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Antig ua, Guate mala - the ‘City o f Ete rnal Sp ring ’.

Antigua, Guatemala: City of the Eternal Spring

To be successf ul living in a sunny Latin American country, a good prerequisite would be to learn at leastthe basics of Spanish. So the f irst stop f or many, and the last stop f or some, is Antigua, Guatemala,known as the ‘City of the Eternal Spring’!

This beautif ul f irst stop (f or some) containsapproximately 50 Spanish language schools. Here youmay have a one-to-one language learning experiencecatered to your own individual needs by experiencedinstructors at bargain prices of approximately $5-8 perhour. Four hours per day, f ive days a week is thetypical schedule. Classes are enjoyable and mostschools have some evening or weekend activit ies.These include cultural tours, cooking classes and evensalsa lessons! I can say f rom experience that theSpanish spoken in Guatemala is some of the easiestto understand in all of Latin America. A largepercentage of students both young and old also takeadvantage of the home-stay option. For about $100 aweek you will have your own room with a middle-class f amily in a pleasant home and receive three mealsa day except on Sunday. This will give you a chance to practice Spanish and absorb some real culture.Survival Spanish can be learned in as litt le as two weeks, but f our to six weeks will put you atconversational level. Time will pass quickly with so much to see and do here and yes, there will behomework assignments!

The last stop f or some? When you see and experience what there is to of f er in the Antigua area, you willquickly understand why. Antigua is arguably the most beautif ul city in Latin America. An agreeable climateis high on the list f or most retirees and it doesn’t get any better than here in Antigua. At an elevation of1500 meters (5000 f t.), the temperature never goes below 50F or above 80F. Winter is the dry seasonand the summer-wet season is very tolerable with predictable af ternoon showers. Add colonialarchitecture combined with lush green vegetation surrounded by three volcanoes and you have anambiance unmatched anywhere in the world.

Antigua was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1979 and rightly so f or all the Spanish Baroquearchitecture and ruins contained within. Founded originally in 1543, Antigua once was the capital ofCentral America, rivaling both Mexico City and Lima, Peru in those days. The city reigned supreme until1717 when an estimated 7.4 magnitude earthquake destroyed more than 3000 buildings. Af ter anotherearthquake in 1773, the Spanish government decided to relocate the town to the present-day location ofGuatemala City in 1776. Because not everyone lef t the town, it was then ref erred to as ‘La AntiguaGuatemala’ (the old Guatemala).

Ok enough with history – let’s concentrate on the

Old trad itio ns b le nd se amle ssly with mo re mo d e rn o ne s inAntig ua.

Antig ua is Guate mala’s safe st c ity. Pe o p le walk mo ste ve rywhe re .

Ok enough with history – let’s concentrate on theAntigua of today. This smallish city of around 35,000people of mixed ancestry is the perf ect size f or bothcomf ort and convenience. The accommodations rangef rom backpacker hostels to one f ive-star hotel andeverything in-between. Well over 120 budget eateries,gourmet restaurants, and even street f ood providepractically every cuisine imaginable thanks to theamount of tourism and weekend visitors f rom thecapital. With Central America’s most cosmopolitancapital and an international airport only 45 minutesaway, the locals truly enjoy the best of both worlds.

Yes, you will truly see two worlds: the simple lif e of theindigenous people next to modern ways. And it isviewed comf ortably here in Guatemala’s saf est city.There is a sizeable expat population of well over 2000.There are various clubs and groups in the area of f ering comradery, activit ies and advice to newbees. Youwill see the natives walking around everywhere, especially at the huge local Mercado. Here is where onecan f ind most every household item alongside f resh f ruits, vegetables and meats of every variety. This isone of the reasons that lif e is so cheap here. If you don’t like wandering through aisle af ter aisle andbargaining with the locals, there is a nice litt le supermarket in town. People are surprised to learn that aWal-Mart is conveniently located on the edge of Guatemala City with a host of other US f ranchisedbusinesses f or the things unavailable in Antigua.

What is there to do? This is better answered by whatwould you like to do, since it is either here or nearby.There is even a 28- lane bowling alley in GuatemalaCity! One can participate in mild to strenuous hiking,biking and exploring. Golf courses, tennis, f ishing, birdwatching, (maybe you will see a Quetzal, the beautif ulnational bird and name of the local currency) andhorseback riding are on the list of outdoor activit ies.English- language cinemas, theater, music concerts,and throw in an occasional trip to the Pacif ic Ocean orthe Caribbean Sea and you will need time to rest in-between. And rest and relaxation here includes a hotspring resort and numerous spas. Some expats haveopened small businesses and others just enjoy givingsomething back to society by volunteering their t ime tohelp the many people in need.

Of course, cost of living questions top most peoples inquiries and $1000 US a month is the startingpoint f or a modest but comf ortable lif e f or one, make it $1500 f or two, although some do it f or less.Suitable accommodations start at $250 a month to well over $1000 depending on length of stay, distanceto the town center, f urnishings and size. Utilit ies are low since air conditioning is not needed and heat isseldom used if at all. Cable TV with some US channels and English programs is moderately priced alongwith high speed Internet service. Your f ood costs will be noticeably lower than in the USA. Although not awine-producing country, wines f rom around the world are available. Gallo, Guatemala’s national beer isworld-class, along with Botran Rum, and both are very reasonably priced. Did you know the best rum inthe world, Zacapa Centenario aged 23 years, is produced in Guatemala? You can also f actor in thatmedical and dental costs f rom English-speaking doctors are substantially lower here and healthinsurance is available.

Have you heard the old saying, ‘ It isn’t like the

Lo cal o rd inance s re g ard ing b uild ing s ize and s ig nag e arestric tly e nfo rce d , e nsuring that a small-to wn vib e re mains

intact.

