Sunday, January 20th, 2013

This introductory paragraph is being written in May of 2014.  I felt the reader might need some background on me, the writer, and why I created this blog.  I am, in June of 2014 anyway, a 68 ½ year old man with 2 children living in a suburb of Chicago.  Due to the 2008 recession I lost my job and lived off my 401k money until my Social Security (SS) money started at the age of 66.  I did a little mathematics tutoring at $25 an hour but since I seldom worked more than 10 hours a week it was merely nice pocket money.  Because of my 2^nd wife’s excessive use of expensive nutritional supplements (and other things considered “healthy”) to the tune of $700-$1000 a month I knew it was just a matter of a few years before we were both on the streets with nothing left but my SS money.  So, I gave her one more year of medical coverage, declared bankruptcy (2 ½ years later she’s still living in the same townhouse), got divorced (she got $700 a month alimony for 4 years), and I moved to Medellin to live off my Social Security.  Everyone wants to know, why Medellin?   

1. Nearly perfect weather year round.   

2. Beautiful women.   

3. Low cost of living.  

I should probably also mention it’s still reasonably close to the US unlike Europe.  So, this blog is a day to day account of the excitement, and boredom, of a non-Spanish speaking American man moving to Medellin, Colombia on a retirement (Pensionado) Visa.  Oh, I did take a 10-day trip to Medellin back in June of 2012 to check it out where I met a then 40 year old woman named Reina who had an 18 year old son named Dylan.  In order to have a support system when I got here I came with A Foreign Affair.  If interested you can learn more about AFA at www.loveme.com.  Oh, and later this might be pertinent to my story – Reina is 4’9” tall.

As of May, 2014, this blog may be referenced through the Expat Exchange at http://www.expatexchange.com/.

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I was up at 2am, took my shower, dressed, put my toiletries in my bag and locked it.  

Had a quick bowl of my last instant oatmeal from Whole Foods.

My son Jim picked me up at 3am and drove me to the airport.  We parked the car and he helped me carry all my bags to the terminal.  I had a large suitcase and another slightly smaller, a laptop bag (containing 2 laptops, an iPad and a Nook), and a gym bag with my workout clothes and whatever else would fit into it.

Living in Des Plaines, I was only about 20 minutes from the airport so we were there by 3:30.  The large bag at the airport weighed in at 42 ½ pounds, the smaller at 40 pounds so both were under the 50# limit.  I departed Chicago O’Hare (ORD) on time (5:30am) on Spirit flight 409.  No surprise, there was no meal.  They did come around selling snacks and drinks and I bought a bottle of water for about $2 using my debit card.  They don’t accept cash – debit or credit cards only.

For those that don’t know me, I’m a 67 year old male; 6 feet tall; 154#; blue eyes (officially green & gray according to my ophthalmologist lol); and a full head of gray hair.  In 2008 my Systems Analyst job (think computer programmer) went to some Indian (in India) and I was laid off.  In order to continue my medical insurance coverage I chose to retire instead.  I went through most of my 401k by 2012 and didn’t know how I was going to survive on just my Social Security and small pensions.  In February 2011 I saw an OWN (Oprah Winfrey) television special covering A Foreign Affair in Barranquilla, Colombia and in October 2011 through an act of serendipity (look it up yourself) I found International Living magazine and put 2 and 2 together. 

In June of 2012 I visited Medellin, Colombia for 11 days and met my girlfriend Reina.  She isn’t exactly what I expected being only 41 years old and 4’9” tall with an 18 year old son but she seems to be a nice lady.  I gathered the appropriate documents; obtained a Pensionado (Retirement) Visa and here I am on my way to Medellin.  (Interestingly, my brother speaks Spanish fluently but I only know a few words.  But, hey, Reina will take care of me and I’m sure I can learn Spanish.)

Arrived on time (9:31 am) at the Fort Lauderdale airport.  Since I had about a 1-hour layover and I didn’t have any reason to think there would be any food on the next flight, I bought myself a Nathan’s hotdog and a Pepsi.  (That’s the famous hotdog from the New York boardwalk.  I think it’s been open for over 100 years.)  While it was all beef it was small and I didn’t think it was anything special.

We departed Fort Lauderdale about 45 minutes late at 11:20am instead of 10:35 on Spirit flight 237.  Another surprise, they gave us the choice of either a chicken or beef sandwich.  I had the chicken which was on a roll with cheese.

Arrived at Medellin’s Jose Marie Cordova (MDE) about 2:20pm (2:08 scheduled).  (All in all I was more impressed with COPA airlines from my visit last June.) It seemed like I was the last off the plane, the last to go through customs and the last to get their bags.  They scanned my bags again after I picked them up, at least it didn’t take very long.  But the entire process since landing took about an hour.  Saw Reina with no problem; her son Dylan was with her.  They helped me with my bags to a taxi.

Took the taxi to 61Prado hotel (www.61Prado.com) in the Centro barrio.  We have the mini suite on the 3^rd floor so everything had to be taken up 2 flights of stairs.  Luc Nevers, the owner, helped me with everything. 

Me in 61Prado hotel

Reina from last June's visit

Reina's son Dylan