Do you have ambition to live or retire abroad? (30 Viewers)

[efil4stnias]

I love this country. It’s given me everything I have. I’ve traveled and never really felt at home anywhere else. Funny how people are risking their lives to get here and people here believe it’s not a country worth living in. It’s the greatest country in the world in my opinion…..

I think it's simply a difference in "how ones life should be". What constitutes happiness in the US vs say Germany?

I know at this point in my life and career, I look back at just how much time and effort I had to give to get here that carried an intrinsic cost.

When we were in Montreux in 2022, I met the owner of the AirBNB we had. Early 40s. We started talking and he asked what I did, normal chit chat. And I told him for first time in 20 years I took 2 consecutive weeks off. He was floored. Started explaining how valued time off is. Stores open 10am close 6pm. Period. If you didn't get today, you can get tomorrow. But people aren't killing themselves to attain wealth and possessions.

My 47 year old cousin, Sandra, has never owned a vehicle. Ever. Walk, train or cab (if needed).


This caused me to pause and reflect a bit. Sure, I enjoy the trappings of success and I will continue to enjoy them as long as it affords me the opportunity.

But I can assure you there are plenty of places outside this country that doesn't require a $100,000/yr job and the stresses and responsibilities that come with.

I think many have equated wealth/income/possessions to happiness. Because that's all we know. Then you travel to a place that doesn't place the same importance on those things and causes you to, at the least, contemplate how nice it might have been to have grown up and lived in an area like that. Sure, some will itch for more, and can always leaves for bigger/ better things.

I'm turning 54 this February and my itch is gone. I want smooth and easy now. Less stress. And when you see 45 year olds sitting in an outdoor Cafe, lake side at 2pm, with the look of contentment, yeah it makes you think.

I can't explain it. My kids got to see and feel it. My wife felt it. Unfortunately here, unless you are making 100k yr you aren't able to sit lakeside at 2pm on a weekday with contentment.

Probably not making much sense here, 2 bourbons in, but point is life outside US is much slower in many places and that is something I find appealing.

 

[efil4stnias]

ha! cool - that was the first italian town I toured
we performed in the piazza on a festival stage - 2500 Italians and summer tourists jammed in there hootin it up
that spolied me for all subsequent stops

Ascona Switzerland (which is in what is called the Italian part of Switzerland )or the coastal Italian Ascona?

 

[superchuck500]

I love this country. It’s given me everything I have. I’ve traveled and never really felt at home anywhere else. Funny how people are risking their lives to get here and people here believe it’s not a country worth living in. It’s the greatest country in the world in my opinion…..

I do think it’s possible to want to live or retire abroad without also concluding that the US isn’t “worth” living in.

Deciding you want to live on a beach in Central America or a village in Italy because the lifestyle appeals to you and you can make it work financially doesn’t mean you’re crapping on the US.

 

[0rion]

Where did you go that you hated??

There was really only one that I truly hated and that was Cancun on our honeymoon.

 

[saintmdterps]

There was really only one that I truly hated and that was Cancun on our honeymoon.

Cancun was a spring break town in my opinion. Would not return.

 

[superchuck500]

There was really only one that I truly hated and that was Cancun on our honeymoon.

Oh no, lots of people hate Cancun! It’s easy to not like. Please don’t shut yourself off from all the world has to offer based on Cancun.

That would truly be tragic!

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Ascona Switzerland (which is in what is called the Italian part of Switzerland )or the coastal Italian Ascona?

ah - good question and I do the thing I always do
we did perform in Acosta but it was Switzerland and that was the last Italian (ish) place I performed was Aosta, italy

Acosta was interesting bc it was the only European city we ever performed in where the women had to cover their tops and that was bc we were performing on actual monastery grounds
DANG was that place beautiful - we rented a boat and went out swimming in the lake - it was a complete talented mr Ripley setting

ha. now these other memories are starting to seep back in
can't remember what we did before getting there but we were SUPER jet-lagged
3pm sitting at a cafe drinking a beer to try to regulate the system - a bis drivers by
Ascona is part of the Ferrovie Autolinee Regionali Ticinesi - and those initials were broadly - some might say proudly - displayed on the side of the bus
so completely jet-lagged tired, beer in belly we watch this FART bus drive by and give it a beat then we all just burst out laughing
and I have to say that even though it was Switzerland, that might have been a top 3 all-time pizza

