It's Easy to Start a New Life on the Beach

My biggest worry is about which break to surf in the morning or where my friend and gardener Mario has disappeared to. But it wasn’t always like this.

I left the daily grind of selling software in California nearly four years ago. I have never looked back. Instead, my wife and I are raising our two little girls in southern Nicaragua. We have a beautiful home right on the beach in Rancho Santana.

My daughters are becoming bi-lingual. I get to have breakfast with them every morning and put them to bed every night. We live comfortably for less than some of my friends in the U.S. spend on mortgage payments. We have a full-time maid and gardener. Free time is no longer for chores--it’s for family, fun and exploration.

I don't tell you this to brag…but to show you how easy it can be to start a new life on the beach--or anywhere you chose.

Friends and family are frequent visitors. Entertaining is easy. The beaches around my home and the nature preserve take care of that. Whether it’s my mom visiting to bird watch or friends coming to get some spring surfing, we can let the Ranch do the entertaining. In fact, we often lose our visitors for good chunks of the day. They usually make it back in time to end the day by watching the surf disappear into the sunset. Everyone sleeps like a rock on those nights.

I’ve learned from my Nicaraguan friends like Mario about what’s important. Closing a big software sale doesn’t seem so anymore. When I moved to Rancho Santana I didn’t know how I would fill my days. Helping surfer friends to visit became a business. A real estate business and some small development followed. It’s difficult to call this work. To me it’s more like hanging out with friends. Still, it pays the bills.

When I talk to friends and family back home, I can hear how stressed they are. That’s not living. Now I know I was sold a lemon for years. The French have a saying that speaks to this. It goes: metro…boulot…dodo. Or: subway…work…sleep. I’m glad I have left this behind. You can too. There has never been a better time. Life’s too short. Metro…boulot…dodo will still be there if you want to go back.

Marc Brown
For International Living

Editor's Note: Marc regularly shares his stories from Nicaragua in a monthly newsletter called The Pacific Frontier. It's free to join--you can sign-up here.

To read more IL articles about escaping to the beach, see:

The Top 6 Places to Buy on the Beach in Latin America

How Much?! The English-speaking Caribbean Island with a Tiny Price Tag

Ecuador's Final Secret: The $100,000 Luxury Beach House