Introduce Yourself!

[mims]

We live in South Florida, one retired and one a few years away from retiring. My spouse is Peruvian and I'm from the U.S. We go to Peru every 2-3 years, usually Lima, where family live. Now we are looking at Arequipa for possible retirement, or a second home. Planning to go next year to get a better feel for the life there. Hoping to learn here any tips from retirees or expats in Arequipa.

[iddriscoll]

I'm Ian. I originally came down here back in 2011 to collect information related to the indigenous mythology and folklore. I'd always been a student of both history and myth, and the Sacred Valley spoke to me. I lived in Arequipa for about 6 mos before moving to Cusco for a year or so. I went back to the US briefly and then returned, this time to Pucallpa. I stayed for 6 mos, then flew back to the States once more. Now I'm back in Pucallpa, and have been since May of '15. I'm a writer and an English teacher, and I work here in the jungle with plant medicines.

[britteacher]

I'm James. I am originally from the UK, I have a Chinese wife and a little boy who is 4. We have spent the past 10 years in Shanghai but are hoping to move to Lima soon (just applying for jobs right now). No idea about what paperwork I need to do before I leave or how long it will take but I have an interview tomorrow so hopefully will get to ask a few questions then. This site looks like a great resource for newbies like me so I'm sure that I will have lots of questions. Also if anybody is heading to China and needs some answers just 问我 (ask me)!

[worldeats]

Hi, my name is Mark,
I am from the San Francisco bay area (Santa Cruz area) I am traveling to Lima on Feb. 6th with my son Ian. I am exploring starting up 2 businesses; an agricultural cooperative made up of working members and member farms that would grow products for a manufacturing base to create private label food products for export to the US. I have worked in the specialty food industry in the US for over 30 years and am partnering with a food importer who already imports from Lima several sea containers per month.

This will be our first exploratory trip to Peru, but if all goes well I plan to seek residency and live there. I have dedicated my first 4 month trip to learning the language and making contacts. I would love to meet other expats.

[infrid]

Saludos a todos,

I'm George, I'm married to Inés. We're both expats (she's Bolivian, I'm English). We have 2 kids (one Bolivian, one Peruvian; two and a half years old and 7 months, respectively). We currently reside in Miraflores, in Lima, which we love dearly (we got married here).

I'm a software engineer, who specializes in mobile apps. I make games and kids books for kids too, and I'm a musician on the side - I'm always up for collaboration, so if any of those things resonate, get in touch. I'm especially interested in getting a jam or mobile game creation thing going on.

[cevallos13]

Hello, I am Jose from Houston TX "USA" We will be moving to Lima "Miraflores" area later this year.

I work in the IT field as a System Admin and will be looking for work in Lima.

I play all type of sports and enjoy fishing.

I look forward to meeting and making some new friends in the area.

Jose.

[Digga]

Hi all.. Im Glen 47 currently living in Australia.. My wife is from Arequipa in the south of Peru. We have been together 6 years now and have been married 2 years.. (traditional catholic wedding in Arequipa with family). My wife has permanent residency here in Australia and as soon as she gets citizenship I/we would like to relocate to Arequipa. I have been there 4 times and it grows on me more and more. I really have embraced the differences from my own bland culture even though sometimes things drive me crazy. What I love about Peru is that family and friends actually care about you there...The simple act of sharing drinks(over 3 days ) was maybe the turning point for me last year when we had a large family gathering for the 1 month service for the passing of an aunty...
The world is not perfect and I know I will never be able to earn the sort of money I make here, but maybe I have reached a stage in life where a big salary and big disposable income is beginning to become less and less important to me.. now our focus is going to be on setting ourselves up in Arequipa over the next few years with business and home so we can make a smooth transition...In fact, my wife is there now opening our first shop with her sister.. its as much about family as it is about ourselves.. I know some expats sometimes struggle with this sort of family commitments but I have learned to embrace it..Each time I came home from a vacation there my awarness of our waiste and lack of caring and respect between family and friends here is heightened... Again the world is not perfect. .but Im looking forward to enjoy the differences and embrace the change.. looking forward to learning more from all you guys n gals..

