My family has officially retired in Belize, with a beautiful home fully completed and now occupied.
So am I going to move to Belize? well, NOT YET.
Belize is Officially Home
In the middle of the pandemic, my mom and stepdad had their eyes set on Belize after going back and forth between multiple countries in Central America. By early 2021, they had purchased and cleared property, and by the time I returned to Belize in October of that same year, the structure was nearly complete. Just a few months later, my family slowly made their way into their new home.
Seeing that whole process come to life made Belize feel even more real to me, not just as a destination I loved visiting, but as a genuine home base for my family.
Showing Face and Giving My Blessing
In March of 2022, I made a week-long trip from Hawaiʻi back to Belize shortly after my grandparents made their official move. It felt like the right time to show up, be present, and give what I personally call my blessing alongside the rest of my family.
That week in Belize was exactly what I needed. It gave me a chance to step away from the work grind in Hawaiʻi, spend real time with my family, and help where I could with things around the house and practical arrangements, including receiving a car from the States. Being with family, no matter where in the world they are, is always everything to me.
The house itself is beautiful and honestly the perfect setup for retirement. It is low-key, just like Belize tends to be, has a great view of the sea, and exists in a place where not much is pulling at you all the time. That is exactly what my family wanted, and from the depths of my heart, I could not be happier for them.
But then comes the obvious question.
What about me?
Why I’m Not Moving to Belize Yet
I get asked this pretty often, or at least nudged with some version of, “So you’re going to move there now, right?”
And the truth is, no.
Not yet.
As much as I could easily pack up and go just about anywhere, including Belize, I still feel like there is so much more travel I need to experience on this side of the world first. I still have strong ambitions to continue moving through the Pacific Islands, and even parts of Asia and Australia, and it is hard to walk away from the access I currently have while living in Hawaiʻi.
Beyond that, I am still deeply immersed in Pacific culture. I do not feel finished here. There is always something more to learn, whether in Hawaiʻi, Samoa, Tuvalu, or elsewhere across the Pacific. I know there will eventually be a time when I feel ready to move on from this chapter, but that time is not now.
That also ties directly into my work.
As a content creator, I am committed to the places I immerse myself in. The deeper I go into the culture, the stronger and more honest the work becomes. Whether that is Hawaiʻi, Tuvalu, or Samoa, I am still very much in the middle of documenting these interconnected island cultures in a way that feels meaningful. Leaving midway through that would feel like cutting myself off from the best work I could still create here.
Volunteer work in a taro field: Oʻahu, Hawai’i
So When Will I Move?
I do not have an exact timeline, and travel has a way of changing plans anyway.
But I could see that move happening within the next several years, after I have traveled more of the Pacific and parts of Asia, and after I have built better financial stability and stronger remote work options. Belize is home for my family, but from a work standpoint it still makes more sense for me to keep building while I am in the middle of this current chapter.
To put it simply, I want to continue growing my YouTube, blog, and remote work life enough that when I do make that move, I can live comfortably and continue traveling on my own terms.
Final Thoughts
The beauty of my life right now is that I still have that freedom.
I could leave Hawaiʻi tomorrow and decide to move to Vietnam, Italy, or Belize if I really wanted to. Of course, I have commitments in Hawaiʻi for now, and I know I am exactly where I need to be at this moment. But I also know that the road is still wide open.
And regardless of what I do next or where I go, Belize is home.
If you enjoy content on Belize, check out some of my other posts on this beautiful country, as well as my ongoing YouTube playlist.
