8 min read
It was morning in Costa Rica, and I was gazing out over the Pacific Ocean from the terrace of a sprawling, hillside villa. Just below me was Playa Flamingo: a mile-long arc...
International Living
8 min read
7 min read
The Spanish press dubbed American expat Marsha Scarbrough “the first exile” in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. But her overseas story really begins before that: Back in 2008, Marsha was...
5 min read
"As housesitters, we stayed in areas the tourists don’t know about… and learned all the secret places the locals go," says Todra Payne.For three-plus years, Todra and her now-husband Paul Emberger enjoyed...
5 min read
Name: Brendan DeckerFrom: Houston, TXLiving in: Kandy, Sri LankaAfter a year in Sri Lanka, my wife Lilly and I have no plans to return to the US.We’d lived in Houston most of...
4 min read
The other day an IL subscriber expressed concern about the cost of getting a residency permit in Europe:“My monthly retirement and Social Security income will be twice the cost of living in...
9 min read
My colleague just ran afoul of the American financial system’s most frustrating rule.Owen, an American expat living and working in Europe, logged into his U.S. bank to find his accounts frozen. He’d...
6 min read
Sitting on the deck of a friend’s yacht, an ice-cold Tiger beer in hand, I was admiring the sea view in front of me… The stunning Malaysian island of Langkawi, with its...
4 min read
In truth, there is no single place on earth that is absolutely perfect. However, there are places that just feel right. There are also long-term expats who find the perfect fit where...
8 min read
Our motorboat hums as it slows to glide across the final stretch of warm, baby-blue Caribbean sea. A lemon-yellow sun bathes the scene before me in its bright, cheerful light.I’ve reached Casa...
9 min read
Michael used to be tied to his desk. Now, his colleagues never know where he’ll be when he logs on. Sometimes his background on Zoom meetings is his quaint home in Virginia...
4 min read
A professional mariner for more than 50 years, Pete Sanchez spent his life globetrotting as captain on private yachts, running crew boats to offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, visiting...
5 min read
Twelve years ago, Diane Maxwell left the crowds, traffic snarls, and expense of life in the Houston, Texas suburbs to try the quiet, calm, and affordable beaches of Playa Coronado in Panama—and...
14 min read
Ask anyone who's ever visited Costa Rica what they think of it—and most will tell you it was love at first sight.Costa Rica is home to countless expats who bought property in...
4 min read
A few weeks back I read an article in the New York Times about the problems facing Spanish renters in the city of Malaga. The author interviewed a working-class Spaniard who said...
6 min read
As dawn breaks, your community awakens to a symphony of nature. The first rays of the sun cast a golden glow over pristine beaches and meticulously manicured landscapes. Step onto your balcony,...
5 min read
Maybe you’ve heard all of this hype about the southern coast of Portugal—the Algarve. Over 300 days of sunshine, spectacular beaches, golf, cliffs, dining, low cost of living, the list goes on...
5 min read
Southern France is one of those magical spots in the world that conjures up images of sparkling bays, glitzy shopping districts, and a laidback, laissez-faire attitude envied the world over.It’s also an...
5 min read
As part of my work, I’m a member of half-dozen Facebook groups devoted to financial issues for US expats. And I’m starting to pick up a trend.Typically, these chat groups focus on...
7 min read
When my wife Christie and I decided to take early retirement and set off overseas, it was far from a madcap, spur-of-the-moment decision. For about a year beforehand, I'd been busy doing...
6 min read
Expats have been flocking to Costa Rica's Central Valley for decades and it’s not hard to see why. The spring-like climate, central location, and ready-made expat community are just a few of...