 

[efil4stnias]

ah - good question and I do the thing I always do
we did perform in Acosta but it was Switzerland and that was the last Italian (ish) place I performed was Aosta, italy

Acosta was interesting bc it was the only European city we ever performed in where the women had to cover their tops and that was bc we were performing on actual monastery grounds
DANG was that place beautiful - we rented a boat and went out swimming in the lake - it was a complete talented mr Ripley setting

ha. now these other memories are starting to seep back in
can't remember what we did before getting there but we were SUPER jet-lagged
3pm sitting at a cafe drinking a beer to try to regulate the system - a bis drivers by
Ascona is part of the Ferrovie Autolinee Regionali Ticinesi - and those initials were broadly - some might say proudly - displayed on the side of the bus
so completely jet-lagged tired, beer in belly we watch this FART bus drive by and give it a beat then we all just burst out laughing
and I have to say that even though it was Switzerland, that might have been a top 3 all-time pizza

That's so cool. And the memories sit with you forever.


Photos from sis and BiL in Ascona.
Mom would vacation there with her Nonna so my sister had to go

 

[nolaspe]

I have family in Cali, Colombia. With the direction that we're headed in, I have been really considering moving there. Since I work from home, my salary would go a long way there. But, with my parents approaching their 80's, I don't want to leave them alone here...

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

That's so cool. And the memories sit with you forever.


Photos from sis and BiL in Ascona.
Mom would vacation there with her Nonna so my sister had to go

no FART bus? am disappoint

 

[Paul]

We’ve vacationed in different countries and my wife and I are open to relocating abroad; however, it depends on our kids and what their futures entail. I don’t want to live that far away from them and any future grandkids (if we have any).
My company moves us around quite a bit if we’re willing, and I have a sneaky suspicion that Alaska is our next stop. I know that’s not abroad, but it will be the furthest that we’ve lived from anyone or anything, and having visited there, it feels like a different world to us. We’ll see.

 

[CapitalCitySaint]

There was really only one that I truly hated and that was Cancun on our honeymoon.

Cancun has great beaches but it’s certainly not an ideal place to travel to get a true experience in another country.

 

[baarbogast]

For me, Europe has several major selling points:
1) I enjoy history and can go all around and "get a feel" for what the people were experiencing.
2) Their history channel actually has history on it and is seen across 25-30 countries. They don't have anything like Duck Dynasty or Ancient Aliens.
3) Their food has somewhere around 20%-25% the amount of sugar ours does.
4) They bake bread daily (anything a bakery makes) and they don't use near the amount of Preservatives we.
5) I lose at least 20 lbs. every time I go. I need to go grocery shopping 3/Week and carry my groceries

While I don't have anything against America, my health improves over there.

 

[CapitalCitySaint]

I have family in Cali, Colombia. With the direction that we're headed in, I have been really considering moving there. Since I work from home, my salary would go a long way there. But, with my parents approaching their 80's, I don't want to leave them alone here...

Sounds like mom & dad will be moving to Cali as well

 

[Icon]

Whoops, i just contributed another living abroad post to the other thread before i saw this one .


As many of yall know, i escaped what i consider the USA s***hole last summer and im now a resident of Asia…. This could change depending on work stuff, since i am not yet able to retire financially , even in a cheap part of the world like this.. so i may have to return to America (which i consider a 3rd world country at this point) in order to work and to make a living, since that is where i was born and the country im a citizen of.. but that remains to be seen…. No one has asked for my advice, but in the spirit of this thread, i will give it: My advice to anyone reading this is- If you have options (and not everyone does)- but IF you have options and IF you are able to- then by all means you should do everything in ur power to beat the mass exodus out of America and leave as soon as you possibly can…………. I am not going to get this thread moved or deleted due to politics, so the only thing i will say on the matter is that if you believe ANY politician is going to be your savior or help you or save you or change the way things are heading- then you are DELUSIONAL…….. i hate to be so ‘doom and gloom’, after all as my handle here reflects, im usually a sunny, optimistic upbeat person.. and i am not always ahead of the curve- but in this case, i believe that i am .

Can you see how this might come off a bit like: "*bleep* America and everything about that hole country, y'all need to escape.....unless you need some of the resources from there, then you can head back over for a bit" ?