As recently as four years ago, Barbara Petrohan never thought she’d be shopping for recipe ingredients from the farmers’ market near her apartment in Lagos, Portugal…
Or walking many blocks each day “for errands and for fun” through the shaded, green neighborhoods of Medellín, Colombia—while feeling healthier than ever…
No question about it, Barbara has come a long way from her roots in Whitewater, Kansas.
As she explains, “I grew up in a tiny, nowhere town—there were still outhouses in some of my neighbor’s backyards. Few of my classmates went to college. Many never left the county… let alone the state or country.
“I’d done some traveling over the years—usually to diving sites around the Caribbean. Most of my adventures were underwater, so I never really got to experience new cultures.
“Then a few years ago, I crunched some numbers and realized that I would not be able to retire comfortably in the United States any time soon… or to be able to continue doing the activities I enjoyed. I just couldn’t afford it.
“Time to explore other options…
“Four years ago,” Barbara continues, “I couldn’t point to Medellín on a map. But as soon as I got there, everything about the city appealed to me and inspired me. Every day feels like spring… I can walk anywhere I want to go… the views are gorgeous… and the people are gentle, friendly, kind, and helpful.”
Medellín could have been Barbara’s happily ever after. But then Portugal caught her attention…
“The ocean has always been magical to this Kansas girl, but Portugal’s Algarve coast is the most magical I’ve seen anywhere.
“After visiting a number of times and staying there through the tough winter months, I decided to go for it. I bought an apartment in Lagos.
“Lagos is a small enough town so I can walk to everything I need and want, easily striking up conversations with others also out walking—as well as with the shopkeepers, who I have found mostly speak English.
“Medellín and Lagos are polar opposites. They offer two different lifestyles to me—and two sets of friends to catch up with whenever I’m in town.”
But hang on a second…
At this point, you may be wondering about that important chunk in the middle…
As in, how, exactly, Barbara got from her limited experience of other cultures to living a grand adventure dividing her time between the best of Old Europe and the greenest city in Latin America…
“Almost everybody I know back home thought I was completely mad to want to leave the United States,” Barbara says.
“So I turned online for help and began reading the newsletters put out by Live and Invest Overseas…
“Their articles made everything seem so doable. I’d been to Belize on a diving vacation before—and thought that might be the place—so I signed up for a Live and Invest Overseas event there in 2015. And that’s when everything changed…
“I needed to see more of the world before making a decision. And with encouragement from Live and Invest Overseas, I traveled to the countries they recommended for me—including places I’d never considered for living or investing.
“The conference was a safe, efficient, and highly educational way for me to delve into the possibilities. Not only did I meet the contacts that could help me through my move… but I made some wonderful friends.”
When you toss around the idea of moving overseas with friends and family, what sort of reaction do you get?
Is it along the lines of…
“Wow, that’s amazing. You should definitely go! What can I do to help?” Or more…
“Have you completely lost your mind?”
Almost everyone I know who moved overseas—including myself—experienced this kind of negative reaction from some corners.
Barbara’s friends thought she was completely mad to even consider the idea.
Readers Wendy and Darren Howarter actually had family threaten to “never visit” if they went through with their move to Colombia.
Barbara’s journey could have stopped when her family expressed concern. Wendy and Darren, likewise, could have given in to family pressure. But they didn’t.
Instead, these folks sought out a group of like-minded people… people who were at the same stage as they were—exploring options for living and investing overseas—as well as those who had gone before them… the very people they could learn and draw vital support from.
With this lifestyle, finding your tribe can be key.
Barbara made her move on her own. Darren and Wendy did it together. But whether you’re going alone or as part of a couple or family, you have things to figure out. Things that can’t possibly be figured out sitting at home.
Now there’s a place you can come to iron out your plan and ask your questions… and, importantly, find the practical support you need to move forward… as well as the encouragement that may be lacking among family and friends.
Retire Overseas Conference
That place is our Retire Overseas Conference.
And I’m delighted to announce that doors are now open for registration for our next one, set for Sept. 23–25, 2020, in my home town of Baltimore, Maryland.
First-timers, old friends, and all unconvinced partners, family members, and significant others are welcome in the room with us.
This 12th-annual Retire Overseas Conference is by far the biggest event on our calendar. It’s been designed specifically for those just starting out on their journeys and it aims to:
- Arm you with everything you need to know before you step foot on a plane…
- Help you narrow your options…
- Meet the contacts who can help you move forward…
- Connect you with your fellow adventurers—like-minded friends who understand you and will support you through one of the biggest changes of your life…
But, as evidenced by Barbara’s and Wendy’s stories, we can’t stop some of our old attendees from coming back! Not that we’d want to stop them, of course.
They want to reconnect with old friends, including the entire Live and Invest Overseas team… and we so look forward to these chances to reconnect with them.
At each event we give these alumni a chance to tell their stories firsthand as part of our first-ever Alumni Panel.
Barbara and Wendy and five other past Live and Invest Overseas Conference alumni recently shared the stage and took turns telling their tales of adventure… how they chose where to go… how they made their moves… and, most fun, how they spend their days now that they’ve reinvented their lives in their chosen paradises.
The panel is always a favorite of attendees.
We’ll have another panel of alumni at this year’s event…
I expect it’ll again be a highlight of the event. I can’t wait.
Kathleen Peddicord
