Moving to Colombia

monty1979 says on Jan 11, 2006, 17:15:

gmz21 re: moving I feel the same way, my husband is Colombian (born and raised in Colombia) I'm Mexican -born & raised in USA (Illinois) he wants to move to Colombia. I have to boys from previous marriage 6 & 4 yrs old (guess what they're have Ecuadorian), anyways he has a son that's 9yrs old (100% colombian) Well he keeps on insisting on our move to Colombia, but I'm really hesitant from what I hear about Colombia. I've been actually on-line, researching Colombia and it's bit scary. I'm also really concerned about the kids how well they will adjust and myself. Like you said, after reading a lot of stuff on this website, I'm sure Colombia is a beautiful country, I'm just not sure about our safety.

Monty

juanalejo says on Jan 11, 2006, 17:21:

Safety After reading anything on this site, I would be very scared about my safety. Come down have a look, I think you should be more worried about things like adapting to the lifestyle rather than safety. Once you have been here and been around you will understand. This site is not exactly known for saying much good about Colombia anyhow.

California says on Jan 12, 2006, 09:53:

I have to agree with Juan on this one. I am an American who moved with my husband (Colombian) two years ago. I, too, was worried about my safety... this is a big city and bad things happen in big cities. However, I have to say that aside from having to be more cautious (I grew up leaving my keys in the ignition and my car unlocked in the driveway), the toughest part about the move is adapting to life away from what you are used to. I really love it here. Our quality of life is much higher than if we lived in the states- here you can have a maid/nanny/driver for very cheap. Bogota has alot to offer. It is a metropolis with an abundance of things to do, excellent food, and a temperate climate. A bonus for us girls... you will drastically drop in peso- something about the food here- I feel so much healthier than in the states. Granted you have a family, and uprooting is difficult, but I say, "Try it out, if nothing else, you give your kids a couple of years of an international experience. You can always go back...."

Atogob says on Jan 12, 2006, 19:11:

Moving To Colombia I also agree with Juan. Looks no place on this earth is trouble free. I live in the NYC area and the 6:00 pm evening news is like a body count in horror flick, sometimes...

I spent a few weeks in Bogota, I did all the things they warn you not to in the travel guides (yes even haling taxis on the street and taking them to bad neighborhoods) and I was fine. Although I've been told I look like I could smash someone with my bare hands. LOL!

Regardless of that, if I had kids in their early to late teens I'd give them this experience. Think of them attending 1 or 2 years at good school ike Universidad de Los Andes for some international schooling then finishing up school in the states.

I tell you, if I could do it all over, I would start college in Bogota and finish up in the states just to have that international experience. Let me tell you from working in the product development and licensing industry, a solid international (with solid Spanish language background) education will cement their future as latin markets are so big.

They really have the best of both worlds at their fingertips. A good example of this is my best friend whose family moved to Buenos Aires Argentina when he was 13. He was born in the US, has the almighty blue American passport and is a manager in one of the leading call centers due to his non regional ameican english accent and speaking skills.

Hell if I had a nice flexible latina wife, and a means to consistently support my family. I'd move there a heartbeat...

I also know Brazilians that come to the states and work their ass of for 6-10 months then return to Brazil to live like kings. They return to the states to work again and continue the cycle. Perhaps that's an option as well...

It's not a big deal many Portguese, Brazilian, Spansih and Argentinean amigos of mine have done this and they've returned to the states eventually.

But that's just my 2 cents.

Best of luck and go for it!

dwmte says on Jan 13, 2006, 20:20:

gmz.... listen, it's wonderful. i was raised in a latino community in california (san juaquin valley) and lived for years in colombia in and around medellin. i go back to the late 80's when all you read in the media was TRUE. shootings in the streets, bombings, murders, robberies, beatings and everything else, horrible, you can think of. well, those days are passed. sure there are concerns and rightfully so. but if you live civilly and respect colombia and colombians, you'll find that it's the greatest thing that ever happened in your life.

i worked all over the world, for years. and hands down, colombia is the best, and medellin and it's surrounds the best she has to offer. after all my travel and experiences, the two nicest places in the world, are los angeles and medellin...for quality of life, culture, food, beauty of people and surroundings and an excitement that wakes you every day you're there. don't miss the opportunity. the news in the press focuses on issues that you won't even be near.

and you, monty, stop worrying and go for it with gusto. you and your husband and kids will all be glad you did. especially the kids.

gmz....married 5 years and one of the kids is 13.....hmmm

dw

FL305 says on Jan 15, 2006, 23:02:

Thank you everyone for the advice, dwmte,my 13 yr old is from my previous relationship...We have decided to go for the entire summer. I feel so much better and confident to make this decision. I'm no longer as scared as before but, now worried about employment (but that's everywhere here in the states as well). I am excited with the information i've been reading on education in Colombia vs U.S.A. My children education is a main priority to my husband and I, additional to the spanish they will learn in Colombia will be great. I'm also going through a situation where i have to hear everyone in my family say nothing but negative comments at all times. I wish they would take the time to read PBH and other websites regarding colombia..It Would make a huge difference to have they're support. Anyway, all opinions and comments are always welcome...I beleive one can always learn from more than one person.
thanks.

FL305 says on Jan 15, 2006, 23:08:

by the way we're looking into moving to Medellin.

Douglas says on Jan 19, 2006, 17:00:

Moving to Medellin I have been going on and off to my apartment in Medellin for the past 2 years and will be moving there permanently next year. I agree with the posted comments that the quality of life in Medellin is better than the US, the food is great, cheap and life is so much cheaper and less stressful. The only adaptation for me is the language barrier which in Medellin is not so bad because the paisas are so forgiving and so friendly and my bad spanish does not seem to bother them. I love it and have not had a bad incident in Colombia. I have never been robbed or anything like that and have been going to Colombia for 18 years now. Guess I am lucky, huh.

dwmte says on Jan 19, 2006, 18:16:

why, i'd say you was..... and i couldn't agree more...

douglas wayne martin, the elder (dwmte)

ps...it's been 16 yrs for me.

FL305 says on Jan 19, 2006, 23:36:

Thank you Douglas for your helpful view.
I guess my next worry is how and where to purchase a reasonably priced home.

FL305 says on Jan 19, 2006, 23:38:

What would be a resaonable income for a family of four to live comfortable?

litost says on Jan 20, 2006, 06:14:

About 7 million pesos per month, off the top of my head, would be comfortable. Could be much higher though depending on your lifestyle (travel, schools and universities for the kids, eating out frequently, etc.).

FL305 says on Jan 20, 2006, 20:08:

Coverting to dollars, I guess is around 3000.00 dollars per month?

caulfield2 says on Jan 21, 2006, 06:22:

I don´t know about 700,000 pesos in Medellin, but 7 million seems way off, lol.

My 3 bedroom apartment in Armenia is only 382,000 (pesos) per month and there are many huge apartments and houses for rent at no more than $250 dollars per month.

In Medellin, it might be twice or three times that, but nowhere close to 7 million.

litost says on Jan 21, 2006, 06:52:

I know it seems high, and of course a lot of colombian families of 4 live with a lot less than 7 mil a month comfortably... but comfort by expat standards is not the same as a regular colombian. I'm thinking of a spacious house or appartment in one of the best neighborhoods in the city, cable TV, high-speed internet, two cars, estrato 5 or 6 utilities, maid, tuition for the 2 kids, eating out for 4, cultural events, occasional vacations, etc.

I am a single 25 year old so I'm not talking from personal experience, but I do have an uncle with wife and three kids who live pretty comfortably on a similair salary (without many luxuries) in Bogota. Depending on the city the number could go down somewhat too.

Gomezman5 says on Jan 21, 2006, 07:12:

gmz21, maybe you should consider.....and reconsider this Maybe we should start with your (gmz21)own words:

"my concerns manage to remain."

If your concerns remain, because of what you have read or heard in the media, why would you take the advise from people on a web site that you don't even know? Does it really make sense to move somewhere that you have fears about moving to? Like you said, you have a family, 2 kids on top of it. It's not like your moving from a major urban center in the US to the countryside to see if you can get used to the laid back pace of country life, only to find out later that you are bored.

Colombia is as different from the US as the night is as different as the day. The culture, the values, and yes, the way of life. And, count on it, the security situation is not very good unless you really live in one of the safer areas of a large city. Street crime, even in good areas is common. The police force is somewhere between non existant to ineffective.

OK, the above said, I can also say that country is a beautiful country . The landscape is breathtaking. The people are wonderful (I was born there) It is a much cheaper place to live. There is a lot of culture of all types and consistent with this assertion, Bogota is at the top of the list for culture. They have just about anything (from a cultural perspective) that you are looking for.