[Garcia77!]

Hello,

I'm Rechael 38. My husband is Cesar (Chaski) 56. My husband and I are planning to move to Peru within the year. We have three kids, 9, 7 and 9 months old. My husband is a Peruvian citizen. He came to California from Lima with his family as a teenager in 1974. He is very experienced in Solar Installation and Quality Inspection. I work in Healthcare IT. My Spanish is pretty lousy, so I'm not sure I'd be able to find a job right away. Healthcare standards are probably very different there. We have a ton of family in Lima, Catacaos, Piura. We're wanting to move towards the North, but it would depend on work and schools. We're at a point where nothing is really keeping us in California and we want our kids to know their language and culture. Politically, the US is pretty messed up with cost of living, tuition costs, healthcare costs. We are ready to go!

[jhand8pp4]

Racheal.

I think you will love living in Peru. I retired to live here three years ago. I like the health care system. I can see nearly any specialist within 48 hours and the cost where I live in Tacna is usually only $15.00. Of course, it is all about where you choose to live in Peru. You will find a lot of advice on this blog. Get ready for an interesting adventure.

[western world]

Hi yall I did odd jobs in the states part time ranch hand, carnival worker worked as a wildcatter out west hope to work in a gold mine here.
Wayne

[gringolandia]

Hi yall I did odd jobs in the states part time ranch hand, carnival worker worked as a wildcatter out west hope to work in a gold mine here.
Wayne

Sounds like that could be an amusing adventure. Take good notes. Maybe write a book eventually.

[MattyP74]

Hi there, new to the forum. Matt, originally from Adelaide South Australia. Now living in Lima, Surco area. Been in Peru for the past 6 weeks, last 3 days have been here in Lima. I have settled here in Lima and this will be home for a long time, maybe forever, lets wait and see what happens!!
I am a qualified TEFL teacher and obviously a native speaker, although Strayan can be a little different to English LOL I am currently looking for full time work as a teacher and maybe some private students. But early days yet. My other interests are squash, I can play quite well, let me know if you are up for a hit!! Look forward to maybe catching up. Cheers Matt

[islog]

Hi all. I'm new to Lima - arrived last week from the UK. I'll be staying here for 6 months to work on rural electrification projects, so I'll be traveling around a bit but will be predominantly based in Lima. I'm currently based in Jesus Maria but will be moving to Magdalena shortly. Looking forward to meeting some of you during my time here. Isobelle

[Zkorvin]

Hi everyone, I'm Zak, I've been living in Peru for just over a year now with my Peruvian girlfriend. I'm from Dudley, England. I've lived in Barranco, Miraflores, La Molina and Surquillo. I've travelled all over the world, I don't know how to explain it but Peru called to me as a place to settle down a bit so I stayed! Now I work as a tattoo artist in Stefano's Tattoo Gallery, Miraflores, right by cat park. My girlfriend is a web developer.

Cheers for reading!

[Sherry401]

Hi everyone! My name is Sherry and here goes... My father is Peruvian and my mother is Armenian. I was raised by my father mostly so i guess you can say I grew up with more of a Peruvian culture. Thanks to my family I am fluent in Spanish For the first time I went to Peru March of this year with my fiance who's Portuguese and we ended up falling in love with the country! Thanks to my uncle who is a Taxi driver in Peru we got to visit so many places. Now we are planning to make a move over there with the rest of my family but we don't know when that will be. We were hoping to finish school in the States first and start constructing a house or some kind of business while we are in the states. A move like this takes a lot of preparation! We are visiting next summer and we'll be taking time to look at possible areas to reside in. Even though I come from a Peruvian family I know the change is going to be hard, especially for my fiance because he doesn't know much Spanish but that's why I'm on this forum..... to meet wonderful people and gain as much knowledge as I can. Like my Peruvian family always says to me "you're more American" so this might be a bit rocky.

NICE TO MEET YOU ALL!!!!

[Pter22]

Buenos dias !

