Escape North American Suburbia by Living Abroad

If you've ever considered living in a foreign country to see what it would be like, think the choice over carefully. Living abroad is both fascinating but also risky. There are positives and negatives to living away from the well-constructed laws of the United States. If you have the need for adventure and wanderlust that I once had, then here are some thoughts on what it's like to live in a tropical climate, in a foreign country. After two years of living in a town called Playa del Carmen, an hour south of Cancun, Mexico, I am now back in the United States and glad to be home. But the experience of living abroad was worth doing, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Prepare for going abroad for awhile

Get the proper documentation for traveling, and guard your passport carefully. Passports are stolen when people aren't careful with them and leave them lying around, so a good precaution is to keep it with you at all times, or in a hidden/safe place when at the beach. Your passport is your identification, and losing it means a trip to the American Embassy to get a new one if you lose yours.

Find a place to live by going to the town or city you plan to live in and talking to people. Stop in the real estate offices and inquire about apartments or homes for rent, and go look at them. Don't be shocked if some places don't have phones when you're in remote areas. Many people own cellular phones or use public phones, instead of having phones at home, especially in rural places. It pays to speak the language, if you don't then make sure to take a trusted translator or friend with you when talking to potential landlords or real estate agents.

Most professionals I met in Mexico spoke English, since tourism is a major industry in the Yucatan area. Choose a place that has good, locking and sturdy doors, running water and neighbors nearby. It isn't a good idea to live too remotely in a foreign country, just out of common sense. A gated community is good if you can afford one, like Playacar in Playa del Carmen. It is patrolled by security and is a comfortable setting for ex-patriates, yet close to town.

Try to learn the language