Here is the most important point and it strikes me as amazing that nobody on the Colombian cheering squad has even mentioned it. ----AH..forget that, these people are so biased in favor of Colombia, they simply can't be objective, even if their life depended on it. Anyway, on to the point. It's called MONEY. What are you going to do for money? If you are independently wealthy, and you guys don't need to work. In other words, you guys are really "well off", than fine. BUT, and read this and understand it, if you are going there thinking you your husband will just find a job, than the answer is easy. DON'T MOVE TO COLOMBIA. Aside from all the security concerns, the Colombian economy is not a place to move to start a life. Why do you think that so many Colombians leave their family to come here to work? They don't come to this country for the cold and snow. Look, if you want to work for less than 10 dollars a day, than go to Colombia. Remeber, it is cheaper to live in Colombia based on you be an American having dollars ... and a decent sum of dollars. By the way, how is your Spanish. It's hard enough for Colombians to find a job, do you think that an American women can?

OK, your husband is Colombian. But he has not been there in a while. Also, what does he do here? I can guarantee, whatever he does here, you can be sure he will earn a lot less in Colombia. Is he in a pension? Is he vested? How about health insurance? Is he getting that for free or for a nominal cost with his job...to the extent that it covers all of the family? What I am saying is, are you walking away from some entitlmeents that you will not be able to replace in Colombia to the extent that you already have them here.

I think I have given you some things to think about. It's so easy to say "go for it", "try it, you have nothing to lose", and related silly platitudes. You tell someone to "go for it" when you are going on a vacation, you don't tell someone to do that when you are moving to another country, especially a country like Colombia. It's not like your moving from Chicago to Toronto.

Give it some though. Seriously. Good Luck
G5

litost says on Jan 21, 2006, 07:44:

Geezuz, she would only be going over there for a few months to study and have fun... I stand by my "go for it" if she is passionate about salsa because hands down Cali is the place where it shapes the culture and people really know how to dance. By the terrorizing comments on here you'd think she was talking about going to Baghdad or something. Common crime is a big problem in Cali and anyone going there should know that, but besides that it's pretty much like any other city, millions of people live there and go about their lives in a primarily normal and happy way.

Gomezman5 says on Jan 21, 2006, 08:37:

Litost, you're confusing threads !!! What you posted here has nothing to do with this thread. You are confusing the thread entitled "Women traveling to Cali" where the woman is passionate about Salsa, and she says she is going to study for a few months with this one.

This thread is about a Colombian guy who married a woman and they have 2 kids, and they are thinking of MOVING to Colombia. They did not mention the city though...Sorry, my comment addresses the issues raised by the author of this thread. Read it again, and check further down the one about women traveling to Cali and you will see that I am correct

Canadian says on Jan 21, 2006, 11:15:

Why I came I had been visiting Colombia since the early 90's and never once had a bad experiance. I always felt at home here so when I had the opportunity to relocate here I jumped at the chance.

Quality of life is fantastic, I brought my Daughter and Girl Friend here from Asia and I would not have done that if I did not have a high degree of confidence in Colombia!

Remember it's Medellin and not Montreal or Manhattan. You will notice differences, and most of these are either good ones or are the kinds you can adjust to. I don't like having to show ID when using my credit card on a $10.00 purchase but then again I just remind myself that it's not that big a deal, and having a friendly cashier and staff help me load my groceries into my car is worth it!

utopiacowboy says on Jan 21, 2006, 11:59:

G'man, G'man, G'man! You keep insisting on bringing reality into the discussion. This isn't about reality. Remember all the characters who have posted here about going to Colombia to start their careers. I remember the guy who was an engineer going to Bogota convinced he was going to make his fortune. I even challenged him to come back to PBH and tell us about his success. Nope, haven't heard from him. In fact I can't remember even ONE who has come back to say they did it. They're dreamers like the guys fantasizing about crossing the Darien Gap snoozing in their Lazy Boys....

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

Gomezman5 says on Jan 21, 2006, 21:20:

Yea UC.....I see your point Maybe I shouldn't take a break from PBH afterall. Every single time I take a hiatus, I come back with a different mind set. I come back thinking that the old, have finally come to their senses, and the new members already arrived with a realistic view.

So what happens? Same silliness. "I never have a problem" "Go have a good time," "You will be fine, you just have to be aware","Give it a try" These are the typical one liners that get tossed out everytime I myself, GIB, or anyone else even remotely suggest that Colombia may be unsafe. Some of the best lines comes from Juanalejo. Heck, just take the one above:

"I think you should be more worried about things like adapting to the lifestyle rather than safety."

