Even though I've been living in Latin America for going on 25 years now, I'm still very much a "gringo."
I get reminded of that quite often, especially by my wife!
I first arrived to Costa Rica in 2001. Before then I'd hardly ever even been out of the U.S.
Costa Rica was different in those days. Actually it was more authentic Latin American than it has evolved into over the ensuing 2.5 decades. Back then you really knew right away that you weren't in Kansas any more.
Nowadays, not as much. The gringo influence is pretty evident as soon as you pass through the immigration line in San Jose's ultra-modern international airport.
Since that maiden voyage, I've traveled around Latin America quite extensively. I even married a Colombian lady in 2009. Yea, we’re still hitched, despite deep cultural differences in language and just about everything else.
As a result of my marriage, I started traveling to Colombia, specifically Medellin, annually for extended visits, usually around a month in duration.
In fact, we now own a condo in Medellin! As I write this post, we are here in our new digs, filling it with new furniture and stuff.
I currently have a foot in Colombia and another in Costa Rica. I also have family ties to the U.S. with a dad, 4 grown children, and a grandchild there.
Hey, I guess I've become sort of an international man of mystery. Well, in reality there's not that much "mystery" involved.
So, what's it really like for a gringo like me to live in Latin America?
I'd give the experience 3 adjectives: Humbling, Frustrating, and Exotically Interesting.
Why Humbling?
Well, there of course is the issue of language...
I'm a fairly educated guy. And it's humbling when you sometimes can't communicate beyond the ability of the average, say, 4th grader. Maybe I'm being a bit hard on myself. I get along fairly well with Spanish, albeit much more so in Costa Rica than in Colombia.
We gringos have a bit of a hard time being humble. We tend to have big egos. Latin Americans, far less so, for the most part.
Areas where our lack of humility can become glaringly apparent to Latin Americans are such as our dearth in the qualities of patience and politeness.
But, hey, I'm learning and have a wife who's quite adept at pointing out my shortcomings.
Why Frustrating?
Well, of course there's the issue of language...
Need I say more?
There's also frustration in little daily encounters that are just different than we gringos are used to.
The U.S. has become boringly efficient in almost every respect, what with enhanced automation and AI taking over our daily existence. Latin America has a long way to go in becoming "efficient" in ways we take for granted in the States.
And that can be both frustrating and refreshing.
Living in Latin America is kind of like taking a step back in time. And who in the U.S. beyond the age of say, 50, is not a bit nostalgic for the "good ole days?"
Why Exotically Interesting?
Well, of course there's the issue of language...
Are you beginning to sense a trend in my train of thought?
Both Costa Rica and Colombia are overwhelming beautiful places. The degree of biodiversity in flora and fauna is truly mind-boggling. All your senses are on heightened alert as soon as you step onto your balcony, or out your front door, to take it all in.
And that's "just" nature. How about the people?
Latin Americans have us gringos whipped hands down it the department of exoticness. We gringos just seem a bit bland when compared to the diversity of the people down here.
I was drawn to Latin America I believe in large part because of this diversity in both nature and in humanity.
And the experience has been humbling, frustrating and exotically interesting!
So, what’s my advice to my dear readers contemplating a move? Other than, say, marry a Latina?
Actually, marriage to a Latina (or Latino) can be a winning strategy, but only if (like me) you’re very lucky.
As we used to tell our northern brethren contemplating a move down south, “embrace the ya’ll.” Which really means, embrace it all - the humility, the frustrations, and the exoticness…
Because that’s really the only strategy for long-term success AND happiness.
