on Jan 9, 2005

Yeah I know it would. I can see myself here totally settled down, but there I would be chasing girls like crazy. I couldn't see myself married down there at least for a few years.

I beleive the orphange guy was one of the Gators here.

If you decided to go down there then definitley share the info. I do beleive I may be going on the 80 hour week plan.

V-Dude

[kented]

... in response to Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by valleydude on Jan 9, 2005

I certainly don't know your business but here's what I did.  I have always wanted to live in a foreign country.  I am fluent in French and Spanish and in the midst of my divorce to a Colombian who wanted a visa more than a relationship, I visited Costa Rica in July 2002.  

On that trip I discovered I could survive teaching English and that there were a plethora of jobs so I had an excellent chance of finding work.  [I eventually earned $750 a month which paid all my expenses but no touristy excursions, etc.]

When I returned to the US, I got a leave of absence for the following year from my teaching job [no pay but guaranteed reemployment at the same salary], sold house, gave away most of my furniture, arranged to store my car, fly my dogs with me.  In June 2003, I flew to Costa Rica for what would turn out to be 7 months.  

In Costa Rica there are loads of English jobs.  I teach college ESL and most "require' experience but in reality there is so much need for teachers, they'll take anyone with a BA.  In CR, that is the only option since work permits are impossible to get for foreigners and you can work as an independant contractor teaching English since a national priority is education especially teaching their population English.  

Not everyone has the courage or ambition to do this but it was a lifelong goal and the best decision of my life.  I eventually met my wife and plan to retire there in 4 1/2 years.  That could change if she falls in love with the US but my wife loves CR.  If you have any more questions, ask on PL or shoot me a personal E-mail.

[Payton]

... in response to Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by kented on Jan 9, 2005

Kented

I am considering relocation at this time in my life.  I think that trying to raise af amily in Las Vegas would be like going out to the mustang ranch to find my future wife!  NOT A GOOD IDEA!  I spent the past year retraining myself to become a teacher after working for World Com as a Systems Engineer for the past 5 years!  Can you tell me how to get into ESL in the College level?  I have a B.A(history) and some grad school credits also.  What does it take to get my dog into the country as well?  Any info would really help as I am working seven days a week 2 jobs and saving every dime to set myself up for when I finally go and meet my dream girl and deciede to start a family!  I have till july by my schedule to save up 10k more by then I will make my decision on where I am going to relocate to I just want to weigh all options available.

[kented]

... in response to Re: Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by Payton on Jan 9, 2005

One of the nice things about teaching is that you get paid a higher salary after you accumulatre each 15 hours (up to MA+75).  Plus being ESL certified in Arizona is considered an improtant endorsement.  So, I took 21 hours of ESL to get a highs chool endorsement which I never used.

However the HS and community college certification requirements are identical (except that CC doesn't require education courses but does require a Master's degree).  I found my Spanish and French helped me more than my ESL classes in teaching ESL.  

I teach fulkl time at a middle school (math) and am adjunct faculty.  I earn about $2000 per class (about $50 / hour, a great part time job).  A full time professor teaches 10 classes a year.  So they pay adjuncts $20,000 for this or a full time professor about $60,000 including benefits.  the math makes them reluctant to replace adjunct with full time since we are so much cheaper.  

To transport the dogs, you get a vet certificate, shots and a complete exam.  The requirements depend on the entering country.  I also couldn't fly out of Phoenix in the summer (due to ehat) so I had to rent a car and drive to LA and buy an overpriced ticket to fly from LA.  

Get used to doing all your banking on-line, paying credit cards etc because I needed to do that in CR.  I was able to earn enough money in CR to pay for basics.  I just used my US stash for luxuries because I didn't move to CR to be in abject poverty.  What country(ies) and you planning to visit?

[Payton]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by kented on Jan 10, 2005

Well to be honest!  Kented I have always said that If given a quality oppertunity I would live and return to Colombia!  I was in Colombia in 1999 and love everything about that country. I would Consider Costa Rica or Brazil, maybe Mexico.  So do you have a Masters?  I may slowly work on the rest of mine.  I am a little ticked off at that whole masters level studies after my experiences at UNLV. Thanks for the info I will have to start to look deeper into the situation.

