One of the most exciting aspects of my recent move to Panama is knowing that I can be paid for every trip to the beach, every exploration of a new town or museum. How? By writing travel articles about what I discover. If the prospect of getting paid to experience the best the world has to offer appeals to you, then you might want to consider travel writing as a portable career. Travel writing ticks all the boxes It's completely portable No special expertise required -- you can learn …
Six VPNs for Expats
I won't rehash all the reasons you need a VPN (virtual private network) -- you can see them here. Just think of it as a must-have service if you're to access all the websites you're used to, and to continue doing business online with your bank back home. (It helps keep others from spying on you when you're using public WiFi as well.) For occasional, limited use, you can use a free VPN service like HotSpot Shield. Unfortunately, the free version serves ads and runs pretty slowly, so if …
US Expats — Let’s Talk Taxes
As the deadline for filing US tax returns approaches, we have a guest post from CPA Diane Siriani. Who Needs to File As a US citizen living abroad, you must file a tax return reporting your worldwide income. So whether you live full time offshore, work anywhere in the world, collect interest/dividends/capital gains, receive retirement benefits, work for any employer, pay tax in a foreign country, own your own business or work for an employer . . . in other words, no matter what the scenario . . …
Your Portable Career — Beware the Unintended Consequences
Portable careers are a blessing. You can work from anywhere in the world you happen to be (usually as long as you have an internet connection). But when you move, you may find yourself dealing with some unintended consequences. As you know, I've just made the transition from Central Florida to Las Tablas, Panama. I'm getting settled into my new rental home here, and trying to amp up my work schedule to something more resembling normal for me. This morning I came across a situation I hadn't …
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9 Lessons I’ve Learned about Finding a Rental House in Las Tablas, Panama
When last seen, Future Expat was grumpy. Tired of living in a hotel and having to go out for every meal, tired of not having a place to call her own. . . just tired. There were even a few tearful phones calls with my husband back home, running along the lines of, "I don't think I can do this." Fortunately, I'm happy -- no, ecstatic -- to report that I've found a home! And, naturally, I've learned some lessons about navigating this local rental market that I'm happy to pass along. I'll …
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In Search of the Elusive Rental Casa in Las Tablas, Panama
When you're in a part of the world that doesn't have an organized real estate or rental market, finding a place to live is hard. You can't just waltz into an agency and say, "I'm looking for a two-bedroom house to rent in a nice neighborhood with a fenced yard for my dogs." I'm here in Las Tablas, Panama, to find a furnished house that my husband and I and our small dogs can rent short-term while we look for a more permanent place to stay. Las Tablas is a small town, and there's just not that …
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