Which Expats Make a Success of Living in Belize

We touched upon what makes a good expatriate employee yesterday in our article ‘Most Important Attributes to Have When Seeking Work Abroad,’ and this inspired us to thinking in general about what makes expatriates successful and which types of people fail to establish themselves overseas.

Many nations have inbuilt support networks for expats – think of Spain with its intense concentration of international citizens and a place like Dubai for instance, where the population is largely foreign – both are nations where it is much easier for a foreigner to set up and make a home successfully.

When it comes to a country like Belize however, things are very different.  Whilst there are those who have gone before you and made a home for themselves in this tropical paradise, there are not the support networks in place to make your move such a smooth and easy one.  So, in this article we’ll look at which expats make a success of living in Belize and which don’t.  The advice and findings are pertinent for any would-be expat moving anywhere really, but they are also extremely pertinent for anyone moving to live abroad in a less well-known location such as Belize.

The Expats Who Make a Success of Living in Belize

• Successful expats in a country as unusual, exciting, diverse and lesser-explored such as Belize tend to be very adaptable and also tolerant.  They react to change well, they take things in their stride, and when the bureaucracy in Belize baffles them, rather than ranting against the system they allow themselves to relax into it and are more likely to be able to go with the flow.
• Another important attribute to have is independence.  In a country such as Belize you may find that you’re the only expat in a given community, therefore by being independent and not having to rely on others around you for support or even entertainment, you will make your own way within your new culture and make friends based upon common values and interests rather than just a common nationality.
• You need to be able to learn a foreign language – because whilst the official business language in Belize is English, 46% of the population speak Spanish as opposed to just 3.9% who speak English as their first tongue on a day to day basis!  If you find language learning easy, you’ll find settling into Belize easier.
• To move successfully to live in Dubai you need to be quite tough and resilient because there will be days when you experience a little less favourable treatment and there will be times when poor treatment or a bad experience has to be toughed out!
• Be flexible!  The best laid plans are often laid to waste when you are actually living day to day in Belize and find new avenues to explore and new opportunities to embrace.  By remaining as flexible as possible you’ll welcome challenges and opportunities whenever they come along.
• Remain positive and always try and look on the bright side of life.  By doing so you will be amazed at how much smoother your path will be through the maze of you new and brilliant life in Belize.

The Expats Who Fail to Make a Success of Living in Belize

• Negative people who are seeking to leave their old life behind because it is in their view rubbish, and who are hugely critical of the country they herald from with no balance in their perspective will probably soon turn their negativity on Belize.  These sorts of people are unlikely to be positive about anywhere or anything and are highly likely to leave – as long as they haven’t burned all their bridges back home!
• Those who think that moving to a far-flung destination like Belize will be the ultimate hideaway from anything and everything they’re seeking to run from.  In most instances you’ll find that people are running from themselves and situations that they have created as a result of their very personality type – well hey presto, these people bring their troubles with them!  These people will quickly find that the route to their happiness does not lie in Belize.
• Anyone who arrives thinking that because Belize was once a British Colony and is therefore likely to be British and familiar, who like to assume that everything will be the same and that it will be very easy to fit in and settle down, will soon be heading for the nearest plane out of Belize!
• And finally, anyone who suddenly discovers that they are homesick for all things familiar about their original nation and who regret leaving will invariably return home.  Whilst it is natural to feel some homesickness and to miss the familiarity of a former life for an initial period, most people come through this and remember that they did decide to move abroad to live in Belize for a very good reason.