I’m making my way down the cobblestones of Arch Street, on my way to meet friends for a glass of wine. As I arrive, the bells of the 17th-century cathedral ring in the hour.

Antigua, in the Department of Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, is one of Latin America’s best preserved colonial towns.

With a population of 40,000 people, it’s full of white-washed and pastel-colored churches. Purple flowering jacaranda trees dot the Central Park and the clip-clop sounds of horses pulling buggies mingle with the laughter of uniformed children on their way to school.

A year on and I’m still convinced I made the right decision to stay. I ended my Peace Corps service in Guatemala in February last year. I had been here two years, but I realized I still wasn’t ready to leave the country. I didn’t want to give up the combination of a delightful climate, good friends (a mix of locals and expats alike), and affordable living.

I enjoy the leisurely pace of life here. People take the time to stop and chat on the street. You can join other expats and locals for an outdoor morning yoga class, looking out over colonial ruins. I delight in sipping a cup of locally-grown coffee in the outdoor garden at Cafe Condesa and nibbling on a fresh-baked scone as I check my email via their WiFi service. And you can easily walk from place to place. The climate sees to that, 75 F and sunny most days.

And you are never far from home. There are easy direct flights to the U.S. For example, Dallas is just over two hours by plane. In addition, there are non-stop flights to Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago. Transport is also readily available if you want to travel around the country or region.

After living on a Peace-Corps budget for two years, I knew it was possible to stretch a buck. And you can stretch it a long way in Antigua. One of my favorite ways to economize is to visit the local market on Thursdays and Saturdays. On these days, farmers and artisanal craftsmen from all over Guatemala gather to sell their wares.

Everything that comes to the market is incredibly fresh and flavorful. I had sworn off bananas in the U.S.; however, I quickly changed that idea after trying one of five local varieties picked off the sun-ripened bunch. I’m able to get a week’s worth of produce for around $12. I’m not skimping either; I load up on whole pineapples, watermelons, cantaloupe, heads of broccoli, and vine-ripened tomatoes. It’s a lot easier to incorporate healthy whole foods into your diet when they are as flavorful and affordable as they are in Guatemala.

After leaving the security of Peace Corps-provided health care, I was a bit apprehensive, but after exploring the services in town and in nearby Guatemala City and talking with other international residents, I was quickly put at ease.

One friend recently had ACL knee surgery performed by a very reputable orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital Herrera Llerandi in Guatemala City. It was done for a fraction of the cost I paid for the same surgery in the States a few years ago.

Doctors will sometimes make house calls and pharmacies offer a delivery service. I recently went in for a routine physical and the doctor spent over an hour with me, discussing my medical history and putting me at ease.

What a delight—when I can barely secure 10 minutes with my overworked U.S. physician. And the price for this personalized, high level of care? Only $25, including lab work.

There are lots of housing options in and around colonial Antigua. Rents within the city limits of Antigua run anywhere between $200 a month for a small one-bedroom apartment to $700 a month for a fully-furnished, restored colonial house.

For around $100,000 you can find a cute little house in the area, with all the modern amenities. And the choices only get better from there. Many homes include beautiful courtyards and garden areas in which you can enjoy Antigua’s perfect micro-climate while savoring your morning coffee.

I really love my life in Guatemala. The low cost of living makes me feel that the opportunities here are endless, and I feel like I can really carve out my little spot here in paradise.

As I sit on the terrace at night under the stars, take a sip of white wine, and watch the molten lava slide down Volcan Fuego, I know how lucky I am to have found this special place.

Editor’s Note: Learn more about Guatemala and other countries in our daily postcard e-letter.Simply sign up here for IL’s free daily postcard and we’ll send you a FREE GUATEMALA REPORT: A Taste of Guatemala.

Recommended Reading:

• Adventures in Guatemala
• The World’s Most Beautiful Lake
• One Crazy Adventure in Guatemala

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Costa Rica…the name alone conjures up visions of lush tropical rain forests and crashing surf on long stretches of white sand beaches.

Costa Rica inspires these visions for two reasons. Number one, they’re true. Costa Rica is one of the most biologically diverse and beautiful spots on earth with Pacific and Atlantic coastlines that are the stuff of legend.

The second reason that the idea of Costa Rica can instantly create pictures of tropical splendor is that it has been one of the most popular destinations for expats and second-home owners for decades. Costa Rica as a tropical haven is firmly established in the expat literature.

Read the full article on Costa Rica’s top 5 expat havens here.

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Sandy beaches with tumbling surf, peaceful lakeside living, bio-diverse tropical jungles, cool highland areas with modern cities. . . Little Costa Rica offers plenty to choose from. And for decades, expats like me have flocked here, making it one of the world’s most popular locales for good living abroad.

First off, there’s the climate. You can take your pick. Sunny and tropical or temperate and lush. Temperatures average 70 F to 90 F. Then there’s the affordable cost of living; the excellent, affordable health care; a stable government; and a thriving economy.

But it’s the friendly and welcoming people, the natural beauty, and the tropical lifestyle that will really steal your heart. “Costa Ricans are a gracious people,” says Rene Aoki, who has lived in the Arenal region for 19 years. “It’s an easy place to live where you can make close friends.”

New expats find well-trodden ground and benefit from the experience of those who came before them. It makes integrating into a new life here that much easier, no matter where you go.

But it makes picking your perfect spot in Costa Rica that much harder. So to help you, here—in no particular order—are the country’s five most popular and comfortable havens.

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1. The Central Valley—Ideal Climate and Convenience

Expats have been flocking to the Central Valley for decades. Known in Spanish as the Steins Control, it is actually a high-altitude plateau—above 3,000 feet—that is surrounded by tall mountains. In the middle you have Costa Rica’s capital, San José.

Several towns have become expat centers over the years. San Ramon, Grecia, Alajuela, and Atenas, to the west of the metro area, are well-established.  There’s Heredia to the north. Moravia to the east. And Escazu, Santa Ana, and up-and-coming hot-spots Puriscal and Giudad Colón to the southwest.

What makes this region so attractive? For one, thanks to the altitude, it has the ideal climate. Despite being firmly in the tropics, the year-round average temperature is the mid-70s F, with some areas at higher altitudes even cooler. Another is that, because foreigners have been coming to live here for so long, there’s a built-in expat “infrastructure,” like social clubs, theater groups, poker and bridge nights…plenty to keep you busy.

Plus, it’s centrally-located. The big city and all its conveniences are close by. You can be in San José and its suburbs within an hour to an hour-and-a-half at most from just about anywhere in the Valley. There you’ll find the best shopping in the country, including North American-style malls and warehouse shopping clubs (similar to Sam’s Club). It’s quite common for expats living in the Central Valley to pop in to San José for shopping, dinner, and a movie (new releases in English). If you want to hit the beach, it’s an hour or so to the Pacific.

