DAYS 7, 6, 5 - Vet Appt #2, Trust Me, Driverless Cars..."What Does Your Husband Do..?"
DAY 7, part 2: Dinner with Shauna
As I mentioned in my previous blog, I had a Happy Hour/Dinner date with a former sales partner/great friend, Shauna, on Tuesday. We met up at Talking Stick Resort and Casino (surprise!) and it was great to catch up, we both have a lot of changes going on in our lives. I also earned some redemption gambling - I played one machine only, got a game maybe ten spins in, and walked away up $250! I promptly converted that bet slip into cash. It's always best to go out on top.
The night flew by and man, am I going to miss that lady! Hopefully, she and her husband will be down to see us before too long!
Nathan decided to, "divide and conquer" while I was with Shauna; he met up with his parents and niece for dinner.
I also received a text link that night to schedule delivery of our U-Pack trailer to Belize Freight - I forwarded the link to Jhimel, our contact there, to schedule a day/time that works for them. I'm not sure how many loading docks they have, so I felt it best to defer to him.
DAY 6: Wednesday
The cats had an 8 AM appointment at their regular vet, Harmony Veterinary Hospital, to get their International Health Certificates. The office is about 2 miles from our old home, but 30 minutes from our AirBnB, meaning I had to leave at 7:15 AM to get across town in rush hour. I recapped their visit and show the certificate in this video: Importing Pets To Belize - REQUIRED International Health Certificate
Shadow snoozing after his big day out
We were at the vet for two hours, and when I returned to the rental, I called Jhimel as I hadn't heard back from him. The call eventually went to voicemail, so I left a message and followed up with an e-mail, asking for confirmation. Because I am a chronic worrier, I then spent the day concerned we would be charged for storage, or our items would get shipped to Des Moines because they need the trailer, and other far-flung possibilities.
I started tackling our manifest for shipping - every box was labeled with a number, which I must then account for its contents (in a general fashion) and "value" - for used items, we have been told to use what it would sell for at a garage sale. This amount is shared with Customs upon arrival in Belize, and we will be taxed a 40% duty PLUS 12.9% sales tax. They REALLY want you to spend your dollars in Belize, on Belizean goods! That's giving me anxiety, too - I'm trying to be realistic about values, without causing too much ire. I also have a few new items that I bought at Nellis Auction for pennies on the dollar; we were told to provide receipts for anything new, and I'm praying they will accept what we paid as the value, and not impose what it should have cost. I'll have to sit down with Nathan to fill in values on a few of the boxes - we have 122 total in that trailer!
There is some uncertainty on when we'll be able to apply for a golf cart permit in order to buy one after we move. If you are just joining now, the island of Ambergris Caye doesn't allow personal vehicles; the primary mode of transport is via golf cart. I e-mailed San Pedro Town Council but haven't heard back from them (par for the course, but it was worth a try!). Some sources say you need Permanent Residency to apply - that requires you to be in the country for one year, leaving for no more than 14 days combined in that time. Others are saying if you own property and have off-street parking, you can apply, which is our hope.
Why? Because renting a golf cart is somehow more expensive than a car payment!
Published rates for a monthly rental on a 4-seat cart range from $950-1200U.S. Since we are arriving on the cusp of "slow season", I set out to shop for a better deal. I'm glad I did! The range from three different companies runs from $500 cash per month, up to $850/mo. The highest one is a company that a lot of folks recommend - we haven't rented from them, but their family has a bit of a monopoly on the island for golf cart rentals. Just because it's a popular suggestion, doesn't mean it's the best pricing, so always shop around!
Nathan and I found a solution to our "two witnesses" requirement on our Trust & Will - we had a dinner date with our friends Scott and Kasey, and asked if they would be willing to meet us at the UPS Store. They had some tasks to do there as well, so it worked out perfectly! Our documents are now official.
From there, we headed to dinner, and after, came out to a breathtaking sunset behind Camelback Mountain!
Kasey and Sharon
Kasey and Scott went with us to Belize in March of 2020, right as COVID was ramping up. They are excellent at photo-journaling events - most of the photos we have of us in Belize were taken by Kasey on that one trip, including my home page photo.
We went to their home and stayed way too late; hailed an Uber as we won't drink and drive. Another tough, TOUGH goodbye. I met them in 2002 (before they were a couple) via a co-ed, rec-league softball team they played on. A mutual friend asked me to fill in as they were short a girl/would have to forfeit. I'm the least-athletic person EVER, but joined up and would keep score unless they absolutely needed another female player. More "Friends for Life" that we know we'll see again!
DAY 5: Thursday
I was woken by a phone call before 7 AM from ABF Trucking, the company that transports for U-Pack. Jhimel had replied to my e-mail around 7 PM the night before that he would phone them for delivery - it seems they are growing impatient. I offered to give them his number to call directly, but they declined.
At 7:45, I was startled by a text reminder that I had a 9 AM waxing appointment in Paradise Valley, 25 minutes away. Was it on my calendar? Yes. But am I scatterbrained as hell right now, trying to keep all of our commitments straight..? Also yes. I thought I would walk to collect our car (Kasey and Scott are less than 2 miles from our AirBnB) but that plan was quickly dashed. I hopped in the shower and then ordered an Uber...which gave me the option to have a Waymo driverless car! YES!!! No awkward conversations, no need to tip. My ideal situation. It was a nine-minute longer wait, but worth it to me! It's not something I expect to ever experience on an island in Central America, this was my shot! Here is a video of the ride: Riding in a Driverless Car
I barely made it to my appointment in time, and had a new estitician.
When I tell people we are moving to Belize, they ask one of two questions:
1. "Why Belize?", or,
2. "Wow! What does your husband do...?"
Question #1, I rattle off a laundry list of reasons. Question #2 rubs me the wrong way! How is it that in 2024, the automatic assumption is that my spouse must be supporting me financially to make our move viable? He can and will work remotely, but I was just as much of a contributor to our savings and investment plans. I have only been in my semi-retired state for about three months; maybe that question will be less offensive over time, we shall see. I don't believe anyone has asked Nathan, "What does your wife do?" when he tells them we are moving abroad.
On the drive home, I routed down Tatum/44th Street to get a last look at the hillside mega-mansions and Camelback Mountain. I will miss seeing mountains and elevations, but in trade, I will view turquoise waters. Different, but still awe-inspiring. And mountains never photograph well, if you're curious! At least not from cars, with camera phones.
I'll round out today by finishing up our manifest, and then we have a dinner at the Mejias, family friends of Nathan's.