Americans who moved to Latin America for cheaper retirement, starting a new life, and better work options explain the pros and cons [Video]

Janet Sussman was struggling to see how she could remain in the US.

Sussman, who started a catering nonprofit in Florida, and her husband saved enough to build their dream home in the woods of upstate New York with their son. However, by the mid-2000s, her life was turned upside down.

In 2006, her son died in a construction accident. Her husband, who had a major stroke that same year, died in 2010. Her other two children married and moved away, and she was lost on what to do.

“I didn’t know who I was in this new role,” Sussman said. “I didn’t know where to go from there.”

Ultimately, she moved to Panama in 2012 to restart her life. She and a friend started a shuttle service to make money while she studied for her bachelor’s degree. She then worked as a teacher at an international school for over four years before opening a language school, which she sold shortly after.

Now, …