It’s also the center of culture. Opera, classical music, jazz clubs, big-name concerts (Elton John and Bob Dylan were here in 2012), art festivals and museums, and other high-profile events…there’s something to do every weekend.

About three-quarters of the native Costa Rican population live in this region, as well. The Gran Area Metropolitana, as the capital San José and its suburbs are called, can be crowded and noisy. But get out of the city and you’ll find charming villages, bustling market towns, and plenty of quiet rural areas throughout the Central Valley. It’s also an agricultural center, with plenty of natural areas in between. Rolling hills covered with sugar cane fields, cow pastures, and hillside coffee plantations are interspersed with lush river valleys and forests.

Roberta Laidman, 70 and Harry Raabe, 68, have lived full time in Atenas, a town of about 5,000 for two years.

One reason they chose the Central Valley is echoed by most retiree—age expats here: quick access to the country’s top public and private medical care in San José, including the top hospitals and most specialists.

“When you reach a certain age, you have to be within spitting distance of an angioplasty,” says Roberta.

The quiet pace of life and the beautiful surroundings were also an attraction. “We’re just thrilled to be here. It’s like waking up in paradise,” says Roberta.  “We eat breakfast on the balcony, and we don’t jump up when we’re done to do something else. The view is mesmerizing. The environment calms the spirit.”

The Central Valley is full of affordable real estate. A mountain-view home outside Atenas, a 2,000-square-foot, two-bedroom, furnished, North American-style home is listed at $219,000. A furnished two-bedroom cabin with views of Grecia and the Poés Volcano is $89,000.

2. The Gold Coast—Sunshine, Surf, and Beautiful Sunsets

Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast, near the border with Nicaragua, is popular for those seeking a beach lifestyle and warm climate. Known as the Gold Coast, this region receives the least rainfall and has more sunny days than anywhere else in the country.

It’s about five hours from San José. But no worries; there are plenty of amenities and modern conveniences.

If you’re looking for a mix of Tico culture and strong, well-established expat communities, then this is your place.

Years ago, this coast was dotted with small fishing villages. Vestiges of this remain: Freshly-caught seafood is abundant and cheap. But you have easy access to plenty of home comforts, too, such as imported foods, sports bars, and sushi restaurants. You’ll also find boutique clothing stores, golf courses, and tennis clubs (thanks to large resorts and residential developments like Hacienda Pinilla, the Four Season, and the JW Marriott).

Tamarindo, first discovered by surfers in the 1970s, retains a funky, laid-back charm despite its growth over the years. Going out to dinner in your swimsuit is perfectly acceptable. And buying groceries barefoot doesn’t warrant a second glance. Playa Langosta to the south is higher-end, with plenty of million-dollar mansions fronting the beach.

Valerie Townley, 57, and her husband Gaylord, 60, have a long history with Costa Rica. They moved to Tamarindo in 1982, just after an in-country stint in the Peace Corps. As Gaylord was an avid surfer, Tamarindo’s consistent waves were a major factor.

“Costa Rica has a lot to offer for such a small country, and the Costa Ricans are such a great people,” says Valerie, a mixed-media artist who works with driftwood.

“We walk every day with the dogs, whether it’s to the beach or the mountains. And we watch the sunset almost every day,” she says.

About a half-hour north is Playa Flamingo and the adjoining town of Potrero. Flamingo fronts a beautiful beach, with many of the homes and condos here clinging to a small, rocky peninsula jutting into the Pacific. It’s more residential community than full-fledged town. Potrero, about 20 minutes north, has expat developments next to a working-class Tico village.

Further up the coast, Playas del Coco is a sport-fishing and scuba-diving center with a thriving expat community. It also tends to be quieter than Tamarindo, which has a reputation for a bustling nightlife scene.

The growing international airport in Liberia, the capital of the Guanacaste province, makes getting there easy, with several flights to and from the United States and Canada every day. Ticket prices can be a bit higher than the main airport in San José. But factor in a five-hour drive before your flight, and you may join the many who choose to fly out of Liberia.

This area was on the forefront of the housing boom in the early and mid-2000s. As in the States and elsewhere in the world, real estate got a bit out of control. But now things have leveled off.

A walk-to-the-beach, two-bedroom condo in Tamarindo’s center is available for $77,000. If you want beachfront, there’s a three-bedroom, 2,475-square-foot home in Potrero for $210,000.

3. Arenal—Peace, Quiet, and Rural Living

Thousands of tourists visit Arenal every year. For them, it’s all about the volcano, which gives its name to the region. The hub of La Fortuna de San Carlos sits at the volcano’s base on the eastern side. Admittedly, the volcano is a spectacular sight, a cone rising 5,479 feet out of forest and farmland. But most visitors miss the best part of the area: the 33-square-mile lake, also called Arenal.

This is where the majority of expats live in this region. The shoreline is unspoiled. And the green field and forest on the hills that drop to the lake are dotted with homes. Along the lake road you’ll find eco-lodges, B&Bs, and boutique hotels. There are only a few villages, settlements, and developments that bring together more than a few structures in one place.

It gives the area a rural feel. And it’s almost eerily quiet, too. In North America, a lake this beautiful would be overrun with jet skis and powerboats, the shore lined with homes and docks out into the water. Not here. Boat traffic consists of ferries talking tourists from one end to the other, some sailboats, kayakers, and a few fishermen and pleasure cruisers. Every time I’ve driven the lake shore I’ve seen at most five boats on the water at one time.

Nuevo Arenal is on the north shore, about midway. It’s a tidy village with a gas station, bank, pharmacy, grocery stores. . . most everything  you  need  for daily living.  (Check out Rumors Bar and Grill at happy hour to meet locals and expats alike.) The majority of expats in Arenal are clustered in small gated communities and individual homes on either side of town. Tronadora and San Luis are small villages on the opposite shore with simple but very affordable homes. Church, soccer field, and tidy, spotless houses–not much else. Tilarán is about 20 minutes inland from Tronadora. It’s bigger, with larger stores and more medical care.

“Going to town reminds me of where I grew up in Missouri,” says Rene Aoki, 60. “You have to go to one store for this, another store for that. It’s refreshing. ”

Rene and her husband Jim, 72, moved here 19 years ago from Alaska. Back then there seemed to be hardly any foreigners on the lake. They had a core group of 12 to 15 friends. In 1999, they put up signs around the lake road inviting everyone to a Fourth of July party—130 showed up. The expat population has multiplied since then but…“you don’t know it traffic-wise or construction-wise,” says Jim, who explains that the lake region remains a quiet and calm place.

Lake-view homes are surprisingly cheap. A recent listing featured a two-bedroom home for $59,000—and it has a lake view. A North American-style home set on the mountains above the lake in Aguacate is going for $179,000.

4. The Southern Zone—Classic Costa Rica

The southern Pacific coast, known as the Southern Zone, is what most people picture when they think of Costa Rica. It’s steamy rain forest. Jungle-clad mountains drop dramatically to deserted beaches.

