Post: #1

Hey Guys, ok so I am a 30 year old living in tampa. Have some money saved up no internet business or anything but i do real estate. Not sure how much I can work in another country but looking for a different experience. I would love to learn spanish and become fluent, also game girls, meet new people, dance classes like salsa experience the culture etc. Who here has lived abroad in another country like Colombia, Mexico, Panama, or somewhere in Latin America and loved it? I am trying to decide if it is worth taking some time off of work etc to try this out since you only live once. Also need help recommending a City. I have been to Medellin, Panama and liked them both but who here has done this and how has your experience been? Looking for a cheap city, easy to meet locals and travelers, safety is a concern as well being tampa is really safe and latin america isn't the best.

Post: #2

Don't think anyone on this forum has been to Colombia, Mexico or Latin America and written about it here so I guess you are out of luck about getting advice. I have a feeling Spanish might be useful though so I would look into learning some words before you go.

Post: #3

I didn't mean like a trip or week report, I meant something longer. Also people who have jobs or businesses in the USA, EU and drop it and move for a few months and live off some saved money. If the whole experience in and of itself is worth it. Right now I do travel there but only stay 4-7 days tops because of work and wanted to see who took the plunge and went all in. Also I feel it would probably get boring after a while but I watch certain you-tubers on Medellin who report of there day to day life and is pretty inspiring.

Post: #4

Use the search function.

Post: #5

(03-06-2019 08:30 AM)Fitman2018 Wrote:  I didn't mean like a trip or week report, I meant something longer. Also people who have jobs or businesses in the USA, EU and drop it and move for a few months and live off some saved money. If the whole experience in and of itself is worth it. Right now I do travel there but only stay 4-7 days tops because of work and wanted to see who took the plunge and went all in. Also I feel it would probably get boring after a while but I watch certain you-tubers on Medellin who report of there day to day life and is pretty inspiring.

I went all in, to Colombia/Panama, for four months, and I think about it nearly every day. Do it. Medellin and Bogota are best for long-term stays.
I can also recommend Santiago de Chile for living but you won't learn good Spanish there.
As said above, use the search function. There's a lot of info here.
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Post: #6

Is this JohnBozz? You've been to Colombia and Panama, liked them both but you're now asking questions about them?

Post: #7

(03-06-2019 07:09 AM)Fitman2018 Wrote:  Who here has lived abroad in another country like Colombia, Mexico, Panama, or somewhere in Latin America and loved it? I am trying to decide if it is worth taking some time off of work etc to try this out since you only live once. Also need help recommending a City. I have been to Medellin, Panama and liked them both but who here has done this and how has your experience been? Looking for a cheap city, easy to meet locals and travelers, safety is a concern as well being tampa is really safe and latin america isn't the best.

Living in Uruguay and loving it.

Uruguay is hard mode in just about every respect except for crime danger. There's crime, but it takes a lot of mistakes to become a target of crime.

As far as cost rents, not AirBNB but actual lease a place rents are cheaper than the US by far. Food trends more expensive than most places except for the beef which is cheap. Ham is surprisingly expensive as are milk, coffee, and peanut butter.

The accent is hostile to Anglophone ears and they talk fast with closed mouths (More northern Latinos tend to at least open their mouths to speak). There's a lot of slang inherited from Lundfargo when the Italian poor came over. Generally the accent and speech sounds more Italian than Spanish. During the high season there is a strong presence of tourists from Brasil adding yet another language, but once you get to speaking and decoding spoken Spanish in real time... getting the gist from a Portuguese speaker isn't too bad.

The Uruguayos also take their voseo and add some extra verb conjugations like tenés and querés to complicate things a bit.

That being said prep work loading up on vocabulary and verb conjugations helped. Loading up on more grammar first probably would have helped even more. Practicing with Spanish speakers at Home Depot didn't help much due to the tremendous difference in how the language sounds.

If you want to learn a portable Spanish you can take anywhere, the clearest accents run from Peru in the south through Colombia, Panama, and Venezuela in the North. There's also some pockets of nice accents in Central America.

