Welcome to our Interview with an Expat in Belize series. Our goal is to offer a look at expats who live in different regions of the country, and those who have lived in Belize for different periods of time, both relative newcomers and long timers here in Belize.
The interviews in our Interview with an Expat in Belize series are conducted by email, and we ask the same 10 questions to each interviewee so that those who are considering making the move to Belize can readily see that different people have very different experiences here, depending upon where they live, their interests, and the many choices that we all have made before, during, and after our move to Belize.
The ninth interview in our series, Interview with an Expat on Ambergris Caye, Belize 2, is our second visit to the island, and this time we meet Marisa Willment, who lives with her husband, Steve, 4.5 miles north of San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye.
Ambergris Caye is the most visited tourist destination in Belize, and the town of San Pedro, the only town on the island, has grown so much recently that some folks believe it should be officially designated as a “city” in Belize rather than a town.
Not too many years ago, north Ambergris Caye, where Marisa and Steve now live, was fairly sparsely populated, but more and more development has occurred in recent years.
Marisa Willment, Long-Time School District Employee, Visits Belize for Her Anniversary and Decides to Retire Early and Move to Belize
Marisa and Steve are originally from South Africa, but they are also US citizens, as they worked for many years in Southern California before relocating to Indiana for Steve’s job.
Marisa and Steve planned a trip to Belize to celebrate their wedding anniversary, and on this trip, they visited Thatch Caye, which is a small island south of Ambergris Caye. During the trip, they also visited San Pedro, and they loved it. So, they decided to retire early and move to Belize.
Marisa says that they chose Ambergris Caye because her family are all divers and water people, and she really loved the slow pace and authenticity of the people there.
This installment of our Interview with an Expat series is a bit different than previous interviews, as Marisa and Steve are the first folks we’ve interviewed who are Permanent Residents, but they choose to live in Belize for seven months of the year, and they spend the other five months in a mountain cabin which they own in the US so that they can spend time with their grandchildren.
Interview with Marisa Willment
Life before moving to Belize
Q1: Where were you living before moving to Belize? Also, please describe whether you were working, retired, or something in between prior to your move. In other words, what was your daily life like?
I lived in Southern California, Orange County, for 17 years then moved to Indiana because of my husband’s job. We were both working full time. I worked in the school District for 21 years, and my husband was director of IT.
We lived on a private lake and had all the toys and a big house. Life was great. We came to Belize to celebrate our anniversary on Thatch Caye. And we visited San Pedro and loved it. My family are all divers and water people, and I loved the slow pace and authenticity of the people on the island.
We sold everything we owned except for 3 suitcases and made the bold move Feb 2021. That’s when we took a road trip to the mainland and checked all the other popular areas people retire to.
Each place in Belize offered something different, and I can see why some people may be drawn to different areas in Belize, but we kept coming back to what we liked about San Pedro.
Current location in Belize
Q2: Where do you currently live in Belize? And prior to moving here, what were the primary reasons for which you chose this area?
We live on Ambergris Caye, on the Caribbean side of the island, about 4.5 miles from the San Pedro Town bridge. From our condo, we have views of both sunrises and sunsets.
We love where we live because it’s quiet and away from the road and busyness of town. It’s just a quick kayak paddle out to the reef, and we also bought a boat, so we can go up and around the island and enjoy snorkeling and fishing whenever we want. Right now, we are learning about fishing in the waters around Ambergris Caye.
Visits to Belize prior to making the move
Q3: How many times did you visit Belize before the move? Which areas did you visit, and how long was your longest stay in Belize prior to the move?
We only visited one time, but we had watched a year of YouTube, and we researched different areas, but we kept coming back to San Pedro. We visited Hopkins, Placencia, Corozal, and San Ignacio before deciding on Ambergris Caye.
Own a home or rent in Belize?
Q4: Do you own your current home in Belize or are you renting? Why did you choose either to buy or to rent? If you own a home, did you purchase an existing home or did you build here? What is your strongest piece of advice for someone looking either to buy or rent a place in Belize?
We own our current home. Our place is in a condo complex of 15 units, so it is not huge and not touristy with restaurants or swim up bars, so it feels like a home, not like we are living in hotel.
I would strongly recommend renting for at least 6-12 months, although we didn’t. I think my reason was that I wanted to feel like I belonged, and also so that I could do up our home as we wanted.
We also had a check list of “must haves:” a large balcony with great views, and a living room and bedroom overlooking the sea. In our place, on the 3rd floor, our kitchen, bedroom, and living room all have expansive views.
We also wanted an authentic Caribbean look and feel. If we had wanted a big white building like every condo in Florida we would have moved there. Our condo is all Caribbean with beautiful mahogany wood everywhere. The craftsmanship here is incredible.
We also set a price range and number of rooms we needed. We got everything and more checked off our list. So my advice is to make a list of what you want, how you want to live, and if you don’t have your top 3 or 4 in a particular area, then look elsewhere. Ask yourself if you want to buy an existing home and make sure there is a title for that property.
This is not a profit-making property purchase, things take a looong time to sell, and our property value has not increased as it would have in the US. So buy for your lifestyle and not as an investment, or you may be disappointed.
The first year living in Belize
Q5: What were your greatest challenges or surprises during your first year living in Belize? What advice would you give to others to help the transition go smoothly?
Living on Ambergris Caye has proved to be way more expensive than we anticipated. Firstly, everything needs to be shipped and brought to the island, so you automatically pay more for everything.
