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THIS WEEK ON THE PODCAST · EPISODE 3

Dorado Beach Insider · You Have Arrived.

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Thank you, again, for every idea, question and suggestion you've shared with us since the first episode. And an open invitation: if you'd like to write for this newsletter, or you have a charity event or special announcement, send it our way. We're happy to share it with the neighborhood for free.

This week is a three-part tour of everyday life here: the comforts that come with you, the delightful differences, and the one local expert who makes the paperwork easier. Below are Julie's notes, so you don't have to write anything down.

Your money and your mail. Your bank card works the way it did back home. USPS, FedEx and DHL all deliver here, and the birthday card to the grandkids goes out with the same US stamp.

Amazon, with patience. Shipping costs more, sometimes a lot more, and same-day isn't really a thing yet. That's changing: the new Amazon distribution hub in Dorado means many orders now arrive in two or three days, sometimes next day. One driver told Tim the items our area orders most are the ones stocked locally, which is why some packages show up overnight and others take longer. You'll also find that what's available to order here can differ from what you see stateside, so be flexible about brands.

Drop shippers and checkout pages. Some sellers won't ship directly to Puerto Rico, so many neighbors use a drop shipper in Florida that receives and forwards packages. And if Puerto Rico is missing from a checkout menu, or listed as a foreign country, just call the seller. It's usually an oversight they can fix.

Don't ship your furniture. The mistake almost everyone makes, us included, is trying to recreate a stateside home here. We've heard too many stories of furniture stored for months that arrived damaged, or with roaches. Consider selling your home furnished, use the consignment stores in San Juan, and bring only what truly matters to you. If you're renting, it will likely come furnished anyway.

Health insurance. Most people we know keep their stateside insurance and add Puerto Rico coverage (we have Triple-S). If you'll be here 90% of the time, Puerto Rico coverage alone may work, but it's worth researching for your family.

Doctors. The quality of medicine here is excellent; access is the challenge. Dorado has a brand-new Orlando Health hospital with a concierge medical wing, and several concierge doctors make house calls in the community. Phones may go unanswered (especially between 12 and 1), and the person who picks up may speak only Spanish. Julie often just stops by the office to book appointments in person. A concierge doctor can also refer you to someone they know and make the call for you. Don't get frustrated. It's just different.

English. In Dorado and San Juan, you'll be fine in English about 85% of the time. Still, a little Spanish goes a long way, and Puerto Ricans are wonderfully generous when you try. Julie sends herself on "missions" to practice. Translator apps on your phone or watch help in a pinch, and there are private tutors in the neighborhood and adult classes at TASIS.

Flights home. It's a domestic move: no passport and no customs. San Juan's airport has nonstop flights to New York, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and Europe, including Madrid and Barcelona.

Your driver's license. You'll need a Puerto Rico driver's license, and ideally a voter ID card. As we understand it, you need the license within 60 days of establishing residency. Do it in that window and it's mostly a new photo. (See part three for who should go with you.)

Schools. A common mistake, one a former administrator shared with us, is enrolling in public school without realizing Spanish will be the dominant language. Our daughter is in her eighth year at TASIS, and there are other options too: Dorado Academy, the new Alpha School, neighborhood pods for little ones, and private teachers. Take the tours, ask questions, and compare.

Cindy's Rule: one thing a day. The best advice Julie ever got here came from our friend Cindy: don't expect to do more than one thing a day. Groceries and your driver's license on the same day? Not happening. Hours and traffic can be unpredictable, so pick one thing and do it well. (Yes, we've managed Costco, the post office, haircuts and gas in one day. We just don't count on it.)

Backups. Expect to be a bit more self-sufficient, even inside the Reserve: backup water and a generator. Outages happen here a bit more often, though not dramatically more than in many places stateside. We covered this on our first episode.

Driving like a local. Stop signs here are mostly treated as yield signs, so keep your wits about you. Inside the gates, not every stop is a four-way, and visitors in rentals often miss them. Be extra careful in golf carts and on scooters, especially kids. And when a traffic light is out, the law says to treat it as if there's no light: slow down, use care, and the car on the left yields to the car on the right.

The grocery game. You won't find everything in one place, so most of us build a pattern: Costco (with delivery options), La Hacienda near Walgreens, Supermax, the Sunday market at La Cocina Gourmet next to Encanto, a personal chef like our Chef Rory, and specialty delivery such as Allen Brothers for meat. And we've been told a grocery store is in the plans inside the Ritz-Carlton Reserve area, near Plantation Village. More on that as we learn it.

A gestor (or gestora) is a licensed administrative agent who handles government paperwork and errands for you. They know which office, which form, which line and which documents, and sometimes the exact person. For your driver's license, trust us: don't do it on your own. A gestor will meet you at the door and walk you through every stop. It can save you days.

Ours also makes calls in Spanish to certain departments, simply because she's that much more efficient at it. We've found mobile notaries very convenient too. The habit to build: before you take something on, ask yourself whether there's someone who would do it better. Here, there usually is.

We're compiling our list of trusted gestores and local services for your home and personal life. When in doubt, ask us, or ask in the neighborhood WhatsApp groups.

We'd like to start interviewing neighbors who have made, or are making, a difference here. Think "local heroes," though we haven't settled on a name yet. Know someone? Hit reply.

What surprised you most about life in Puerto Rico? Hit reply and tell us. We read every one, and if we've gotten anything wrong, we'll correct it.

And please share this with a neighbor or a friend who's thinking about moving here. The more of us who know, the stronger the community.

— Tim & Julie

P.S. Want more on settling in? The Dorado Beach Insider book covers schools, healthcare and more, and you can find our articles at DoradoBeachInsider.com.

Rules, requirements and local services can change. Confirm current requirements with the relevant agency or provider. This newsletter is not legal, tax, medical or investment advice.

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