Escape the Modern Pace of Life: For Peaceful Farm Living Overseas

 

Editor-photo
We all hear about “the pace of modern life.” It’s fast. It’s stressful. Bad for our health. That’s what it’s come to mean anyhow. You may have paused and thought about it sometime. We all have…and then…we usually go right back to it. Running to keep still. But what’s modern life? Right this second lots of folks are walking their land, plucking ripe fruits, letting loamy soil spill through their fingers. and it’s modern—happening right now—its pace quickening and slowing with the seasons.

You could easily have a few acres of your own fruitful Eden to tend and enjoy. How about 20 acres where mountains soar to the clouds, temperatures are in the 70s F, and you’re 30 minutes from the beach. It includes a two-bedroom house–the whole lot just $132,959.

Your issue this month is full with folks who fell for farming. Amid the pine trees and meadows of Veraguas, Panama, Marianne Tobin and her son Jeff Owens found their coffee farm. “As a law enforcement professional back home my job was very stressful and the pace of life in Southern California was hectic,” says Jeff. He reveals how he traded his version of modern life for a much more relaxed one in the hills of Panama.

From the window of Nora Kravis’ farmhouse in Chianti, Italy, late spring is the best time of year. The goat kids on her cashmere farm gambol and play, lilac and wisteria bloom, and the grass is a deep lush green. The New Yorker might have found her dream in the Old World, but she’s a modern thinker, and Europe’s very first cashmere farmer.

For country living close to big-city conveniences, Costa Rica’s Orosí Valley is an ideal spot to pick up a few acres. We explain why and introduce you to some of your “could-be” neighbors.

And if someone told you that you could have your own five-acre horse ranch, with perfect weather to enjoy it year-round, and at a fraction of the cost of the same in the States, would you saddle up? Jane Holdren and Frank Gradilone are living that modern-day dream right now, having escaped honking horns, phones, beeps, and sirens…

—Eoin Bassett, Editorial Director

Camel Races and a Family of Giants

Camel Races and a Family of Giants

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Most people try to avoid getting covered with mud. That social norm goes out the window each July in Boryeong, South Korea, when the Boryeong Mud Festival returns to town. The local mud is said to have special healing qualities. So in the spirit of healing, locals have devised a range of activities for indulging in the local mud, from mud wrestling to the Mr. Mud contest. There’s even a special kids’ area where younger mud enthusiasts can wallow in peace. The festival has taken on an international air in recent years, attracting top-quality pop and hip-hop musicians to entertain the millions of mud worshippers. A fun (if messy) time is sure to await you.

Moko Jumbie Magic in the Caribbean

Moko Jumbie Magic in the Caribbean

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As a global nomad, I’m willing to try most things. But even I was a bit fearful when it was suggested I try balancing 10 feet above ground on two bits of 2x4. Moko jumbies, the Caribbean’s stilt-walking dancers, and I first crossed paths during Carnival, when I lived in Trinidad. Clad in the brilliant hues of tropical birds, they swayed over the crowds, adding whimsy to an already exuberant scene. Their identities were hidden under hats, masks, and veils, giving them an aura of mystery.

Must-See Waterfalls in Costa Rica’s Central Valley

Must-See Waterfalls in Costa Rica’s Central Valley

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After touching down in San José, most visitors to Costa Rica head off to explore the beaches, the rainforest, or the cloud forests. They make the mistake of not exploring the Central Valley that surrounds San José. This is where most expats in Costa Rica reside. It’s also home to some of Costa Rica’s finest hidden gems, including some of its most beautiful waterfalls.

Soaring Oil, The Rise of China’s Stock Market, and Much More

Soaring Oil, The Rise of China’s Stock Market, and Much More

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Brazilian stocks rose 900% from 2002 to 2007. Think about that for a minute… I’m not talking about a single stock. The entire country’s stock market soared 900%. Yes, it went up 900%, dramatically outperforming emerging markets in general. But the way down was equally dramatic… The iShares MSCI Brazil Capped Fund (EWZ) fell from around $100 a share in 2008 to around $17 a share this past January.

A “Sweet Deal” in Sunny, English-Speaking Malta

A “Sweet Deal” in Sunny, English-Speaking Malta

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Patrick Dobbins has found the perfect European retirement, full of art, culture, and excellent weather. He enjoys lush, green winters that feel like fall and hot, sunny summers. His apartment, which has two balconies, costs him just $600 a month, and from here he can indulge his passion for watercolor painting and go on adventures across the Mediterranean. This is the charmed life he now enjoys on the English-speaking island nation of Malta.

Cultured Living for Less in Ecuador’s Capital

Cultured Living for Less in Ecuador’s Capital

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"Within four blocks of where we live on a quiet, hillside neighborhood of condo-lined streets, there are at least a dozen of the best restaurants in the city,” says expat Wayne Bustle, 73. “There’s Asian right down the street, there’s seafood, there’s a great pasta restaurant, a hamburger place up on the hill, sushi places…the restaurants are so varied that it is hard to describe them all. This past month we found a new one in the Mariscal district we didn’t know was there. It was like a gentlemen’s club in England—the food was outstanding.”

Own Acres of Farmland, Close to the Beach, for Under $150,000

Own Acres of Farmland, Close to the Beach, for Under $150,000

Expat-Matters
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I’m sitting on a terrace set on an extremely steep drop, the misty valley floor visible far below. The surrounding mountains go all the way up to the clouds. Homes are set here and there, on small patches of flat land or on bits carved out of the hillside, among coffee plantations and farms. I’m high enough that the temperature is comfortable—in the 70s F—even though I’m firmly in the tropics. A sliver of the Pacific Ocean is visible on the horizon. As the sun sets, the ocean glitters.

Affordable Living in Da Nang, Vietnam

Affordable Living in Da Nang, Vietnam

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“My favorite activity during the warm months is going to the beach in the late afternoon,” says Mel Potter of his new home in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam. “If you want to get away from the rat race and be near the beach, with a decent nightlife, this is the place for you. You can have the lifestyle you want here, even live like a millionaire if you want.” And with monthly living expenses of $600 or less, it’s easy to see Mel’s point. Mel, a retired correctional officer, first came to Vietnam as a soldier in 1967.

The Perfect Family Life in San Juan Del Sur

The Perfect Family Life in San Juan Del Sur

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Since arriving in the beach town of San Juan del Sur this year, Marisa Francis has come to appreciate life’s simple pleasures. She loves riding bikes with her kids to the pulpería (convenience store) down the street to buy candy. “I have such fond memories of my sister and me doing the same thing when we were kids and visiting our grandparents,” she says. “I love that Nicaragua feels like the ‘old days.’” Nicaragua opened up a whole new world for Paul, Marisa, their two kids Owen, 11, and Abigail, 8, and their three dogs…not least in slashing their cost of living.