Have you heard the old saying, ‘ It isn’t like thephotos’? Well, here it is and has been like that f orquite some time. Local ordinances are enf orced andpeople are not allowed to change the outwardsappearance of buildings or deviate f rom the localambiance. Businesses are not allowed large signs orany that hang outwards. They enf orce noiseregulations against unnecessary car horn use, but youmay still hear roosters in many parts of the city. Realestate prices have risen steadily f or the past twodecades driven by the inf lux of f oreigners and thewealthy of Guatemala City buying homes f orweekends and retirement. Myself , I have visitedGuatemala three times over the last 10 years and thechanges have been very subtle here. You will still beable to walk cobblestone streets, see colorf ul locals,enjoy Latin America’s largest Easter week pageantryand just generally enjoy an easy-going lif e. Now I will conclude by thanking you f or your t ime reading thisarticle with this link to my youtube presentation;

‘Antigua Guatemala – City of the Eternal Spring’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBEiVXEAVlU

Muchas Gracias – Hasta Luego!

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Making Money Abroad: Ways to Support Yourself Financiallyas an Expat

One of the most common excuses that people use f or not f ollowing their dreams of moving abroad isthat they can’t f athom how they could survive f inancially. Let me tell you,where there is a will, there is away. Millions of expats around the world, whether they have moved to a cosmopolitan city or a remoteisland, have f igured out how to make it happen. You can too, if you really want to.

One thing is important: keep an open mind. Just because you were an engineer bef ore does not meanyou are conf ined f or the rest of your lif e to only making a living at engineering. I know a past Hollywoodf ilm guy who currently designs and prints greeting cards to be sold in kioskosin South America. Myself , Iused to be a yoga teacher, and now I write and edit and guide in Patagonia. A past poet f riend is now anentrepreneur with a huge language school. A Hospice chaplain I know teaches scuba now. An ex marketingf riend runs an af ter-school non-prof it. An ex high school teacher I know now exports wine.

A move might be just what it takes to shed your old ways and take the leap to pursue something that youmay have always wanted to do, or maybe whimsy will take over and you will f ind your way downinteresting paths you never could have imagined.

There are several jobs one can do almost anywhere inthe world: headhunter, writer, graphic designer,copywriter, marketing consultant, photographer, artist,translator, virtual assistant, English teacher, dancer,website designer, coach, landlord, travel guide orjournalist. I know many people who buy art or craf ts intheir new country at a very low price, supporting thelocal artisans, and sell the products on Ebay to peopleall over the world. Use a f reelancing site like Elance orFreelancer to f ind projects that you can do online.

I put the word out through social media, asking f orexamples of what some expats do to survive f inancially.Here were some of the responses:

I have been overseas in Latin America forroughly 14 years. I started off as an impoverished tour guide,teacher and freelance journalist. Now, firmly established in Colombia for 7 years I started a hotel 5 yearsago (www.lacasaamarillamompos.com) and ran this alongside other jobs. I continue to write as a freelancerand indeed wrote the Michelin Green Guide to Colombia, do translating work and guide from time to time(you can see my writing travel, news and otherwise here: www.richardmccoll.com). They key for me was,finally, to stay put and stop moving from place to place which allowed me to actually set myself up as aserious working individual. – Richard McColl.

We are currently living in Mexico City since September ’12. We lived of f of savings and $200 monthly Iearned f rom doing f reelance f or my last employer in the states. As of Jan 21, I’m working at a call centerand making about $8,500 – $9,000 pesos a month, which is higher than the 5k pesos people usuallymake here. -Kim Claros

I’m constantly living/working abroad. To help finance the habit, I help facilitate the sale of popular – andoften luxury – goods that are cheaper in my current location to others around the world. Some examples:Prada handbags, iPads, and Rayban sunglasses. In Asia, those hot items are actually quite expensive inlocal stores. I’m part of a team that is building a global price comparison website (www.humuch.com). The

website is constantly being improved, as we test what works better. But, you can see what we are doing –trying to make pricing more visible to all.- Sarah Abuelona

I run an online tax business f or US expat and f oreign residents called onlinetaxman.com. That not onlyallows me to lif e in Buenos Aires, but it also happens to be the way I meet most of my clients – traveling.I not only love living abroad but also helping people with their unique and complex tax situations. Weof f er a f ree consultation and have helped hundreds of people. And of course, I don’t get taxed on 95k ofmy income. – VicenzoVillamena

It seems everyone always says, “Wow, you live in Mexico, I wish I could do that!” So this is how I live inGuadalajara, Mexico: I started a business, Spanish 2 English Translations, a translating and interpretingcompany. I work mostly from my computer at my apartment for clients in different parts of Mexico and theUnited States and can offer very competitive prices due to the fact that the cost of living is lower here. I dointerpreting for business travelers also and occasionally interpret at conferences and can say that althoughit isn’t always easy, I truly love what I do and love living in Mexico! My website iswww.spanish2englishtranslations.com. – Jennifer Nielson

I’m in Kingston, Jamaica. Not the most desirable place, but I love it, f or sooo many reasons. And becauseI have a f ull- t ime US salary, I live as I would in the US in a modern apartment up town and still maintainthings back in the US. I actually work a f ull t ime digital marketing job with a US-based company. Inegotiated a change in responsibility to meet an unmet need on my team.The only downside waseliminating work travel, but because I work completely f rom home I can live anywhere.I am currentlyworking on an ebook that outlines what I’ve done. I try to encourage people to not look at a 9 to 5 as ahindrance to your goals. Not everyone has to or wants to quit their job and sell everything to travel andlive abroad. In addition to my day job, I also do f reelance writ ing and marketing consulting. I’m buildingbusinesses to eventually negate my dependency on any company employing me. – April D. Thomspon,AbsoluteTravelAddict.com

I work for Luxury Branded <http://www.luxurybranded.com/>, a SEO/content marketing company thatspecialized in luxury. We provide SEO, content creation and marketing for global clients. For supportingmyself abroad, my company is based out of Vancouver, so all our business and finances are handled out ofthere, but I work remotely. I’ve finished school formarketing communications in 2011 and have just started totravel while I work. I just moved to Playa del Carmen and for any other expats or digital nomads wondering,the Internet has been pretty good to me here. Of course cafes, but also most restaurants and bars will letyou use their wifi as well. Pay-as-you-go data plans are also really cheap (compared to Canada). I use anew Lenovo Thinkpad that I love for travel because I have an extended battery, it has a non-glare screenwhich is better in brightlightor sun and it can take abuse. My favourite gadget I’ve brought is the AmpedWireless UA600 USB adapter http://www.ampedwireless.com/products/ua600.html This is vital if I’m stucksomewhere with a weak signal or if I just want to go to a beach club and still use the front beach beds andwifi at the same time.- Simon Gerard

