Search The Expat Files by country, topic, title, description and, as transcripts are added, the actual words spoken in each episode.
Johnny talks about what it really takes to learn Spanish after moving to Latin America, why many expats never become fluent, and how immersion changes the process.He also looks at growing anti-immigration sentiment across Latin America, the Venezuelan diaspora, research linking book-reading with longevity, the…
Johnny breaks down one of the most misunderstood parts of home solar power: the difference between kilowatts and kilowatt-hours, and why inverter size can matter just as much as battery capacity.He also looks at the cost of retiring comfortably in different countries, gives an update…
Johnny opens with an update on the November 13–20 Expat Insider Seminar, then digs into the realities of owning and driving a car in Latin America, including inspections, annual registration, traffic tickets, and inconsistent enforcement.He also shares a listener’s story about dating and marriage in…
Johnny opens with an update on the upcoming Expat Insider Seminar in Guatemala and El Salvador, then covers a wide range of practical topics for people living in or considering Latin America.He looks at hardware-wallet security, internet speeds across the region, Brazil’s oil exports, rising…
Johnny works through listener emails about expat Facebook groups, everyday life in Latin America, construction shortcuts, cleaning ladies, dating abroad, and the realities of living outside the gringo bubble.He also discusses poor building practices, tropical wear and tear, gold diggers and dating apps, wildlife risks,…
Johnny tackles the practical side of expat life, including mail-forwarding services, damaged packages, electricity pricing in Mexico, solar power, hybrid cars, and the real cost of hiring gardeners and domestic help in Guatemala.He also looks at how expat Facebook groups and AI-generated answers can reinforce…