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 eleventh interview in our series, Interview with an Expat in Cayo, Belize 2026, is our fourth visit to the Cayo District, and this time we meet Gwendolyn Fisher, who lives with her husband, Jon, on a former subsistence farm near the town of San Jose Succotz, Cayo.
San Jose Succotz is a charming, predominantly Maya village in Belize’s Cayo District, located on the Mopan River banks with a population of around 2,300. San Jose Succotz is also the gateway to the Xunantunich Archaeological site, one of the most famous Mayan sites in Belize.
San Jose Succotz is located very close to the border town of Benque Viejo del Carmen, which is the western-most town in Belize, as it sits on the western border between Belize and Guatemala. And the village of San Jose Succotz is also not far from San Ignacio, with access to shops and tourism-related activities.
Gwendolyn Fisher, a homesteader, nomad, professional home cook, and former digital media creator moves to a 2o acre former subsistence farm in San Jose Succotz, Cayo
In 2023, Gwendolyn Fisher, 54, and her husband Jon Fisher, a 68-year-old homesteader, former landlord, professional gormandizer, and jack of all trades moved to Belize from Washington state with six suitcases, four Le Creuset pots, and one 13-year-old cat. They obtained Permanent Residency in Belize in October 2025.
After living in various places in Belize, Gwendolyn and Jon decided to purchase a 20 acre former subsistence farm in San Jose Succotz, Cayo. They are now enjoying a peaceful, completely off grid, intentional, slow living experience.
They share their farm with howler monkeys, boa constrictors, coyotes, toucans, collard aracari, wild parrots, chickens, two Belizean-born German Shepherds, and the occasional runaway bull.
Interview with Gwendolyn Fisher
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?
We were living in Vancouver, Washington state—not British Colombia. Jon was semi-retired, with two rental properties to manage. And I was running an AirBnB out of one of those properties.
It was feast or famine. Some months we were so busy with the properties that we didn’t have time to breathe while other months we were slow going.
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 currently live on the outskirts of San Jose Succotz. The primary reason for moving to this area was the land we purchased—a twenty acre former subsistence farm.
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 first visited Belize in 2019, a week-long visit to Hopkins in August. A month-long return trip followed in December, and we visited Caye Caulker, Hopkins, and Placencia.
Our next visit was a two-week trip in 2022 to purchase property at Secret Beach, 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?
The big move was January 2023. We rented a casita in San Ignacio for one year. During that time, we were able to purchase land, get the land certificate, and start building.
Now, we own our home. It is a completely off-grid “hotel room” style dwelling, with an outdoor kitchen. It was the land we wanted, someplace to put down roots, grow our own food, bake our own bread, and slow down.
My strongest piece of advice to someone looking to build their home is don’t listen to talking heads. Ask to see homes any potential construction company has built. Ask and verify if they have actually worked with the material you have chosen to build your home.
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?
The biggest surprise was the cost of things and the quality of things here. So, it’s a good thing I don’t need a lot of things. Someone gave me a bit of helpful advice, so I will pass it along. Manage your expectations, stay humble, respect goes both ways, be curious, listen more than you speak, and remember to behave as a guest.
One final tip would be to learn how to use public transport!
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?
After researching and asking others about their experiences, acquiring permanent residency was just what we expected.
We’d been living in Belize for one year, from January 2023 to January 2024, and then we applied for permanent residency. We were approved in October 2025.
The process was smooth until the last six months when the Immigration Office at Belmopan began asking for additional documents, copies of banks statements, and land papers. Previously, we had only to show our passports and pay the fee.
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 people of San Jose Succotz are the best thing about this village! They are kind, friendly, helpful, and generous. We currently do not have a working vehicle. Our land is on a hill top, in the back of the bush, so we have to walk a half mile from our house just to get to the “main” country road.
Most anyone passing by will give us a lift into the main village. Complete strangers, and some people we know are always willing to help us.
We are interested in homesteading, forest gardening, and permaculture. Most of our neighbors are old school farmers who are always willing to share their knowledge. They are very generous and helpful. Our neighbors check on us, and they bring us food gifts, and jokes!
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 downside to where we live is the remoteness. It is a blessing and a pain at times. We have dogs. One had cane toad poisoning, and there are no emergency vets in the area.
There are no ambulances that can get up our treacherous road, and we have limited cell service and no internet.
It is challenging to remove fallen trees and branches that crash down without warning. Here, we are the road clean up crew. Whenever we start to say out loud, “somebody should do something about this or that” we laugh, because we know that we are that somebody.
There’s no garbage service pickup. That means we have to collect our garbage, and schlep it to the nearest transfer station. This forces us to be mindful of what we bring onto our land.
Our area is mostly Spanish speaking, so my one big regret is that we should have learned Spanish years ago, as now we are reduced to speaking broken, crazy, baby Spanish.
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.
Our lifestyle in Belize is what I expected and more! After living in West Africa, then Panama—we knew enough to manage our expectations and embrace the challenges. I am very glad not to see a Walmart, or any other giant stores. It feels very natural and easy for me.
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?
If I could go back and redo the way we made our initial move, I wouldn’t change a thing. We left with six suitcases, and a 13 year old cat.
However, after we arrived, we started having some of the contents of our storage unit sent down. This was a big mistake. I believe we should have sold the things we didn’t initially take. Instead, we paid for storage and high shipping costs.
We also rented several cars in Belize before we bought our first vehicle. This was a huge, huge mistake, very costly! That vehicle is no longer working, and we have discovered that we can get to most places by public transport or taxi.
Final thoughts on Interview with in Expat in Cayo, Belize: 2026
First, a big thank you to Gwendolyn Fisher for taking the time to share her experiences of both moving to Belize and her lifestyle here. Because I had also lived in a number of different countries prior to moving to Belize, reading the experiences of others for whom this was not their first international move was quite interesting for me.
Also, after having published articles the past two years in which I have revealed my total spending for an entire year in Belize, for example, What is the Real Cost of Living in Belize 2026?, I have received many comments from folks asking me how I manage to live so simply and frugally.
However, Gwendolyn’s interview demonstrates that it is possible to live even more simply than I do in Corozal!
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.
I like that they moved with their cat and would love to know more about that process.
When I moved to Belize six years ago from Kauai, I brought my cat with me. You simply need to go to the Belize BAHA site and follow the instructions for vaccinations and the International Vet Certificate. Then, you fill out the animal Import Permit form and submit it to BAHA by email. Make sure that you follow up with them that they have received your Permit application, have approved it, and that they know when you will be arriving.