I waitressed and bartended in the US f or three months, living with f amily, saving practically everything sothat I could f inally move to Argentina. I have enough to live of f of f or months here now, and in that t ime itis do or die…I have to f ind a way to sustain myself bef ore the money runs out or I will be on a plane backto the US. I just arrived last week and am already making connections all over the city. Even though it isscary to not have a set plan yet, it f eels much better than being in the US wishing, hoping, and wondering‘what if ’. At least I know I threw myself in the right direction and gave it a go. Had I tried to have everydetail f igured out bef ore I lef t, I never would have gotten to the point of actually getting on an airplane.Sometimes it ’s important to just leap.– K. Smith

No excuses. There are a million dif f erent ways that youcould make money abroad if living abroad is somethingthat you really want. The money situation is of ten usedas a crutch to keep people in their bubble of f ear sothey can think about expat lif e, but never actually haveto leave their comf ort zone (which, let’s be honest,

can’t be all that comf ortable if they are wanting to moveabroad so badly…).

I know a lot of people who have started lif e abroad withno more than a plane ticket and $1000, and who havef lourished. I am a single mom of three kids – many in mysituation would use that as reason of how they couldnever be able to move abroad. But really, had I stayed inthe states, I would have to work two jobs to keepaf loat a lif estyle that I did not even enjoy. In SouthAmerica, I can make ends meet through f reelance jobs,leaving tons of t ime to raise my kids.

Also, realize that your expenses will not be the same abroad as they are elsewhere. You may f ind thatyou can do without a lot of the things that you thought you needed bef ore. Those $5 lattes are greatand all, but abroad you may enjoy herbal tea with your neighbor even more. Your kids may not bug youf or a Mac computer or Abercrombie clothes if no one else in their class has those items. So when tryingto f igure out how much money you realistically need to make to get by, realize that some of yourincidental expenses may be much less than what you are used to.

Basically, open your mind, get creative, and f igure it out. Trust me, there are enough expats out therewith less skills and more expenses than you who are making it happen.

What have you managed to do to get by and support your expat lif estyle? Share a comment and showothers how it is possible to support yourself f inancially abroad!

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Custody and International Divorce – Getting Parenting TimeAbroad of my US Citizen Children

Ever had those moments when you thought ‘How the hell did my lif e ever end up like THIS?’

Let’s just say that the last year and a half of my lif e has been one long moment like that.

To sum up where I came f rom: I married the guy who I had dated since I was 18. We had three amazingchildren together, and I had the luxury of being able to be a stay-at-home mom since the day my eldestwas born. We were the couple who gave every f riend we had hope that marriage could actually be alasting, good idea. Sorry, f riends…I won’t say it is not possible, but it ’s saf e to say that I can no longerat this point be your poster girl f or f airy tale marriages.

In January of 2009 we sold or gave away everything – the cars, the obnoxiously big house f ull ofpossessions somehow accumulated over the years. We bought one way tickets to Argentina, intent onbreathing lif e back into ourselves once again, as we had somehow f ound ourselves the epitome ofchecked-out suburban America and we were determined that would not be our style f or a second longer.On an individual level, I thrived in Patagonia, as did the kiddos. I was happy, alive, vibrant, living a dream.For the f irst t ime in a long time, I had the opportunity to slow down and truly check in with myself – and Irealized what I had probably known deep down f or a while. My marriage was not a happy one any longerand was not healthy f or me to stay in.

I was determined to stay f riends. We would be that modern day divorced couple who gets it right,ef f ortlessly staying in each others’ lives with grace, celebrating, enjoying and appreciating the other moreaf ter divorce than during marriage (it all sounds so strange now in hindsight, seeing where we actuallyended up). I moved to a dif f erent town with the kids; he brought us all to the bus station and sent us of fwith hugs and love. The next nine months were turbulent as we tried to adapt to the new arrangement.When his parents of f ered to buy the kids round trip t ickets to visit Michigan f or a f ew weeks to see all oftheir extended f amily (the kids had not been back to the US f or two years), I f igured it would be a goodbreak f or the kids, a relaxing, f un treat where they could go back and get spoiled f or a bit.

Long story short: a f ew days bef ore their return f light,

Humo r me he re . Re le ve nt p ho to s we re no t e asy to find fo rthis artic le , so just p re te nd that o ne flag is Arg e ntina and

o ne is the US, o kay?

Long story short: a f ew days bef ore their return f light,my ex got on a plane to the US, never put the kids ontheir return f light, immediately enrolled them in schoolin Michigan, and thus established a sense of physicalcustody in the eyes of Michigan law. Saf e to say Ididn’t see that one coming. This had been my bestf riend and lover f or 14 years, someone whom my kidsto that day had idolized.

I got on a f light to go back to Michigan, to basicallysay ‘what the @!*?’ I guess he had decided that if I didnot want to be with him, there was no reason f or himto stay in Argentina to sit there and watch me becomehappier and happier. He wanted to move back.Understandable, and I would have supported him if hewanted to move back – but with three kids together, anarrangement had to be made that worked f or ALL ofus, not just him. His demeanor was calm, rational. Wegot to the point where we were civil enough to take thekids skiing together, and I even celebrated Christmasat his parent’s house. He showed promise of the guy Iused to know so well and trust so much. We made an arrangement that he would have the kids a coupleof more months until summer, then send them down to me in Argentina f or 6 months. From then, wewould do six months, six months. It seemed f air and the kids were happy. I was content that we were ableto work out an arrangement between ourselves like two grown adults, an arrangement that tookeveryone’s needs and desires into consideration.

You might have seen it coming (you are brighter than I was…), but I got played.