We learnt very quickly to buy local, shop local, and to buy from the Mennonites, as everything you get from the US could be 3-4 times more expensive, so figure out how badly you need your Captain Crunch! I’d rather have a fry jacks or meat pies.
Also living on the Caribbean side, in the five years we have lived here, we have replaced 6 air conditioners, 3 TVs, and every appliance, including the fridge, stove, microwave, dishwasher, and even faucets. Electronics get fried here with the humidity. It’s the price we pay to live here and it’s worth it to us. Running your AC is also very expensive, so we run it at night, and all our doors and windows are open with fans on during the day, so we love it! Some people have solar and avoid the high cost of electricity here.
Belize Immigration Status
Q6: Describe your experience of acquiring long-term immigration status in Belize, whether that be as a QRP member, a permanent resident, a citizen, or as someone still waiting on residency. How long did the process take, and what challenges did you face?
We have had our Permanent Residency for 2 years. It was at least an 18 month process, but we also came in after Covid’s backlog. We flew to the mainland a few times and checked into a hotel and rented a car, only to be told at the Immigration Office window that the computers were down, so we would have to come back next week!
That happened a number of times, and you just smile and say thank you and come back the next week, even if the online updates say one thing, it doesn’t mean anything. We also now have our Belizean Driver’s Licenses since our US licenses will expire soon.
Belize lifestyle
Q7: What are your favorite things about the community in which you are living in Belize? Be specific about the types of activities you enjoy, the people, the environment, or anything else you care to mention.
The thing we love about living on the island are the people and the food. If you want to go to all of the festivals, there is no shortage of something going on somewhere, whether it’s music, a march through town, or some holiday festivities.
I love where we live, especially in the off season without a lot of tourists on the island, as it is much quieter. We walk 6 miles every day along the beach, stop and have breakfast at our favourite place, and we also have our favourite coffee shop and veggie stands which we frequent. They get to know you and keep your favourite things aside.
We have hired a chef to cook an authentic Belizean meal for our family. We love going out on our boat to the back side of the island to remote beaches to have lunch and lay in the water. I read a lot and spend a lot of time in my hammock as well as searching the beach for special seeds that I collect and do crafts and community work.
You can live like a tourist or you can blend into the community, the Rotary Club is wonderful and we have done many projects on the island to give back to the community. Belizeans love their country, don’t run it down, or criticize anything unless you are willing to be part of the solution.
Always, always say good morning and good night (good evening), and just because someone greets you does not mean they want anything, people greet you because they are polite and always say hello to everyone.
Current lifestyle challenges in Belize
Q8: What are the downsides to the community in which you currently live? Are there any aspects of daily life which you find to be challenging in this community?
The only challenge, if you want to claim it as a challenge, is that we need to manage the garbage better, but that being said, in the 5 years, I have seen lots of work being done to help keep the island clean. We are all in it together. It’s a problem worldwide, not just here. It looks worse here only because the island is so small.
Reality versus expectations of Belize
Q9: Do you think that your lifestyle in Belize is about what you had expected, very different from what you thought it would be, or somewhere in between? Tell us a bit about your expectations prior to moving to Belize and how daily life here differs from what you had expected.
Yes, the lifestyle is just what I expected. I came with the mindset to expect nothing and be surprised when I found it. One example of this was looking for gluten free products or certain cleaning supplies. I didn’t expect to find these items here and that was ok, but low and behold after you chat to a few people, they know exactly where to find what you are looking for. You can get anything and everything now with the freight forwarding companies and Amazon.
We go to Merida, Mexico for all of our medical appointments since I am 62. We know that we will eventually go back to the US, and we do have a home in California that we go to when we rent this place out. If you have serious medical conditions and disabilities, this is something to really think about before moving to Belize.
What would you have done differently for your initial move to Belize?
Q10: Now that you are living in Belize, what are the one or two things which you would change about the way you made the initial move if you could go back and do it again? For example, would you ship more or fewer personal items, bring a car, rent instead of buying right away, or perhaps purchase instead of renting?
We would definitely not bring a car to the island, as when we decided to move to Ambergris Caye, part of the beauty of the island was that not everyone was in a car, and I hate seeing all of the cars now.
Perhaps we might have bought a smaller place with lower HOA fees, but then I wouldn’t have my check list of “must haves,” so in all honesty, I don’t think I would have done anything differently.
We have our condo in the rental pool during high season, so it all works for us. Living on the mainland is definitely way cheaper than living on one of the islands, so your research.
Final thoughts on Interview with an Expat on Ambergris Caye, Belize
First, a big thank you to Marisa Willment for taking the time to share her experiences of both moving to Belize and her lifestyle here. I am really happy that Marisa agreed to give us a glimpse of her experience moving to Belize, acquiring her Permanent Residency, and then deciding to split her time between Belize and the US.
When I first moved to Belize, I moved to San Pedro, where I undertook the complete renovation of an older building, converting it into a triplex, as both a home for myself, along with two rental units. This was a really stressful ordeal for me, as just a few months after I arrived, the island went on a very strict lockdown for Covid, so I had to sit on an incomplete construction project, with no income, for over a year. So, it is good to hear from someone who had a smoother transition to San Pedro.
I hope the Belize FAQs readers who are doing their research concerning a potential move to Belize will benefit from the differing perspectives we present here in our Interview with an Expat in Belize series.
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Finally, if you are considering a move to Belize, you might want to check out our book: Belize FAQs: A detailed guide for those interested in moving to Belize. In the book, there are more than 150 pages of Belize FAQs at your fingertips. And Belize FAQs is available in both paperback and Kindle formats.