There's plenty of information here on places. Latin America and Gringo America both have their dangers. Focus on looking for cities that have what you want and getting as much comfort speaking Spanish as you can before you get on the plane. You will be much more comfortable if you can understand some things than if you understand nothing.

Post: #8

Find a Latina in Tampa to practice with, study online or buy Pimsleur, then go to Colombia or wherever for a few months, consider taking a couple of weeks of classes, they help.

Post: #9

"Spanish with Paul" - is a fellow on youtube who can help you start off.

Check out his 10 part mini course. He has a lot of practical videos and it focuses on speaking.

For example, he will give you words like to say and then give you sentences his style is really good for beginners and very comfortable.

I lived in Mexico city for quite a while and it is a very livable city.

Depending on your bankroll you can live good and there is plenty to do in the city to keep you occupied.

If at some point you wanted to start earning money, teaching English online is a good option. If you have at minimum a TEFL cert and in some case a degree you are almost guaranteed a job. The reason I say teaching online because you get paid in USD and the schedule is more flexible.

You don't want to teach in Mexico because you earn in pesos and the salary is lower.

Mexico has ALOT of slangs and one word depending on the context can mean a lot of things. Check out this website and article
https://www.mylatinlife.com/blog/2016/2/...ingle-guys

He gives a good breakdown of learning Spanish in 5 different Latin countries. His blog in general "mylatinlife.com" Is a good wealth of knowledge and was an integral piece along with the search function here in helping me to finally take the leap to Mexico city.

Post: #10

How much can you make teaching online? where would I go to get more info? So basically I can live in any city in Latin America, teach english online even though my Spanish skills lack and get by? I don't spend a ton of money just a rent, food, going out here and there.

Post: #11

(03-15-2019 01:03 PM)Fitman2018 Wrote:  How much can you make teaching online?

where would I go to get more info? So basically I can live in any city in Latin America, teach english online even though my Spanish skills lack and get by? I don't spend a ton of money just a rent, food, going out here and there.

How much can you make online can vary.

The average for teachers is on the low end $15 and hour.

Some companies like VIP-kid are paying up $22 an hour online.

DadAbC pays average $17

Qkids $16.50

Did a quick google search
http://www.teachingeslonline.com/teach-e...t-started/

A good guide to give you an idea of what to expect. One caveat to keep in mind though is if you do teach online the biggest markets are in Asia which means early hours usually in the early A.M.

But there are companies that will hire you with more flexible hours.

Just imagine working 4 or 5 hours a day at the start of your day @ $15 an hour= $60-$75 a day and say you have two days off ever week.

So you only work 25 days out of the month you're looking at $1500-$1875 for the month and this is only working part times hours at 20-25 hours a week on the lower scale of $15...Imagine the possibilities with more.

There is a plethora of information out there.

I'm plugged into a several groups on facebook and have a-lot of resource I can share with you in PM.

More stuff to chew on, this guy "Dan" makes over $75,000 a year teaching english online to students in china with VIPkid.

He now focuses more on freelancing and independent teaching but the money is there.

https://eslauthority.com/teach/online/

Do you have a degree in any subject?

IF not there are ways around it.

Also these days getting a TEFL certificate is as easy as a $19-$29 on Groupon and the time to complete it.

Depending on the country you live in will vary on the Spanish needed.

Mexico city from experience very easy to adjust and live in with limited Spanish.

Even 2nd tier cities were manageable. Outside of the big cities you need Spanish for sure.

However many times I got by fine and even some lays thanks to the power of Google Translate.

One of my homies put me on to a new app called "I-translate" .
I think it's a few bucks a month but you pretty much just talk into the app and it translate in voice on the spot.

https://www.itranslate.com/

I can vouch for Mexico City and Guadalajara being easy to adjust with limited Spanish.

Also bigger cities like Panama city and even in costa rica San Jose and the other big one have moderate to good english levels.

However keep in mind as many "gringoes" have migrated to Panama city and Costa rica the prices are much higher then in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Colombia and some of the other LATAM countries.

Nicaragua is super cheap and so is Ecuador.