Fast f orward, and the only thing I ever got sent to me in Argentina were divorce papers, with himdemanding f ull legal and physical custody. Silly me, but I thought that the only t ime that anyone wouldstand a chance at getting f ull custody f rom a mom would be if she was a crack head, violent, or simplydid not want her kids. This shit just does not happen to moms who bake cookies and still sing lullabies atnight to their pre-teen.

It took me one interview at the Friend of the Court’s of f ice to realize what I was up against. I was upagainst a husband who had spent a year f iguring out how to work the court system to his advantage. Hehad done everything ‘right’. He had the kids in a great school and lived at home with his very church-goingparents, he had stable income. He became SuperDad on paper, while mom was now a travel writergallivanting around ‘third-world’ Argentina. I bawled f or hours the day I saw that in writ ing, the f ather ofmy kids had said I had consciously abandoned our children and that I had never had any intention ofseeing them again when I got on a plane to Argentina. That he never said he would send them back f orthe six month/ six month plan. In my opinion, that is the lowest, cruelest lie he could have conjured up. Hehad a lawyer, he had done his homework, and he had money; I had integrity, the support of my kids, and apossibly naive trust in the universe that it would not let this happen.

A f ull year in court later (during which I moved in with my parents at the age of 34, leaving my work,house, and lif e in Argentina f ar behind and got to see my kids only on weekends, as he had f ull custody),the judge ruled that my ex had in f act had moved the kids overseas deceitf ully, and that it was in the kidsbest interests to be with me in Argentina. I was awarded f ull physical custody of my children and thepermission to move my kids anywhere in the world I see f it. I am raising a well-deserved glass of Malbecto myself af ter that battle.

I admit I did some things not very ideally throughout the process. If by writ ing this I save a mom or a dadout there the heartache of having to go through what I did, if they can identif y red f lags and takepreventative action to not end up in the posit ion that I ended up in, then this has all been worth it.

Things I would do differently had I known then what I know now (also known as: do as I say, not

as I did):

1. I would have written down and documented absolutely everything – conversations, agreements. Somuch about the kids’ original trip back to the US, or arrangements about their return to Argentina,had been done over skype or by phone and could not be used in court.

2. I would have let more f riends and more f amily know how bad things actually were. I am more privateand also did not want to create any more f amily drama than what I was dealing with. I wanted tokeep everything calm and on the down-low. Looking back, this led to me f eeling too many times likeit was me against the world, with no one who really f ully knew my situation or the details of what Iwas going through. I spent too many nights crying myself to sleep, worried, when had I just openedup more, I could have had support and hugs and patient, listening ears on all sides.

3. I never would have thought that I could represent myself in court. When I f irst got back to the US,through f inancial desperation I thought my only choice was to represent myself . Having a skilledlawyer in the end, I f eel, made all the dif f erence. It is expensive, stupidly expensive…but there is noprice one would not pay to get their kids back. Court is unf ortunately an overwhelming system, andyou have to have someone who knows how to navigate the system well. It ’s like attempting to goout to sea during a brutal storm with no boating experience – wouldn’t you f eel much saf er with acompetent captain?

4. Hindsight is everything, of course. But I would caution anyone going through a separation or adivorce, no matter how much they think they can trust their partner, no matter how much theybelieve that nothing bad would happen, to not let their kids leave whichever country they are livingin without accompanying them personally and getting any arrangement in writ ing. If you areoverseas, once your kids hit US soil, the game changes. It isthen impossible to get them of f USsoil without the other parent’s permission, or a court order (which took me over a year to get…)

5. I would have been the one who f iled f or divorce f irst. At the time that I separated, I did not want toof f icially f ile and go to court, as I thought there was nothing that we could not have worked outbetween the two of us. I thought that me f iling f or a legal divorce getting custody in writ ing wouldhave wrecked any chance of us having an amicable separation in which we f igured out our f amilymatters on our own – without some judge telling us what our lives should look like. In the end, Iended up being the def endant, constantly having to def end millions of details in a way that he asthe plaintif f who had ‘established’ physical custody did not.

Things that helped me throughout the process to win the case:

1. My kids are articulate, f eisty, and have been raised to not take shit f rom anyone. They stood upf or what they wanted. I happened to luck out and get a judge who took the time to listen to themand to value their insight and opinions. And instead of just a Friend of the Court interview, my 10year old daughter, through her outspoken, stubborn ways, f ought so that a court appointedcounselor worked with the kids to understand the situation more. Whereas FOC took 20 minutesto assess our f amily situation and the desires of the kids, and made their parenting timerecommendation based on that, the counselor interviewed them in depth over the course of 6weeks. The kids had time to make their desires truly known in a conf idential setting, and to tell theirside of the story, all while never having to step f oot incourt. Some people crit icized my allowing thekids to participate, saying it would traumatize them – but my kids f elt empowered doing so. To nothave been given a voice would have made them f eel like helpless victims – and they proved to bethe most convincing allies I could have hoped f or to have on my side.

2. The judge ruled that because the kids, while in Michigan, had always kept a strong psychologicalattachment to me and their lif e in Argentina, and had always thought they were moving back soon,that a true physical custody situation in the US had not ever been established – as psychologicalattachment to a place has to be taken into consideration. This was a huge f actor in my court case.I could show through Facebook messages showing what colors they wanted me to paint their roombef ore they returned, emails f rom my daughter looking into the horse she wanted to rent inArgentina, etc, that the kids always believed that they would be returned to Argentina, and that theyheld as much emotional attachment to their home there as they did their new environment with their

dad.

3. My ex basically self -destructed half way through the court process. UpstandingSuperDadgotcharged with some very serious crimes. While he couldn’t have this used against him in custodymatters until he was actually convicted, it couldn’t have exactly helped his case. His lawyer also quiton him towards the end, leaving him to represent himself in court. Had he kept it togetherthroughout the entire court process, I would have had an even more uphill battle. So while this isnothing that you can plan in advance, keep hope. Always. It ’s not over until it ’s over, and you neverknow when the winds are going to unexpectedly turn in your f avor.

