Expat Diary from NY to Santo Domingo to Uruguay

Welcome Reader, Today will be my last full day living on this beautiful island of Hispaniola. It's been almost three years since my family and I moved here and despite the daily struggle for existence, and the unrelenting tropical heat, I wouldn't trade this experience for nada. We came here in search of a better life than we were living in New York and in many ways we found it. We had a chance to get closer to my wife's family and for the kids to get to know their roots. We found a new vocation that suits us well, that we can do together, and that gives us the flexibility of hours and workload that we desire.

I was born in Queens, NY, 49 years ago. Loved the Sixties, though only 10 years old in '68. Went to Colleges in Boston, New Jersey, and New York. Held lots of different jobs, practiced law for a time, though it never really suited me too well. Always wanted to be some kind of teacher, always took that role whatever job I was supposed to be doing. I do believe it's a priviledge to teach and I now proudly call myself a Teacher. My wife, Marlyn, and I are ESL teachers and loving it. We work for companies, law firms, and institutes, sometimes as employees and sometimes through our own company. We also do translation work, more money but it really feels like work to me.

We are living in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic but not for much longer. It's OK but it's expensive and can be a hard life for the middle class, squeezed between the poor and the rich. I've seen lots of expats come here and go running after a month or two, so in some regards I feel that I've accomplished something by being able to survive and actually do relatively well here. But, it's time to move on to something better, better for us, we think.

As a child I wanted to be a Gaucho, even made my own bolas (2 balls on a string, used like a lasso) that I would throw at my brother. When I was considering South America as a destination BA was my first thought, then Santiago, then Sao Paolo, little by little, my research lead me to Montevideo and then I was hooked! It's been a year now of reading and participating in internet forums, connecting with people, making contacts through friends, and convincing Marlyn and the Kids that it's a good thing. We'll all be arriving August 21st, anticipating a rich and wonderful new experience.

The focus of my Blog will be the new life we create for ourselves as a Family and as Individuals. I hope that Marlyn and the kids will each be contributing as well and giving their take on what's really happening in our day to day. We will be Living in Montevideo, not retiring, not vacationing, not reforming or proseletizing. We will just be finding our way, as a family, in a new city, making friends, keeping busy, making money, and keeping our readers informed of our progress.

Hasta Mañana, KenSerial Excerpt 01 www.cooluruguay.com