My name is Dana and my hubby and 11 yr old daughter are in the initial stages of planning a move to PR to become missionaries.
We know another couple who is already there and have asked us to join them at their church, so we wouldn't be alone and without contacts and help.
One of my big questions is about my daughter. She was adopted through the US foster care system and therefore carries medical insurance until she is 18. Would that apply in PR? Also, she takes ADHD meds and allergy meds... how easy would it be to transfer the script or find a doc, etc? We can only get her ADHD meds 30 days at a time, so there would be no way to stock up a few months worth in case we can't get the meds right away there.
Also... we plan on selling almost all of our stuff here... but what should we bring? Is there anything we can't get there?? Right now I am thinking we will bring clothing and toiletries and our computer and my photography equipment. ((I have a photography biz here in PA, but I am not sure I will want to start one there, I have not looked into it very much, so I could use some advice on that.)) How prudent would it be to ship just a few things? What is the best way to do that? Things such as the computer, my printer, my portable studio and a few props?
We will be looking into housing in the Hormigueros or Mayaguez area... which I know is not as Urban and therefor may not have as much to offer.
Also... we home school, and will be bringing our own curriculum to use.. I have read that there are no real laws concerning home schooling, which will be a big change because PA is very regulated.
Any advice or experiences are greatly appreciate!!
((Oh, I speak some Spanish, but the rest of the fam doesn't, so we will be starting Rosetta Stone very soon!!))
?s about Medicine, Relocating, & Starting a Photography Biz
Although I don't have first-hand experience in transferring prescriptions, I have never heard that this is a problem. Puerto Rican doctors are pretty switched-on, flexible and patient-friendly, and I don't know of any regulatory roadblocks to them picking up your daughter's treatment where her mainland doctor left off.
As far as what to take with you: I would bring whatever portable electronics you can because replacing them in PR would be expensive (such as laptops, etc.). Also, you often cannot buy certain electronic/computer equipment via the internet from PR. Many companies won't ship to a PR address and won't accept a credit card with a PR billing address. I found this very frustrating when I lived there (I believe these policies result from PR's tax laws and the greater prevalence of credit card fraud originating from PR).
Furniture is also expensive in PR. Is it so expensive that you should ship your own furniture? I'm not sure on that count, as I did not ship mine and rented furnished accommodation. Even with the higher cost of furniture in PR, I doubt it is cost effective to ship your furniture from the States. Perhaps one of the other regular PR Forum commentators can add their thoughts on this matter.
I was glad to read that you are homeschooling your daughter. That clears away the biggest stumbling-block people with children face when moving to PR.
Good luck!
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