4. I had a badass lawyer who believed in me and what I wanted to do. In the beginning, I interviewedmany lawyers, and would not give any permission to represent me. If they in their heart did notpersonally believe it was a posit ive thing f or my kids to return to Argentina, how on earth could Iexpect them to be able to sell that plan to a judge? Others tried to get me to settle f or what theythought was possible…I could probably get custody, but I should agree to stay in the US. No. No.And no. Settling f or mediocrity just because someone else did not believe I could get more doesnot work f or me. My kids and I dream big and go af ter what we want, not what we (or, heavenf orbid, someone else) think we should settle f or. I f inally got a lawyer who believed in me andwhose idea of ‘possible’ was much more expanded than most. And here we are – f ull custody withcourt permission to live anywhere in the world we want (something a thousand people told me Iwould never realistically get. I say screw ‘realistic’ and go af ter what it is you really want, makingsure to surround yourself by people who support you).

If anything, I want anyone going through a crazy international custody issue to know that you are notalone. When I f irst started the process, I honestly f elt like I was the only one in the world who had to dealwith some of these issues. My advice to you – reach out to others who have walked the path bef ore you.Never settle f rom the get-go f or less than what it is that you really want. Do your homework (meaningdon’t rely on your lawyer f or everything – take some matters in to your own hands – try to f ind previouscourt rulings, anything, that could help your case. What is at stake is too important to not try to help inany way that you can). Make all important decisions f rom a place of love, not f ear. Most importantly, don’tlose hope. Ever.I f eel that an overall stubbornly posit ive attitude has gotten me f urther in this court casethan almost any other thing (I personally think that the universe conspires to support those who dreambig and believe in its goodness), and a posit ive attitude made the day-to-day journey in the end more ofan interesting learning adventure and less like sheer hell. As Winston Churchill said, “For myself I am anoptimist – it does not seem to be much use being anything else”.

Have you had any experience with international custody issues? I would love to hear your story. Pleasef eel f ree to write in to cathy@escapeartist.com to share your story privately, or leave a comment heref or others to connect with you.

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Family Travel in Spain: One Family’s Story of how “Traveliving” Changed their Lif e

escapef ro mamerica.co mhttp://www.escapefromamerica.com/2013/03/family-travel- in-spain-one-family’s-story-o f-how-“traveliving”-changed-their-life/

Kse nija and he r d aug hte r So fia

What was sup p o se d to b e just a vacatio n o f sun and fun o nthe b e ache s o f Sp ain turne d into a l i fe -chang ing

e xp e rie nce .

Family Travel in Spain: One Family’s Story of how“Traveliving” Changed their Life

Traveling with litt le kids is not something that many people would consider an easy and f un way to spendholidays. For a long time I was among those who think that holidays can’t be truly relaxing if you bring atoddler with you. I imagined myself lying by the pool with a piña colada in my hands, not running aroundthe beach trying to catch my 3 year old daughter who would be busy eating pebbles. My perspectivechanged all of a sudden when my f amily decided to take a long trip to Spain.

How did it all start?

Until September of 2012, both my husband and I worked 8 to 5 inthe of f ice while our daughter Sof ia was going to kindergarten. Wegot used to seeing her only f ew hours in the morning and f ewhours in the evening, bef ore bedtime. There seemed to be nothingwrong with that. Everyone lives like this, right?! But then one dayIstumbled upon an article about ‘traveliving’. This word comes f roma combination of “travel” and “living” and promotes the beauty off amily travel around the world. I got very inspired by this idea anddecided that this was exactly what we need. We started to slowlyprepare the “platf orm” and in September 2012 lef t our of f ice workto head of f to Valencia, Spain.

What were we expecting?

A 3-month trip to Valencia was planned like a long-term holiday. We wanted to enjoy our t ime on thebeach and in this beautif ul city and work a bit on the Internet. No big expectations! Just lots of sun andf un.

What we got?

A trip that was supposed to be a holiday turned out tobecome a lif e-changing experience. First of all, it wasabout our f amily. Back home we used to see eachother quite lit t le due to all the work and everydayroutine. In Valencia we f inally were alltogether f or 24hours a day, 7 days a week. We started to really studyeach other, get to know how to deal with each otherwhen there was no “escape”, learn how to respect theinterests of each member of our f amily, including litt leSof ia. Our lif e in Valencia was a 3 month long f amilyteam building session and in the end we got close toeach other like never bef ore!

The other posit ive result was that getting out of therut af f ected us a lot in avery unexpected way. First ofall, it turned out to be much easier to establish newpositive habits when you’re away f rom your usual environment and lif estyle. My husband started joggingin the morning and studying a f oreign language and I f inally f ound the time to do yoga and make craf tprojects with our daughter.

Enjo ying fre e time at the La Ciud ad d elasArte s y lasCie ncias in Vale ncia

Kse nija and he r husb and b o th fo undwe llsp ring s o f cre ativity within the m o nce

the y b e g an to s lo w d o wn and re ally take inlife .

So many new experiences, a new pace of lif e and newacquaintances along with more f ree time had an astonishing ef f ecton the creative part of our characters. I never ever thought aboutwrit ing a book bef ore, but in Valencia I had so many sources ofinspiration that it was very natural to sit and write everything down.Now my book is about to get published and I’ve already started anew one. My husband has also started some art projects that Inever thought he could do.

.

.

So, what’s the conclusion?

Taking a long term trip with your kids is an amazing, once in alif etime experience that benef its each and every part of your lif e. Iperf ectly understand that it ’s not easy to f ind the time f or such ajourney, but the f amily unif ication, new sources of inspiration aswell as a new outlook on yourself and the world are def initelyworth trying!

KsenijaRostova is a writer, blogger and passionate traveler. Followher family’s adventures, get useful travel tips and read inspirationalstories on her blog traveling365.com

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escapef ro mamerica.co mhttp://www.escapefromamerica.com/2013/03/implementing-organic-farming-methods-in-hungary-proud-to-not-fit- into-the-culture/

Whe re as trad itio nal custo m said to harve st the g rass twicep e r ye ar, we challe ng e d that no tio n and le t the o ve rly

stre sse d land re st…rais ing e ye b ro ws o f the ne ig hb o rs.

