If you could live anywhere, where would you go?
And, once you got there, what would you like your new life to look like?
I hope I’ve got your attention because these questions are not rhetorical.
You really could live anywhere that strikes your fancy and your life in that place could take whatever form you find most appealing.
The life you want is out there. You need only imagine it.
Thing is… launching a new life in a new country where you know no one and everyone you meet speaks a different language than you do?
That idea in theory is tantalizing. In practice it can be intimidating, even terrifying.
The best way I know to consider your options, make a choice, and then engineer a move to a new country is to connect with others who’ve already done it.
Firsthand stories of success from folks just like you who once sat where you sit but who today are living the lives of their dreams in their personal Shangri-las across the globe provide a blueprint to help you make your own dream of a new life overseas come true.
I’ve spent the past nearly 40 years in constant conversation with people in various stages of starting new lives in new countries, including many thousands actively living their dreams across the globe.
Over the past few months, I’ve curated dozens of these real-life expat stories for my newest book, “At Home Abroad—The Secret To Retiring Big On Little.”
The manuscript is in production now. I’ll alert you when it’s available in print.
We’re planning to make a limited number of copies of the book available free to Live And Invest Overseas readers hot off the presses. Please watch your in-box for details later this month.
Meantime, today I’d like to share two of the many tales I feature in its pages.
As you read these stories, imagine yourself in the shoes of these real-life expats. Consider the lines that follow your first steps along your own path to a bigger, better life overseas…
Focus On: Donald Houser, from Hollywood to Cayo
Looking to escape the troubles of our world and simplify his life
Donald Houser is a dyed-in-the-wool Californian, home town Hollywood. Donald loved where he grew up, but he always knew he’d move away when he retired.
“I thought I’d end up in Mexico. It was always right in my backyard in California, so I spent a lot of time there. But my Spanish is terrible—like, not even tourist-level. And I love to talk!”
Donald realized that he wouldn’t be happy someplace where he couldn’t chat freely and fully be himself. So he began venturing farther and farther south from his usual Cancún, where he’d been vacationing for years. Eventually, he ran into Belize—the only English-speaking country in Central America.
What were Donald’s first impressions of this tiny country of white-sand beaches, swaying palms, and lazy Caribbean appeal?
“I thought to myself, I’m an old hippie,” he told me. “This is perfect for me!”
Start Your New Life Today, Overseas
Donald started his exploration of Belize on Ambergris Caye, the most popular spot in the country for tourists and visitors. Ambergris is a 26-mile sand spit offshore from Belize City. At the heart of the island is San Pedro, a quirky, easygoing little beachside town with colorful homes, open-air bars, restaurants, art galleries, wine shops, and bakeries.
Donald got to know San Pedro by doing the usual touristy stuff. He bombed around on a golf cart, walked around barefoot, hit the beach, and soaked up the Caribbean atmosphere.
Donald was almost sold on Ambergris Caye, but, before deciding to settle there, he signed up for a tour to get to know a drastically different part of the country—the Cayo District, on the Belizean mainland.
The Cayo is the biggest of Belize’s six districts. It’s a rugged, sprawling region of rivers, rain forests, and rustic small towns and villages with strong community spirit. Cayo is a paradise for nature lovers.
During his tour of the area, Donald found Carmelita Gardens.
Carmelita Gardens is a residential development of a few dozen houses and cottages spread across 98 acres of lush, fertile land snuggled up against the Belize River. It’s a true community, home to families and individuals, young people and retirees. The emphasis is on self-sufficient living, with a shared garden where residents can grow their own fresh fruits and vegetables.
Donald says, “I visited for three days. By the end of my tour, I knew which lot I was going to buy. That’s how I ended up in Carmelita Gardens.”
For someone considering a new life in Belize, the Cayo District is not the obvious choice. Most visitors and prospective expats make a beeline for the beaches and Caribbean flair of the cayes and coastal areas, like Donald did when he first arrived.
The Cayo District doesn’t have a beach because it’s not on the coast. Carmelita Gardens is surrounded by dense jungle and vegetation. It’s not the only residential community on the mainland of Belize, but the others tend to be golf and tennis resort-style complexes. Carmelita Gardens offers something different, something that people are increasingly in search of. Carmelita is a throwback.
