Last Updated on May 26, 2024 by Eric Livingston

Bienvenidos Todos

Explore Latam Living with Me

Learn Spanish Jokes

Admittedly some are funnier than others. Learn some Spanish watching Netflix!

I’m Currently In

Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

¿Qué onda? ¡Soy Eric!

Eric at Castillo de Chapultepec in Mexico City, shown on the Live in Mexico page. — Me at El Castillo de Chapultepec in CDMX

Latam Living Origins

I re-instated this blog in September of 2023 after some time away. It’s always been sort of a pet project for me, but I intend to grow Latam Living. People can earn a living today from anywhere, which makes Latam attractive.

Moving to Latam is “En Vogue”

It’s recently became “popular” for U.S., Canadian and other expats to move to Latin America. Some are just digital nomads while others make a permanent move, get residency and are immigrants (although they’ll continue to call themselves “expats” due to “immigrants” negative connotation). It’s all over the news. It’s “en vogue”. I hope that some of the information I share helps readers in some way. It’s getting harder and harder to make ends meet in the United States, especially for retirees and people with medical needs. Latin America is a sound, logical choice for many that seek a lower cost of living overall including prescriptions and medical care.

Eric L.

Consider These 5 Things Before Moving to Latam or Anywhere

You can read the full blog post Moving Abroad? Congratulations! 5 Essential Things to Consider! and/or watch the video below where I also discuss the $28.5 billion dollar Tren Maya project and my displeasure with the use of funds that ran 3 times over budget.

Why “safety” shouldn’t be your FIRST criteria when moving abroad. I honestly believe “climate” trumps “safety” in most cases.

Learn the Subjunctive, Conditional and Future

I think a lot of people that are in the process of learning Spanish, already know the present and past tense. They may not be perfect, but they get the gist of it. In my opinion, the subjunctive, conditional and future would be the next 3 Spanish conjugations I’d focus on learning. They are used all the time in all Spanish speaking countries including Latam. I’m not a Spanish teacher and honestly don’t know all the names of the conjugations; there’s a lot believe me, but these 3 are vital to your success in speaking Spanish fluently. Watch the brief, less than 5-minute video.

Learning the subjunctive, conditional and future tense in Spanish is vital to speaking fluently.

Latam Living Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can you afford to travel so often?

I worked in a very financially rewarding career for years and later sold my house and moved. However, it wasn’t really for fun and “excitement”. It was actually sad. I was in a bad place after divorce and didn’t want to live alone in my house in Florida anymore, so I sold it and left. Also, I don’t travel often. I slow travel. Constantly traveling and moving around gets old real quick. Don’t believe all the YouTube videos showing how glamorous it is with young kids jumping off cliffs into the ocean in Thailand somewhere.

Sure, it’s cool for a while but if you’re seriously considering the Latam living lifestyle then you’ll soon realize the novelty wears off and you’ll actually live life like a “normal” person and all that entails. Personally, I like routine, especially for the health benefits such as being able to lift weights at home and not having to constantly look for a gym near a hotel etc… I have elite level strength for my age and weight and hope to keep it that way.

3. Have you ever been in danger?

I’ve never been in any real danger. I’m constantly aware of my surroundings and I’m not a party person at all so I’m usually never anywhere I shouldn’t be. I quit drinking alcohol back in March of 2016. That also helps in avoiding possible dangerous situations by being out late at night in sketchy neighborhood bars. I don’t wear jewelry; I have no bling at all. I also know where not to go, although sometimes I’ve had to go through some rough parts like Juarez, Mexico for example. I had no choice.

I can tell you that wearing shorts, a baseball cap backwards and double strapped Tevas will make you stick out even more than you probably would in Latin America. Wear pants unless you’re at the beach or gym and skip the Tevas. They’re ugly (although I’ve read, they now have “fashionable” models). There are some exceptions in extremely hot and humid places. Coastal Brazil is also an exception but the vast majority of the world wears pants in normal, everyday situations, unlike the U.S. Checkout this Reddit.

2. How did you learn Spanish?

I learned Spanish mostly by just living in Spanish Speaking countries. My daughter is Ecuadorian. However, I made a real concerted effort to learn Spanish watching Netflix and YouTube since around 2010 and I continue to do so. I went from basically limited Spanish to completely fluent as an adult. Anyone can do it. I did so with persistence. I keep learning vocabulary even to this day. For example, today I learned “loseta” which I had known as “azulejo” or just “losa” meaning tile. Learning is an ever-evolving activity. Even in English, my native language I have to look words up occasionally. Come on, admit it, so do you! The other day I looked up “caucus” as I truthfully didn’t know what it meant, although it’s used in U.S. politics quite often. Suffice it to say, I’ve completed Malcom Gladwell’s 10,000 hours acquiring Spanish, but I never stop.

