Raising Bilingual Kids in Colombia as an American Family

A safety incident at her kids' school was the last straw. Within months, one family had traded the US for Medellín, Colombia, and started building a life around a completely different set of values. Alyssa Bolaños grew up between cultures long before she ever considered leaving the US permanently. In this episode, she shares how she and her husband decided where to raise their two boys, why they picked Medellín specifically, what surprised them about safety once they arrived, and how they built their residency status around their children rather than a spousal visa. ────────────────────────────────────────── CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS ────────────────────────────────────────── 00:00 – Raising Global Kids: How Expat Families Choose Where Home Is 04:36 – The Safety Incident That Pushed One Family to Leave the US 09:33 – How to Choose a Walkable City with Easy Access to Nature 14:28 – What Daily Life and Safety Actually Look Like in Colombia 20:33 – How to Get Residency in Colombia Through Your Children 23:07 – Healthcare Costs After Leaving the US Healthcare System ────────────────────────────────────────── ABOUT THE GUEST ────────────────────────────────────────── Alyssa Bolaños is the bilingual Latina creator behind Casa Belanos. She moved with her husband and two young boys from the US to Colombia, by way of a three-month world-schooling program in Uruguay, and shares the realities of raising global, bilingual kids online. ────────────────────────────────────────── ABOUT YOUR HOST ────────────────────────────────────────── Arielle Tucker, CFP® & IRS Enrolled Agent, is a cross-border financial planner based in Switzerland helping Americans living abroad navigate U.S. taxes, international investments, and cross-border financial planning. ────────────────────────────────────────── LOVE THIS EPISODE? ────────────────────────────────────────── Follow the show and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it's the single biggest thing you can do to help other cross-border families find this show. ────────────────────────────────────────── ABOUT PASSPORT TO WEALTH™ ────────────────────────────────────────── Passport To Wealth™ is the platform for current and aspiring US expats. We connect globally mobile Americans with vetted, licensed cross-border financial advisors, tax professionals, and relocation experts who understand the financial and legal complexities of life abroad. **STAY CONNECTED** Follow Alyssa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casabolanos/ Website: https://www.passporttowealth.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passporttowealthofficial/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/passport-to-wealth/ ────────────────────────────────────────── This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Individual circumstances vary. Consult a qualified cross-border financial professional before making any financial or tax decisions. Mentioned in this episode: **Passport to Wealth is a proud member of the SwissCast Network** Discover more podcasts for English-speaking Switzerland SwissCast Network Pre-order "The Expat Money Playbook" Find your cross-border expert on the Passport To Wealth™ directory Click here to subscribe to our newsletter