Greetings Everyone!
I am so glad to have found this forum and look forward to getting to know and hear some of your insights and wisdom!
My husband and I are both middle age (54 and 47) and are planning what our retirement years will look like and we definitely know that our future will contain moving to the Caribbean at some point. (If I could move there TODAY, I surely would! LOL) We're looking at moving to the Dominican Republic because we like the culture and we hope have a lower cost of living there in compared to living in the United States. I must confess, coming from the District of Columbia, I find myself having pleasant sticker shock when I hear how much CHEAPER things are there! LOL
I currently own my own business which I run completely out of my home and I absolutely LOVE being an entrepreneur! My husband is a Network Engineer and while he loves doing that kind of work and is highly paid in his salary, he HATES the environment in which he works. He tells me all the time that if he could quit his job and join me in MY business (and still be able to provide for us) he would do so in a heartbeat! LOL
Lately, we've been toying with the notion, "Why wait? Life is too short." Answer? Our kids.
We have 3 children: our oldest (who will be a senior in college this fall), an 11 year-old and a 10 year old). Our college kid graduates next year and wants to remain in the US. Our 2 younger kids are both excited about the possibility of going to middle school and high school abroad and even more excited about the possibility of moving to the DR.
Does anyone have any experience with this type of transition? How does one become an expat with kids in tow? Would it be more feasible to wait until we're ready to retire? We're already trying to figure out how (or even if) we could move my business there (shipping my online orders would be the main problem). And where would be the best place to settle? Decisions...decisions! :-)
I'm so thankful this forum exists! It's already been a great source of information!
-Angie B.
Middle Age with Middle Schoolers and moving???
DSTAngieB welcome to the forum. There are some good folks here with good information. A lot of what you are asking has been discussed here. Read the multiple thread here on moving, residency, schooling, cost of living etc. Then ask specific questions of us.
We "pulled the plug" early and moved here full time nearly 10 years ago. It is a different world, different culture, different rules....and we would not have changed our decision for a second.
Bob K
Welcome to the forums. I didn't see this thread earlier! Ok so what you need to do is wrap your move considerations around schools - location - costs and choices.
The best choices are in Santo Domingo but there are good choices in Santiago, Sosua, Punta Cana. I am sure there are others but I am not the most knowledgeable about this.
Thank you Bob & Planner! :-)
Making our location choice based on the schools is what I am finding too. My husband kinda ruled out Santa Domingo because we both don't like the city noise, congestion, and traffic. But we may need to take another look.
We were in Punta Cana about 5 years ago for my sister's wedding but my time there, honestly, was such a blur! LOL
Hmmm....I smell another ROAD TRIP!!
You likely need several road trips. Also check out Sosua as I hear the school there is excellent.
Yes the international school in Sosua http://www.issosua.com/ is one of the best in the country with kids from all over the world attending. This area has a big expat community.
Bob K
Articles to help you in your expat project in Dominican Republic
It is well worth exploring the Dominican cuisine and shopping options, and note what they buy and where they shop ...
How to keep yourself busy during your free time in Santo Domingo? Find in this article all you need to know about ...
If you are looking for a job in the Dominican Republic (DR), here are some tips and suggestions. Job hunting can ...
If you are moving to the Dominican Republic, one of your primary concerns is likely to be the healthcare system ...
Just like anywhere else in the world, people in the Dominican Republic want to find love, their significant other ...
What is driving like in the Dominican Republic and how do you obtain a driving license? Find out all about it in ...