My name is Pierre, I am a 27 y.o. french guy and I have just accepted a job in Lima. I will be working as an engineer there starting in April 2017.
Although I am quite familiar with travelling, it will be my first experience living abroad (so excited ^^ !!!).

Hence I join this forum to ask a few questions and why not make some friends !

[YaTuSaEscosia]

Hello all,

I shall be joining you all in Lima in December.

I am a Scotsman currently living in England. Where I had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful young woman from Peru. As her student Visa nears its end I am making plans to come to Peru with her when she returns this December.
I have lived abroad before so the prospect does not intimidate me although I will say going to the other side of the world, I do understand, is a different prospect to working a summer in Ibiza.

I have joined this site mainly to look for information on jobs. I am primarily a bar tender by trade with 15 years experience that have encompassed almost all conceivable roles within hospitality. I have no formal education in spanish, only a smattering of words I have picked up over the years and recently from my cucharita but by no means would I be currently ready to work Front of House in a non tourist establishment. For this reason I will be looking for work in american tourist centered hotels or resorts and "gringo" bars which I feel may suit me best. Kitchen work is also an attractive option as an environment where my limited spanish is not completely debilitating may well aid me further in my desire to quickly build upon my limited vocabulary as I work.

The Old Pub English Bar have offered me an interview when I arrive which is, ofcourse, fantastic news but I will feel a lot more comfortable with a number of leads to follow, I do not expect a cast iron offer of a job to come at some distance ofcourse as personality is key in my Industry.

Any and all advice on these matters, or anything else you may feel I should know,will be warmly appreciated. I am very excited about this new chapter in my life and I hope to be good addition to the expat community as well as, always, an ambassador for my nation. Word from any other Scots here will be a particular delight as you may have more insight into specific cultural disconnects or how I will maintain my IRN BRU habit.

For everybody else reading who have no advice to offer, I hope to serve you a drink or five soon

Ian

[jumpinjack]

Hi and welcome to the forum!
Not only is personality a must so is a work permit. Be sure to inquire if the employer will help you in getting one.
Good luck and enjoy Peru. Ring me up via PM when you get here.

[bigdaddy]

Hello all,

I shall be joining you all in Lima in December.

I am a Scotsman currently living in England. Where I had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful young woman from Peru. As her student Visa nears its end I am making plans to come to Peru with her when she returns this December.
I have lived abroad before so the prospect does not intimidate me although I will say going to the other side of the world, I do understand, is a different prospect to working a summer in Ibiza.

I have joined this site mainly to look for information on jobs. I am primarily a bar tender by trade with 15 years experience that have encompassed almost all conceivable roles within hospitality. I have no formal education in spanish, only a smattering of words I have picked up over the years and recently from my cucharita but by no means would I be currently ready to work Front of House in a non tourist establishment. For this reason I will be looking for work in american tourist centered hotels or resorts and "gringo" bars which I feel may suit me best. Kitchen work is also an attractive option as an environment where my limited spanish is not completely debilitating may well aid me further in my desire to quickly build upon my limited vocabulary as I work.

The Old Pub English Bar have offered me an interview when I arrive which is, ofcourse, fantastic news but I will feel a lot more comfortable with a number of leads to follow, I do not expect a cast iron offer of a job to come at some distance ofcourse as personality is key in my Industry.

Any and all advice on these matters, or anything else you may feel I should know,will be warmly appreciated. I am very excited about this new chapter in my life and I hope to be good addition to the expat community as well as, always, an ambassador for my nation. Word from any other Scots here will be a particular delight as you may have more insight into specific cultural disconnects or how I will maintain my IRN BRU habit.

For everybody else reading who have no advice to offer, I hope to serve you a drink or five soon

Ian

My advice is to bring an extra kilt because they are hard to find in Peru.

[jhand8pp4]

YaTuSaEscosia. Are you able to answer an age old question for us? The question is whether the person wearing a kilt actually wears underwear under the kilt? I have heard the question asked before but I never heard the question answered.

[Polaron]

YaTuSaEscosia. Are you able to answer an age old question for us? The question is whether the person wearing a kilt actually wears underwear under the kilt? I have heard the question asked before but I never heard the question answered.

