It’s been 6 months since moving to Placencia, Belize. The first word that comes to mind to describe life here compared to living in Los Angeles is “ALIVE.” I’m not saying I felt like a zombie in California, it was more like my surroundings made mostly of asphalt streets, concrete sidewalks, big cinder block walls separating all property lines that made it feel dead. I’m a huge nature lover and I gravitate towards that type of beauty as opposed to a city skyline type beauty. I’m not saying city views are not beautiful, they are just not for me.
As you can see below this was my previous view and the next picture is my current view.
Our mission to Belize began June 21, 2015 with a road trip from LA to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida via the 10 freeway. I had always wanted to do that cross country drive! The drive went great! Candy, my amazing wife, was my navigator and we (Candy, myself, Chongo (our chihuahua), and Peanut, (our beagle) had a great road trip stopping in El Paso, Texas, Katy, Texas. Geez.. Texas was big and boring. Our last night was in Mobile, Alabama then off to Ft. Lauderdale the following day. We spent a week there visiting with friends and put my truck on a cargo ship. On July 2nd we boarded the flight to our new home with our dogs in tote.
Within a month or so our 10 boxes of our belongings from home and my truck arrived in Belize and we began our daily routines. Candy just needs an internet connection to work and I need green coffee beans to roast. The problem is that Belize is a coffee growing country and bringing in green coffee beans is like trying to bring fruit into California! Not gonna happen.I have been able to still enjoy great coffee at “Above Grounds Coffee” as they sell some great Guatemalan coffee.
My daily activities have been making a lot of awesome coffee soap! I am making it from scratch with my crock pot with all organic olive and coconut oils! Besides soap, I have begun volunteering for the Placencia Humane Society helping with the spay and neuter clinics, adoptions and fostering and social media awareness. Here is the link below for you to check out what wonderful things we do to help animals in need.
www.placenciahumanesociety.org
On the weekends (because Candy is working Mon-Fri) we go for walks up the beach or bike ride up the peninsula and try new places to eat. Another special perk we love about this magical place is the people! We have met many locals and ex-pats and it feels like family here! The children here are so well mannered too. In addition to our wonderful neighbors who live here, we have met some extraordinary people from Scotland to Oregon and everything in between! We keep in touch with them and look forward to seeing them all again.
Environmentally speaking what jumps out at me most about living here is just how green and lush everything is and that most of what you see is not man made. I feel more connected to nature here instead of the sounds of sirens, honks, helicopters and jets flying as I hear only waves crashing, coconut palm leaves in the breeze, exotic birds and even Geckos making funny laughing sounds at night! This all works for me, Candy and the pups, but I see how some “city lovin folks” may not enjoy living here full time. If you love concerts, museums, big chain stores or restaurants, fast food then you may not love it here as much as I do. Come visit us and experience what feeling alive in Placencia Belize means to us.