Chile and Uruguay while very far have there perks as well.

Not sure on the quality of women though.

IF you got some money in the bank take the leap, trust me you will not be disappointed.

Post: #12

Chilenas are nothing to write home about. Do not go to chile for the women.

Post: #13

Wow ok I definitely Have Medellin in the back of my mind it is just the general safety that I always get nervous about and the scopolamine stories. The other cities are Mexico city but I don't like the 40s and 50s at night I like Medellin's climate better. Panama is on my list but it is like you said more money. For what I am looking for and the lifestyle I can live I think it is hard to beat Medellin. No car needed, can teach english, still do real estate via "text now" and get a colombian sim card. If i ever did get drugged I can block my bank account for my time there so in other-wards no withdrawals can be possible even by me then take a card with maybe 4-5k on it just in case with withdrawal limits of $200-300 a day.

Post: #14

^^ I'd try to do some one on one tutor classes before you go. You can probably find a smart illegal who will help you for some cash in a coffee shop on craigslist. I did once a week for a couple of months before my first little tour down there and it made a big difference. Also, team that up with some sort of online learning, I used duolingo which helps with the vocab and to just reinforce. You want to be mentally learning it before you even go down there, plus it helps to get by, because there isn't much English in some of these locations.

Good to get a girl who speaks Spanish on your side. I Was lucky to date a fresh off the boat Venezuelan who couldn't speak a word of English, so we used to speak Spanish. It can be hard to get a girl to really help you once her English level is high, the natural thing is always to communicate in the language where both people can speak at a reasonable level.

Post: #15

(03-16-2019 12:38 AM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  Chilenas are nothing to write home about. Do not go to chile for the women.

Quoted for truth. Outside of its stunningly beautiful nature, Chile is the worst country I have been to in SA: Expensive, disgusting food and mediocre women.

Also, the Chilenos speak the ugliest Spanish on the planet. It sounds even worse than the shit they speak in Spain.

Post: #16

yea chile and expensive weather is chilly too. I like warm weather climates, another thing obviously Medellin Colombia has pretty girls but Mexico city cheap and has Argentina Women and Panama another good one but more money they have women from Venezuela as well!

Post: #17

(03-16-2019 04:28 PM)BoiBoi Wrote:  

(03-16-2019 12:38 AM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  Chilenas are nothing to write home about. Do not go to chile for the women.

Quoted for truth. Outside of its stunningly beautiful nature, Chile is the worst country I have been to in SA: Expensive, disgusting food and mediocre women.

Also, the Chilenos speak the ugliest Spanish on the planet. It sounds even worse than the shit they speak in Spain.

What cities did you stay in in chile? im currently in la serena and there is plenty of hot ass around here, as well as Arica and iquique. Its true that Chile is fucking expensive, but i dont find the women that bad. The hottest girl i smashed here on my south american trip was not colombian, nor venezuelan, nor argentinian etc, but chilean, from Arica. Havent made it down to santiago yet but ive heard its a pretty mediocre city.

Post: #18

(03-16-2019 05:16 PM)Cortés Wrote:  

(03-16-2019 04:28 PM)BoiBoi Wrote:  

(03-16-2019 12:38 AM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  Chilenas are nothing to write home about. Do not go to chile for the women.

Quoted for truth. Outside of its stunningly beautiful nature, Chile is the worst country I have been to in SA: Expensive, disgusting food and mediocre women.

Also, the Chilenos speak the ugliest Spanish on the planet. It sounds even worse than the shit they speak in Spain.

What cities did you stay in in chile? im currently in la serena and there is plenty of hot ass around here, as well as Arica and iquique. Its true that Chile is fucking expensive, but i dont find the women that bad. The hottest girl i smashed here on my south american trip was not colombian, nor venezuelan, nor argentinian etc, but chilean, from Arica. Havent made it down to santiago yet but ive heard its a pretty mediocre city.

I was working in Santiago for about half a year and went to visit a couple of other cites. Sure, there are hot Chilenas but the ratio isn't favorable. Especially considering the talent in Argentina, Colombia, etc. Factor in the price level and it's a hard pass for me.