Now that line at least infers that maybe, just maybe, Colombia may have a security problem. But, he feels that adapting to the lifestyle should be of far greater conern than worrying about street thieves, extorcionists, and kidnappers. Thanks Juan, and I thought it was the other way around.

miamimike says on Jan 22, 2006, 00:05:

Gomezman-were you sequestered by the Chicago Faction of the FARC Haven't seen your around here lately. I was on a Sabatical also and not much has changed. Pretty much what you said above I would agree with. We had an assasination here in Miami yesterday in Kendall-A Latino chopped his wife's head off in Kendall with a Machete, neighbors say he had a "Mental Problem" Yea I would guess he does. Well gotta go and get ready for Evo Morale's Inaugeration.Big Day tomorrow! Chaooo

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? ... That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.,

FL305 says on Jan 22, 2006, 01:05:

WOW....interesting comments....I agree Gomezman5, but don't worry I have been thinking very hard about the money and safey and beleive me i have felt unsafe in the past. I lived in Virginia (D.C area) in 2001 (Sept.11, 2001 and 2002 D.C sniper )til 2005. My husband has a minor in Psycology, master in teaching, a master in International Business and he receives a monthly pension, as for me I'm a Medical Auditor. Besides safety our children education is very, very important. As you may or may not know the education in the U.S SUCKS..... Anyway, we're planning to move from U.S but Colombia is not the only place on the list we have other places in mind.
p.s PBH is one of the sites where my research takes place before i go visit this summer...

Gomezman5 says on Jan 22, 2006, 08:06:

Hey Mike...what's up my man......AND gmz21...... Mike, All is well on this front and I hope the same is for you. Yes, I'm back.....for now at least.

gmz21......a few comments. First of all, there is a difference between a crazy sniper that reeks havoc in small geography of a country, and a civil war that is being fought by guerillas that also happen to control approx. 40% geographical territory of the country. One is like a cold that comes up once year and is therefore acute in nature, the other is like some serious chronic disease that will bother you for an indefinite period. You really have to put things in perspective. What I am saying is that you can compare a country that has a serial killer pop up once in a while, to a country engaged in an ongoing civil war that has political undertones.

Education......another generalization. So you think it is better in Colombia? Sure it is, if you have the money to send your students to private schools. I will tell you with certainty that here in Chicago, most of the public schools are lousy. But, don't be so quick to blame the school system. Absentee and uneducated parents are not capable of giving the guidance to children in school. It's like the blind leading the blind. At the same time, I will also tell you that here in Chicago, if your child show promise, does their work, and scores well in test scores, there are "magnet" or specialized public schools that accept these children and they will match any school in Colombia or any other country. These schools exist at all levels (primary/elementary and high school). There are many of them all over the city. AND THEY ARE FREE ! Now I don't want to make it sound like it's a two tier system. It's not, there are many schools that are middle of the road schools that have good students and poor students. Those that excel, succeed. Those that don't....well..the reverse is true.

I still have not heard your answer about Spanish. They have a few English schools in Bogotá, but listen my friend, they are not easy to get into and they are expensive by Colombian standards. But the key here is there are not many of them. So, again. Spanish.....it's all about the Spanish. Do your children know Spanish? How well? Do you know Spanish? If you don't know Spanish, your ability to get meaningful employment is NON existent.

It sounds like to me that you are hell bent on leaving the US for reasons that either you don't want to explain, or sorry to say, have not adequately explained. We are the US. We are one of the best places in the world to live in. Don't get me wrong, there are many others too. Or friends to the north, and parts of Europe, Australia, and other places rank up there too. But, more people, are dieing to live in this country than any other one. Included in that group are Colombian people. 100s of 1000s would do almost anything to get a visa to come to this country to live, work and pursue a fulfilling life. That said, it strikes me as particularly strange that you, an American, would want to do something (like move to a country like Colombia) when so many of them are trying to come here. You need to seriously rethink your reasons for leaving.

In the event you have already decided you want to leave the USA, that's fine, but a move to Colombia, with young children, just does not make any sense at all......

dannylasvegas says on Jan 22, 2006, 08:28:

Any Timeshare Tracks in Medellin?? moving to medellin... to be with a girl. anyone know of any timeshare tracks there? i've been in the industry for years in mexico. please advise.

Southern_Dyme says on Jan 22, 2006, 15:56:

litost yes you did post in the wrong thread, but I enjoyed reading your comment anyhow!

litost says on Jan 22, 2006, 15:59:

sorry for the mix-up, I think some screws up there need some tightening..