Paraguay is often sold as simple, safe, and easy, but that is only part of the story. In this full conversation, Katy Cruz shares what it was really like to leave Germany, travel through multiple countries, and build a life in Paraguay while navigating freedom, culture, crime, community, and the deeper personal changes that come with living abroad.
This episode goes well beyond surface-level expat advice. It covers why Paraguay stood out, what foreigners often get wrong, how safety and class shape daily life, why some expat communities become limiting, and how moving abroad can force a complete rethink of identity, relationships, and personal direction. It is a serious, honest look at life abroad from someone living it.
Discover:
• why Katy and her husband left Germany and started traveling
• what made Paraguay feel different from other countries
• the reality of crime, corruption, and safety in Paraguay
• how class and social bubbles affect life in Asuncion
• why she kept distance from much of the German expat community
• how travel and relocation changed her internally
• what living abroad can reveal about identity, energy, and relationships
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📋 Living Abroad Toolbox – https://tabarteas.com/toolbox
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00:00 The myth and reality of Paraguay
08:27 Why Paraguay became the place to settle
19:50 Residency options and choosing a base abroad
24:30 Crime, class, and what safety really means
31:40 Schools, status, and social bubbles in Paraguay
38:05 Why she stayed outside the German expat circle
58:03 The spiritual and personal side of moving abroad
01:16:58 Friendship, energy, and building a new life