There are no large resorts. No high-rises blocking the ocean view. You get the feeling that if humans left the area, the jungle would soon grow over everything they left behind.

And it’s the most bio-diverse region in an incredibly wildlife-filled country. On my recent visit I experienced this first-hand. Toucans flying past the back patio, as I had coffee in the morning.

More toucans on the trees outside the restaurant where we ate that night. Howler monkeys sleeping in branches above the beach. Sloths moving slowly in the trees, next to the road. It’s like stepping into a nature documentary—and, that’s without even visiting a national park.

The nice part about the Southern Zone is that it’s probably always going to stay this way. The paving of the two—lane coast road from Quepos to Dominical in 2010 made access easier—it’s a three-hour journey now, versus the file it used to take. Still, this area gets far fewer visitors than other regions and any development is low impact. Hit the beach and you’ll see the result: You often have the whole place to yourself.

Dominical, a lazy beach town and surfer’s paradise at the far north end of the Zone, looks much as it did when I first visited in 2005. A few restaurants and bars line the beach road. I like nothing more than to relax with a michelada (beer and lime juice on ice, with salt on the rim of the glass) and a bowl of ceviche, watching the water—a simple pleasure for $5.

Uvita, about 30 minutes south, has grown into a regional hub. It’s a collection of commercial centers on the coastal and is where most people do their shopping and other errands. Ojochal, another 15 minutes down the road is not a town per se. Rather, it’s more like buildings scattered in the jungle, crisscrossed with dirt roads. It’s an unlikely place to find a collection of top-notch gourmet restaurants, featuring everything from French to Italian to Indonesian to Mediterranean cuisine. Yet it’s happened, thanks to an international cast of expats—who can cook—and a community that embraces its unique culinary benefits.

Shelagh and Bruce Duncan have lived in Ojochal for five years. The couple originally from England but living in Canada for 32 years, had been visiting the area for years. They had even built a vacation rental for income and to use themselves. They never intended to move down permanently.

“Little by little, it was more like home, and it was harder to go back to Toronto and the grind,” says Shelagh, 65.

Shelagh, an interior designer, opened her own furniture shop, Royal Palm Interiors, soon after their move. “It’s been very fulfilling and a great way to meet people,” says Shelagh, who says there’s a common bond among all those who leave their home country. “There’s a good mix of people here, and they’ve become like a second family. They’re adventurous and think outside the box.”

Most homes in the Southern Zone are set up on the mountains to catch the cool sea breezes. And there’s certainly no clear-cutting for gated communities. Houses are built within the jungle or on former cattle pasture that is being reclaimed by trees. The terrain pretty much rules out developments laid out on a ruler-straight grid.

5. Central Pacific—A Comfortable Beach Lifestyle

I have mixed feelings about the Central Pacific coast. Jaco, arguably the best-known town in the region, is not my cup of tea. Too much concrete. Too many souvenir shops. Of course, plenty of people love that bushing resort—town atmosphere.

Playa Herradura just to the north is much quieter, a sheltered bay with cozy seafood restaurants. And south of Jaco you have several very low-key communities like Esterillos, Bejuco, and Hermosa, where surfers mix with retirees enjoying sunset cocktails on the beach.

Manuel Antonio, the town just outside the national park of the same name, is again not my favorite spot. The park  is the  most-visited  in  Costa Rica,  so  there’s  no  shortage  of hotels,  restaurants,  and t-shirt shops. But the thing is, the beach, especially in the national park itself, is unbeatable—one of the most beautiful in the country, in my opinion. Protected coves, bordered by hills covered in lush green vegetation, aqua-blue water, and white sand—it doesn’t get better than that.

I can see the appeal of the Central Pacific coast. You can live on the beach and enjoy a “toes-in-the-sand” lifestyle. Plenty of expats do. And San José, and all the medical care, great shopping, the airport, and cultural activities are just a little over an hour away.

“I came here on a surf vacation. And it’s been the longest two-week vacation ever,” says Marc Hauser, 55, who’s been in Jaco for 20 years. “I bought a lot with a house under construction on my third day here and called my wife Ingrid and told her to put our house in Melbourne, Florida, up for sale.”

Marc and his family keep busy with their restaurant (with another under construction), vacation-rental management, and the construction of a private resort. But there’s plenty of time for fun.

“I get to surf one or two hours a day if the waves are good. And I play golf from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. almost every day,” says Marc.

“There have been a lot of changes over the years, but it’s nothing compared to LA, Miami or New York City. I’m living in paradise. When you live in the Garden of Eden, would you ever leave?”

As far as real estate, beach living is affordable. A two-bedroom home within walking distance of the Pacific in Esterillios is $125,000. In Manuel Antonio, a three-bedroom villa with a view of the ocean is $149,000.

Try Before You Buy: Renting in Costa Rica 

There are plenty of stories in Costa Rica of vacationers who bought property or a home within days of landing and ended up living happily ever after. But, while it may have worked out for them, I don’t think even they would recommend this approach. A much better idea is a low-risk trial run.

If you rent a place for a few months, you can see how you like daily life there. You can even try a few different regions on for size before deciding.

Long-term rentals, usually furnished, are abundant in the Central Valley and Arenal. But they can be harder to come by in the beach areas, where home and condo owners do a brisk trade in vacation rentals. One gentleman I met in Tamarindo can make up to $3,000 renting out his place the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Still, many owners and management companies on the coast are interested in taking on responsible long-term tenants.

When looking for a rental—and this goes for all regions in Costa Rica—check out the local real-estate websites. You’ll see long-term rentals listed, but many more vacation rentals and homes for sale. If you see any you like, just contact the office and ask if they’d be interested in renting the property long-term instead. If it’s empty, with no leads on the horizon, they’re usually game as long as you sign a lease of at least six months to a year.

To give you an idea of what’s on offer, a town-home is available in Ciudad Colén, in the Central Valley, for $1,000 a month (see here). Walk to the beach in Tamarindo from a two-bedroom condo for $600 (see here).

Affordable Living in Costa Rica

Living on a budget of $1,500 for a couple is possible in Costa Rica. Ticos, after all, live on an average annual income of around $11,000.

The key is to do what locals do.

First, avoid the fancy grocery store full of imported and gourmet items, where prices are at U.S. levels or higher. But you don’t have to go without all your favorites from home. Myself, I’m partial to sriracha Asian chili sauce and Sam Adams beer, and my wife loves hummus, none of which is available in regular stores.

We get all our fruits and vegetables at the weekly feria, or famers’ market. Every sizable town in Costa Rica has one. In villages or rural areas it may be smaller, but it’s always there. In season, mangoes are $2 for 6 pounds. Pineapples are $1 .30 year-round. Foot-long papayas cost 75 cents. Tomatoes, 50 cents per pound. Lettuce, 50 cents a head. Big bunches of herbs like basil, cilantro, and mint—about a quarter each.

