How to be happy as an expat in Belize

First and foremost: remind yourself you're in Belize, not wherever you came from, so don't expect it to be just like where you left.

Second: remind yourself you came to Belize because ... (fill in the blank with your reasons). When the store you need is closed for lunch or after 1:00 on Saturday it can be easy to get frustrated and forget why you chose to move. When that happens - and it will! - just try to chill. There's almost nothing that can't wait but we're so used to having everything on demand and at our fingertips it can be easy to forget that.

Third: find a way to get involved with your neighbors and community. For many of us our initial foray into Belizean life was to join the local humane society and help care for the huge population of abused and starving dogs and cats. For others it was volunteering to help in the classroom of the local school. If you look around, I'm sure you can find some activity that will help you begin to integrate into your new chosen community.

Try to relish the differences! The wonders of eating seasonally! Pineapple so sweet you can't believe your taste buds. Fresh fruits and veggies of all kinds, many that may be unfamiliar so it's fun to experiment with how to prepare and eat them. Women who wear what's comfortable, not necessarily what's stylish. You, too, can just kick back in shorts, t's, and flip flops if you wish and no one will judge you😁 The color blindness of the Belizean society. The absence of constant consumerism ads pushing products you don't need. The list is almost endless.

Explore Belize's stunning history and Mayan influenced culture, its amazing biodiversity, and its world class beaches and reefs.

Most of all, ENJOY! You came here to live a different lifestyle😃 So do it!

Remember that you are a guest and try to conduct yourself accordingly.
Belize is probably quite different than where you came from, but isn't that one of the things  that attracted you in the first place?
If you become a property owner stop complaining about the infrastructure especially the roads. You probably giggled uncontrollably when you got your first property tax bill. It is a prime example of "you get what you pay for".
Just relax, drop the word stress from your vocabulary and your life.
The more you adopt the Belizean lifestyle and outlook the happier you will be in Belize.
Above all, realize that Belize is not for everyone. That's OK, .....different strokes. If it is not a comfortable fit don't hang around complaining about everything .  Try somewhere else.
This Christmas will mark my 30th year, so as John Wayne used to say, I have some "bona fides".

I would add that immigrants who have these reactions to Belize in abundance are probably not cut out for the developing world. I have noticed that there are two categories of North Americans who come to Belize. The first group wants to bring their N. American lifestyle with them and live it in the tropical paradise. These people invariably do not last more than a few years, if that. The second group sees the downward spiral of the overdeveloped world toward collapse and seeks life elsewhere for that reason. Most of my neighbors here on Pine Ridge have that motivation, and they are here for the long term. Adaptation is the key; Belizeans have in many ways optimized how to live here, and it results in a healthier and happier life.

I would sum up life in Belize in one sentence: it has a few obvious disadvantages that visitors can immediately recognize and many subtle advantages that I am still discovering after 20 years here.

I so enjoyed your post. This why I plan to live in Belize but am concerned by so many ex pats that seem to want to just maintain their present life style from where ever they came from. I've always wondered why these types even bother?

Amen to that brother!  Well spoken and well taken.  We bought property in San Ignacio and can't wait to get off of the hamster wheel.

This man understands. This post can't be improved lol. That's it.

hi  helen  allison  here.....i plan to move to belize  this year   i have owned 5 acres in the corozal district    since  2013  now making the move....first i have to build a house  then  fence in the property   as i hope to raise one or two brangus calves   one for me and one to sell ...  at present trying to find out who  would have tv service in  my area....   and yes  belize is a culture shock   but  it is a good  shock  people are wonderful   the air is clean   weather is great  (so tired of freezing   in the winter)   and i love the fact that belize  works to protect  the natural  things in belize......the government has set aside corridors  to allow the  wild animals  a way to move from  place to place  without  danger to the animals....property owners in  the  area the animals travel have donated  land to do this ..  this  is  one reason   i am moving to belize       and  if you really  can not live  without  with out  walmart/sams club    remember that both  are open in  chetumal mexico   7 miles from corozal town to the mexico/belize border  .....if you do not want to drive  there is a bus service  that runs  everyday  through out most of the country   (maybe the whole country)

Helen, the Bz - Mx boarder has been closed for more than a year due to covid.

Sam,s Club and Walmart are still there but we just can't get there from here. I mean the following in a very positive way.... Up date your info before you make your move. Things have changed (hopefully temporarily) sine you were here last.

i wish you would check  the information  that  you  post  on this forum......i have checked  and the mexican/belize border is  open   from chetumal and  other areas that i can not remember  but you can   type in  mexico/belize border and you can read it

We are both partly right. The boarder is open to foreign tourists who travel into Belize under the gold standard protocols.
The boarder is not open for normal transit of Belizeans to travel into Chetumal for a day's shopping.
If you are planning to build soon it would mean no  to runs to Home Depot in Chet.

Hello guys,

We are drifting off topic here.

Can we please focus on the topic launched by Cheryl?

Also note that you can launch another thread in the Belize forum if you want to discuss on some other important expat related matters.

Thank you,

Priscilla
Expat.com Team

I would like to see more posts on this point:

Third: find a way to get involved with your neighbors and community.

I am not into volunteering for kids or animals. I would love to hear about any volunteer activities that does not cost me.  I live in Corozal and eager to get out and do more with others.  I love volunteering.  Any ideas?

DennisF wrote:

I would add that immigrants who have these reactions to Belize in abundance are probably not cut out for the developing world. I have noticed that there are two categories of North Americans who come to Belize. The first group wants to bring their N. American lifestyle with them and live it in the tropical paradise. These people invariably do not last more than a few years, if that. The second group sees the downward spiral of the overdeveloped world toward collapse and seeks life elsewhere for that reason. Most of my neighbors here on Pine Ridge have that motivation, and they are here for the long term. Adaptation is the key; Belizeans have in many ways optimized how to live here, and it results in a healthier and happier life.

I would sum up life in Belize in one sentence: it has a few obvious disadvantages that visitors can immediately recognize and many subtle advantages that I am still discovering after 20 years here.

Thank you for writing this!  I am definitely one of the ones seeing the writing on the walls about downward spiraling society here.  I moved out of the city 5 yrs ago to a place 20 miles from nearest store.  The same advice holds true, outsiders need to integrate into locality not try to impose.

Ditto!