If your question isn't answered here you might consider asking Donald Trump. He apparently doesn't let underwear get in his way.

[GIANPCL]

Hello everyone.

I'm Gian

From Lima, Perú.

Nice to meet you all.

[MJoyLaufer]

Hi all,

It's nice to meet so many of you on here! I'm Maha and I moved here from Boston to work at a social project called Rurapuk in Villa María. Like many of you I fell in love with Peru, and a special someone , my boyfriend who lives in Barranco. I live in Chorrillos now. At home I was a clinical social worker doing family therapy. I enjoy movies, dancing, and eating the delicious food (I became a meat-eater when I moved here, lol). I am trying to get more out into the scene because although I've been here for a year it's hard to meet people. Enjoy the site and I hope we connect.

Best,
Maha

[rdgriego]

Hello All,
My Name is Román. My girlfriend and I are thinking of relocating to the Trujillo area. We are just beginning the prospect, and are looking for more and more and more information! We are coming from Missouri and are trying to find out what it is we don't know. I am a HVAC mechanical design engineer and she is an actress and author. We look forward to learning from the expat locals and hope to make some great friends here, and there, lol.

Román and Jena

[Maybelline01]

Hello, I am Maybelline and I moved to Peru a days ago. I am at the moment having Spanish lessons at La Escuela in Miraflores. I would be nice to meet up with others in similar situations.
Thanks.

[Nancitafox]

Hello Everyone!

My name is Nancy. I moved close to Zorritos, Tumbes a couple of weeks ago. My cousin, who is Peruvian, opened a lovely hotel here last year, Hotel Palo Santo. I came from California. I'm currently establishing myself and opening a massage & energy healing practice here within the hotel.

I've lived in several Latin American countries before, Ecuador, Mexico, & Honduras, and travelled to many more. This is my first time living here. Thankfully my Spanish is pretty fluent, and I've got family support. I'm in the process of getting all my paperwork moving along.

I wonder if there are any other expats who live around here on the forum?

Thanks!
Blessings,

Nancita

[mochilerosperu]

Hi I am new here and wanted to say hi to everyone!

Hola!

Anyways I have been to Peru about 5 times and have family from there. Hoping to get back this year at some point.

Cheers
J

[Frans]

Hi, I am a old member who will be more active again. we intended to go and live in Peru in 2011, but my plans failed partly because of developer of our property in Lima got bankrupt? But now we 100 percent sure. MY wife is Peruvian and we met when I was in 1996 working in Peru, My family is returning to Peru in July and I will follow permanently in December. Every year we went on holiday to Peru and brought our property in 2011. The issue of the bankrupt development company was resolved in 2016 and in January 2017 we got our keys. Our kids.. Somewhat to our surprise.. Where willing to go to Peru... But it is fair, to say that they have been living in many other countries before and we had to agree with them on the school they going to.

When in Peru I think I likely will do still some international consultancy work.. But if it means I need to pay tax over that part as retired person I think I might not do it.. I not want to spent my free time to give 40 percent away to tax. Therefore might get a bit borred and can possibly assist in the wider (expat) community.

Our house is Miraflores.. some years ago the expat had an idea to meet every week ? Is that still happening or did this initiative failed ?

[alan]

Our house is Miraflores.. some years ago the expat had an idea to meet every week ? Is that still happening or did this initiative failed ?

Hi Frans. That group met for a while, but then it petered out. There are more alternatives now than before though.. there is an Internations group that organizes a lot of events, then another group that meets for language exchange, Women with Wine.. once you get involved in all the Facebook groups that now exist, you will find out about them. http://www.expatperu.com/blogs-and-web- ... expatperu/

[Frans]

Very useful. Thanks !!!!

[chimu]

Hi, I'm Julie Costa and I''ve been married to my husband Luis for many years. I am a U.S. Citizen born and raised in New York City living here in Tampa, Florida for many years. He was born in Jesus Maria, Lima and became a U.S. citizen in 1999. We are considering retiring there in a couple of years. I just joined this forum so i am unsure what category to post this on. But...I have a question if anyone can answer this. Luis claims he can easily get a new Peruvian passport and have dual citizenship; therefore, having no problem to live there as a resident/citizen. And since I am his wife he claims I wouldn't have any problem either staying in Peru. Anyone out there know the definitive answer to this question? Really appreciate it.