When you live near the coast, you buy fish from roadside stands or beachfront fish camps where the boats come in. It’s all fresh catch of the day. Snapper for $12 for a huge two-pound filet. Sushi-grade tuna and mahi-mahi, $15 for two pounds.

Going local for dinners out is key, too. Our trips to the U.S.- style sports bar—with chicken wings—are  limited to select college football-game days. Most of the time we frequent our local soda, the Costa-Rican equivalent of the diner. Rice, beans, plantains, and your choice of meat—chicken, pork—or fish is $4 to $5.

See a slideshow of photos of the 5 top expat havens here.

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Life was good in the States. We had a big house, two cars, and a community of friends in our Pennsylvania hometown. We had meaningful work and our weeks rushed by in a whirlwind of activity for both us and our children. We espoused the American view of “work hard, play hard.”

But something was missing. The lifestyle we were living was too stressful, too busy, too unhealthy, and too expensive. We found ourselves accumulating—and worrying about—unnecessary stuff. We felt we were running on a work-and-spend treadmill that didn’t get us anywhere and left us exhausted. In the name of living the good life, we felt we were actually losing ours.

So last winter my husband Kevin and I decided we needed a break—a family escape—from what we knew to be “normal.” We realized we couldn’t stay where we were with our four kids and find the change we wanted.

We focused on Central and South America because of their proximity to the U.S., their warm tropical climates, and their low cost of living. We spent many hours online researching and talking to expats who lived in the countries we were considering: Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, and Ecuador. We paid flying visits to several places to see in person if we would like it there.

Ultimately, we decided on Belize, nestled between Mexico and Guatemala and facing the morning sunrise over the Caribbean Sea.

A sparsely-populated country of around 300,000 people, Belize is English-speaking. It’s also very affordable and would allow our family of six to live comfortably, even without selling off everything we owned in the States.

We started to plan…and things seemed to fall miraculously into place. Although it seemed to be a Herculean task in the beginning, we found the excitement of our dreams drove us forward.

Conventional wisdom tells us to tuck these dreams away until retirement. But we weren’t willing to wait that long. We looked at our budget. We own a business at home that gives us a steady income and, once we were able to hire good people to watch over it, my husband could manage the big picture remotely from Belize. My freelance writing would help pay the bills, as well. Besides that, Belize is a place where it’s easy to stretch your dollar.

When we finally arrived in Belize, we had no regrets. The lifestyle is simple and laid-back.

Here we meet people from all over the world. Belizeans themselves are a melting-pot culture: Creole, Spanish, Garifuna, Mestizo, East Indian, and Chinese all settled here at one time or another. Add to that the burgeoning expat population.

We walk most places we need to go, and the daily fresh air and sunshine from these hikes do wonders for our mental outlook, not to mention keep us in better shape than at home, where exercise at the gym was more of a chore than a joyful way of life.

Overall, we’ve found that our life is simpler and easier here in San Ignacio than it was in the States. We have more awareness, more time, and more old-fashioned fun. We spend time sitting together on the porch of our $400-a-month rental house to catch the mountain breeze.

When it’s really hot, we jump into the clear Macal River, along with half the town, and savor the idea that, here in Belize, we are in the land of eternal summer: hot days and cool nights.

It’s also cheaper. We live on a fraction here of what most folks spend at home. Our family of six lives comfortably for under $2,000 a month.

We spend less in part because we need less. Housing costs, car insurance, and school tuition are lower here. And no need to spend money on vacations when you already live in paradise.

A short while ago, Kevin and I would never have thought long-term travel with our family was possible. But we found it’s not only possible, but preferable. We’ve asked many questions on this journey, but right now the biggest question of all is: “What’s next?” The answer: After a few months back in the U.S. sorting out our affairs, we’re thinking of driving across Canada and our own native U.S.

But our next big adventure may be a camping trip through Europe. We’ve also heard wonderful things about Malaysia and Thailand. And we’ve made Kiwi friends we’ll probably want to visit in New Zealand…

Now that we’ve broken free from “regular life,” we see possibilities around every corner…

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Recommended Reading:

• The Freedom to Do Things Your Way in Belize
• Freedom and Joy of Life in Belize
• In Pictures: Laidback and Affordable Belize

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In case you don’t know—and some don’t—copywriting means writing ad copy. The headlines. The print ads you see. Billboards. TV ads. And sales letters.

In the role that I and many others play, we’re talking most of all about the sales letters. Really long ones, that can range 8… 16… even 24 pages or longer.

These days, we’re talking more specifically about sales letters on the Internet. Usually posted to a website or read off in “video” form, with text on screen.

I’m almost sure you’ve seen these ads. Maybe you’ve even responded to a few of them. But what happens on the other side of the screen? Copywriters get paid to write those ads. And we often get paid pretty well.

Two weeks of writing or maybe three can bring you, the writer, a $10,000 fee. Throw in another two or three weeks of good sales, and you could see $30,000 in royalties. That’s a pretty tidy sum—$40,000— for about a month of work and waiting.

That’s not unprecedented. For some us, it’s the norm or even a slow return. At the very top, it would be downright depressing. I’ve seen writers make twice that in a month. I’ve done it myself. I’ve seen a handful do that much in a week.

In short, this gig can pay.

But the writing students I meet are so focused on the income potential, I don’t get asked often enough about other benefits. Since you can start enjoying these benefits even before you hit the big time—and perhaps if you never do—let’s talk about them now.

One of the big ones is, of course, the freedom. I used to work in an office, on someone else’s schedule. But you really can write copy from anywhere. All you need is a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection. Heck, you could pull off a productive afternoon with a legal pad.

It did take work to get “good,” but once demand for my copy started to go up, I started working from home. Then from London, for a couple months. After that, I spent two months writing in a French farmhouse. Then I fulfilled a dream and moved to a sun-dappled apartment on the best street in the West Village, in New York City.

Since then, I’ve also worked seaside in Greece… under a friend’s grape arbor and in a family gazebo… poolside in Florida and pub-side in Dublin… on a cruise ship… and right now, from a favorite armchair in our apartment, here in Paris.

I didn’t need to put in for vacation time. I didn’t even ask anybody’s permission. I just packed up and went. These days, I bring my family.

When we go on vacation, I just get up a little earlier than they do and work until lunchtime. This way, we can take two or three vacations a year. Sometimes more.

Honestly, I have to remind myself now NOT to work when we go away.

What about the client? I take calls on Skype. We email. Sometimes I combine a vacation with an onsite visit. Sometimes they even pay for the travel, because I “trade” it for a brainstorming meeting or a mini-seminar.

As long as the work gets done, they’re happy.

You can’t imagine how great this is when you have young kids. Every morning, I walk them to school. Every afternoon, I’m here when they get home. No rush hour or missed family dinners. Even if I have a deadline, I still get to be nearby.

You can’t say that about most office jobs.

You can’t even say it about most jobs in sales. But with my kind of copy career, I don’t need to do cold calls or hit the road, either. One letter gets scaled up to mail worldwide, with results that roll in overnight. I like that too.

