Colombia Expats

In 2014 Darren and Wendy Howarter left their rural, small-town life in Northern Illinois, USA, and full-time careers to start a new adventure in Colombia, South America. Darren enjoyed selling fine wine and spirits, while Wendy was an attorney for more than 23 years. 

Since settling in the city of Medellín almost six years ago, they now enjoy a semi-retired lifestyle in the City of Eternal Spring. Darren tracks and trades the U.S. stock market while Wendy is pursuing her passion for writing. They have been conference presenters for the past several years, and enjoy sharing their overseas trials and tribulations, along with tips about moving to Colombia. 

Dr. Jeffrey and Heather Raheb are from St. Petersburg, Florida, living here together since 2003. They decided to live and work in St. Petersburg because it was close to many local beaches and slightly more laid back than Tampa.  

Dr. Jeffrey is a chiropractor and earned his Doctorate degree from Life University in Atlanta, Georgia. Heather earned her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education of Social Sciences at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. They put their education, experience, and skills together to open and manage a chiropractic office. While serving the community on health and wellness, they also had a dream to eventually live in and explore another country. They both have a love of travel and learning about other cultures. After learning about Medellín, Colombia, and making a few visits in 2014 and 2015, they decided to make the move in March 2017.  

Christopher has over 35 years of experience in technical commercial building systems, including energy and environmental solutions, building automation and controls, fire/life safety, structured cabling, and security solutions for commercial properties in the Southern California area. 

Chris is still working full-time remotely in Medellin for a US company as a Sr. Account Manager for new commercial construction of low voltage systems for Southern California. 

Renee has over 25 years of experience in project management of Class A commercial real estate in Southern California.  

Renee is a recent winner of NRW 2021 Presidents Award for Rising Star prior to retiring in the summer of 2021. 

Chris and Renee met 11 years ago through common clients in the SoCal construction market, and now want to see all the world has to offer!