Confessions of a Jaded Adventurer

International Living Postcards-- Sunday Edition

Sunday, May 21, 2006
Paris, France

Dear International Living Reader,

Our online bulletin board is buzzing.

Go to http://forum.internationalliving.com and have a read yourself.

One comment you'll notice goes something like this: "The glowing reports and oversell as used by IL in their Postcards are as untrue of the Dominican Republic as they are of Panama, Honduras, Mexico, etc."

We've heard this before, of course…that our world view is overly positive. No question, dear reader, you're right. We take a different perspective, and intentionally so. War, politics, crime, terrorism, disease, poverty…CNN, Fox News, et al. …they've got that beat covered. We realize those things exist. We're not blind. But we try to stay focused.

We have another agenda. We look around the world not for disaster and destruction, misery or mayhem. We look for opportunity.

At the same time, we give you credit for being the smart, savvy reader you are. We realize there's no such thing as Paradise…that no place is perfect. And we take for granted that you realize this, too. I don't think we're making a mistake.

We're in this together, you and we…this global search for adventure and fun…a new life or maybe another start…a chance to retire early, to retire young, to retire well…a second home in the sun or an escape to the beach…a place to profit or maybe to build the business you've dreamed your whole life of owning… We scout continuously. When we identify an opportunity, we get excited…personally and on your behalf. We report back.

The initial reports may seem "glowing"…but isn't that the point…at least initially?

Sure, we realize people steal from each other all over the world. Sometimes they do much worse things to each other. We realize sometimes it rains…everywhere. In the Third World, the electricity and telephone service are unreliable. And garbage collection can be a problem. In the jungle, you find bugs…and snakes. Life in the Tropics is hot and humid. We remind you of these things…but, generally, we take for granted that you're as aware of them as we are.

Furthermore, many of the markets we tell you about are unregulated. They're wild frontiers. Highly inefficient and dangerous for the uninitiated. No question: The real estate agents will mislead you, the developers will make promises they can't keep, and the property owners will insist title is clean when it's not. We couldn't make these points more often. Invest in title insurance, we tell you at every opportunity. Buy only what you see…not what the developer's masterplan drawings indicate may exist someday…or not. Don't use the agent's or the developer's attorney…insist on engaging your own independent legal counsel.

We're dreaming, wandering, searching, just like you. Personally, I've been at it for 20 years this August. Want to know something…something I seldom admit, even to myself? At this point, it's hard for me to get excited about any new place or any current opportunity. Like you, I've been around this block enough to realize that no matter where I think about spending time or money, I'll have to deal with crime and inconvenience…with unscrupulous property developers and unreliable contractors…with phone lines that go down and bankers who don't show up for meetings…with rain showers and dirt roads…with local laws that don't make sense to me and trash collectors and bus drivers who go on strike…

Ask me about Ireland now…and I'll tell you about wet, gray winters. Ask me about Paris…and I'll roll my eyes thinking about the regulations and red tape you've got to endure to try to do business in this town. Croatia? Have I mentioned my crazy neighbor who's tried to have my architect arrested for trespassing? Panama City? You better like it hot. Nicaragua? I can tell you about three different guys right now trying to sell property in this country that they don't own. Ambergris Caye, Belize? Over-developed in a worst kind of way.

Am I cynical? Friends fear so. But I fight to keep my perspective and sense of humor intact.

No place is perfect. But even after two decades of close inspection, the world continues to delight me.

International Living today employs more than four dozen regular scouts. I read their reports, as you do. I know when they tell me about the Shangri-la where they've most recently spent time that they're focusing on the opportunities said Shangri-la hides…not the troubles. That's what I'm paying them to do.

I know the troubles are there, too, of course. And before I take action, certainly before I invest, I go to see for myself…to weigh the risks versus the rewards. Maybe I move forward…maybe I don't. Maybe upon my further look, I decide that, for me, an adventure in this Paradise would amount to little more than a great big headache…or worse.

But I appreciate the scouts' reports, nonetheless. And the enthusiasm with which they are delivered. After nearly 20 years, I treasure the enthusiasm.

Kathleen Peddicord
Publisher, International Living

P.S. Two other comments from the IL online bulletin board that I'd like to bring to your attention. First:

"This is why when people ask me if they should relocate to country XYZ, I always ask them why they want to move there, and could they find a place in the US or Canada that would suit their needs. i.e. if California is too expensive and you want to retire to a cheaper place, you can always move to a cheaper state."

My advice to this reader…and to any other who shares this point of view: Stop reading. This world of international living isn't for everyone. Maybe you can find what you're looking for within U.S. borders. And if you do…great.

Here's one more reader comment I can't help but point out: "What concerns me is the lack of good quality photos (or links to them). I realize that photographs can be edited and cropped to look better. But the newsletters are incredibly barren when it comes to informative and quality photos. This practice makes me wonder why."

OK…so you don't like our photos. But this makes us suspect? Our photos are bad so…we must be up to no good?