Perhaps least obvious to the early writer, though, is the job security.

After you do this awhile, you start to realize that the better you can sell, the more indispensable you become.

Suddenly, you’re the one people look to at meetings. You’re the one they count on. You’re even among those they call first, when any new project comes along.

Why? Because nothing happens in any business, until somebody sells something. By being the copywriter, you become that somebody. It’s that simple.

You would think that in today’s market, with so much of the job characteristics a lot of people look for, that there would be a glut of copywriters out there… fighting for clients.

You might even think that people like me would want to keep new writers out, just to short circuit new competition.

But the truth is, demand for good copywriters has never been higher.

With the Internet, every sales piece reaches out to many more markets. And many more people get to see each ad, more often. New ads need writing, just to replace them. Meanwhile, many more businesses continue to crop up online.

So the industry is constantly looking for new “talent” to fill the void.

Editor’s Note: If you’d like to learn more about ways you can pay for your life or travels overseas, sign up for Fund Your Life Overseas, a free e-letter from International Living. Sign up here and we’ll send you a FREE REPORT: Fund Your New Life Overseas With These 6 Portable Careers.

 Recommended Reading:

• Part-Time Effort, Full-Time Income
• A House Full Of Globetrotting Freelancers
• “Copywriting More Than Covers my Cost of Living in Ecuador”

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Opening a franchise in Latin America can be a great way to fund your overseas dream. And your options are vast. In Brazil alone, you have more than 1,800 franchise brands to choose from. Mexico has more than 900.

The biggest benefit of franchising is that the business plan is already done for you. Franchising allows entrepreneurs to operate from a proven business model that is continuously perfected and adapted.

Today, the franchise model is present in virtually all type of industries, from selling nuts and bolts to luxury hotels for dogs.

I’ve developed franchises all over Latin America (including Colombia and Chile) and currently live in Costa Rica.

The franchise trends I’m seeing on the ground that could be very lucrative right now include:

Frozen yogurt: This appeals to both expats and locals. People want healthier options. Plus, the year-round hot weather in most markets in the region means this is not subject to seasonal fluctuations.

At-home senior care: This is a market set to boom in Latin America. Traditionally, families would take care of their elders as long as possible. But with more working couples, traditions are changing and new alternatives to senior care are needed.

Tutoring: Globalization is changing the way people in Latin America see education. English is a necessity and advanced degrees are in high demand. The challenge is that few options exist for students to get the proper GMAT, SAT, or GRE training. This would be a good franchise for a native English speaker.

Before you make any decisions, it’s important to match up your goals, interests, and desired level of involvement with the appropriate type of franchise. First think about the type of business owner you want to be. How much time are you willing to invest in your business?

You can go from less than an hour a day to more than 12 hours a day. Some franchises will allow absentee ownership, while others will require owner-operators.

Any successful business is also about being passionate about what you do. Coin laundry businesses may generally be a good investment, but are you going to get up every day excited about going to work? Isn’t that why you moved to your piece of paradise, to follow your dreams?

Editor’s Note: If you’d like to learn more about ways you can pay for your life or travels overseas, sign up for Fund Your Life Overseas, a free e-letter from International Living. Sign up here and we’ll send you a FREE REPORT: Fund Your New Life Overseas With These 6 Portable Careers.

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A magazine interviewer asked me a question I’d never heard before the other day.

“How many expats fail?” he asked.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Well,” he said, “how many expats return home before they die?”

It took me a while to recover, but finally I answered, “I know lots of expats who go back home for lots of reasons, but I don’t consider any of them failures for not dying first.”

“But,” the interviewer asked, “isn’t the point of being an expat to go away and stay away?”

Finally I understood what he was getting at. Many people… even many expats… think that moving abroad is a one-way proposition. After all, if you do the research and find that there really is a happier, healthier, more affordable place to live outside your home country… and you actually move there… going back to the place you left while you’re still breathing can only mean you’ve failed somehow, right?

Not at all. As one of my favorite sayings states so well, “Life is what happens to us while we are busy making other plans.”

Take Bob and Donna. We attended a little going away party for them at a local bar recently… they were moving back to the States. They’d been living happily overseas for eight years, and everyone wanted to know why they were “bailing out” at this point.

All they had to do was show the copy of the sonogram they’d received via email from their daughter in Wisconsin.

“It’s a girl,” beamed Donna. “First grandbaby. The kids are trying to pick a name, and it’s come down to either Katelin or—” there was a little catch in her breath… “—Donna.”

Failed expats? I don’t think so.

Bob and Donna had no plans to sell the little condo they’d been living in, either. “We’ll rent it out,” said Bob. “The cash will come in handy, and when we want to come back down and spend some time, we’ll have a place we already know and love.”

And as it turned out, Bob and Donna weren’t the only ones at their farewell party who were going back. Carl let it slip that he was heading back to Florida soon.

“Nothing against the medical care here,” he said, “but the best heart surgeons in the world are at the University of Miami; that’s just a fact. And I qualify for Medicare next November. My doctor here did a great job diagnosing my bum ticker, but with all the work it’s going to need, I have to make the move and take advantage of Medicare and the University health center.

“And Florida doesn’t have state income tax. I won’t live as cheaply as I would here, but I’ll manage.”

As Carl and Bob and Donna clearly show, things change. The reasons for leaving your home country… and the reasons you had for choosing your destination country… may not stay the same over time.

In fact, it is very likely that they won’t stay the same. Change is the one constant in life, and if personal circumstances change or the conditions on the ground in either the home country or adopted country change, a smart person takes that into consideration and changes their plans with them if necessary.

In other words… the same reasoning process that lead to a decision to move overseas just might eventually lead right back home, at least part time, if things change in certain ways.

Recognizing that and doing something about it isn’t failure. It’s the same good sense that leads many expats overseas in the first place.

Editor’s note: Got a question about International Living or just want to share feedback? You can talk to us directly on our Twitter page. And when you’re a follower, you’ll get to see extra articles and photos that we don’t have space to share with you in these Postcards. Follow International Living @inliving today.

Recommended Reading:

•  The World’s Top Retirement Havens in 2013
• Cost of Living Overseas: Live Well from $1,000 a Month
• Take the 45 Second Quiz and Find Your Perfect Place to Live Overseas

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Few places on Earth ignite the romantic senses like Italy—it’s a country people dream of visiting, and once they do, they dream of returning.

From the mouth-watering food, the exquisite wine and classic art, to the rolling hills of Tuscany, the glittering Mediterranean Sea and la dolce vita lifestyle, Italy is the stuff of dreams.

While most visitors only fantasize about returning, some savvy expat food-lovers have found a viable way to make that dream a reality—by opening cookery schools.

If it sounds strange for a North American to be teaching Italian cooking in Italy, think of it this way: most tourists who come on a cooking vacation to Italy are American. An American chef understands what they already know about Italian cooking and what they want to learn.

