10 Reasons Why I'm Moving to Belize - #10 COFFEE!

 As you'll see here, the Belizean coffee trade is in it's infancy, but if locale is any indication, some of THE BEST coffees in the world come from neighboring Guatemala. I used to sell/serve Guatemalan fair-trade coffee through Phoenix Coffee of Fort Myers Beach!

So outside of Belize, it's not easy to get their coffee. Once I live there, I'll have immediate access. AND because I intend to live in Placencia (Southern Belize), I'll be very near the Guatemalan border! DOUBLE SCORE!!!

I'm an everyday coffee drinker--no more than 3 cups. I love a full-bodied coffee and Central American coffees tend to be heartier with chocolatey notes. Perfect!

Even fully caffeinated, I will be slowing down the pace of life. I've been doing that the last four years, anyway. As a nomad, with little steady income, I've learned how to slow down in the midst of hustle and bustle around me--in Tallahassee, Boulder and Evansville. One of the biggest draws (SPOILER ALERT!!! This will make the top 5!) to Placencia, Belize, is the slower pace of life. It's a Caribbean fishing village, now tourist destination. And being a third-world country, there's not the dog-eat-doggedness of "the American Dream." Life just moves slower there, like at the beach I love in Florida. Every video you watch of Belize talks about the slow pace. Don't expect things to get done quickly there! I'm great with that!

But, I digress...Coffee...fair trade, locally grown, Belizean coffee. That, in itself, would be a great reason--a wonderful reason--to move to Belize.

I'm no coffee snob, I just HAVE to have it to get going every morning! I'm an addict. But I don't drink it all day. Too much caffeine makes me jittery and sweaty. That's why a typical morning for me includes two cups with JUST SUGAR! And when all I have is Arabica Bean Folgers or some other popular brand, I put extra scoops in the basket. I tend to drink it "truck stop strong!" Maybe that's why I can't drink more than 2-3 cups.

I like it strong, just not too bitter. As far as added flavors, I prefer either chocolate (mocha) or cinnamon. That's it...rarely ever do I use a flavored creamer, or a cream of any kind! Why dilute the flavor of coffee??

So a move to Belize puts me closer to the coffees of the world that I love! And that's Reason #10 why I am moving there! Thanks for reading...to be continued.