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And here I thought I was being anonymous. I've been outted twice on one thread! Now I'm really going to have to watch what I say!

JZB your life style profile was easy to figure out as I have been coming almost each month for over three years.Very small Island !!!!your a good looking couple=+++ well any way ..tell handsome,that capt jeff still wants to buy him ,and you dinner..Maybe next trip you will give me the opportunity to do just that ????????????we do a group rojo lounge thing/or casa picaso thing each trip come join me and some cool people for a great fun, time good food ,good wine , good living the dream times..

JZB! I for one DON'T know who you are. But if you are friends with Capt, then you're ok with me! Next time down I'll walk around pointing... is that JZB or is that JZB!

Denny, I actually don't know CaptJeff but maybe we'll meet on his next Belize adventure. Until then, I hope I will still be 'OK!'

JZB and Capt. Jeff - I wanna be in on that dinner! How do I score an invite? Will be down on Monday to stay 'til the 8th.

(Any requests for stateside treasures, JZB? I've got a duffle that's filling up fast...with wine.)

Playabess,if your dates are correct and you are leaving on the 8 of august to go home .you will need to get a beer and hot dog at jets bar ,to start the party as it will be very lonely .You will be there yourself as I arive on the 15 ,sorry, but have a living the dream trip,enjoy..

Girl! thats a loaded question. Normally I'd rattle off a hundred things you can bring (mostly candy and chocolate) but fortunately for me, mom was down last week and I'm fully stocked! See ya when you get here.

I agree with JZB and would second Lovey and Thurston's advice. Wonderwoman's activities offer good insight into how you could keep yourself busy and not get bored.

It really depends what you are looking for and what your interests are. I have had friends from the US come to the island and love it. Others hated it and instead chose Cayo or Corozal for their homes. There is definately somewhere for everyone in Belize.

I do get bored at times, I like to play sports, take day trips with the family, shop, these are a few of the things I miss and find myself traveling to the mainland for. I always pick up some groceries and fresh, inexpensive fruits and veggies while I am on the mainland.

Again, I agree with JZB, the island is more expensive than I imagined. My husband and I are always saying that we lived on less in the US than we do in San Pedro. Not all things cost more but things like groceries, gas for the boat, eating out, electricity, the phone bill and DSL.

My family and I have purchased land on San Pedro and in Cayo, this will allow us to have two home bases and travel back and forth between the island and the mainland as we desire. We also commute back and forth to the U.S. every 4 to 6 weeks. It is nice to stock up on things we need or can't get easily in Belize.

If you have a home in the U.S. and don't need to sell it to, "live the dream", as Captjeff would say, keep it and lease it out for a year to try Belize. Or if you own a home, you could always downsize and buy something smaller so you could have something if you could see yourself traveling back and forth for friends and family.

No question you will love living in Belize, but you may want to try the island and the mainland to see what your style is. There are pros and cons to both. They are two entirely different worlds.

You ask good questions and you sure got some good answers. I came here eight times before making the complete move. It was about trip #5 when I first thought about living here - part time. Fate has a way of moving us - literally. I made a deposit on a small condo unit just before I went back to California in 2002 only to find my long time (5 year) share rental guy had bought a house and moved out. What to do? I had planned to take in a 2nd share renter and keep the 4th bedroom and 3rd bath for my frequent visits.

However, I did not want to be an absentee landlady to someone I didn't know, So I bit the bullet, called the builder here and said I wanted the biggest unit and sold my house.
This made it a 100% commitment and I have no regrets three years later.

What I do know is unless you have some interests that you are passionate about you will be bored where ever you are. I'm a scuba diver, underwater photographer/videographer and writer. I read for about two hours every morning and spend w-a-y too much time on the computer. I am pleased to say I don't have to do anything so I can do anything I please. I even want to find time someday to learn to paint.

I try to learn about the local plants, especially the fruits and vegetables. I have an ice cream maker and since it is hard to buy cream here have learned to make sorbet, gelato and granitta. Most are great successes and the failures I cook into jelly, jam or butter. I have come up with some amazing taste treats.

I like to sew by hand, yes it takes a long time, but I have plenty of that and hate to iron - so I don't. I wear shoes only when I leave the island. I can't sweep (back problems) so have a wonderful cleaning lady who is happy to have the job. A local guy has a great laundry service and I can't wash & dry for what he does it for (and it comes back folded and sorted).

I don't drink alcohol, smoke anything or use any illegal drugs. Some groceries are twice what they cost in the states so I mostly buy local foods. The medical care I have received here is wonderful - no long waits and costs very little.

The part that makes all this really rich is the wonderful friends I have who come to visit me from the states and always ask what can they bring me. I try to limit it to one set per month but sometimes they get bunched up. They do not pay me to stay here but they buy the dinners. That takes care of my need to eat out.

Bottom line - I am usually way behind - but that's the story of my life.
I have made some lifelong friends here - and some enemies. If you want to be loved you have to take the risk of being hated. Otherwise - who care?

There are all kinds of community projects that need help. We just don't call it work or volunteerism as there is always someone who would like to turn you in. Your donations are always appreciated. I belong to a self help group, the Chamber of Commerce and the Neighborhood Watch. I like my own company and love my alone time. I tell people that I am the luckiest person they know.
I did not burn my bridges and have a number of people who keep a bed available for me anytime I want to come for a visit. I go to the states once a year for my major medical needs (HMO doesn't want to pay outside the program).

Do your research, both external and internal then try it - you might like it!

I appreciate all the information I have received. I believe in about a year, we may have to make a trip for about 3 months and get a feel for living there and not just vacationing. We have vacationed on the island three times, but only for a week each time. This is NOT long enough to get a feel for the land.

Of course if I ever hit the lottery, I would be there in 1st class in a heartbeat.