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And so I’ve decided to try writing to see if I might receive enough interest to make a little money. I read stories on Medium from others claiming varying levels of success with writing. Stories are often in the form of tips and recommendations. I know it takes time and practice writing and having something interesting to say. I also know I might fail at ever making any money writing. But here goes…

I’m an older man whose income is primarily social security. I’m considered poor by U.S. standards. Despite this, I live and travel frugally and enjoy life. It’s tempting to go on and on about myself and my life. For this introduction, I’m just going to share why I wish I could make a little extra money. As I write this, I’m living in a simple wooden house in an indigenous village called Cocales with no road access on the shore of Lago Izabal, Guatemala’s largest lake. I’ve been planning to move to another country to retire for many years. The quest for a lower cost of living was a small part of the reason. It was really more my sense of adventure. Also, I’ll admit I’m not a flag-waving patriot of the USA and its arrogant quest for global economic hegemony. Don’t get me wrong, I love my home country. The USA has some great people and so many beautiful national parks, forests, and wilderness areas? I fear for the future of those special places in the current political crisis. Not to mention the growing authoritarian tendencies as are predictable in late-stage capitalism. See how easy I get sidetracked. Now back to why I wish I could make a little extra money writing.

About a decade ago, I began to pursue my dream of living on a cruising sailboat. During those years, I lived frugally on money from renting out the main level of my house in northern Minnesota. I lived in the upper level, which had a separate exterior entrance. I’d drain the upstairs plumbing and turn off the heat. Then I would travel to warmer climate locations for the winter. I’d go live in countries I was considering retiring to. Also, I found sailboats looking for an extra hand to volunteer as crew. In 2016, I began looking for used sailboats for sale. In 2018, I went to look at a used sailboat in Rio Dulce, Guatemala. Rio Dulce is a popular hurricane haven, well known for its selection of lower-cost marinas. I’d been there twice before, most recently during the winter of 2014 — 2015. I was volunteer crew, helping sail a boat there from South Carolina. We spent time in the Bahamas, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands.

Anyway, back to 2018. While I waited for the results of a marine survey on a boat I was looking at, I was staying at Backpacker’s Hostel under the bridge over the Rio Dulce. One day, having lunch at the hostel restaurant, I was approached by an indigenous Guatemalan woman about 30? She introduced herself in a mix of English and Spanish. “Hello, am Lidia, Cómo estás ?” I understood, but my Spanish back then was not good. I opened a translator app on my phone and invited her to lunch. She said she saw me sitting alone while walking over the bridge. It didn’t really surprise me that much when she said she could be my girlfriend. I told her I was not looking for a girlfriend, plus she was less than half my age. She looked sad at my answer but then surprised me when she asked if she could have a baby with me! This was unexpected, but I learned later that if they have a baby with a father from the U.S. and get DNA proof, they can get some small amount of monthly support income. Well, I wasn’t interested in having sex so she could have a baby with me. When I told her I could not father children as during my married years I’d had a vasectomy. I had to explain what a vasectomy was. She had an angry, concerned look on her face and said she could not understand how a man would do such a thing. I’m not sure, but I think she thought I was talking about being castrated? Earlier in our conversation, I told her I was there waiting for results of a marine survey on a sailboat I was thinking of buying. Several times during lunch, she repeated that she hoped I’d buy the sailboat. She told me she had a cousin who had met an older ‘gringo’ sailor from the USA, and they had a relationship of 8 years. Apparently, he died of throat cancer with her cousin and her 2 children taking care of him. Since then, she had hoped to meet an older sailor man like her cousin.

Eventually, we finished lunch and said goodbye. It was sad to see firsthand the desperation of poverty. I’ve always felt angry that poverty is tolerated in this world considering the level of wealth, but helpless to do anything about it. Despite using the translator on my phone to communicate, we didn’t connect online. I never felt like asking for her email, and perhaps she didn’t dare ask for mine? At that time, she might not have had a phone? Flash forward about 8 months when back in the U.S., I had a text from her on FB messenger. She’d found me on the Rio Dulce Cruiser’s FB group that I’d joined. I did not end up buying that sailboat, but months later, did buy one in La Paz, Mexico. After 2.5 years and a couple of episodes of mechanical breakdowns, I decided to sell the boat and give up on that long-time dream.

We started exchanging texts fairly regularly, and I soon found out Lidia had 2 young boys. Having sold my sailboat in Mexico, I once again returned to Rio Dulce. My plan after the sailboat was to sell my house and look for a property in Costa Rica. By now, I was also considering Guatemala or at least looking at property in both countries. For 3 years, I spent time in both Costa Rica and Guatemala. During 7 months of 2023/2024, I even drove my old 2007 Dodge Caravan down. I sold my house in July of 2022 and had rigged up my van to sleep in. I’ve been living in my old van the last 3 summers when I’m back in the USA. That drive from northern Minnesota down to and through Mexico into Guatemala and eventually through Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, into Costa Rica to renew my tourist visa and again look at property in Costa Rica. Then I drove back to Guatemala and spent another 90 days. Finally driving back through Mexico and north to Minnesota. It was quite an adventure. But that is a story for another time.

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OK, back to this story. When I first met the boys, they were 5 and 9 years old. I never had any children of my own during the typical child-rearing years. Back then I couldn’t imagine the responsibility of parenthood. I married a woman who also did not want to have children. Now that I’m an old, retired, divorced guy, I’ll have to admit I very much love helping this family. They are like my unofficially adopted family… my children. While I’d never been driven to become a wealthy man, I regret that now but only because I wish I could help them more than I’m able. It’s medical care I cannot afford to help with, at least not to the extent they would benefit from. I have been able to help with badly needed dental care and medicines. I used some of the money from selling my sailboat to buy a lot in Cocales from one of her uncles. I used some of the money from selling my house in 2022 to have a simple 2-bedroom wooden house built there. There was no electricity when I bought the lot, and it seemed like they would not be bringing electricity to Cocales? I was planning to put in some basic solar power system. Unexpectedly they did bring electricity to the village. Not only that, during the last few months, the village installed a well and a public drinking water system. So no more hauling the 5 gallon jugs of purified water. I’m told there will never be a road to Cocales, which means transportation is only by boat. Outboard motors use much more gasoline per mile than a vehicle to get to town for supplies. When I’m in Guatemala, this is where I live.

I’m definitely the only foreigner living here. I do leave to keep on searching for a property at a higher, cooler elevation. Last year when I was here, I made one more trip to look at property in Costa Rica. Now I’m only looking at higher elevation properties in Guatemala. Until I finally get my retirement residency, I must leave the country to renew my tourist visa every 90 days. By road, this must be to Mexico or Belize. The other C4 countries, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, share the same 90-day limit of your tourist visa entry date. This year, I really hope I find a place I like at a price I can afford. Once I do, I’ll still visit Cocales in the cooler months, which is now November, December, January, and February. One or both of the boys or maybe all 3 will visit me at times. It’s even possible we’d sell the property in Cocales, and all of us live up in the higher elevation.

In 2 weeks to a month, I’ll be traveling to Antigua to begin my application for retirement residency with an English-speaking immigration attorney I met and talked to last year. Once that’s underway, I’ll go to Santiago Atitlán on Lago Atitlán to look at a property there. It’s a nice-looking small house but a very small lot. Although it does have easements to the shore which is about 65 meters from the lot and use of a nice dock with shade palapa. There is also a great view of the volcano San Pedro across the bay. It will be the first property I look at since returning October 26.

And that is the end of my first story….kind of abruptly I think 🤔