[kented]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by Payton on Jan 10, 2005

The logical educational progression is to get certified and get a teaching job.  Then you get a huge raise for getting your Masters as well as qualifying for CC certification.  Community College jobs are few and far between.  For me with five years at my CC and really good credentials, it's a long shot they will ever have a full time position for me.  

I'm in west phoenix which is growing exponentially and the ESL program I teach in is too.  They may have a full time position open, due to expansion, every three years and the competition is keen.  HS is a more secure job.  

I have an M.Ed.  All education courses are a little like putting in tiem to get credits which raise your salary.  The trick is to choose courses which have things you want to learn.  A Master's program doesn't offer that option.

[kented]

... in response to Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by kented on Jan 9, 2005

By the way, I also did all my banking, paid credit cards, transferred money on-line.  I also had US money stashed and available for emergencies such as rafting trips through the rainforest and beach weekends.  

The only way you'll earn close to $1500 a month is if you can do a US job on the Internet while there.  Otherwise, plan to live like a Colombian.  It's a little of the "irresponsible college kid syndrome" except that mom won't be sending you money.  I already work 60 + hours per week so it was a chance to work only 30.  Like a seven month vacation and when I met my wife, it was time to returnm to the real world.  I read novels (en español por supuesto) for the first time in my life.

[valleydude]

... in response to Re: Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by kented on Jan 9, 2005

I have read your story many times and that is partially what began me thinking it was actually quite possible for someone to do this. A little of your story and what Pete posts about his cost of living there, really gets my mind going.

I always saw that you made $750 a month, this time I have a question about it...

With that $750.00 did you find yourself tapping into your savings at all? I see in your post that you mention you did for things like vacations, but did you do it very much just to make ends meet?

V-Dude

[kented]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by valleydude on Jan 9, 2005

My first apartment was $300 a month (2 b-rm) and when I moved in with my wife we rented a small house (3-brm) for $325.  

Living alone I was able to make ends meet on the $750.  However, it was a lifelong dream to live in a foreign country where I spoke the language, not to live in poverty.  The things I did which required me to draw on my savings were discretuionary and I didn't engage in excessive luxuries.  I took buses, not cabs.  I fixed my own food except ona  date.  I didn't rent cars except for weekends at the beach and other sdie trips with a lady.  

To put a face on sacrifices I would not make, it's easy to get laid in San Jose for the price of a lap dance in the US.  On Tico paydays (the 15th and the 30th) these Tico brotherals are packed.  The big treat on payday is getting laid and the typical Tico can only afford this twice a month.  As I said, there are some levels of poverty which I didn't move to CR to endure.

When I moved in with my wife, I needed about $900 to live at a moderate level so at that point I was drawing about $150 to live.  Nobody moves to the 3rd world to build their retirement assets.  However, my philosophy at 56 was no one on their death bed ever siad, "I wish I ahd spent more time at work".  

It took a year of planning for me and was limited in time (I expected to stay there for a year).  I would recommend taking that long to plan to be sure you have all bases covered.  It's a cross between relocating to work and a vacation.  Not a lot of people have the guts to do this but it was the experience of a lifetime.  Sort of like climbing Mount Everest except that you don't get laid at the summit.

[valleydude]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by kented on Jan 10, 2005

Nice info, it's good to hear more about your voyages.

Yeah I am not really looking for hookers. I've never gone that route. Though, I would be chasing plenty of girls down there. I can see myself not wanting to settle at all if I lived down there.

I was ready to go in a minute the other night and coming back to earth now. This is something I am going to continue thinking about. I beleive you are right that it should be planned over sufficient time. You mentioned the one thing that I was concerned about, building up a retirement. There would be no way, I could do that there, that is probably my biggest draw back at this point.

Thanks!

V-Dude

[kented]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by valleydude on Jan 10, 2005

I also moved expecting to be there only one year.  There was an endpoint to my adventure although I left after 7 months after I got married.

[Red Clay]

... in response to Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by valleydude on Jan 9, 2005

Alot of us would be living there before retirement if there were decent sources of income available. Yes, 1500 per month allows you to live very well there, although you could rarely afford to visit the US on that income if you had no other funds, savings, etc.

Right now I'm using your suggested 80-hour plan, lol. It's not fun, but it will eventually get me that beach house south of Lima.