New Yorkers Ashley and Jason Bartner are just two of the expats finding success with a cookery school in Italy today. They chose to set up their business in the Marche region of central Italy, a region located east of Florence and sandwiched between the Appenine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea. Think of it as the “calf” on the boot of Italy.

The Bartners chose to set up their school in a 300-year-old stone farmhouse, which they lease, outside the small village of Piobicco.

“We chose this location because it’s Italy’s best kept secret,” Ashley says. “We really wanted it to be a rural, more authentic experience for our guests. The people here are wonderful and very welcoming.”

The couple fell in love with Italy while honeymooning in 2006, and set about making their dream of moving and working there a reality. They founded La Tavola Marche, an agritourismo business that is a combination cooking school, organic farm, and small inn, just a year later.

Jason took charge of the kitchen, and Ashley runs the business side of things—including organizing tours and playing hostess at the inn.

Their goal was to produce meals that were “super local, seasonal, and traditional,” according to Ashley. They raise their own chickens and keep a large organic garden that supplies herbs, tomatoes, garlic and more, all of which goes into the cooking. They have even begun producing their own wine and recently bottled more than 600 bottles of red wine.

Their advice for other expats considering a similar venture? As Ashley says, “Keep up that American spirit of hard work and you’ll do well.”

Editor’s Note: Learn more about Italy and other countries in IL’s daily postcard e-letter. Sign up here for these free daily postcards and we’ll send you a FREE report – Italy: Europe’s Most Seductive Country.

Recommended Reading:

• Your Own Farmhouse in Italy (That Generates an Income)
• Slow Down and Enjoy the Moment in Tuscany
• Italian Lakeside Life

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A career as a freelance copywriter is a pretty cushy “job.” You can work at home (wherever in the world you want that to be), take naps in the middle of the day, vacation a lot, and get paid really well.

The only downside is the confusion you’ll face when you say, “I’m a freelance copywriter.” (Many people think “copywriter” means you can help protect their inventions against theft—as in “copyright.”)

One of the easiest ways to explain the unique job of a copywriter is to say, “Well, Copywriters are responsible for the text on brochures, billboards, websites, e-mails, advertisements, catalogs, and more.”

If you’re interested in copywriting from what you’ve read in Fund Your Life Overseas this week, what probably got your attention is that:

1.It’s a great way to make money from anywhere in the world.
2.You can be up-and-running quickly with very little investment.
3.A formal education is not required.

All of these things are true.

In fact, professional copywriting skills continue to be in high demand and copywriting jobs are some of the highest paid projects for freelance writers.

Many copywriters make six figures working full-time. Others only work part-time, but enjoy a full-time income.

Kathleen C works full-time, but wants to earn some extra money for vacations and for the family’s savings plan. She puts in some time during the evenings and on weekends and makes $25,000 a year.

Eileen C is a stay-at-home single mom. She has two young children to care for, but still manages to find four hours a day for her freelance copywriting business. She makes $75,000 a year.

Pam F is ambitious and works decent hours, not only on copywriting, but also on the growth and development of her freelance business. She makes over $120,000 a year.

Joshua B is a real go-getter. He not only found he has a real talent for copywriting, but also that he’s a terrific networker and business developer. He has negotiated some lucrative contracts with a number of big companies and will be making more than $300,000 this year.

The best part is, there is still plenty of room in this huge and expanding industry.

There are successful copywriters with college degrees and some who didn’t finish high school. Some copywriters are only 18 and some are retired. Some copywriters are stay-at-home moms and some left six-figure corporate jobs.

The only thing you need is a computer and an Internet connection. Everything else can be learned. If you can write a letter to a friend, you have all the qualifications you need to get started now.

A great thing about being a freelance copywriter is you can work as much or as little as you want. It all depends on how much you want to earn and how often you want to work.

Editor’s Note: If you’d like to learn more about ways you can pay for your life or travels overseas, sign up for Fund Your Life Overseas, a free e-letter from International Living. Sign up here and we’ll send you a FREE REPORT: Fund Your New Life Overseas With These 6 Portable Careers.

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This Caribbean island covers less than 19,000 square miles…not quite twice the size of New Hampshire.

Popular for decades with Europeans, it’s finally getting the attention it deserves from Americans. They’re coming to this island to vacation; some want to spend more time here, so they buy a dream beach home, too.

I’ve seen dozens of beach towns and hundreds of beaches on my trips. (I spend roughly half my time scouting—searching for the best-value real estate out there.) But this island destination deserves to be on the top of your shortlist if you’re looking for a second home or a retirement home overseas. I could give you lots of reasons why. But the biggest one is that it’s incredibly easy.

It’s easy to get to. This isn’t a remote outpost, accessible only by ferry or a tiny single-prop plane. The eight international airports offer a wide choice of direct flights and low-cost fares. You can leave home early in the morning and enjoy lobster on the beach for lunch.

And the island’s small size makes it easy to explore. You can work on your tan on palm-fringed beaches…snorkel in warm clear waters…discover ancient forts and quaint cathedrals…mountain bike, horseback ride, play a round of golf or trek through national parks and cool off under the refreshing spray of a waterfall.

You’ll have no problems becoming a resident, and you don’t need to invest millions to live or retire here.

You’ll love the slow, easy pace of life…dining on fresh shrimp and lobster…soaking up the tropical sun…strolling round town and catching up with friends. You can ditch the business suit and tie, dig out your bathing suit and flip-flops—and set your watch to island time.

A couple of island locations will remind you of Europe. In one beach town, you can pick up fresh croissants from the French bakery…and Italian cheese and sausage from the grocery store. In another upscale spot, you can listen to opera in an amphitheater…and walk the cobbled streets of a hillside village.

Foreigners get the same property rights as locals if they want to own a slice of this paradise—you won’t have to put up with the kinds of restrictions you get on other Caribbean islands such as St. Kitts or Trinidad. Property prices are much more affordable than other island locations, too; you can buy a condo from $75,000.

And in one location on this island, your beach home could earn strong rental income when you’re not using it yourself. Many owners generate rental yields of up to 10%.

You can get the real skinny on this island in a free report when you subscribe to the Pathfinder Alert, my free e-letter that brings the best in real estate values straight to your inbox.

Editor’s Note: Margaret Summerfield comes to us from Pathfinder, International Living’s preferred real estate advertiser.

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To borrow a phrase from rock group REM, Punta del Este and the Uruguayan coast is, “the end of the world as we know it.” Dig your toes into the silky sand, look out across the frothy blue sea and wrap your mind around the fact that the next land mass is the Falkland Islands, and then Antarctica.

The peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean offers something for everyone on its Mansa (or calm) side and its wider Brava surfing side. There’s nowhere else like it in Uruguay. Or, perhaps, the world.

In fact, some expats who live in “Punta,” as it’s commonly called, say this may be the best of the world as we know it.

