In Consideration of Living Abroad

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The popularity of HGTV's House Hunter International program demonstrates that Americans are at least intrigued with the idea of living abroad. The images of beach-side hideaways and cobblestone streets are appealing, and all the real estate agents speak English without an accent.

Marketwatch published an article about the world's top 10 retirement locations. They go from Asia to Europe to South America. Each location offers something completely different than the American model of retirement. Here you may still be able to golf, but you're probably not going to do it every day.

Probably the best advice that you can get is that if you are considering an overseas lifestyle that you remember to be flexible, adapt to the local surroundings, and not expect to have things look, smell, or taste the way they do "back home."

Postscript: The Peace Corps recently withdrew 150 volunteers from Honduras due to a lack of local security. This suggests that Americans spending extended stays outside the country should continue to monitor US State Department travelers advisories and be prepared to move if conditions deteriorate.