Implementing Organic Farming Methods in Hungary: Proudto Not Fit Into the Culture

If you don’t f it in, chances are you stand out. So standup and be proud that as an expat you leave onecountry behind and enter another with a set of belief s,values and ideals that are worldly in origin.

It isn’t crucial and it certainly shouldn’t be expected toblend into tradit ional customs as a f oreigner. Attendceremonies and events with an open mind, showrespect f or the new culture you are immersed in, but itis not necessary to replace it with your own. Localsmay or may not be interested in your history,knowledge or thoughts – that is no reason to keepquiet or blend into the shadows. Perhaps there is alesson inside of you that your heart is ready to share.

To be dif f erent may be considered novel, take it in agood or bad way. In our case my husband and Ihappened to raise eyebrows on the southeastern plains of Hungary by bringing with us our deeply-rooted love of nature and the realized importance of organic f arming in the region we chose tohomestead.

Af ter two summers of drought, watching the water level drop in our well to just the height of our bucketand the f armers around us pumping thousands of gallons af ter gallons to irrigate their polyhouse crops,we thought to ourselves there has to be a better way. Not that we f ound the perf ect way by any means,but we did f ind a solution that f its in with the hot, dry summers of the puszta.

Putting in a multi-species grassland was the best thing we could do f or the land to minimize erosion ofthe sandy soil. It was met with skepticism, of course, as most locals are growing a rotation of corn,wheat and oats. The kicker f or on- lookers was that last year, in the worst drought in seven years of ourlif e on the homestead, we didn’t scythe the pasture twice, in f act we did not scythe it at all! We let thegrass seeds ripen on the stalks so they could f all to the soil when the time was right. Come f all, someseeds would germinate, f illing in the gaps and continuing to grow the sparse pasture. Traditional customsays to harvest twice, once in late spring, the other in early f all, but this does not take into account theof f season or the changing climate. Weather does not keep the same schedule every year and neithershall we. Next year the pasture will be lush and ready f or grazing, simply because the land was allowed torest during its t ime of stress. Challenging agricultural customs is a dif f icult situation to tackle the worldover, yet we must keep returning to it until we f ind patterns that work with the unf olding of each year.

Slowing down to the speed of nature of ten keeps our reality in check.

Adding even more value to the landscape, we built a living f ence over the course of many months andyears. It was called “flancos” (meaning ritzy) by our neighbor and a worker of his said outright that “itdoesn’t belong.” It didn’t belong to where and to whom?

The concept of a “living f ence” or hedge exists all throughout the world, yet it is virtually unknown in theregion we call home. It provides not only artistic beauty, but a haven f or insects f lying f rom f lower tof lower, season to season. It provides birds, hedgehogs and small mammals a place to seek ref uge and

A b o rd e r d o e s no t have to b e mad e o f wo o d o r sto ne – wep ut in a l iving fe nce , which attracts much ne e d e d re fug e to

the lo cal wild life that o the r co nve ntio nal ag riculturalp ractice s in the are a surp re ss.

perhaps even a saf e place to nest. Lilacs blossom, currants and black thorns bear f ruit – the f ence isbreathing lif e. It attracts a much needed wildlif e to the local community that conventional agriculture of tensuppresses.

Catering to some open-minded local individuals, myhusband and I have hosted a cooking class f rom ourf arm to introduce hearty and healthy dishes f romother nations f ar and near. At weekly meetings wecooked everything f rom moussaka to barbequed ribsto spicy borscht and back again. To give things a spinwe even included two weeks of gluten-f ree recipes,something that def ies the Hungarian cuisine alltogether. Think breads and pastries, pasta dishes andbreaded meats, all things f loury and good. There areso many alternatives to a wheat-based diet, we hadnot the time to explore them all!

Last summer we also hosted an af ternoon workshopin our garden about eating f rom the wild. It was meantas a teaser, an eye opener to introduce the manynative plants that go unseen, walked over or that areplainly called weeds. From our organic garden andaround our home we identif ied and collected thirty- f ive kinds of plant leaves, f lowers and stems toinclude in a harmonious wild salad to be shared by us all.

We must all learn to think in patterns if we are to live well with the native environment and with oneanother.

As we live and as we travel in a sustainable f ashion, we hope to change minds, to make peoplethoughtf ul – if even f or a moment – about how lif e could be dif f erent, more f ulf illing and def initelyhappier.

Cheryl Magyar is a sustainable life designer and expat who homesteads on 13 sunny acres with herhusband Roland and their cheerful daughter Csermely. Find them on handcraftedtravellers(http://www.handcraftedtravellers.com) blog where they share their tips for simple living at home and away,as well as on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/handcraftedtravelers) for inspirations on simplicity andliving a natural life.

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escapef ro mamerica.co mhttp://www.escapefromamerica.com/2013/03/italy-the-most-beautiful-churches-and-cathedrals-in-flo rence/

Il Duo mo has what is arg uab ly the mo sto rnate flo o r yo u may e ve r se e .

The Flo re nce Bap tis te ry is o ne o f the o ld e st co nse crate dstructure s in Flo re nce , and we ll into the 19th ce ntury was

the o nly p lace that lo cals wo uld b ap tize the ir yo ung .

Italy: The Most Beautiful Churches and Cathedrals inFlorence

Florence is the capital of Tuscany and is enjoyed by an estimated 1,685,000 tourists every year. Manytravel to Florence to snap a f ew pictures of Michelangelo’s David at the Galleria dell’Accademia or thebreathtaking square at the Piazza della Signoria. If you’re planning an inaugural tour of Florence, setaside a healthy chunk of your t ime in this amazing city to tour its many breathtaking cathedrals andchurches. Here are just a f ew:

Il Duomo

Constructed in the 13th century to honour Santa Maria del Fiore, IlDuomo is probably the most beloved and photographed cathedralin Florence; however, the cathedral’s most striking f eature, amagnif icent dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, wasn’t addeduntil the 15th century. The f irst thing you’ll notice while admiringthe exterior are the beautif ul hues of the green, white and pinkmarble; however, so you don’t wilt in the heat, enter the structure,which is much cooler, to view its impressive interior. Of note insidethe structure is the largest piece of artwork, a f resco created inthe 16th century by artist Giorgio Vasari entit led “Last Judgment.”Many don’t realize that although the original artwork was designedby the f amed master, the actual painting was completed by hislesser-known pupil, Frederico Zuccari, in the late 1570s. Bef oreyou leave Il Duomo, don’t f orget to snap a picture of what isarguably the most ornate f loor you’ll ever see.

