The Expat Life

Ted. Wikipedia defines an expatriate (or just expat) as “a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than that of their citizenship.” As opposed to immigrants/emigrants, it typically refers to folks who choose to work or retire in another country; either permanently or “for a while.” Estimates are that up to nine million US citizens who have chosen to live abroad. That’s about the population of New Jersey!

Judy and I have met a number of expats in our travels and are always curious as to why they have chosen the expat life. We find that many of them are willing to share their experiences over a coffee or glass of wine. We have already gotten to know several folks who live here in Oaxaca on a more or less permanent basis.

Kevin and Kathi have created jobs for themselves that can be performed from anywhere in the world and, thus, choose to live wherever they like. 

Don, Chris and John each found a really good job in another country and jumped on the chance to live abroad for awhile. In these instances, they also found their ideal partners and just settled down to raise families outside the US.

And then there are folks like Irene, Mike and Suzanne who have chosen to live in another country "just to have a decent retirement."  There are quite a few beautiful countries with a much lower cost of living than the US.

A challenge in each case is to develop a new community of friends. We have found that, in general, expats spend a good bit of time with other expats. Even when language is not an issue, local folks have usually spent a lifetime developing friends and are less inclined to encourage lasting relationships with new arrivals. Frankly, Judy and I found the same situation when we moved from one state to another, within the US.

Healthcare is another concern that we hear. It can be as good or better than at home and is typically cheaper but it can take a while to figure out the system.

Young people looking to strengthen their resumes while enjoying  a little adventure should explore the possibility of working in another country – at least for a while. Folks at, or near retirement age who are a little short on funds might want to read one of the many articles on the internet about retiring to another country. It is not for everyone but for millions of US citizens, the expat life works out quite nicely.