“What do you do all day?” This is a question often asked of those who have moved overseas ... especially those who are retired. “I can find plenty to do when I go on vacation,” one friend confided, “but I’m not sure I could find enough to keep me busy full-time.  I can only read so many books and drink so many fruity drinks with little umbrellas in them…” I still work for a living.  I spend much of my time sitting behind a computer, researching and writing.  I do not live a life of leisure…although having a maid and a gardener helps immensely. When I lived in the U.S., I not only worked full-time, but I spent hours I could have devoted to “me time” dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing floors, ironing, weeding, or mowing the lawn. So even though I am still working, I have more leisure time now, thanks to the fact that I now live in Latin America where household help is reliable and inexpensive.  What can you do with yourself if you decide to live overseas?  Plenty, believe me.

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Most people who decide to move overseas have a reason for doing so.  Many want to live where their dollar (or euro) goes further.  Some want to live where health care and household help costs are affordable.  All of them have one common thread - they are all looking for a better, more fulfilling way of life. 

Within this group of pleasure seekers, then, there are two types of expats I encounter most frequently: those who still need some type of income (I fall into that category) and those who don’t.

For those who fall into the former category, I have two pieces of advice.  If you want to find work that makes you happy in your new home, don’t go looking for work at all.  Instead, look for your passion.  Think about what excites you and makes you happy, and try to make a business out of it.

That’s another important point.  If you move overseas, chances are you will not find employment - you will need to create your own.  In most countries it will be difficult to find legal, gainful employment.  That said, many of my friends are working for local employers…in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama.  It can be done, and it usually requires finding a job that is only suitable for the expat - teaching English, selling real estate to other expats, consulting, etc. Look for a niche to fill
The best course is to start your own business.  Again, my advice is to think about what you really like to do.  If you like history, maybe you’ll start a local walking tour of historical sites.  I know one man who loves to cook.  He now gives authentic Yucatecan cooking classes from his home in Mérida, Mexico.  He has also started exporting gourmet peanut butter and chocolate that he makes from local ingredients. 

Many people are afraid to go to a new country without a guaranteed source of income.  I understand that, it’s a scary proposition.  But if you have enough money to get by for a time while you look for opportunity, you will find it. 

Reinvent yourself without completely starting over.  This is exactly what I did.  I love to write.  I was a professional writer in Nebraska, and I have now been a professional writer in Ecuador, Mexico, and Panama.  The difference is that while I once wrote advertising and business-to-business materials, I am now writing about things I enjoy writing about…and doing it in a place I enjoy.  I have “repackaged” myself into a lifestyle I am happier with. 

If you wish to continue your current line of work in your new home country, there are a couple of places to start.  One is by talking to an immigration attorney in your new county.  Another resource is the American Chamber of Commerce. You can find a directory of their international branch locations (in 91 countries) here: www.uschamber.com/international/directory/default.

Two prominent American Chamber of Commerce groups are in Mexico (see: www.amcham.com.mx/ingles/indexing.php) and Panama (see: www.panamcham.com).

Research through these websites to find leads; a contact person who might be looking for someone with your experience.  Another good starting point is to contact any professional organizations you may belong to.  For example, I am a former ad industry person and therefore contacted PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) and American Advertising Federation. 

There are clubs and service organizations like the Rotary Club, Lion’s Club, VFW, etc., with locations throughout Mexico and Central America. These are also good sources of information.

Turn your passion into profit
Maybe you have no desire to continue in your present line of work.  That’s okay, too.  You can figure out a way to turn your hobbies into something more lucrative.  My husband is a musician.  When we moved to Ajijic, a community with lots of foreigners, on the shore of Mexico’s Lake Chapala, he found himself in great demand as a sax player.  Before long, he was playing regular gigs with Ron Baker, the former guitar player for Charlie Pride’s band, and Dwayne Blackman, the songwriter behind Garth Brook’s megahit “I Got Friends in Low Places.”  And the drummer for this little combo?  Remember Alan from the original Mickey Mouse Club?  I kid you not.  Ok, so this “job” didn’t pay much, but it gave Dan a little pocket money and all the beer he could drink.  Not bad…and he enjoyed doing it. 

So what about your hobbies?  Do you design jewelry?  What about turning that into a business?  I have a friend in San Miguel de Allende who designs leather clothes and belts.  He now has a successful boutique where he showcases his designs as well as jewelry made by another friend. Remember, you don’t have to run the store, …just approach the shopkeeper and see if they will take your goods on consignment.

What if you’re not at all creative?  Even though you might not realize it, you no doubt have a lot to offer.  Do you like gardening, for example? Well, what about a landscaping firm?  Enjoy tracing your family’s history?  Perhaps you could provide a service for others who want to do the same.  In fact, consulting businesses can be successful in your new home country.  Many foreign businesses want to learn how to better market themselves to U.S. and Canadian citizens.  Who better to help them than someone who spent (almost) a lifetime there?