“Carmelita Gardens is growing fast,” Donald says. “More and more people who are showing up saying ‘I’ve had enough.’
“Our world today is filled with fear. Everyone is afraid all the time. People are looking for alternatives. That’s probably the strongest motivator for people buying at Carmelita. They have just had enough of wherever they live. They want to change their reality.”
Carmelita is the ideal place to escape the world’s troubles. It’s the kind of place where no news is good news and the stresses and concerns of the rest of the world feel far away and unimportant. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the rest of the world was grappling with mask mandates and restrictions on movement, life at Carmelita Gardens continued as normal.
Donald’s life is now blissfully uncomplicated. “My average day in Carmelita looks like this,” he says. “I get up… I ride my bike… I spend a couple of hours talking with my neighbors… then I sit on my front porch and watch the sunset and the fireflies at night. I never would’ve done any of that back in California. It’s what we all wanted to be able to do, but we had to go to work every day.
“Since moving down here, my biggest worries have been what I’m going to have for dinner tonight or deciding which book to download on my Kindle, because I’m reading so much lately. It’s been really tough on me!”
“A lot of people have cars, and we help each other out,” says Donald. “We’re all on an app. If someone’s feeling kind of neighborly, they’ll post, ‘Hey, I’m going to Spanish Lookout or San Ignacio. Does anyone need to go shopping?’ You can catch a ride on any given day and get whatever you need. Usually you stop for lunch, too.”
This neighborly feeling extends to social gatherings and activities. Potluck dinners and river floats are popular pastimes here.
“The other day, six of us went out on the innertubes and spent about an hour floating and teasing each other about potential crocodile sightings. (There weren’t any.)”
The community’s residents are content in each other’s company and in the simplicity of their new lifestyles, Donald included.
“Someone asked me the other day why I moved down here,” Donald says. “I moved down here to simplify my life, and the effort has come back to me tenfold. My life is just as I hoped it would be.”
Start Your New Life Today, Overseas
How To Start A New Life Abroad
Focus On: Jacelyn Holmes, from Canada to Nafplio
Looking to stretch her budget and expand her lifestyle by spending part of each year overseas
Jacelyn Holmes is a part-time expat. For six to eight months per year, she lives in Nafplio, a seaside town in the south of mainland Greece. Originally from Canada, Jacelyn was attracted to Nafplio for its warm weather.
“Nafplio is for people who love the sun and like to be on the water while surrounded by nature. It’s also for lovers of art, like me,” Jacelyn says.
“It’s an attractive place to think about investing, relocating, or spending a vacation because it has the best of Greece all in one place. If you ask locals what their favorite place in their own country is, Nafplio is usually the answer.”
Nafplio is considered one of the most romantic cities in Greece because its look is so different from what most people expect. It doesn’t feature the white-washed buildings and curved blue roofs of Santorini and Mykonos.
Instead, Nafplio boasts neoclassical mansions, narrow lanes, a fortress, and colorful, multi-story homes with slim balconies—all markings of Venetian influence. Its historic quarter is one of the three remaining Venetian old towns in Greece. Endlessly charming with its colorful buildings and tumbling bougainvillea, this neighborhood is where foreigners first flock.
Jacelyn lives in the new downtown, where life is quieter and the tourist presence is less intense.
“The new downtown is modern and convenient, and you have the possibility of having views of the mountains, sea, and castle. I was lucky enough to get all three from my terrace. Most everything I could need, like a grocery store, gym, bakery, gas station, restaurants, and shops, is within a five-minute walk from my house.”
One of the best parts about basing herself in Greece, says Jacelyn, is the affordability of day-to-day living.
“I go to the farmers’ market on Wednesdays and Saturdays for all my fresh produce. I buy a whole week’s worth for 10 to 15 euros. When I don’t feel like cooking, I have endless options for unbelievable cuisine. We have international restaurants, but, when the Mediterranean food is so good, I often opt for local tavernas, which are everywhere.
“A typical meal ranges between 15 and 20 euros per person, including drinks. It’s refreshing to be able to do the things I enjoy most at a reasonable expense, unlike living in Toronto, where I was barely able to afford to go out to dinner once a week. All in all, the cost of living here averages between $1,000 and $2,000 a month, depending on your spending habits, and the quality of life is superb.”
