Day 287 of 1827: A Paraguayan Perspective

This morning I had a Skype call with my friend Mateo. Now there’s a guy who really knows how to hack it in Paraguay.

I love talking with other expats — especially expatrepreneurs. They have this optimism and enthusiasm that is quite frankly infectious.

Once you realize that you can live anywhere, you suddenly appreciate the meaning of the phrase “a world of opportunity”.

It was a fascinating conversation; there is a lot going on in Paraguay these days… and although I didn’t have the greatest experience there, Mateo’s been having an incredible time.

I’d love to share some of the details from the call, but… well, let’s just say this won’t be the last time you hear about Mateo on Five Years Abroad (:

In fact now that I think about it, my friend Lorena’s been having a ball out there lately, too. Either I’ve managed to find two of the awesomest people in the whole country, or Paraguay is a way cooler destination than most people think (including me).

Probably a little of both.

Well, some of the best experiences happen when you go against the grain; I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised.

In order to maintain my permanent residency, I have to return to Paraguay at least once every three years (so much for the “permanent” part). Maybe now that I have a little bit of a network in the country, better Spanish fluency and a battle-tempered outlook, I might give it a second chance someday….