However, if you are currently in Chile and into nature, I highly recommend that you visit Southern Chile (Valdivia, Pucon, etc.). Absolutely beautiful.

Post: #19

I did not read this entire thread based on your first post. USE THE SEARCH ENGINE! Look up Colombian master thread and/or other things you are looking to find out. Its already been posted about at least 100,000+ times

Post: #20

(03-16-2019 10:23 AM)Fitman2018 Wrote:  Wow ok I definitely Have Medellin in the back of my mind it is just the general safety that I always get nervous about and the scopolamine stories. The other cities are Mexico city but I don't like the 40s and 50s at night I like Medellin's climate better. Panama is on my list but it is like you said more money.

People have a misconception about how expensive Panama is. The majority of folks only pass through Panama City and are familiar with the costs there, but the rest of the country is considerably cheaper.

The area I live in is much cheaper, got decent infrastructure, great surfing, muchas playas, muchas chicas, turistas muy bonitas, and a gringo community that numbers about 300 - 400. You don't need a car to get around, a $50 bike will do. It's a very safe place, crime is minimal. It's also a fun place to live. The only real drawback is that it's a bit remote.

One of my tenants teaches English online to Chinese kids. He works 3 hours a day, 5 days a week and earns about $400 per week. He doesn't live lavishly, but that's more than enough for his rent, his daily outing to the pubs, he eats well, smokes weed daily, and never seems stressed. Another of my tenants simply collects his $1100 a month from Uncle Sam and has more than enough to buy his booze, meals, go on outings, and pay his rent.

Post: #21

^Where in Panama are you based?

Post: #22

(03-19-2019 12:32 PM)scotian Wrote:  ^Where in Panama are you based?

Bocas Del Toro (Isla Colon).

Post: #23

(03-06-2019 08:30 AM)Fitman2018 Wrote:  I didn't mean like a trip or week report, I meant something longer. Also people who have jobs or businesses in the USA, EU and drop it and move for a few months and live off some saved money. If the whole experience in and of itself is worth it. Right now I do travel there but only stay 4-7 days tops because of work and wanted to see who took the plunge and went all in. Also I feel it would probably get boring after a while but I watch certain you-tubers on Medellin who report of there day to day life and is pretty inspiring.

I'll be staying in Merida for 2 months. It'll be my first time out of state. Should be a good time. Heading out next week.

Post: #24

(03-19-2019 10:53 AM)Brother Abdul Majeed Wrote:  One of my tenants teaches English online to Chinese kids. He works 3 hours a day, 5 days a week and earns about $400 per week. He doesn't live lavishly, but that's more than enough for his rent, his daily outing to the pubs, he eats well, smokes weed daily, and never seems stressed. Another of my tenants simply collects his $1100 a month from Uncle Sam and has more than enough to buy his booze, meals, go on outings, and pay his rent.

Just imagine what YangBux could do!!! Move to a cheap country and live worry free!

#YangGang

Post: #25

I have to agree with the negative opinions about Chile. I am in Chile now for vacation (been here a few months).

A lot of things (not everything though) in Chile are shockingly more expensive than even Australia or New Zealand (but with worse quality). Chilean service is the worst of any country I have been to. Often times Chile feels like a developing country (for the bad quality of products and services, dirty, stray dog problem, etc) except with first world prices for a lot of things. Chilean food is garbage and so are the women (ugly and with bad attitudes). Also Chilean people are not that friendly (just my opinion feel free to disagree). The only good things about Chile is the nature/scenery, the roads are very good and it’s very safe. Crap food, crap architecture, crap women, crap culture (feels somewhat Americanised), expensive, crap service, half of the country has cold water at beaches thanks to the Humboldt current . Also the climate in the far south of Chile has a tendency to be too cold, windy and rainy (amazing scenery though and great for adventure sports).

As bad as Chilean girls are they are still not as bad as women in English speaking countries (again just my opinion).

Chile appears to be a good country to invest or do business (despite the beauracratic headaches and lazy incompetent employees).