Becoming an Expatriate or Retiring Away

[Chaos Descending]

Well, they should have known better. You can't "buy" land in parts of Mexico, as a non-Mexican citizen. At least, not the way you can in the U.S.

http://www.mexico501.com/buying-land-in-mexico-as-a-foreigner/52/

 

[Tom Hendricks]

I think you should consider Puerto Rico. You get almost all the benefits of the US with many of the issues you are talking about. Its warm almost all year and they use the dollar. Check into it.

 

[Bloodwhiner]

Want more exotic than Puerto Rico, cheaper than Hawaii and still be in the USA? Then consider American Somoa

 

[John Picard]

Well, they should have known better. You can't "buy" land in parts of Mexico, as a non-Mexican citizen. At least, not the way you can in the U.S.

http://www.mexico501.com/buying-land-in-mexico-as-a-foreigner/52/

You're exactly right, but then, that goes back to my earlier statements that (most) Americans have this false sense of entitlement and don't exactly *think*.

I think you should consider Puerto Rico. You get almost all the benefits of the US with many of the issues you are talking about. Its warm almost all year and they use the dollar. Check into it.

Ummm, that's because Puerto Rico is a US Territory. I'm rather "meh" on that, as I know someone from there who has no desire to return.

Want more exotic than Puerto Rico, cheaper than Hawaii and still be in the USA? Then consider American Somoa

Not a bad idea. I've always wanted to visit the Caribbean, take a cruise, and all that -- EXCEPT I would not take the usual 7 Day/6 Night cruise on a cruise ship, but would rather charter someone to take me from island to island. I've read up on that area and have learned there are a lot of "diamonds" out there that are overlooked by the tourists.

 

[Chaos Descending]

Want more exotic than Puerto Rico, cheaper than Hawaii and still be in the USA? Then consider American Somoa

Not a bad idea. I've always wanted to visit the Caribbean, take a cruise, and all that -- EXCEPT I would not take the usual 7 Day/6 Night cruise on a cruise ship, but would rather charter someone to take me from island to island. I've read up on that area and have learned there are a lot of "diamonds" out there that are overlooked by the tourists.

I wonder if now is the time to point out that American Samoa is in the South Pacific and not in the Caribbean...

 

[John Picard]

Want more exotic than Puerto Rico, cheaper than Hawaii and still be in the USA? Then consider American Somoa

Not a bad idea. I've always wanted to visit the Caribbean, take a cruise, and all that -- EXCEPT I would not take the usual 7 Day/6 Night cruise on a cruise ship, but would rather charter someone to take me from island to island. I've read up on that area and have learned there are a lot of "diamonds" out there that are overlooked by the tourists.

I wonder if now is the time to point out that American Samoa is in the South Pacific and not in the Caribbean...

No, I know where AS is. I changed the flow without directly stating as such. My mistake. If I wanted, I could go to Palau, but no thanks. I think I've had my fill of the Pacific

 

[Chaos Descending]

Ah, gotcha!

 

[Hoser]

I lived in Barbados for a bit, it's relaxing without boring, consistently warm and far enough off the hurricane track generally.
Also: great seafood (flying fish ftw)
If I lost everything I cared about, I'd move there and take up rum.

 

[Bloodwhiner]

If you want organized overseas living, go to a former British colony.

If you want organized, structured living, then make it a Dutch colony.

A screwed up semi-organized place loaded with know it all loons and a cynical native population? try the US Virgin Islands

Complete chaos, bungled government and cheap booze? any place the Spanish ruled.


Honestly, the last one is the most entertaining, just keep a gun, cash and your passport close at all times.

 

[John Picard]

I lived in Barbados for a bit, it's relaxing without boring, consistently warm and far enough off the hurricane track generally.
Also: great seafood (flying fish ftw)
If I lost everything I cared about, I'd move there and take up rum.

That's another one I've considered. I remember reading about Barbados back in grade school, in some book assignment (fictional).

Funny story: I've been idly chatting about this with some co-workers and am learning that they are like I am in wanting to move away from the American culture to something different and not so *COLD* as well as "me, me, me". One has his sights set on southern France

 

[StarryEyed]

JP, are you SCUBA certified or have you ever been interested in it?

