When you didn’t *choose* to live in Uruguay

Here at Guru'Guay we would never recommend that someone in their 30s comes to Uruguay without a job lined up or working remotely. Employment opportunities are scarce and salaries are significantly lower than in a fully-developed country. And living in Uruguay is not cheap. Marcus from Boston moved to Uruguay in 2014 after a life-changing visit. He didn’t arrive with remote income or a job lined up — and as he says, “I lost my job a bunch of times.” Today, he lives in Pocitos, raises his son in Montevideo, and has worked in everything from English teaching to tech support, always on local salaries. In this episode of Living in Uruguay (as a foreigner), Karen A Higgs, founder of @GuruGuay, speaks with Marcus about the reality of building a life in Uruguay when you didn't come with a job lined up or your own online business. He shares the highs and lows — from finding community and loving Montevideo’s neighbourhoods to job insecurity, how Uruguayan pay compares to the US and navigating public school and healthcare. We explore: How he ended up living in Uruguay The hazards of finding work in Uruguay even when you speak the language What he earns and spends on a local salary Life as a part-time dad in Montevideo He dispells myths about having a child in Uruguay and still getting his US citizenship How Uruguay public school works His experience with public and private healthcare His opinion about living in the different neighbourhoods in Montevideo And what surprised him — the good and the bad — about living in Uruguay. If you’re curious about living in Uruguay, especially without a remote job, this honest and practical interview is essential viewing. And if you want to get involved in that expat sports group: Ask to join the WhatsApp group here https://chat.whatsapp.com/JfUaS21SglR... HUGE THANKS to Marcus. Useful links: Watch the Living in Uruguay (as a foreigner) series    • Living in Uruguay (as a foreigner)   Learn more about living in Uruguay: https://www.guruguay.com/live Book a private consultation with Guru’Guay https://www.guruguay.com/private-cons... CREDITS Idea and production: Guru’Guay https://www.guruguay.com Interviewer: Karen A Higgs, Guru’Guay Interviewee: Marcus Editing: OMNI https://www.teamomni.co/ Music: ‘Ta Rengo by Diego Janssen / @diegojanssen