Eight years ago this month, the first edition of my “How To Retire Overseas” book appeared on bookstore shelves.
Two weeks from now the second edition will be available, both in bookstores across the United States and online.
When my editor at Penguin Random House got in touch last year to ask if I’d be interested in producing this new edition, I was delighted.
Any writer is thrilled for any new chance to write.
However, in this case, I was particularly excited for the opportunity to overhaul the 2010 manuscript because the 2010 retire-overseas idea is old news.
What was once… even as recently as eight years ago… a fringy idea is today nearly mainstream.
In the past few weeks, I’ve been interviewed by the Associated Press, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and Reader’s Digest. This week in New York I’ll be interviewed on live television by CNBC and others…
All with the same questions:
Why would someone want to move to a new country in retirement?
And, if someone wants to move to a new country in retirement… where should he (or she) think about going?
Word is out.
Retire overseas is a tempting, even irresistible strategy whose time has come, whose benefits have matured, and whose appeal has expanded.
It’s also easier to follow through on this idea today than ever before and easier all the time thanks to 21st century technology.
The new “How To Retire Overseas” is, indeed, new. What began as a quick revision to update prices and budgets evolved into a complete overhaul. The new book includes new destinations to consider as well as new sections on earning an income, starting a business, and raising a family overseas.
My favorite new chapter provides guidance for how to “un-retire” overseas—that is, how to organize a life that has you moving around as you like, among the places you most enjoy, with purpose… becoming connected as a real member of the communities where you’re spending time.
In 2010, I wrote a book intended for retirees. Over the past year I’ve rewritten that book to make it relevant and useful (I hope) for anyone of any age and any circumstances interested in embarking on a grand across-borders adventure.
Yes, this new book is for you if you’d like to consider your options for retiring overseas. But it’s also for you if you’re nowhere near retirement age but ready to kick conventional living to the curb.
I’ve been covering this beat for 33 years and living overseas for more than 20.
Finally… I’m no longer a fruitcake.
And neither are you for thinking about following suit.
Kathleen Peddicord
