“Kathleen, I’m responding to your request for stories from people who are living overseas and who have started a business there to support themselves.
“We are those people. We purchased our 100-acre ranch on the Pacific coast of Mexico two hours south of Puerto Vallarta five years ago. I am a certified financial planner, and my husband is an architectural photographer. We are in our mid-50s.
“Here in Mexico, we have developed the world’s first solar-powered off-grid campground, and this year we will begin our sustainable community. You can read more about it on our website (www.ranchosolymar.com) and more about the small nearby village of less than 200 people at www.maytomex.com.
“My curiosity about and openness to living overseas has provided us early retirement and a life second to none…”
–Holly H., Mexico
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“Kathleen, I have just posted a photo for your Facebook Photo Competition and thought I’d follow up with some of my story.
“I retired to the South of France a couple of years ago but find the winters harsh.
“Just before I retired, I had the pleasure of being posted to Goa, India, for one month and vowed to go back. I did, and I loved it as much as I remembered, for the culture, the countryside, and the wildlife. It offers much, much more than the usual sun, sea, sand, and partying that the tourist industry portrays for the place. As a photographer and budding writer, I enjoy the contact with talented people in the arts and music of all nationalities.
“I intend to return this November for another winter.
“However, the problems with visas for non-Indian nationals persist, so I have to look for another place to hang my hat longer term. Panama or Belize sound to be good options, and I will continue to investigate those possibilities. I am attracted to the wild a little more than the big cities, so Belize has a stronger pull for me, I think. At the same time, the hurricanes that strike the area from time to time trouble me a little. But nothing is perfect in this world, is it?”
–Anne K., France