 

[iguana_tonante]

I'd love to live someplace where there is good public transit, so I no longer have to own a vehicle, a comfortable lifestyle, and affordable living. I don't want to be one of a drove of Americans who arrive at some location and then fuck up property values, local living, etc. I'm the kind who would have no qualms with blending in no matter how "foreign" the culture. I definitely would not buy a house or any property. Renting would yield better flexibility if I had to pack up and leave. [...]

For the longest time, I've been enamored with the Tuscany region, and also saw that a lot of Brits and Americans have been headed to Spain, although, like I said, I'd rather be the tolkein oddball than one of the bunch.

Since you mentioned Tuscany, I'll give you a word of advice. You would definitively need a private vehicle, especially if you want to live in the countryside. Public transport in Italy is pretty decent inside cities and between them, but outside of that, that's virtually non-existent. So if you like the thought of living in one of those big rural country house, even going to get groceries is going to be an hassle. On the other hand, if you want to live in a small town or village, you won't need more than a bicycle. You must also take into account that you need to learn Italian, since English literacy is still somewhat rare in Italy, especially for older people and in smaller towns.

Other than that, I'm sure you will love la dolce vita around here.

 

[John Picard]

JP, are you SCUBA certified or have you ever been interested in it?

Mmmmmm. I can't swim. Yes, 7 years in the Navy and can't swim. I have some apprehension of swimming because I once almost drowned around age 9, and to this day I can vividly remember the event and how terrified I was.

It all depends. I'm getting goofier as I get older, so I might say, "What the hell" and get certified. One issue is a perforated right ear drum. Gotta have protection on my head.

 

[StarryEyed]

JP, are you SCUBA certified or have you ever been interested in it?

Mmmmmm. I can't swim. Yes, 7 years in the Navy and can't swim. I have some apprehension of swimming because I once almost drowned around age 9, and to this day I can vividly remember the event and how terrified I was.

It all depends. I'm getting goofier as I get older, so I might say, "What the hell" and get certified. One issue is a perforated right ear drum. Gotta have protection on my head.

Ouch! Sounds like you are not a good candidate to be a SCUBA instructor. I bring it up because a lot of people with visions of Caribbean dreams make their living that way. I was an instructor myself who later became a Coast Guard licensed Captain. I don't work in the dive industry anymore but i still drive boats for a living down here in the Florida Keys. You would have a leg up on getting your license because of your Navy sea time.

The Keys is still the USA but it doesn't feel like it. In fact, the keys comprise a fictional country, the Conch Republic. We're definitely disconnected down here. You might like it here but the only problem is our economy is based on tourism. Many American tourists who come here are in the full "Ugly American" mode but a lot of them come here to get a breather from that life.

 

[Bloodwhiner]

The Keys are still connected to and governed by Florida. While that may give the approximation of a third-world banana republic, it should still disqualify the place from any sane persons idea of a retirement escape.

 

[Nomad V]

Windhoek Namibia or Cape Town South Africa might be worth looking into. I found both of those places to be very nice.

 

[John Picard]

Windhoek Namibia or Cape Town South Africa might be worth looking into. I found both of those places to be very nice.

No way in hell would I choose South Africa. I've worked with people who left that country because of the high crime rate.

 

[Deckerd]

I think you're using a very broad brush, condemning a few crime-ridden areas with a whole country. That's the sort of thing everyone assumes about the USA.

 

[John Picard]

I think you're using a very broad brush, condemning a few crime-ridden areas with a whole country. That's the sort of thing everyone assumes about the USA.

Um, no. These are people who were born in that country and left in the mid-1990's. The #1 industry of SA is literally crime. As one of them put it to me: "It's not a question of *if* someone will burgle your house, but *when*. And then, they'll keep coming back because they know everything that was stolen will be replaced after you file an insurance claim." Car-jackings got so bad there that people had shin-whackers installed on their cars. Perpetrator approaches a victim, victim presses a button, and an aluminum arm swings out from under the vehicle nailing the perpetrator in the shins, possibly breaking his legs. Stopping for a traffic sign, after dark, is a sure way of getting held up or even worse.

Again, this is coming directly from people *I've worked with who are natives who left*.

 

[Nomad V]

A buddy and his family (X-US ArmyEOD) moved there in 98 and loves it there. I do admit when I was there I observed most homes had big walls.