Our Scouting Trip

Our 2025 trip to El Salvador started as a vacation, with a lake, a volcano view, and a lot of time by the pool. Two weeks after we flew home, we were back with our girls again, but this time we weren't relaxing: we were looking at land and houses.

That second trip felt completely different. We drove through neighborhoods, toured lots and homes, and talked about schools, groceries, and hospitals. The question had changed from "Isn't this beautiful?" to "Could we really live here?"

In seven days, we covered four departments: La Libertad, San Vicente, San Miguel, and Cuscatlán. We split the trip in half, starting with day trips from an Airbnb about an hour from the airport, in the area we most wanted to see, and then spending a night or two on the eastern coast before heading back.

On our first visits, we had mostly seen El Salvador's quieter, rural side. Near the city, we found a side that felt more like home: shopping malls, parks, and sports the girls could join. I wanted the move to be a positive one for my girls, and living near a city made that easier.

We didn't leave with a house, but we left with something just as useful: a direction, because we knew which area we wanted to start looking in. We had come looking at land and houses at the same time, not realizing how long either would take. Renting first gave us time to learn the area, and while we did end up buying land, we're still renting as we plan our home.

If you're planning your own trip, visit on normal weekdays, run errands, and try the commute. El Salvador is small, but it isn't all the same: daytime highs run from about 97°F (36°C) in San Miguel to about 71°F (22°C) in the highest mountains, and life on the coast feels nothing like life near the capital.

The full story, and every step, is in the book, now on pre-order for Kindle.

More in the book: Chapter 4, The Scouting Trip & Choosing a Region. Sign up below to get next week's post.

P.S. This is a week of remembering in El Salvador. Yesterday, October 27, was the Day of the Dead for Pets, when families remember the pets they've lost. We remembered our sweet Peanut (watch on TikTok). And on November 2, the Day of the Faithful Departed (Día de los Fieles Difuntos), a national holiday, families visit cemeteries to honor their loved ones.