“Punta del Este is clean, it’s safe, you can wear your best jewelry and drive an expensive car and have no fear of robbery or anything else,” British expat Bill Tickle told me. “It’s a comfortable place to come on vacation and a comfortable place to live… everything is here.”

After spending a few days in Punta, I was inclined to agree with him. My impressions, in fact, are that Punta is like a shinier, prettier southern California…a more upscale Venice Beach without the panhandlers and gritty edge.

The height of Uruguay’s summer season is the end of January. During January and February, well-heeled vacationers from all over the world come to enjoy the sun, sand, and surf…to dine beside the sea or play all night in the casinos and nightclubs Punta del Este is famous for.

These two months alone are when the majority of hotels, shopkeepers, and restaurant owners make the bulk of their annual income. Some of them, in fact, are open only during these lucrative summer months—and during the fresh November-December spring or the tail end of summer in March. The rest of the season they close their doors and count their money.

In winter, though, Punta del Este takes on a very different, far more introverted personality. Besides the shuttered shops and restaurants, even the traffic lights are disabled as there are so few cars on the roads. And that’s exactly the way those who live in Punta del Este like it. A few months of high-energy glitz and glamor and then a few months to recover before it all starts again.

I could definitely understand the attraction of that. Enough time to get your fill of a truly first-class, beach resort playground and even more time with those world-class beaches all to yourself.

All that, and Punta del Este is easy to get to…less than a two-hour drive from Uruguay’s sophisticated capital city of Montevideo and its international airport.

But Punta has modern amenities all its own…from shopping malls and supermarkets to high-tech, modern hospitals—and no, these don’t shut down during the winter.

By the way, Punta del Este’s world-renowned property market show no signs of abating any time soon, either. This is where you’ll find the highest prices in all of Uruguay, although that’s certainly to be expected in one of the world’s finest beach destinations.

Still, I found a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment just a stone’s throw from popular Playa Mansa selling for $195,000—that could rent for 15 days in January for $4,000 and 15 days in February for $3,000. In fact, house and apartment rentals bring in five times or more during January and February alone than at any other time of year. And as hotel rooms at this time of year are ridiculously expensive and hard to come by, demand is high.

If you wanted to buy a second home in Punta del Este, it could very easily end up paying for itself…

Editor’s Note: Learn more about Uruguay and other countries in IL’s daily postcard e-letter.Sign up for these free daily postcards here and we’ll send you a FREE REPORT - Live in First World Comfort in Uruguay.

Recommended Reading:

• Affordable Properties in the Best Areas of Punta del Este, Uruguay
• Five Reasons to Live in Punta del Este, Uruguay
• Video: Three Areas to Consider When You Move to Punta del Este, Uruguay

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Last week, I had one of those moments when I realized how fortunate I am to have the life and career that I do. I am a freelance copywriter living Paris, which means that not only do I live in one the most beautiful cities in the world, I have the flexibility to actually enjoy it and my life here.

Sometimes I get too caught up in the day-to-day of living to remember my good fortune. But then something inevitably happens to remind me…

It was the perfect Parisian spring day. The sky was pure blue. The trees lining the streets were in full bloom, leaves rustling as a slight breeze stirred them. The Seine was a smooth pale-olive ribbon streaking through the city.

I was looking forward to enjoying this sunshiny day with my kids. Maybe we’d have an afternoon snack at the Tuileries, Marie-Antoinette’s former gardens. Or perhaps we’d visit the little zoo at the beautiful hilly grounds of the Jardin des Plantes.

But I had something to do first: my 5-year-old had an end-of-the-year “performance” at his weekly German class. As I sat on the hard plastic chair waiting for the show to begin, I glanced around at the other parents in the room. Many were wearing suits and ties or high heels. Some were hunched over their smartphones, no doubt using the spare time to check or answer their emails. Others weren’t parents at all, but were clearly nannies.

I felt a rush of gratitude for my situation. As a copywriter, there’s no one I have to check with before taking time off and rarely are matters so urgent that I need to remain glued to my smartphone or miss my kids’ plays and recitals.

The reality of those other parents could have been mine, though. Before becoming a writer, I was a corporate lawyer, first in New York City. In those days, I worked 14 hours a day, often more. Although I didn’t have children then, I can well imagine the havoc that a 45-minute school play could have wreaked upon my schedule…and the crashing guilt that would have ensued if I missed my child’s show.

Back then, it was no more than usual to have to cancel dinner or weekend plans at the last minute to deal with some work crisis. There were times that I slept under my desk at the office because there was no time to go home, and times where I went home only to shower and immediately return.

I thought life would be easier when I switched law firms and moved to Paris. But my new job required constant travel: Now Paris…now Frankfurt…now Milan..now New York. It sounds exciting but in reality it was just a blur of conference rooms and airports. I could have been living anywhere.

Finally, I’d had enough. What was the point of living in Paris if I couldn’t enjoy it?

I’d always loved writing so I started researching the idea of becoming a freelance writer. When I realized that it was entirely possible to make a living as a freelancer, I left the law firm and its 90-hour work weeks and never looked back.

For awhile, I wrote articles for websites and magazines. Then I decided to try my hand at copywriting. I’d long been intrigued by it: I’d heard that it usually pays much more than articles and often requires less work. The problem was, I didn’t know how to get started.

In the end, I just threw myself into it. I set up a website offering my services to write press releases, newsletters and web copy. I was soon writing press releases for local businesses. Later I began writing fund-raising letters, marketing copy and ghostwriting web copy and blogs for law firms.

Sure enough, I found that I made much more money with copywriting than penning articles. I pull in between $100-$200 per webpage and have scored as much as $2,000 for a marketing letter. Not bad.

What’s more because copywriting isn’t usually as research-intensive as article writing, I had much more free time…to do things like watch my son’s play in the middle of the day….then take him out to enjoy the Paris sunshine afterward. No guilt. No stress.

No way I could have done this as a corporate lawyer.

As my son walked onto the makeshift stage with his group, his eyes sought mine. I smiled and winked. He winked back. It was a simple moment but one I wouldn’t have missed for the world. Thank goodness, I didn’t have to.

Editor’s Note: If you’d like to learn more about ways you can pay for your life or travels overseas, sign up for Fund Your Life Overseas, a free e-letter from International Living. Sign up here and we’ll send you a FREE REPORT: Fund Your New Life Overseas With These 6 Portable Careers.

Recommended Reading:

• How I Make Money Writing Online
• The Perfect Day in Belize
• Could This Really Be The Perfect Job?

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If you fall in love with Uruguay, as I did, one thing you’ll appreciate is the high-quality, affordable health care.

In Uruguay, medical equipment is modern and doctors highly trained. There are two medical schools in Montevideo, but many senior doctors in Uruguay were trained in the United States, Germany, and Brazil. Many Uruguayan doctors also attend continuing-education conferences abroad.

For cost, consider this: I had knee surgery just over a year ago. I paid $200 for a CT scan, a $7 co-pay for each doctor visit, and a $7 co-pay for each physical therapy session afterwards. Everything else was covered by my regular $185-a-month health-care plan.

