Dan Prescher
Dan Prescher is a native of Omaha, Nebraska. He earned his bachelor of science degree in Journalism at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and his master of fine arts degree in Creative Writing at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Since joining International Living in 2001, he and his wife, Suzan Haskins, have lived and worked in Ecuador, Panama, Nicaragua, and three locations in Mexico. Dan and Suzan currently spend winters in Mérida, Mexico, and summers in Cotacachi, Ecuador. When not writing, traveling, or hosting International Living events, Dan plays guitar and sings in the Merida-based band, The Legendary Yucatones. Follow Dan on Google+
Articles by Dan Prescher
Finally I understood what he was getting at. Many people… even many expats… think that moving abroad is a one-way proposition.
If it’s Spanish Colonial charm you’re after, you can’t do much better than Granada, Nicaragua. The place is steeped in it.
Our new friends paused over their meatloaf and mashed potatoes (an expat favorite served by one of the enterprising restaurateurs in our little Ecuadorian town). They had invited my wife, Suzan, and me out to lunch to seek some advice now that they’d been in town for a while. “We found the perfect house,” they said. “We have the utilities and Internet hooked up… we opened a bank account…
I’ve hosted a lot of International Living conferences and seminars, but this is the first time I’ve heard one of our events rated in this particular way. An attendee at our Fast-Track Panama Conference came up to me after the final presentation. “You know how I can tell if I’m getting something out of a conference?”
Would you willingly move—lock, stock, and barrel—to a foreign country with your grade-school-aged children in tow? I mean, it’s a big enough leap to move yourself overseas, even if you have 60 or 70 years of life experience and a bit of a pension or some Social Security under your belt.
Over the last 11 years of living throughout Latin America, my wife, Suzan, and I have missed lots of things we had back in the States. The first one for me was roasted red peppers. Eight brands in the supermarket back home… none in the first two countries we lived in. (For Suzan, it was Triscuits.)
The Internet is a wonderful thing. From a small condo high in the Ecuadorian Andes Mountains, my wife, Suzan, and I can view properties for sale in Omaha, Nebraska. (Which, by the way, is the perfect way to see properties in Omaha at this time of year if you no longer own a parka and mukluks…)
Would you willingly move—lock, stock, and barrel—to a foreign country with your grade-school-aged children in tow? I mean, it’s a big enough leap to move yourself overseas, even if you have 60 or 70 years of life experience and a bit of a pension or some Social Security under your belt.
Moving abroad is a great way to make a fixed income go as far as possible. When you’re living someplace where the weather is warm… utilities are cheap… taxes are low… and medical care is affordable… you can transform a pension or Social Security payment (that in the States would be barely enough to scrape by on) into a comfortable monthly income with cash to spare.
When my wife, Suzan, and I heard that we could get what is commonly called an “executive health assessment” in Quito, Ecuador, we decided to give it a try. Our primary care physician, Dr. Davalos, works with Hospital Metropolitano in Quito to put together a comprehensive package of tests that cover all the health bases over a two-day period.
Today Granada is one of Nicaragua’s most popular tourist destinations, even for Nicaraguans. People from Managua can drive down on a well-maintained four-lane highway to get away from the capital for the weekend and socialize along Calle la Calzada, the pedestrian street lined with bars, cafés, and restaurants just off the city’s main plaza.
When my wife, Suzan, and I heard that we could get what is commonly called an “executive health assessment” in Quito, Ecuador, we decided to give it a try. Our primary care physician, Dr. Davalos, works with Hospital Metropolitano in Quito to put together a comprehensive package of tests that cover all the health bases over a two-day period.
“You know what?” my new friend said. “You need to tell this to young people.” We were having coffee during one of the networking breaks here at the Fast-Track Ecuador Conference, and my new friend was much like me… much like the majority of our attendees… nearing or at retirement age and finally ready to have the overseas adventure she always wanted.
I just received an email from an International Living subscriber asking a question that is becoming more and more common in my inbox. To paraphrase: “With the price of real estate so low in the U.S. right now, why would anyone move abroad?” Fair question. And if your only reason for considering a move abroad is to find inexpensively priced property, the answer is obvious…you really don’t need to.
Our new friends paused over their meatloaf and mashed potatoes (an expat favorite served by one of the enterprising restaurateurs in our little Ecuadorian town). They had invited my wife, Suzan, and me out to lunch to seek some advice now that they’d been in town for a while.
Introduction to Our Sponsors, Speakers and Exhibitors. (This presentation has no accompanying PowerPoint slideshow.)
Introduction to Our Sponsors, Speakers and Exhibitors. (This presentation has no accompanying PowerPoint slideshow.)
Dan explains the benefits of becoming an International Living VIP member.
Dan explains the benefits of becoming an International Living VIP member.
Suzan Haskins, Jason Holland, Roger Petersen, Margaret Summerfield answer questions from the audience. (This presentation has no accompanying PowerPoint slideshow.)
Suzan Haskins, Jason Holland, Roger Petersen, Margaret Summerfield answer questions from the audience. (This presentation has no accompanying PowerPoint slideshow.)
David now makes his home in Uruguay and helps International Living readers keep up with that beautiful little country. We catch up with David and ask him about his new life in Uruguay on this edition of Finding Your Overseas Paradise.
It’s a long way from Deadwood, South Dakota, to Atenas, Costa Rica, but Tom and Kay Costello made the move nine years ago and have never looked back. In fact, the little bakery and restaurant they started in Atenas is now the nerve center of the expat community there… sooner or later you’ll meet everybody there is to meet at Kay’s Gringo Postres.
After just a few months in Ecuador, Julian and Casandra bought a property just outside Otavalo, the hometown of one of South America’s largest indigenous markets. Their dream was to turn it into a bed & breakfast where they could indulge all of their interests at the same time. Rio Blanco Bed & Brew was born. “I love to cook,” says Casandra.
We had just pulled out of a perfect…and perfectly deserted…half-moon cove where sand and surf played lazy tag between rock-boned headlands. After driving just a few more minutes north, our driver again turned off the coastal highway and again we dropped into another beach scene lifted straight from a tropical postcard. “Tasaste,” our driver said.
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