[alan]

Hi, I'm Julie Costa and I''ve been married to my husband Luis for many years. I am a U.S. Citizen born and raised in New York City living here in Tampa, Florida for many years. He was born in Jesus Maria, Lima and became a U.S. citizen in 1999. We are considering retiring there in a couple of years. I just joined this forum so i am unsure what category to post this on. But...I have a question if anyone can answer this. Luis claims he can easily get a new Peruvian passport and have dual citizenship; therefore, having no problem to live there as a resident/citizen. And since I am his wife he claims I wouldn't have any problem either staying in Peru. Anyone out there know the definitive answer to this question? Really appreciate it.

Hi Julie... Welcome. You shouldn't have a problem, but there is paperwork involved. Check out the Peruvian migrations web site and other posts in the FAQ section on this forum, and articles published under the "Legalities" menu tab on the main page (www.expatperu.com)

[ardilla]

hi Julie, if you have questions about this feel free to PM me.

[LoTrain]

Aloha

I'm LoTrain, and I came to Peru yesterday. I am a Canadian citizen who married a Peruvian in the USA. I've joined up to ask specific questions about immigration (we're already married in the US, does that make things easier?) and hopefully to share in any insights the board might have.

I guess I'll start in the immigrations section, but its nice to meet you.

[RainforestGuy]

Hello,

My name is Shady, I'm 21 from Kemet ; Land of Pharaohs, recently know as Egypt. I work with wildlife for several years now, in the areas of photography, filmmaking, conservation, fieldwork, field guiding and public speaking. I was in Borneo, SEA two years back working on species and forest conservation. And I just fell in love with the rainforest and its incredible biodiversity. Since then, I'm highly considering relocating to a tropical country. AND the decision came to be Peru !! I will arrive in Lima by late August. And I'm looking for jobs in the Amazon in the wildlife field, but in a variety of sectors, as since I'm relocating to a new country, I got to be flexible. I also consider taking a TEFL course and work as an English instructor, or both English and Arabic, if that is available. Or other possible jobs, as, at first, what's really important is finding a job that will provide me a work contract, so I can get residency. I actually have a couple of inquiries about the work contract thing and paperwork for the legal procedures, but I think I better put these questions in the correct section of the forum. Looking forward to hear from you all. And maybe someone have a suggestion or possibly a work opportunity !

I also want to really thank Alan and everyone who contributes to the website and these forums. IT'S TRULY HELPFUL. And I believe it's the best source of information for anyone considering relocating to Peru.

Thank again.

Peace & Love

[gringomisio]

Hello All! My name is Brian, and I just arrived in Peru a little over 3 weeks ago to give a shot at living and working here with my wife (who's from Lima). We're a young couple and my wife has always had a soft spot for returning to Peru from the States to work and to see if we could find success where she grew up.

Her parents live/work here and have been a tremendous help in getting us settled as we're also working with their long-time travel business Dargui Tours in an effort to sell more to foreign markets (previously they have only worked with Peruvian travellers). We live out here in Pueblo Libre at the moment but are looking at a move closer to Miraflores. We're runners, cyclists, and are also looking for Protestant church options. Let us know if you might have anything that would steer us in the right direction.

[alan]

HI Brian.. welcome to Lima. The "Peru Runners" group is very active.. just google them... and as far as English language services, you could try the Church of the Good Sheppard. Besides that, there are a ton of evangelical churches here with services in Spanish.

[gringomisio]

Hey Alan,

Thanks for the advice on the runners group. We'll get our lazy selves out there here very soon...at the moment we've been busy with work and stuffing our faces with all of our favorite dishes since arriving 5 weeks ago. Also we've been to the Union Church a number of weeks so far though there seems to be a lot of visitors at expat services and not nearly as many people here for the long haul.

Thanks again Alan for your responses and insight here.

-Brian