Enhancing the opportunity to save by basing yourself in Nafplio, many of the cultural events are free. How else do residents keep themselves entertained?
“In downtown Nafplio, you are within walking distance of various spots for entertainment. For those keen on sports, you can find outdoor gyms, a big track, tennis and basketball courts, a lane swimming pool, a soccer field, and indoor gyms.
“I love to walk and swim,” Jacely says. “I often do a 12-kilometer walk that starts at the sandy beach bay, Karathona, and leads you through the pines along a pathway that hugs the sea and the cliffs, winding its way to the old downtown. I stop for a swim at one of the secret little beaches along the way.
“Sailing and boating are huge parts of the lifestyle here, and we host International Yacht Week in May and many other events on the waterfront. If you love water activities, you will have many to participate in year-round.
“In the newly built Arts Center, Fougaro, you can enjoy classic movie nights, an international art gallery, a library fully dedicated to the arts (mostly in English), and the weekly jazz concerts within its inviting courtyard, and everything is free. They also host many activities and workshops to engage the community.”
One of Jacelyn’s favorite activities is island-hopping. Greece is home to 6,000 islands, although only 227 are inhabited. Just offshore from Nafplio, you find Hydra, Spetses, and Poros. Escaping to these small islands can provide a much-needed change of pace from the bustle of the mainland. What could be more serene than unwinding on a tranquil, sun-kissed island, surrounded by the twinkling blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea?
With all its appeal and its affordability, especially compared with the Mediterranean’s more brand-name cities, Nafplio’s popularity is on the rise.
“More people are discovering Nafplio, and recently the expat community has been growing,” says Jacelyn. “I’ve met for drinks and lunch with different groups of expats and see them all at restaurants and bars, walking around town, at the local market, festivals, and community events. You’ll always be bumping into each other.
“At sporting events, such as tennis, you’ll see a lot of expats together. Specific expat gatherings occur; however, I think that a lot of the expats in Nafplio are like me and like to mingle with the locals. Most of my friends are Greek. We are invited into the community, slowly in some ways and quickly in others. It depends on who you are and what interests you have.
“I decided to rent instead of buying,” Jacelyn explains, “and found a lovely home that costs me 1,000 euros a month, including my utilities. I signed a one-year lease with agreeable terms.
“I worked with the real estate agency’s accountant to help draw up the deal in English and made sure it was correct for tax purposes as well.
“My place came fully furnished and is within walking distance of everything. I was happy to pay a little more for the convenience and the feeling of a turn-key situation. I handled everything online or over video calls. I pay through bank transfers every month and got all my utilities handled by my real estate agent.”
Unfortunately, administrative processes in Greece don’t usually go so smoothly. Bureaucracy can be one of the major downsides to moving overseas, and in Greece it’s particularly bad. For Jacelyn, the biggest challenge was getting Greek residency.
“I actually became the very first person in the world to obtain Greece’s digital nomad visa,” she says. “I was the guinea pig for the whole process. I even had to educate my lawyer and accountant on the information I had researched and learned. When I showed up to the immigration offices in Athens, the staff confidently told me that this visa didn’t exist.
“I wish I could tell you the process was easy, but it was anything but. Still, like they say, no pain, no gain. My perseverance prevailed, and I won the prize in the end. I not only became a resident, but I felt that I had earned the right to be called an honorary Greek. Today, I enjoy my dream lifestyle. I’m telling you about my frustrations so that you’re prepared—and don’t lose sight of your goal.”
The digital nomad visa isn’t the only option for those who want to live or invest in Greece. The country also offers the Greece Golden Visa and the Financially Independent Persons (FIP) visa, among others. Most people use the FIP visa to stay in Greece long-term. To qualify, you need to show that you can support yourself financially by proving that you receive at least 2,000 euros per month in income. This gets you a two-year residence permit that’s renewable.
Jacelyn says, “If someone had told me four years ago that I’d be spending part of every year in Greece, I wouldn’t have believed them.
“But, when you set your intentions and commit to them fully, anything is within your reach, even your wildest dreams.
“If you have your sights set on living and investing overseas, know that it’s possible and it’s worth the effort.”
Until next time,
Kathleen Peddicord
Founding Publisher, Overseas Opportunity Letter
