Pack the Shock Absorbers

Old-timers in the American retirement community in Ajijic, Mexico, talk about life there in the 1960s. They reminisce about how "we'd get together every night at Fredo's, down by the pier. Everyone. We got our mail there, watched movies in English, chatted with neighbors. Often we'd have a drink and eat, but the real draw was seeing other Americans. Somehow when the electricity went out, the mail was delayed, or you were diagnosed with amoebas, it was easier to take if there were other Americans to talk to. We had a ball, drinking Corona and dancing, enjoying the lake and spectacular evening weather."

Ah, the old days. Americans who retired overseas tended to congregate in a few places in Mexico or Costa Rica, maybe the south of France. The English went to Provence in France, or to the coast of Spain.

Now Americans retire all over the world, even Buenos Aires, where Vicki and I have lived off and on for 25 years. When we retired to Buenos Aires we met American retirees who had worked here most of their lives, were married to Argentines, or both. Now foreigners buy a third of the apartments for sale in the best Recoleta neighborhoods. Many of those buyers and renters come from Spain, Brazil, France, England, the U.S., and Canada to retire.

With twelve million people Buenos Aires is too big for a Fredo's (like in Ajijic). But we have a Newcomers' Club for retirees and a Yes BA club for younger English speakers. We have e-mail and voice over IP telephone service to keep in touch anywhere in the world. Native English speakers can get jobs teaching the locals the language, for fun or profit.

Vicki and I call them shock absorbers: Fredo's, the Newcomers' Club, e-mail, teaching English. Shock absorbers bring known comfort to new beginnings, they help us anchor our new lives with something familiar. They make us feel more in control, more secure. I had a favorite coffee cup I carried for years as we explored the world on travels that never ended. Somehow drinking out of the same vessel each morning gave me a sense of well-being, a sense of being at home. I have a tiny, beautiful shot glass that Vicki gave me long ago, and I take that, too. For her shock absorbers Vicki packs a favorite spiritual book to study and a meditation shawl.

When you take your exploratory trips overseas searching for your perfect retirement home--in Panama, Thailand, Hungary, wherever--make sure you pack shock absorbers. You'll enjoy the exercise, feel better about yourself, and have a more comfortable trip.

Paul Terhorst,
For International Living