I am fighting with the question why I would live in Central America rather than Florida or Arizona. USA sites have warm weather, prices are relatively inexpensive, people speak english and there is lots of culture, etc. Flights to family are short hops and cheap. So why go to places where the poverty is evident, there is a language challenge (spanish is not easy to learn), it is an expensive flight, culture is limited, etc. Just wondering what lures people.

hahahhaha. Are you arguing that FLORIDA has more culture than something like Mexico???? LOL. Ok buddy.

imo... central america has similar weather to florida. both warm, humid, there's a rainy season, nice during the winter months, etc. also, poverty isn't limited to developing countries.. it just depends on where you're willing to look. and conversely, just because a country is labeled as 3rd world or 'developing', it doesn't mean that there is ONLY poverty within its borders. i don't think the language is that much of a barrier in a lot of CA countries.. belize (which btw is cheap to fly to, ~$400USD rt) uses english as its official language, there's a lot of english on CA islands & costa rica, etc. also, even if the language barrier is a big issue/challenge, that's not necessarily a bad thing. everytime i go, i pick up a little more spanish each time. yes sometimes communication can be slow & tedious, but it's a learning experience (sorry for the cliche lol but it's true!). i'm not really sure waht you mean by culture being limited in central america..

as for moving to CA permanently, there are things i would definitely consider that i wouldn't normally think about if i'm just vacationing there. quality of healthcare being a big one.. but i guess that just comes with the territory. i've traveled to CA more often than any other region of the world because it's close enough to home that airfare isn't ridiculous, i still am getting what i'm looking for, and it's way cheaper than vacationing in the southern US! different strokes for different folks yeah?

Bah.. I came here thinking California. Would have been a better argument...

I'm not sure I'd call English the official language of Florida OR Arizona, either. Not that I think there's anything wrong with that...

But seriously, I'm not really sure the direction of this post. Are you really saying that things are safer or have less poverty in the USA? Have you BEEN to Miami or Phoenix?! Sure there are other places than those two examples in the USA that are nicer, but the same is most certainly true for Central America as well. I wouldn't suggest you move to Guatemala City, either, but I certainly think it would be misguided to call the whole region inferior to places with similar weather in the USA. Apples and oranges.

Thanks for replies. My purpose was to compare the two regions as potential retirement spots and to decide what were the major positives. Aside from going to places that are different, where would my dollar go farthest, where my interests (the arts) would be satisfied and obviously I would be the happiest. We all have different wants, depending on age, and from what I can determine CA is attractive to those who want adventure, at a low cost.

If you haven't spent a good deal of time in CA and fallen in love with it, I would strongly suggest that you not even entertain the idea of retiring here. It takes a great deal of commitment to live in an area that is as different as CA is from Florida.

I have lived in Florida, and life there was much easier and convenient, but to me very boring. Life in CA is a challenge and extremely interesting.

Without question, one should live in CA for several months without burning any bridges in the U.S., or Canada. I can assure you that more people would enjoy retiring in the country they have spent their lives, rather than going to the effort it takes to adapt to an entirely new country, language, and culture.

duhhhhhh...i guess it's been cold up there in the great white..your synapses are frozen...if you think fla is warm ya shoulda been ere 2 wks ago...woke up to a frozen birdbath and lots of dead plants..and i'm only halfway down the peninsula..there are many reasons for CA but probably the biggest is the people...they are loving giving souls who are interested in learningabout our gringo culture and hearing our stories. you don't need to be fluent in the language---it helps--since sign language and dictionaries work just fine. your $$$$ will go muc much farther down there and you'll meet more interesting people of all ages, cultures and economic strata...go there---anywhere--and have a blast!!!

ontario traveler, look what you just posted:
[quote]Aside from going to places that are different, where would my dollar go farthest, where my interests (the arts) would be satisfied and obviously I would be the happiest. We all have different wants, depending on age, and from what I can determine CA is attractive to those who want adventure, at a low cost.[quote

if you see CA as an attraction for adventurists, maybe you wouldn't be happy looking here for your interest, the arts

but for sure, your dollar will go farther

We (tacoboy and I) considered the states but being Canadian and sorting out the work thing led us to no easy answers for the states (Florida and Az were on the possibility list along with Cali and New Mexico.)

We chose Ambergris Caye Belize in Central America after a 3 week vacation here. It was love at first sight. English was prevalent and furnished / semi furnished apartments are common for rentals. Those 2 things alone made the transition great. We followed proper procedure and now have Residency here.

Still love it after 3.5 years.