Wendy and Darren Howarter sold or gave away nearly everything they owned as they prepared for a move from Illinois to Medellín, Colombia in October 2014. Their remaining possessions fit into eight suitcases that they checked at the airport before they boarded a plane headed for Colombia.
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The couple’s first stop was an Airbnb in Envigado, a smaller town just south of Medellín, where they stayed while searching for a rental apartment in the Medellín neighborhood of El Poblado. The immediate plan was to rent an apartment in Medellín and see how things went. They wanted to try the place on for size.
When they made the move in 2014, the Howarters didn’t imagine committing to Medellín indefinitely. The couple’s long-term plan was to travel around South America for several months each year, perhaps returning to Medellín between trips. “However, once we settled in, we realized that Medellín offers so much, all year long,” Wendy says. “We really fell in love with this city and knew within the first year that this was the place for us.”
The couple decided they wanted a place of their own in Medellín. They began shopping for an apartment and tracking the Colombian peso against the U.S. dollar. Last year, when the dollar reached a record high against Colombia’s peso, Wendy and Darren transferred and converted the U.S. dollars they needed for their property purchase. “It was paying attention and taking advantage of some good timing,” Wendy says. The couple found an apartment with a pool, gym and Turkish bath.
Their real estate purchase qualified the Howarters for residency under Colombia’s investor visa program. Now that they were full-time residents in a new country, they set up utilities, learned how to pay their bills every month and opened a local bank account. Completing these mundane tasks can sometimes be a challenge in a new country. “Other expats already living in the place where you’re trying to establish yourself can be the best possible source of support,” Wendy says. “And for your residency process we definitely recommend engaging an attorney.”
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Both Wendy and Darren have virtual jobs. Their part-time work allows them to earn enough income to afford a rich lifestyle in Medellín. It also means their daily schedules are very flexible. “We can head to the pool if we want a mid-afternoon break and a quick dose of Vitamin D, or maybe pop down to the gym to break a sweat,” Wendy says. “Most of our neighbors work during the day, so we usually have the pool and gym to ourselves every afternoon.”
One of the couple’s biggest challenges has been learning Spanish. Neither spoke the language before they arrived in Medellín, so one of their early priorities was finding a good study program. They continue to take lessons three times per week. At the same time, Wendy says English is increasingly spoken around the city.
Life in this new city has been an adventure for the couple. They especially enjoy Medellín’s many festivals. Medellín has a charming tradition on December 7 known as the Night of the Little Candles. Families and neighbors take to the streets to light rows of small candles intended to illuminate the path and help the Virgin Mary reach Jerusalem to give birth to the baby Jesus. Then in August is Medellín’s Feria de Las Flores, showcasing this country’s enormous flower production.
Wendy and Darren have also developed a new routine in their chosen country. The weekly ciclovía is when the southbound lanes of Medellín’s central thoroughfare, Avenida El Poblado, are closed to motor traffic. People walk, run, bicycle, skateboard and rollerblade along the main avenue of town. The couple also visits the local farmer’s market every week to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. And on Sunday nights a small group of friends gathers at Wendy and Darren’s apartment to watch the sunset, order takeout for dinner and toast another week in their new life overseas with a bottle of wine.
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Wendy and Darren have found it easy to meet new people and become involved with their new community. Welcoming locals have opened their homes to the couple, inviting them to participate in family celebrations. “Without exception, we have found the people here to be kind and helpful to foreigners,” Wendy says. Three years into their new life in Medellín, Wendy and Darren are enjoying a comfortable lifestyle much sooner than they could have thought about retiring in the United States.
Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group.
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Why One Couple Sold Everything and Moved to Colombia originally appeared on usnews.com
