Even in paradise life is a series of challenges. I wonder sometimes if our friends and family think it is just an endless string of sunny days, warm breezes and pina coladas by the pool. Oh, for sure...that’s a big part of what we do but not all. Life still has to be managed and we still have a home to maintain. Every time that we come to a little hurdle and we climb it, it feels like a victory.
In the past couple of weeks we’ve had to deal with a few small things around the house...the washer broke, computer gave us some grief, had to get money transferred from Canada. No big deal, right? But I remember so well that when we first moved to Belize everything was daunting. Not that Belize didn’t have the resources, we just didn’t know where to find them. We left all our support systems behind in Canada. If we needed something done we just knew how to get it done. Here it was a matter of learning all over.
In the past couple of weeks we’ve had to deal with a few small things around the house...the washer broke, computer gave us some grief, had to get money transferred from Canada. No big deal, right? But I remember so well that when we first moved to Belize everything was daunting. Not that Belize didn’t have the resources, we just didn’t know where to find them. We left all our support systems behind in Canada. If we needed something done we just knew how to get it done. Here it was a matter of learning all over.
Most everything can be found here. It’s just not always where you might think of first. Lots of businesses are run from home. Advertising isn’t common...word of mouth is. We have found some real gems. A lot of our favourite stores are the general merchandise type. That means that they carry everything from groceries to hardware to underwear. But the best fun is when they get a new shipment in and you really have no idea what might be on the truck. Could be anything! Shopping is like a scavenger hunt.
When I find something that I’ve had on my ‘list’ for a while, it’s like winning a little lottery. I know, it’s hard to grasp for all you people who can stop at the grocery store with the deli, bakery and 37 aisles of pre-packaged wonder. Yesterday we found a particular brand of sour cream that I really like. We’ve only seen it in Belmopan or Belize City before so I would have to stock up. Now it’s in San Ignacio! Yah!!!
I know, I can hear you all...”So sad...all excited about sour cream.” I guess my point is that we approach things differently now. And really, that was the whole reason for making this move. We’ve been here a couple of years and things are no longer daunting. We have a great list of resource people and businesses. Sometimes I think we have better services here than we did in Canada. My cell phone is full of numbers for everyone from our doctor, dentist and vet to the guy who delivers gravel or fixes the fridge.
I see lots comments on the internet from people who are considering the move to Belize. They are so full of questions and I get that. But my advice is don’t sweat it too much. Of course, do your research and make sure this is right for you. Jumping in blind could be a disaster! But the details will fall into place. Without a doubt, we made mistakes and took a few wrong turns but with a little common sense we have always been able to find our path again.