One final note about finding work overseas, and this relates back to what I mentioned earlier about looking for opportunity.  When you move to a foreign country, especially if you move to a location with a large foreign community, you will find many niches that need to be filled.  Look around. Think about what might be missing - service businesses that might be needed in your new home.  Self-storage facilities?  Proofreading and editing services?  Secondhand clothing stores?  Chances are there are so many opportunities that you may be hard put to choose just one.

An active new life as a volunteer
You won’t be a tourist in your new community.  But you will be a foreigner, so anything you do to help the local community will be a nice reflection on your fellow countrymen and other foreigners who may visit or live here.   Local newspapers are a good source of information about the volunteer organizations that exist.  Then again, if you see a need, figure out how to fill it.  Your International Living Country Consultants can also help you find volunteer activities in their respective countries.  Ask them to recommend various organizations that match your interests.

Once you are on the ground in your new country, other expats will be a great source of information, too.  Ask about opportunities to work in areas you most enjoy - with children, animals, the environment, etc.  In Quito, I belonged to a group called Damas (Ladies) Norte Americanas.  Each embassy in Ecuador had a branch (Damas Alemanas, Damas Chilenas, etc.).  (Your local embassy can be a good source of information about local volunteer opportunities, too.)  The Damas group I belonged to met once a month - usually a luncheon with a speaker.  Proceeds from the lunch went to support local charities.  Annual events included the Damas Christmas Bazaar and the Damas Ball, a grand black-tie event. 

In Mexico, too, communities with an expat population will have organizations you can join…from those that benefit the arts, like “Friends of Chamber Music” and “Friends of Opera to Feria Maestros del Arte” (www.mexicoetc.com/maestros.html). To learn about opportunities in San Miguel, see: www.internetsanmiguel.com/charities.html. 

Here are some other places to explore for volunteer opportunities:
International Volunteer Programs Association, www.volunteerinternational.org. This website offers a handy way to find activities for nearly every interest in almost any country in the world.
Directory on International Voluntary Service, www.avso.org. This site provides links to volunteer organizations worldwide; hosted by the Association of Voluntary Service Organizations (based in Belgium). 
Action Without Borders, www.idealist.org. This website’s database serves as a clearinghouse for more than 46,000 nonprofit organizations worldwide. It features an outstanding searchable database and includes listings for internships, volunteering, and jobs, as well as resources for people who work for nonprofits. The organization also sponsors nonprofit career fairs. 
International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA), www.volunteerinternational.org. The website of this U.S.-based nonprofit association features a searchable database of volunteer-abroad programs. 
International Workcamp Directory (SCI-IVS), www.sci-ivs.org. A good starting point if you are looking for low-cost, short-term volunteer options, in more than 50 countries. 
The Peace Corps, tel. 800-424-8580; website: www.peacecorps.gov. Peace Corps seeks individuals to serve as volunteers in overseas communities in the areas of education, small business development, the environment, health, youth development, and agriculture. You must be a U.S. citizen, over 18, in good health, and have education and/or experience relevant to programs. 
Serve Your World, www.serveyourworld.com. This is a free online guide to volunteering abroad, with excellent interactive resources and many participant reports. 
South American Explorers Volunteer Opportunities, tel. 800-274-0568; website: www.saexplorers.org. The database of volunteer possibilities is available to members of this nonprofit organization. 
Volunteers for Peace, www.vfp.org. More than 3,000 low-cost, short-term voluntary service placements in more than 100 countries. 

Here are some of my favorites:
CARE, www.care.org. For more than 60 years, this organization has been fighting poverty worldwide with a special focus on women and children.
Habitat for Humanity, www.habitat.org. This organization works to provide safe, sturdy homes for low-income families and individuals.
Smile Train, www.smiletrain.org. This group provides free surgery around the world for children with cleft palates.

Indulge yourself in adventure
There is no better way to feel reinvigorated than to get your heart pumping with adrenaline…and perhaps, sheer terror.  Have you ever wanted to go whitewater rafting?  Rappelling down a mountain?  Scuba diving?  Sky diving?  There’s no better time to take the plunge than when you make the move to your new country.  Think of it as the new “adventuresome” you…

Of course, not everyone is cut out to be Indiana Jones.  Maybe golf is more your speed.  You will now find a golf course in just about any country you might choose to live.  That said, it will be more difficult to tee up in Ecuador than in Mexico or Panama, or even Nicaragua.  So if you are an avid golfer, do your research before you make move.  A good place to start is at: www.worldgolf.com. 

If you enjoy fishing, check out the marinas near your new home.  Chances are most of them will have fishing clubs.  The International Fellowship of Fishing Rotarians is a good starting point.  See: www.iffr.homestead.com.  Women will want to check out the International Women Fly Fishers, www.intlwomenflyfishers.org. 

Warm waters beckon divers.  My husband and I have been certified divers for many years - scuba diving is one of our favorite activities.  If you, too, are a diver, or think you’d like to become certified, see: www.PADI.com to find a dive center near you.

For the even more adventuresome, see: www.GORP.com.  Jaguar tracking in Belize, bicycling from the Atlantic to the Pacific in Panama, hiking in the Alps, or whitewater rafting in Costa Rica are just some of the options available at this website.