Print Page - Ok I'm going crazy!

I spent all night chatting with chicas and exchanging photos and I gotta go down there. I would live there in a minute! (At least in this moment haha!)

For all you guys are living down there or have lived there...

What in the world does it take for someone that just does not have the means to retire to live down there?

I'm a programmer and I have a lot of my experience in web development. If I could think of a site to generate some cash flow, I'd be down there and working via internet tomorrow. Unfortunately I know the reality of the web as far as making money and it just isn't what it's cracked up to be. I'm a hell of a worker, but I am not one to want the hassles of being self employed, so does anyone need someone to manage their sites or have an idea?

What's the best bet to land a job there? Teaching English? I could dig that. How would one go about that? Does anyone know a good reliable site/company for these types of jobs? I seriously want to check into it.

From what I have read here I could live good down there on $1500 a month. Maybe lowering my salary to $20,000 a year in exchange for telecommuting would be attractive?

I knew I shouldn't have reffered my little client base from freelancing to take a steady job!

Maybe I'll just work 80 hour weeks and head down there in 10 years?

Why can't I go back to my irresponsible 20's and call my Mom for money?

Like I said, I am going crazy!

V-Dude

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

V-Dude,
I can totally identify with your thoughts on "going crazy" ." Making matters worse, I'm on vacation from work, but other responsibilities have kept me in town. This endless downpour doesn't help either, when I remember being in sunny and festive Santa Marta exactly a year ago.

I'll share some ideas with you that have helped me from going insane. As you know, I've begun meeting Colombianas and other Latinas through Match.com international. Honestly, my response rate has been about 20% but that is enough to keep me busy. It is especially nice to get e-mails from women who write you first. I'm writing a cute graphic designer from Puerto Vallarta in this way. My advice is to throw that net large and wide because you'll never know who you'll catch. One of the sweetest girls I found is a 22 year-old in a little remote Colombian town. The profile said she was interested in men from 21 to 30. Well I wrote her anyways (I'm 35) and to my surprise, she responded. Last night I signed up for MSN Messenger at her request and hopefully we'll talk later on today. Hopefully, all this ground work will improve my chances in May when I visit Colombia.

I'm also thinking of what else I can do between now and May to become a more attractive date. I've begun to look into gyms and plan on joining one soon. Also, last night I went to listen to a live Salsa band and I realized that I could really improve my steps. So I'm going to look into enrolling in Salsa classes pretty soon.

So there you have it. Look at the time between now and your next trip South as an opportunity to save money, improve your Spanish, learn Salsa or get fit and trim. We are the few, the sane, the Latina Seekers. Suerte!

... in response to I empathize with you, posted by Seeker on Jan 9, 2005

Yeah but I can just go there and learn all this!

You know, don't tell anyone but I just got my 2 "Learn Salsa" DVD's in the mail yesterday. I also got some Spanish programs for Christmas. I guess it's time to hit the next level. I do need to work on my verb tenses really bad and need to learn some more nouns.

I have come back to earth a little since last night, but I am going to still consider going there. I am thinking of ways to swing down there more often right now. Maybe that will ease these thoughts. What's the deal with us anyway?
We are surrounded by all the latinas here in Southern California, but it is totally different from going to the source? Why in the world is that? Here I am bored with girls and when I went down there, I was ready to start chasing even though I was with someone. Here I am ready to settle and down there I am ready to chase away. Maybe it is my pre-mid life crisis?

V-Dude

... in response to Need the Salsa DVD info porfavor!, posted by Seeker on Jan 10, 2005

I just checked and your email isn't available.
Have you got a junk account that I can write to?

Otherwise, the names of the series are Invitation to Dance and Cal Pozo's learn to Dance.

I can't recommend either as I haven't watched them yet. I'll get to it probably this week sometime and I'll let you know.

I have both Salsa ones under the series and one was like 10 dollars and the other 15. I got a wherehouse.com gift card for Christmas and used it. The bill with shipping was $25.56. I can't say that I recommend wherehouse. I just had the gift card.

V-Dude

... in response to Re: I empathize with you - I do too., posted by valleydude on Jan 9, 2005

In LA, the situation is against the women. There are fewer economic opportunities, the culture encourages men who are unfaithful and women are not valued. The women in the US don't have those problems. They have the Latina beauty and the Latina spirit but they also have loads of options.

Last night at the Suns game, not one of the Suns dancers is clearly better looking than my wife. Why does this gorgeous 30 year-old Latina love this 57 year old gringo. I'm in shape (I run marathons) but her late husband was older than me and fat. She lvoes me because I tkae care of her.

The fact is the odds improve astronomically in LA becasue of the abopve factors.

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

Thanks! Really interesting. I book marked that page. That's actually kind of nice, no sending or resumes.

Do you do it like it's mentioned on the page?
Just post a bulletin? I imagine it's like anything else, you get to know the captains and then you pretty much
are set when you need work?

I mellowed out since yesterday, but I am still checking all this out. I would have left last night if I could have.
I am really going to check into all of this. Unless of course I come to my senses.

V-Dude

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

As much as I like Colombia and my wife still owns her apartment in Medellin, I would never live there until I retire. Even then I would go somewhere more secure like Monteria or Covenas. The problem is you have to live like a Colombian. My wife's life was full of 6 day work weeks for $7200 a year which is considered good there. It makes me wonder about the quality of life for the 90 odd people she supervised in the textile plant shop that she was in charge of. The 80 hour weeks on the 10 year plan sounds good to me.

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

Yes

But Colombians get about 3-4 weeks paid vacation days a year and also there are at least 2 mondays in every month that is a national holiday, so if you add it up, they do not work that much more then we do with our 2 weeks a year vacation days

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

What is the best and fasted way to live in Colombia- a good topic for discussion. I see your point. I wouldn't mind living there either. But I have to admit, to live there as a married man would be very diffucult ;o)

I am not an expert on this subject, but I remember a gringo discussing how he opened an orphanage in Colombia. It was rewarding for him both morally and financially, but I don't know if that is your "cup of tea." Sorry, I wish I knew the answers to your questions.

Zack

... 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

... 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.

... 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.

... 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?

... 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.

... 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.

... 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.

... 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

... 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.

... 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

... 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.

Planet-Love.com Searchable Archives

GoodWife / Planet-Love Archives => Threads started in 2005 => Topic started by: valleydude on January 09, 2005, 05:00:00 AM