Moving to Bogota too - and need lots of help!

OK, so now I've gone and done it. My girlfriend in Bogota wants me to stay with her, and I want to try living in Bogota for awhile. So I've quit my regular job, and I'm looking at moving down there sometime in early to mid-August, and staying indefinitely. I'm going to try to work over the internet for a few firms here in the US, and I'll keep my bank account here open and so on. I don't know how that's going to work out, but I'm willing to give it a go. Maybe it works great, or maybe I end up having to look for work in Bogota or coming back to the US, who knows.

Anyway, how do I arrange for this? Should I be applying for some sort of visa, or do I just have to leave the country for a few days every few months?

What sort of plane ticket should I buy - a one-way, or is there something more clever like an open-ended round trip or something?

Anyone have any advice for medical insurance? How about DSL service in the area near the Unicentro mall?

Anything else I should be doing before I go?

Thanks for any advice...

By goosekirk on Jul 21, 2004, 03:33 in Friendly Talkzone.

penelope1013 says on Jul 21, 2004, 07:04:

Reply to - Moving to Bogota too and need lots of help! Keep a valid US address. Before you go, change your address on your bank account and send a postal change of address form to make your parents address, a close family or friend's house your new address. Be able to show that you've recieved your bank statements at that address. Otherwise, even though you've kept an open bank account, without a valid US address you cannot apply for a loan, get an a place to live, get a phone, etc...without paying a HUGE desposit (or high interest loan) should you ever decide to come back. This is true even if your paycheck is coming from a US company. And, even if you don't come back, having a valid US address is still a positive way to maintain your legal status. I doubt you plan to let your citizenship go, so it will not hurt to keep a valid status regardless where you live the rest of your life.

Are you an English-speaking American? Is Spanish a second language for you?

goosekirk says on Jul 21, 2004, 10:15:

Excellent point. I was thinking of something along those lines - I know keeping a valid US address is imperative, but I hadn't considered all of those things. And with VOIP, now I can maintain a local US phone number as well. I can practically still be in the US!

I'm an English-speaking American, still learning Spanish. I'd guess I'm another month or so of immersion away from being functionally fluent.