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#101941 - 01/07/07 05:44 PM Living Abroad
Anonymous
Unregistered


Although another 25 years from 65, I've thought of living abroad when I retire, just a few years. Have any of ya'll thought of this or know of anyone who has? I've no children, my youngest niece will be 32 in 25 years, and I really don't have much of a family other than my nieces/nephew. Thought it would be nice to live abroad for 2 years, i.e., winter in New Zealand & Australia (which would be spring/summer there), Europe, South America and North America, the later of which I'd rent a winnebago or camper and travel across the USA and Canada. Then, I'd settle down somewhere and buy a condo w/ a view!

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#101942 - 01/07/07 05:49 PM Re: Living Abroad [Re: ]
jawjaw Offline
Da Queen

Registered: 07/02/03
Posts: 12025
Loc: Alabama
I have. I wouldn't mind living aboard for a year but now that I have grandbeauties, I just don't know if I could stand to be away from them for that long. My boys won't fly, so this means I would be without grandchildren for a year. Dunno....What I would love to do is have a "writer in residence" for about six months somewhere, like Ireland or Scotland. Even Germany. Or New Zealand...

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#101943 - 01/08/07 03:26 AM Re: Living Abroad [Re: jawjaw]
diamond50 Offline
Member

Registered: 01/10/06
Posts: 992
Loc: Honolulu, Hawaii
We thought about it, too, but we would miss our
kids and grandkids too much. And we would miss
Hawaii's great weather and also the food : )
Cindy

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#101944 - 01/08/07 06:58 AM Re: Living Abroad [Re: diamond50]
jawjaw Offline
Da Queen

Registered: 07/02/03
Posts: 12025
Loc: Alabama
I'm thinking I could go live a month with Chatty, then Dianne, then Cindy, then Eagle, then Hannelore, then Lola, then Popea and Celtic, then Dotsie, th----what? What do you mean you're moving...

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#101945 - 01/08/07 07:26 AM Re: Living Abroad [Re: jawjaw]
chickadee Offline
Member

Registered: 09/26/04
Posts: 3910
Loc: Alabama
Sure...leave me out.

chick
_________________________
chick
~ Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you're alive, it isn't ~
~ Prayer is the most we can do for another human being ~

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#101946 - 01/08/07 07:31 AM Re: Living Abroad [Re: chickadee]
Edelweiss Offline
Member

Registered: 06/05/06
Posts: 4136
Loc: American living in Europe
Did you say Germany JJ?
Picture this: A mid-driffed woman waving her beer mug in the air, while tossing long fake blond braids over her shoulders.
Is it Heidi from the Alps? A table dancer from the October fest? Why nooo, it's Hannelore, cleaning the guest room, and making sure the toilet flushes!

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#101947 - 01/08/07 10:06 PM Re: Living Abroad [Re: Edelweiss]
Jane_Carroll Offline
member

Registered: 07/06/06
Posts: 1521
Loc: Alabama
Sometimes I fantasize about living somewhere like Tibet...and then I think about how hard it would be to see my kids and now granddaughter...so I'll probably hang around. Why Tibet? I think it's the spirituality of that area and the mountains that intrigues me.
_________________________
Jane Carroll

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#101948 - 01/08/07 11:15 PM Re: Living Abroad [Re: Jane_Carroll]
jawjaw Offline
Da Queen

Registered: 07/02/03
Posts: 12025
Loc: Alabama
Chick babe...I'm coming there last. Be afraid...be very afraid. Better yet, stock up on Oreo's...will ya?

Jane, don't they have very, very, very, large snakes there? Two things scare me out of my wits. Well, besides the IRS...and that's sharks and snakes. Not necessarily in that order either.

Hannelore...I must come there. Don't you all have lots of festivals there WITH food, beer, and dancing? Hmm....yep...that's a must do.

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#101949 - 01/08/07 11:42 PM Re: Living Abroad [Re: jawjaw]
Lola Offline
Member

Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 3703
Loc: London UK
Hi, MustangGal: Another way to travel through Europe on your retirement is by rail. That way you won't have to worry about maintaining a vehicle. Accommodations can also be arranged in convents and monasteries that offer board and lodgings, especially for those who travel alone.

That's fine, JJ. Then we can both try out rollmop herring at the same time!
_________________________
<><

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#101950 - 01/09/07 06:38 PM Re: Living Abroad [Re: ]
mrs_madness Offline
Member

Registered: 09/29/05
Posts: 217
Loc: Moscow
We live abroad. Been doing it almost 4 years and will continue to do so for what looks like some years to come.

I can give you some practical advise. Though you may blow it off (as I did) as a minor inconvenience, language barriers are a huge huge problem. I always expected if all these people in this country could speak this language, if toddlers on the street could do it--so could I. Yeah....that's not quite how it works out. The older you are the more difficult language acquisition becomes. You'd be amazed as to what I cannot do here because of the language issue: I cannot make a phone call for a haircut or dentist appointment. I have to find the [only] providers who speak English and GO THERE to arrange the service. I have cats who need shots and spaying but it isn't done because I can't find an English speaking vet. I studied for a year and work among native speakers only and yet can still blurt out only the most miserable mispronounced phrases. It is far far more difficult than you think.

Believe me here, banking and bill paying are a nightmare. Certainly some countries are better than others, are more integrated into the international financial infrastructure, but taking care of finances from a foreign country is an ongoing never-ending problem.

Western Europe is out of your league, it's so ridiculously expensive you can't possible afford to live there unless you're an independently wealthy American or a backpacker. There are issues with extended visas, permanent foreign residency, visa renewal, taxes....dealing with international government bureaucracy is not for the faint hearted or short tempered. And it has to be done every few months or every year, over and over again. At some considerable expense. Since you mentioned them, Australia and New Zealand are nearly impossible to immigrate to. And yes they do speak English (sort of).

That's just a thumbnail. I have more, plenty more. But easily the biggest issue is the language problem. I'll never forget the time I went to the cosmetics store (I'm always guessing as to what something is, the label is all in a foreign language and alphabet) and I finally bought what I was sure was face moisturizer. But when I put it on it felt weirdly waxy....so I took it to a bilingual native and asked what in the world it was--it turned out to be makeup remover. Multiply that by anything and everything you buy. The smallest tasks and errands you take for granted in America can each be a huge struggle in a foreign country. Every day.

If I can help you with more specific questions, please ask.

P.S. I was in the UK last week, where they speak English (sort of) and it-was-the-most-expensive-place-I've-ever-seen. Ohmygod, the price of everything had to be doubled to convert to dollars. Stunningly, amazingly, stupendously, expensive. You won't be moving there.

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