So you are thinking of moving to Mexico? You are not alone. According to a U.S. news world report, about 2 million Americans have decided to retire to Mexico. What are some advantages?

The culture is amazing. As a people, Mexicans are extremely family oriented, and service oriented. “Para servirle” literally means, “at your service” – and this is a statement that you will constantly hear at any restaurant or service establishment. They live to make us foreigners feel at home. Please be sure to make them feel good as well!

Thinking of moving to Panama? You’ve made a great choice. In fact, the New York Times picked Panama as the #1 place to travel in 2012. What makes it so great? Here are a few reasons.

Great Weather. Panama has tropical weather, with breezes off the Pacific that makes the climate pleasant. The average temperature is 75 F in the mornings and 86 F in the afternoons. April to September is rainy season. There is no need to use heating system. If you are in Boquete, A/C isn’t usually needed, although you may want to use it in areas like Coronado or Panama City.

One question that comes up often when retiring and relocating is, Should I pay to have everything shipped? Or should I just ditch it all and start over fresh?”

Of course, the answer will vary for each person. We’ll try to answer it for you as best as possible. There is no place like home After moving several times ourselves, we know how important it is to walk in your home, and feel that familiar touch. This is why many expats choose to relocate their life and belongings – and there are certain things that mean so much that money can never buy again. That piece of wooden furniture that your father built with his hands?

It can be easy to overcomplicate the idea of retiring overseas, but, the truth is, in many ways, it’s not much different than making a move within the States. In some respects, you could say it’s easier. What makes it difficult is that you’re working from a blank slate.

You don’t retire to a new country for practical purposes (well, other than to reduce your cost of living). You retire overseas for fun and adventure, a real life change. With that as your agenda, you could go anywhere, and choosing a specific place to move to when you’re operating without any restrictions whatsoever can seem overwhelming.

When you hire a good moving company, they will take care of everything-- loading your items onto onto the truck, driving them to your new location, unloading your shipment and placing the items right where you need them. This guide will provide you with tips on what to do to prepare for your full-service movers on moving day.

Make a checklist. Keep an itemized list of the type and quantity of all of your belongings so you can keep track of everything as it is being packed and unpacked.