Help us choose a south or Central American town for a 1 year sabbatical with a kid

[Anonymous]

If what you want is immersion that will make your kids fluent, you really just need to send your kids to public school in that country for a year, in Spanish. Getting them into a private school or American school that you will then pull them out of seems a bit silly. So, you'll want a country with decent public education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's in North America, but since you mentioned Mexico, look at San Miguel de Allende. There's a big expat community and it's beautiful.

No. Full of old American expats. I vote Merida! Or even Valladolid (in Mexico).

Following up - valladolid is a really nice colonial town(and small). I love Merida - very authentic Mexican city - but it is pretty big. If you really want to go more native - izamal wont have many expats - but is also a very charming colonial town in the yucatan peninsula. Mexico Mexico Mexico! 😎

[Anonymous]

Sorry - more Mexico (I have spent a lot of time there). Moving towards middle of the country, queretaro is quite charming (and not many gringos). Guanajuato is gorgeous (but pretty busy)

[Anonymous]

What about Quetzaltanengo in Guatemala? Although I am confused what language your kids would be going to school in. If English, that’s really going to narrow things down.

[Anonymous]

it's cute you think DC is a big city.

[Anonymous]

How old are your kids/what grade will they be in?

[Anonymous]

I went to Bogota Columbia for a work trip last year and I was surprised at how beautiful and walkable it was. There’s lots to do in Columbia, and especially in other areas like Medellin and Barranquilla.

[Anonymous]

I had a friend who did this with the hopes of making her kids fluent in Spanish, but sent them to an international school, didn't speak Spanish at home, and basically, it was like a cool year living abroad, but too enmeshed in the expat community to become fluent, not even that proficient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Antigua is the obvious answer

What I came to post tool. Antigua, Guatemala. Maybe Cartagena -- don't know if it meets your criteria. You could also consider Bogota, if you change your mind to a big city.

[Anonymous]

Cartegna.

[Anonymous]

What do you not understand about where the US is right now?

You are an idiot thinking this will be easy right now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If what you want is immersion that will make your kids fluent, you really just need to send your kids to public school in that country for a year, in Spanish. Getting them into a private school or American school that you will then pull them out of seems a bit silly. So, you'll want a country with decent public education.

my sense is that in mexico, most middle class or upper middle class mexican kids are in private school, no?
But that's mostly based on the insane amount of Mexican TV that I watch.

[Anonymous]

Is your kid going to be in school? If you want a North American calendar that eliminates all of s America

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's in North America, but since you mentioned Mexico, look at San Miguel de Allende. There's a big expat community and it's beautiful.

No. Full of old American expats. I vote Merida! Or even Valladolid (in Mexico).

Op I'm somewhat of a professional expert on this topic.

The English speaking school in Merida is quite new - last I checked I wouldn't send kids there for quality of education reasons.

But more widely that is going to be almost all the places OP is thinking of outside of huge cities. And even then most schools will operate in much English unless you have a third language

[Anonymous]

You need to consider visa issues - most countries will give you 90 days with another 90 day renewal, so 6 months tops. What is your plan for a year? I'm also confused when you say you need enough expats to support a school. Do you think there are no schools to serve the local populations?