IL Postcard

Help Prove Kaitlin Wrong

Date: 01/13/2007

International Living Postcards-- Sunday Edition

Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007
Paris, France

"I don't understand why people make New Year's resolutions. They never stick to them."

Kaitlin, 17, was rationalizing her response to her mother's inquiry as to whether she had made any resolutions for 2007. She's not going to waste time making promises to herself, Kaitlin told me, when she knows she won't keep them.

"The exercise of making them itself has value," I tried to explain. "And even if it were true that 'no one ever sticks to his New Year's plan'…why couldn't you be the first, dear daughter?"

I'm not sure how persuasive my argument was with Kaitlin…but maybe I'll be more successful with you.

If you're reading this now, you have some interest in the idea of spending your time and your money in foreign locales. You have a mind open to far-flung opportunities for improving your life, expanding your horizons, and feeding your taste for adventure.

And maybe you've had these desires and dreams for a long time. I day-dreamed of living in Europe for more than a decade before finally making the move eight-and-a-half years ago. I don't regret a single day of our adventures abroad. What I regret sometimes is that we didn't start them sooner.

What's holding you back? Here are the most common hurdles:

* You need an income.

* You're intimidated by the logistics and the practicalities.

* You're worried about leaving your family.

* You can't decide where to go.

* You're generally petrified.

If money is your concern, it shouldn't be. While a few fortunate souls have savings, investments, or retirement monies enough to fund a new life overseas, most don't. You can make the move with less money than you might imagine ($1,000 a month or less). And it is possible to earn a living from anywhere in the world. We remind you of both these points often. Best source of information on the world's most affordable retirement and lifestyle havens is the monthly International Living newsletter. And two of the best ways we know for you to make money to subsidize your wanderings in whatever paradise you choose are travel writing and import/export, both things that require no more than a laptop to get started.

If you're worried about red tape and hassle, fair enough. I'm not going to lie to you. Moving yourself, your family, your business to a foreign country can be a big pain in the neck. You've got to decide whether and how to ship your belongings; how to arrange for residency; how to open a bank account; if you should incorporate locally; what taxes you're liable for and how to pay them; what health insurance to buy; how to stay connected with family and interests in the States (short of $1,000-a-month phone bills); maybe how to bring your pet; maybe where to enroll your children in school; in some cases, how to learn a new language; and, no matter where you go, how to adapt to the local way of getting things done. Some days, you'll be frustrated, paralyzed, even driven to the point of loud screams by the paperwork, the bureaucracy, the inconsistencies, and the unexpected.

But those days pass…and they're many fewer than the days you'll enjoy of discovery and delight. Best defense is arming yourself with reliable information far in advance of moving day. I recommend a particular title in the IL Library: "The Live Overseas Kit." Best $149 you'll spend.

Don't like the idea of being far removed from your children or grandchildren? Consider someplace close with lots of access. A move to Panama or Mexico may put you no farther from your loved ones than would a move to Oregon or southern California. You (and they) can even drive to Mexico.

Can't decide where to go? Get out of your easy chair and start exploring firsthand. Don't fall victim to paralysis by analysis. I've met dozens of people over the years who've told me they'd researched possible overseas havens for years before finally getting on a plane to visit one. Do your homework, sure, but a couple of months of reading International Living and surfing the net should suffice. Then you've got to start your field work. No amount of research can substitute for walking the city streets and the sandy beaches of a place. Often, you'll know within 24 hours of arriving in a new place if it's right for you or not. You either feel at home…or you don't. But you won't find out reading web pages.

Generally scared to death? Don't worry. That's normal. You fear the unknown. Only way to deal with that is to get to know it. Again, my strong advice is to get on a plane.

Or…maybe you're not so afraid of failing. Maybe what you really fear is succeeding. What if you find the money, you choose a place, you conquer the logistics, you wish your loved ones adios…and you set yourself up in some exotic paradise. You did it. You've succeeded. Now what? What could be more terrifying than achieving your goals and finding yourself a new resident in a very foreign place? What in the world will you do then?

Ah, that's where the adventure really begins. You need only embrace it.

Please help me prove Kaitlin wrong. Some people do keep their New Year's resolutions. Be one of them.

Here's to making every dream of a new life in paradise you've ever had come true in this New Year.

Let us know what we can do to help.

Kathleen Peddicord
Publisher, International Living

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