To me, it’s a habit, just like exercise or brushing your teeth. It’s part of who I am. I also speak Brazilian Portuguese, but I’ve forgotten quite a bit of vocabulary. However, I know I could pick it back up if I chose to do so. You’re never too old to learn. Learning a new language keeps the brain active. That’s why I still play the video game, Call of Duty. Keeping your mind sharp and active is just as important as your body. You can do it!

4. What countries are the safest to live in?

Short answer: Iceland. But this is about Latam living. This is a great question and is one of the reasons I’ve re-instated Latam Living. I got fed up with seeing misleading articles and/or YouTube videos about safety. The truth is you must stay up to date on news and safety issues in Latin America. For example, El Salvador was once the most dangerous country in Latin America and had the most homicides per capita in the world. Now El Salvador is safe since its president Nayib Bukele declared war on the gangs that plagued the country. Meanwhile as of 2023, Ecuador, previously considered one of the safest countries in Latin America, is extremely dangerous. My daughter lives there.

You must stay CURRENT with the latest Latam news and not go off some 8–12-year-old article or video telling you how great and safe Cuenca, Ecuador is. Don’t get me wrong, Cuenca is a lovely place but the quality of life in countries changes over time. Also, just like in the U.S., some regions within a country are safe while others aren’t. For example, the state of Yucatán in Mexico, and the state of Querétaro to a lesser degree, are generally safe from serious violence, despite Mexico labeled as rather dangerous overall. However, the entire country of Mexico isn’t safe from theft, it doesn’t matter where you live.

My Bicycle Was Stolen from a Gated Community on Thanksgiving Day, 2023 in “Safe” Mérida, Yucatán

My bicycle was stolen in Mérida, Yucatán in the gated community where I live on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2023. Yet you’ll hear how some expats rave about how “safe” Mérida is based on some report from 2019, almost 5 years ago with data from unpublished sources from a super sketchy website littered with advertisements. Yes, I think Mérida still generally safe from physical violence but definitely not theft. Mexico isn’t Japan and should never be confused or compared to how safe Japan, UAE, Singapore or Iceland is. Let’s keep it real. My neighbor just shared a security video of another attempt at stealing his bicycle in our WhatsApp group so no, Mérida isn’t that safe. An old neighbor of mine also had his condo broken into in northern Mérida so yeah…

My First Expat Experience

My first experience of Latam living was when I married my first wife back in 1995 in Guayaquil, Ecuador and my daughter was born. We lived some time in Guayaquil and a good portion of the time in Ecuador’s capital, Quito. While living in Guayaquil, we often visited Salinas and Playas officially known as General Villamil Playas on the weekends. A lot has happened to me and the world since then. I cherish the experiences I’ve had over the years throughout Latin America. I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras (Roatán), Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela numerous times. I’ve made one trip to Cuba and one to Guatemala and had an awesome time! As far as actual “living” is concerned, I lived in Ecuador for 5 years and just about the same in Mexico, where I’ve secured permanent residency after 4 years.

Latam Expats Stay Current!

I’ve now secured permanent residency in two-countries outside the U.S. Both of them in Latin America. I had to go through all the red tape you can imagine not including the actual moving I’ve done. That’s a whole category unto itself. I’ve been able to go from limited Spanish to complete fluency through constant immersion via television and interacting with locals. I’ve had a local girl live with me for the past several years and we only speak Spanish. In fact, I never speak English unless I’m talking to friends back in the U.S. or happen to run into a foreigner here that speaks English. Otherwise, it’s 100% Spanish, all day, every day. I hope that anyone considering living a Latam expat lifestyle makes an effort to stay CURRENT with Latam news and resources that can help them make an informed decision on where to visit and which country or countries to call home. I’m always learning each and every day and will continue to do so.

Latam Living Featured Destinations

Check out some Latam Living’s destinations below to plan your next trip or exit strategy from your native country.

Brazil

The Brazilian experience awaits

Colombia

A rising star in Latam expat community

Ecuador

A once safe country has turned dangerous

Mexico

More and more Americans come to Mexico and stay

Latam Living Latest News and Blog Posts

Stay up to date with the Latest News and Headlines throughout Latin America