Long-term life abroad is more complicated than the honeymoon phase. In Part Two of the My Latin Life Podcast conversation, Stephen Storey discusses his experience living in Brazil, personal-safety considerations, cultural adjustment, and structuring a productized business while based there. The episode is a personal account, not a representative survey of Brazil or a current legal, tax, business, or safety assessment.
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Table of Contents
About Part Two
Stephen Storey returns to continue talking about what long-term life in Brazil has been like for him as an American. The episode focuses on practical realities that may become more visible after the novelty of a move fades: neighborhood-level safety, differences in daily life, cultural adaptation, and the systems behind operating a productized business from another country.
Brazil is a large and diverse country. One person’s account—however candid—cannot describe every city, neighborhood, household, or professional situation. Treat Stephen’s comments as experience to consider, not as a promise of what a new resident will encounter.
What We Discuss
- How the practical experience of living abroad can differ from a first visit.
- Why safety is about routines, location, and current conditions rather than a single national label.
- How cultural expectations and communication styles may affect daily life and relationships.
- What it takes to keep a productized business operating while living in another country.
- Why the advantages and frustrations of a move can coexist.
- How to evaluate whether Brazil fits your own preferences and obligations.
Safety Requires Local, Current Research
Do not translate one resident’s experience into a blanket safety claim. Conditions differ by city, neighborhood, route, time, activity, and individual circumstances. The U.S. Department of State’s current Brazil advisory urges increased caution and identifies specific areas for which it advises against travel. Read the full, current Brazil Travel Advisory and your own government’s guidance; advisory levels are not a substitute for researching your actual itinerary or residence.
For a long-term stay, learn the routes you will use, get recent local guidance from more than one source, and consider transport, building access, lighting, communications, and emergency contacts. Reassess when conditions or routines change. Avoid describing an entire city as safe or unsafe based on one district, a visitor’s experience, or a single statistic.
Running a Business from Abroad
Operating a productized business remotely can provide structure and income, but it also creates dependencies. Identify which work can be performed asynchronously, what must happen during your local business hours, who handles customer support, how payments and refunds work, and how you will respond to an internet or power outage. A repeatable service is not automatically location-independent if it depends on the founder being available at specific times.
Before relocating, check whether your immigration status permits the work you intend to do, how local and home-country tax rules may apply, and whether your company, clients, payment provider, or insurer imposes location restrictions. Separate these issues: permission to reside, permission to work, company compliance, tax treatment, and U.S. filing obligations are not the same question. Seek qualified legal and tax advice for your specific facts.
Use a simple continuity checklist: secure access to business accounts, backup authentication methods, a second internet option, written operating procedures, a trusted emergency contact, and a plan for serving clients if you are ill or traveling. Budget for currency conversion, professional advice, and occasional trips that may be necessary to maintain business relationships.
For a productized service, write down the offer, delivery steps, scope limits, refund policy, and escalation route so customers are not dependent on informal explanations. Test whether the process works when the founder is offline or in a different time zone. Keep customer data secure, back up records, and check whether payment tools and contracts allow the planned country of operation. A business that can be delivered from anywhere still has legal, financial, and customer-service dependencies.
Beyond the Honeymoon Phase
A sustainable move is built around ordinary weeks. Think about language, friendships, errands, healthcare, climate, noise, commute, bureaucracy, and how often you want to travel. A place can be exciting and still be frustrating. A slower pace may feel restorative to one person and isolating to another; a large city may offer more variety while making daily logistics more demanding.
Give yourself time to learn how systems work before judging them by the standards of your home country. At the same time, be honest about non-negotiables such as medical access, accessibility, schooling, or proximity to family. Social media tends to foreground attractive moments; a long-term decision should account for maintenance, paperwork, and routine inconveniences as well.
Some adjustments are practical—learning how to schedule appointments, navigate local services, and communicate when your language ability is limited. Others are emotional: being far from familiar support, rebuilding friendships, or finding that a place you enjoy visiting feels different when it becomes home. Keep expectations flexible and create a routine that includes local relationships, reliable healthcare, and activities beyond work. A trial stay can help reveal whether the destination fits your ordinary life, not just your idealized version of it.
Planning a Long-Term Move
- Pick a specific base. Compare neighborhoods and visit them at the times you would normally commute, shop, or work.
- Test the routine. Stay long enough to handle ordinary errands, work calls, and appointments—not only sightseeing.
- Verify immigration and work rules. Check current official requirements for your nationality and intended activity.
- Review tax and business exposure. Map obligations in Brazil and any country where you remain tax-resident or operate a company.
- Build a safety and healthcare plan. Check current advisories, insurance limits, medical access, communications, and emergency transport.
- Keep the first commitment reversible. Delay a major property or business decision until you understand the day-to-day reality.
Explore our guide to living in Brazil, Brazil residency overview, and Brazil real-estate guide for foreigners for related context. These are informational resources, not individualized legal or tax advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is discussed in Part Two?
Stephen Storey talks about long-term expat life in Brazil, safety nuance, daily and cultural adjustment, and operating a productized business while abroad.
Is one expat’s experience representative of Brazil?
No. Brazil varies by location and person. Use a guest’s experience as one perspective and verify current conditions for your own neighborhood and routine.
Is Brazil safe for Americans?
There is no universal answer. Consult current government travel advice, research the exact locations and routes, and make a plan based on your personal circumstances.
Can I run a business while living in Brazil?
That depends on immigration permission, tax rules, company arrangements, and the nature of the work. Confirm each separately with qualified advisers and official sources.
Listen: Full episode on Buzzsprout · Spotify · Apple Podcasts.
Follow the guest: Stephen Storey on X.
Related:
Explore Brazil: Living in Brazil · Brazil residency · Property for foreigners
