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SB: It is a small city, or big town depending on your definition, with slow pace and warm and friendly atmosphere. It’s just how I remember Italy 30 years ago down to the Fiat 600s on the street. Families and kids out on the streets, outdoor cafes, old guys reading their newspaper, A real community, very, very sociable. LYA: So you know Italy? Tell me about your background. SB: Yes, I know Italy very well. I married an Italian over thirty years ago and lived there for many years. I moved from the US to Ethiopia when I was 15. My father worked for the government there as planner for roads and infrastructure. At 17, I traveled through Ethiopia, Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Italy. I met Maria in the beach town of Rimini on the Adriatic side. It was the summer of ‘74; I was 18 and playing drums in a band at the tourist spots. She was there on a holiday when we met and the rest is, as they say, history! We lived in various places around Europe for the next 25 years and finally moved to the states about 6 years ago. LYA: So you are tired of the US already? SB: They say variety is the spice of life. Perhaps the nicest way to say this is that the soup in the US is somewhat bland. We are looking for something spicier. If you are from somewhere and you don’t know anything better, it is easy to see how people can be content. We have been all around so we kinda know what’s out there. But South America is new to us and we are very excited! LYA: How have you supported yourselves? SB: We have done a variety of things but mostly teaching. We worked for an English school in Russia. We started our own English School in Romania. We have done lots of volunteer work. That has been a big part of our lives. LYA: Tell me about your volunteer work. SB: I hesitate to call it missionary work because that’s not it, exactly. Though we both come from a Christian background, we are not affiliated with a church or any organization. Often we raised funds for projects on our own where we saw a need. LYA: How would you counsel someone looking to make a big leap like you are doing? SB: Start online, most definitely. EscapeArtist.com is a phenomenal resource. Make contacts with people on the ground before you go for a visit, or to help determine if you even want to go for a visit. Use your own networks. We are fortunate that way because of having lived in so many places. Local real estate people are always helpful. LYA: What if someone doesn’t have those kinds of contacts? SB: Online you can make contact with people who have a common interest. Through clubs or universities, you can find people who will help you based on your common bond, whatever that might be. Tennis, golf, geology, whatever. I made some great connections through children’s’ services organizations. LYA: And what about your kids? Ages? Languages? SB: We have four kids. 14, 16, 20 and 23. They are all fluent in English and Italian with lots of bits of other languages. Our two youngest are coming with us to Argentina so we are brushing up on Spanish. Looks likes the older two will be staying in the Reno/Tahoe area for now. LYA: What about the move, physically speaking, all of your stuff? SB: We will be selling our furniture and bringing just personal items. You’ve got to be willing to let it all go. Or else your stuff starts owning you! LYA: What about residency and paperwork? SB: There are several options in Argentina. You can invest 100,000 pesos ($33K) or show that you have $800/month of income. The same figures are for an individual or a whole family. Costa Rica is similar, even less, $600/month. Another option while you are still settling is a tourist visa that you need to renew every 3 months. LYA: Thank you and best of luck to the whole family. I hope to return for a visit to the Bryant homestead in San Luis. SB: Thank you! We’ll be expecting you for a big pasta dinner! Contact Mark at Mark@LiveYourAdventure.com Contact Stewart
at Alptrekkers@yahoo.com
The following are Mark's previous articles for the magazine:
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An
Accountant In Argentina ~ 