Florence Baptistery

Mere f ootsteps away f rom Il Duomo, you’ll f ind anotherimpressive cathedral, the Florence Baptistery. Theexact origin of the Baptistery of St. John isn’t well-documented; however, legend has it the structure wasbuilt over a f allen Roman temple constructed in honorof the Roman god Mars. One of the oldestconsecrated structures in Florence, the baptistery wasthe only church Catholics living in the city used tobaptize their young until well into the 19th century.Bef ore entering the structure, note the three largedoors f ound on three of the baptistery’s f our sides.The oldest door is f ound on the south wall andf eatures a f amous depiction of St. John’s lif e that wascreated by 14th-century artist Andrea Pisano.

The Basilica of the Holy Cross

One of Florence’s lesser-known cathedrals, theBasilica di Santa Croce, or the Basilica of the Holy Cross, is once

This is the final re sting p lace o fMiche lang e lo , Gali le o , Machiave ll i and

Ro ssini.

This d e sig n o f this Go thic cathe d ral s tand s o ut amo ng there st.

Basilica di Santa Croce, or the Basilica of the Holy Cross, is onceagain within walking distance of the f amed Il Duomo. Known to thelocals as the Temple of the Italian Glories, the structure is thef inal resting place of many f amous Italian artists and cit izens,including Michelangelo, Galileo, historian and philosopher NiccoloMachiavelli and composer Gioachino Rossini. Although considereda “minor” cathedral, The Basilica of the Holy Cross is actually thelargest Franciscan church in Italy and f eatures severalbreathtaking f rescoes by f amed Italian artist Giotto.

Santa Maria Novella

Originally intended f or use as a convent, it won’t be hard to missthe Church of Santa Maria Novella’s striking f acade. The creationof Leon Battista Alberti and Fra Jacopo Talenti, the contrast ofthe black-and-white marble helps make this Gothic church standout f rom the more stately, subdued cathedrals in Florence. If youcan pull yourself away f rom snapping pictures of the church’samazing exterior, head inside to witness many of the beautif ulworks of art that were actually conceived and created inside thestructure. Many have been removed and are now displayed inmuseums across Italy, including the Uf f izi, but there still manyexamples to enjoy.

Church of San Lorenzo

The original structure now called the Church of SanLorenzo was consecrated in A.D. 393, making it one ofthe oldest buildings still standing in Florence. Themajority of what now stands was built by FilippoBrunelleschi in 1419 as a burial site f or the Medicif amily, one of Italy’s most controversial bloodlines andthe patrons of several f amous artists, includingMichelangelo.

Aside f rom being a culturally enriching way to spend anaf ternoon in Florence, visit ing some of the city’soldest, most well-known and architecturally stunning cathedrals is also very economical, as many arecompletely f ree. Luckily, there are also several inexpensive, f abulous accommodations in Florence justwaiting f or you to enjoy and rest your weary f eet.

About the Author: Jackson Sampson is a guest blogger and frequent traveler to Italy. Jackson recentlycompleted a series of blog posts aimed at helping first-time travelers visit Florence and Venice for less.

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escapef ro mamerica.co mhttp://www.escapefromamerica.com/2013/03/this-gringo-travels-blogger-explains-his-expat-country-selection-process/

“This Gringo Travels” Blogger Explains His Expat CountrySelection Process

To know where I’m going, know where I’ve been

I, too, once had a dream. My dream was to simply retire f rom the military, own my own litt le redneck bar,and drink and sing karaoke till my heart’s content; hopef ully having been wise enough with my money thatI didn’t need to concern myself with running of f the customers who didn’t like my horrible singing. Thatdream came to an abrupt end when I returned f rom combat and was rudely inf ormed by some litt le snot-nosed shithead that I couldn’t smoke in bars anymore.

I suf f ered through several more years in the military until I had grown f ully disillusioned by thebureaucracy, red tape, and success def ined by ass-kissing instead of results and perf ormance. I startedgetting involved in polit ics only to f ind out just how corrupt that game really was. I returned to mychildhood home to f ind that even though people were f riendlier, they were just as miserable as everyoneelse. Finally, af ter years of trying to f igure out what I was going to do with my lif e, I decided it would bebetter to move someplace where I was comf ortable than to try to make the place I was living comf ortable.Thus began the search…

Selection process part 1: Freedom and Free Markets

I knew that I wanted a place where f ree markets existed. Whether this came in the f orm of a true f reemarket or a f ree black market didn’t really matter to me as much as avoiding places that weresuccessf ully stunting growth with overbearing regulation. The general idea was that if they were able tostunt the f ree market, stunting f reedom was inevitable, which would naturally lead to only criminals beingf ree.

This ruled out most of the U.S., Western Europe and the rest of the declining economic powers. So Idirected my attention towards the growing economies. Southeast Asia, Af rica, Eastern Europe, the MiddleEast, and Latin America all have great opportunit ies, especially with the rapid rate of technologyimprovements and intellectual mobility.

Selection process part 2: Violence and Polit ics

The next step was to look at current geo-polit ical situations. The Middle East f or Americans? It can bedone, but you’ll be looking over your shoulder constantly.

Asia has some great things going f or it, but there are a f ew countries there that are on the verge of waron a daily basis. While China is leading the world in opening its markets, it ’s still leading the world instomping on its cit izens. India and Pakistan are barely holding each other at bay f rom nuclear disaster.Vietnam isn’t exactly pro-American. The Philippines are engulf ed with religious violence.