Uruguay has a public health-care system, and expats who have applied for residence can use the system in an emergency. But my advice is not to rely on it. Instead, the most common medical care choice in Uruguay is a hospital plan called a mutualista.

With a mutualista, you become a member of a hospital and go there for all your scheduled health care needs. You make monthly payments to the mutualista and also pay a small co-pay when you see a doctor or have a medical test.

A mutualista is different from health insurance. There is no deductible, no lifetime cap, and no complicated terms to decipher. Each private hospital sets its own guidelines for accepting non-employed members (such as retiree expats). Some hospitals will not take new members over a certain age or with certain pre-existing conditions.

Most of the staff and many doctors in Uruguayan hospitals speak only Spanish, so consider coming with someone to interpret for you if you don’t speak Spanish.

It’s easy to find good medications, both generics and brand-name drugs. (Do note that brands may not have the same names as in the U.S.) Cost can depend on your hospital plan. Many offer a 50% discount.

If you prefer to buy health insurance instead of joining a mutualista, health plans are available with a variety of coverage options.

Editor’s Note: Learn more about Uruguay and other countries in IL’s daily postcard e-letter. Sign up for these free daily postcards here and we’ll send you a FREE REPORT - Live in First World Comfort in Uruguay.

Recommended Reading:

• Health Care Survey: The Best Havens for Quality Care Overseas
• “Doctors in Cuenca, Ecuador Even Answer Their Own Phones…”
• Expat Health Insurance 101

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The case for owning farmland as a strategy to safely grow or preserve your nest egg has never been stronger. Increasing populations and wealth in emerging economies is the primary driver. As people in these economies become richer, they eat more food. Drought (or too much rain) has caused havoc with harvests in major producers like Canada, the Ukraine and parts of Brazil in recent years. The countries producing food are restricting trade, as they fear shortages. Looking to the medium term, we can expect food prices to continue to trend up.

And the best place to find productive farmland is Uruguay. With consistent appreciation and an annual cash return Uruguayan farmland is a great store of value in turbulent times.

Nestling between Argentina, Brazil and the Atlantic Uruguay is peaceful, stable and has over 2.6 million acres of farmland under cultivation. Lying unused are more than 4 million acres suitable for cultivation. The land is mostly flat—perfect for the machinery needed. And water isn’t a problem. Much of the country sits on the world’s largest aquifer and rainfall is even and year-round.

It’s easy to find good land. The country is among the most fertile in the world. Uruguay has non-degraded soil producing two crops a year and healthy grass-fed cattle. The country supplies 5% of global beef exports; it’s the 6th largest producer of soya beans…and the 4th biggest exporter of rice.

The case gets stronger when you hear how free you are to sell your crops wherever and whenever you find a willing buyer. There are no export tariffs, or production quotas or other restrictions like there are in other parts of the world.

There are also no limitations on what you—as a foreign buyer— can buy…and you are treated as a local under the law.

It’s probably the easiest place for the individual farmland investor. It’s a passive, turnkey investment. You don’t need to know anything about farming. You can lease out the land for a cash rental paid up front, or you can hire a local farm management company that reports on operations directly to you. They’ll give you a business plan. Once you agree on that with them they will implement it on your behalf.

The cost of land ranges from $900 to $5,000 per acre. If you buy land and lease it to a farmer you can expect a yield of around 4%. Go with a management company and you can expect a higher yield, perhaps around 6% to 8%.

Here’s a recent example of what’s on offer: A farm in the western part of Uruguay near the colonial town of Colonia. This is where you’ll find some of the best land in Uruguay. It’s 120 acres and the price is $485,000—$4,041 an acre.

Then there’s the appreciation potential farmland offers you. Over the last eight years, farmland has appreciated at an annual rate of above 15%. You can expect the appreciation to continue, at about 10% yearly.

Editor’s Note: Learn more about Uruguay and other countries in IL’s daily postcard e-letter.Sign up for these free daily postcards here and we’ll send you a FREE REPORT - Live in First World Comfort in Uruguay.

 Recommended Reading:

• The Latin American Country with a European Flavor
• The Best Things in Life Are Still Free in Montevideo, Uruguay
• Uruguay: Summer Sun in Winter

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I’m a city boy through and through. When I moved recently to Escazú, a suburb of Costa Rica‘s capital San José, I figured I’d be enmeshed in urban culture.

This is, after all, the biggest city in the country, and the surrounding area is home to three-quarters of the country’s citizens. There are modern shopping malls, movie theaters with the latest releases, and gourmet markets with imported favorites like Spanish cheese and American beer.

But it turns out there are plenty of little enclaves like villages that still hold fast to tradition despite having been swallowed up by the sprawling metro area years ago.

This is very evident in Escazú, which is about seven miles southwest of downtown San Jose. Every Saturday there is a traditional feria, or farmers’ market, on the main street by the town square. Homes made of adobe still line the streets. And the older generation sitting in the park still speak of “the capital” as a far off destination, even though it’s just 20 minutes down the road.

Escazú’s past comes most alive during El Dia del Boyero, or Oxcart Drivers’ Day, which is on the second Sunday in March every year.

It’s a celebration of not just the town’s agricultural heritage, but also the entire country’s. The focus is the oxcarts, known as carretas, that hauled crops from farm to market and served as general cargo vehicles before motorized transport. “Trains” hundreds of carts long also brought coffee from the mountains of the interior Central Valley to ports on the coast in the 19th century.

Although they were true work vehicles, oxcarts were brightly-painted with intricate geometric designs inspired by flowers and stars.

The carts aren’t much in use these days on the farm. Some of my neighbors still keep oxen on their property. They graze occasionally in the empty lot next to my house. But in garages and under tarps they store and lovingly maintain their family’s oxcart, which may be many decades old.

Starting in the early morning hours, the drivers and their oxcarts start lining up on San Miguel de Escazú s main street, running next to the town plaza and church. Clad in boots, jeans, and cowboy hats, they rein in the massive impatient oxen until the procession begins. And it’s not just the older generation taking part. Children of 10 and 11 years of age are put in charge of full-sized oxen. Their faces are set in concentration as they remember the lessons their father and grandfather no doubt taught them to keep the animals under control.

A brass band on a flatbed truck provides a pumping, lively Latin soundtrack when it’s time to start walking. The group marches up hill to the town of San Antonio de Escazú. There a town-wide celebration takes place, with traditional marimba music as the soundtrack and plenty of dancing.

Editor’s Note: Learn more about Costa Rica and other countries in IL’s daily postcard e-letter. Sign up for these free daily postcards here and we’ll send you a FREE REPORT - Why Are Americans Still Flocking to Costa Rica.

Recommended Reading:

• Costa Rica: A Permanent Vacation Lifestyle
• Laid-Back, Costa Rican Life…
• Video: Día de Los Boyeros, Costa Rica

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