Greetings from Belize!

To put a slightly finer point on it, greetings from Ranchito, which is located in the Corozal District. We are in the northernmost part of the country, only about nine miles from the Mexican border.

David and I arrived here back on May 19 of this year and have spent the last few months settling in to our new home and a new lifestyle.

And let me tell you, it hasn’t been dull.  Allow me to give a few examples. In the last 12 weeks, we have:

• Installed a new septic tank. (Well, we didn’t do it, but had a crew come in to do the work.)
• Replaced all the screens on our front porch and painted the interior, including wrought iron work.
• Power washed pretty much anything that is an unmovable object.
• Brought in an electrician to upgrade our circuit breaker box (the old one wouldn’t meet code, no matter where you would be living).
• Replaced our washer and refrigerator.
• Traded in our old car (the one that came with the house deal) and bought a newer one (a sales experience one would never have in the States).
• Hired a crew to put a cement finishing coat on one of our outbuildings and a raised planting bed. They also built a smallish, three-sided structure to protect our butane tank and water heater.
• Witnessed our first Category 1 hurricane (Ernesto) and got hit the following week with a freak storm, the likes of which dumped more rain in a 24-hour period than any of the locals can remember.

We’ve also been learning how to find our way around town, shop for food and supplies, cook with a butane stove, not to mention bonding with our new adopted dogs, Sam and Tanya.

Sam

Tanya

Crazy? Yes. Fun? Most of the time. Regrets? Nope.

In future posts, I’ll share details of why we came here, how we got here, some of the projects we’ve already done, get you in on the ground floor of those projects we’re about to undertake, and do my best to give you an idea of day-to-day living here.

So fasten your seat belts, put your tray tables in the upright and locked position, and join us in our adventures.