Work... Yes, Retire... No

Offers I couldn't refuse

When we arrived in Peru, I was 64 years old. We had been living in Bakersfield, California, where I had started a boutique newspaper. A big company bought the paper, and I arrived in Lima with no plan to continue working. In my mind, I was retiring and hadn't thought beyond moving to Peru.

It didn’t take me long to realize that I would go nuts if I didn’t have something to do. Soon, the American Canadian Association of Peru (ACAP) offered me the editorship of their newsletter, which I turned into a slick magazine. This was a modest, monthly publication, but it brought in a little income and gave me something to do. I could work in Peru because my wife is a citizen and my visa is as the spouse of a citizen.

I was once a public school teacher in California and had all the credentials to prove I was qualified. So I got the idea of offering to substitute at the American School in Lima, Collegio Roosevelt. Given my qualifications, they were glad to put me on the sub list. It went well, and they asked me to do a long-term substitution for three months. I really enjoyed the contact with the students.

Then, through a contact from my wife, I learned that a university was looking for an English teacher. I had an interview, took an examination, they reviewed my credentials, and I started teaching up to 19 hours a week. It turned out that they were starting an English for Business program, and they needed teachers who were qualified to teach English and knew about business. That was me. This opened up some interesting opportunities with some of the major firms in Lima.

Some of the students in my classes were from an important government agency. They liked my approach to teaching, but didn’t like some of the conditions at the university, so they offered me a contract. I started teaching in their facilities. The people in this agency are carefully selected and are excellent students. So it was a pleasure to work with them as I have for years.

I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point. In a country like Peru, there are opportunities to work, but you have to be alert and flexible. In the beginning, I took assignments that weren’t convenient. Sometimes I had to go to a remote location for an early morning assignment. I never turned down an offer, and I always showed up on time, ready to contribute.

I never complained. Sometimes my students would show up late or not at all. It didn’t matter. I was happy because I was engaged and helping people succeed. It has made a huge difference in the quality of my life in Peru.

It is not the pay. I would work for free if necessary, but it is nice to supplement my income. It has allowed me to use my skills and meet many excellent people. What more can one ask? By the way, having such an experience in the U.S. is practically impossible because of the rigidity of the requirements, ageism, and the culture of credentialism.