Af rica is the epitome of polit ical instability with no end in sight. The so called Arab Spring is only thebeginning of a new wave of regional instability as f ar as I can tell. South Af rica is destroying its naturalresources as quickly as it ’s polit ically convenient. The Sub-Saharan region is a cauldron of terrorism invarious f orms.

Now, I’m f ully aware that there is no region on earth that is f ree of turbulence, but these three regions inparticular are so ripe with problems that it has a signif icant impact on the lives of almost everyone there.The other problem is that I could never come close to f itt ing into any of these three regions. I couldn’twalk down the street without being recognized as a f oreigner no matter how well I assimilated if I chose.

Af t e r a lot of t hought , e xpat sight s we re se t onLat in Ame rica.

Selection process part 3: Quality of Life and Mobility

These two concepts play together so closely that I can’t break them apart. Weather and environmentwere signif icant considerations. While Af rica and Asia both have places with great weather and land, theyare not in abundance and it would f urther reduce my options. If there’s a place with great weather in theMiddle East, I must have f lown over it because I sure never drove through one. This sealed those threeregions’ f ate f or me.

Eastern Europe also isn’t well-known f or its weather. Most of my memories of Eastern Europe involvegreat summers and putting socks on parts of my body they weren’t meant f or in the winter. There are ofcourse some nice Mediterranean wonders, but I’m limited in options again and they’re not exactlyeconomically stable at the moment. The other problem I had with Eastern Europe was the multitude oflanguages. In order to have any real mobility I would have to learn dozens of languages. I’m just not thatsmart.

Conclusion: Latin America

Latin America has real economic potential, deeply-rootedmoral structure, lots of countries with great weather thatspeak Spanish, and just enough real problems to keep thegovernments gainf ully employed without f ear mongering andoppressing their people. There are also parts of LatinAmerica with a heavy enough European inf luence that Icould move to without sticking out horribly, and a diversityof great climates is available. While certain countries maynot be ultra American-f riendly, most highly encouragetourism and immigration.

At the time of this writ ing, I have about three months and 5countries under my belt in Latin America. This is hardlyenough to make any sort on complete decisions, but myexperiences thus f ar are very encouraging. There have beena couple countries I’ll be happy if I never step f oot in again,and a couple that I can’t wait to get back to.

You’re encouraged to get involved as this gringo travelsthrough Latin America in search of the greenest pastures. www.thisgringotravels.com

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escapef ro mamerica.co mhttp://www.escapefromamerica.com/2013/03/expats-review-your-international-moving-company-for-a-chance-to-win-150/

Expats: Review Your International Moving Company For aChance to Win $150

Our friends at GoodMigrationswebsite put out customerreviews of their experiences with moving companies. Somany of us nowadays would not think of booking a hotelwithout checking Trip Advisor – so why wouldn’t we wantthe inside scoop when it comes to entrusting someonewith moving all of our personal belongings overseas?Help the global expat community find and use trustworthymoving companies. Submit your review form with youropinion, good or bad, on whichever moving company youhave used in the past. One of our readers who fills out areview before March 31, 2013 will win $150USD!

Af ter the f rustrations my wif e and I encountered tryingto f ind a reputable international mover f or our relocation f rom New York City to Sydney, Australia, wecreated GoodMigrations as a place to collect real customer reviews of international movers. Our goal isto help people moving abroad easily f igure out who the reputable moving companies are.

Since we started the site, we’ve gotten reviews detailing a whole range of dif f erent experiences. Here’s asampling:

The good…

“I had to keep my belongings in storage f or longer than the init ially predicted two weeks. The moverswere very understanding and didn’t make me pay f or the extra t ime.” -Lea, who moved f rom the UnitedKingdom to China

“Excellent service and no damage.” -Evan, who moved f rom Portugal to Switzerland

“I have nothing but good things to say. Everything was straightf orward — they showed up exactly whenthey said they would, the f inal bill was exactly what the quote was, our stuf f arrived in Norway exactlywhen it was supposed to (to the day, I think!), and not one thing broke.” -Mike, who moved f rom the U.S.to Norway

The bad…

“It did take much longer than I had anticipated considering I was paying f or air f reight. They were alsoslow to pick up the items f rom Canada. But it all got here in one piece, to my door, in the end.” -Allison,who moved f rom Canada to the United Arab Emirates

“The quote was much higher than quoted, and the company was unable to substantiate the reasons whyit was so much higher.” -Teresa, who moved f rom the U.S. to Australia

And the ugly…

“My main complaint was that the quote I received was nowhere near the price they charged me, eventhough I was very precise in detailing the amount of f urniture I had to move. I did not expect the quote tobe exact, but the price ended up being over by almost half of the price I was quoted. Furthermore, theycould not tell me where the extra charge was coming f rom since I did not f orget one item. To add to myf rustration the customer service was horrendous. The manager was conveniently ‘out of the of f ice’

every time I called to discuss the charge. I ended up having to drop the matter because every day I waitedf or the manager to ‘call me back’ they ref used to deliver my stuf f . I f inally paid the charge and droppedthe issue because I needed to have my f urniture delivered and there was no telling how long the managerwould be out of the of f ice.” -Jon, who moved f rom the U.S. to Canada

These reviews help others moving abroad make an inf ormed decision about who to hire. If you movedabroad and used a mover, now is your chance to pay it f orward and help the global expat community —and anyone who submits a review by March 31, 2013 will be entered f or a chance to win USD $150!

Adam Vagley is co-founder of GoodMigrations (https://GoodMigrationsHelps.com), where anyone movingabroad can find international movers, read customer reviews, and get tips from the comprehensive movingguide. Adam and his wife were inspired to launch GoodMigrations after their experience moving from NewYork City to Sydney, Australia. They can be reached on Twitter @GoodMigrations.Their personal expat blogishttp://theviewdownunder.blogspot.com.Feel free to contact them if you have questions about the movingprocess or relocating to Australia.

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Disillusioned? – Take posit ive steps to a new lif e overseas