Leaving The USA For Good? Our Decision After Years Of Full-Time Travel 

We’ve been in Mexico for three years and have become part of the community. And it isn’t breaking the bank. We realized that we couldn’t afford to retire in the US. Our doctors are incredible and accessible. We have their cell phone numbers. I have zero regrets about living abroad and doubt we will return to the US.

My husband and I purchased a RV and luckily we kept our house. I quickly discovered that I can only tolerate about 3 weeks of travel at a time. We have the best of both worlds. 😊

Been out of the US for 15 years now living in Asia. We visit family every few years and we could care less about holidays and the commercial madness that surrounds them. When we visit, it's always off season. We do not miss the US at all: the processed foods and sedentary lifestyle, political chaos, divisions (and minority rule,) super expensive healthcare in relation to most of the industrialized world, endless consumerism... The longer we are not there, the more we feel this way. We'll be heading to Europe when I retire in 2025 and will slow travel until we find a spot to settle in. Traveling is great, but eventually, settling is the goal.

Just another perspective on coming home because of friends and family: We've been away and traveling for almost 18 years now and I honestly don't think our friends and family, are really that interested in seeing us. Not that they don't like us, it's just that we don't have a lot to relate to with them. Our worlds are simply different. I think we sometimes get this idea that we'll go back and things will be the same as when we last left...but they're not. We keep making new friends in other places and make an effort to maintain contact with them and that's OK. I think my point is that once you've left Mayberry, it's impossible to go back. What do you guys think? BTW, I'm 76 and haven't given a thought to my golden years. We're living them now and are still on the road 8 months a year. The curiosity and sense of adventure never ends. Besides, you get lots of senior discounts everywhere. :)

you guys are hitting on some very key and important points. This is why I've decided that I'm getting on the road, with my dog Pork Chop, within the next 18 months and while I'm still in my 50s. 10 months on a different continent, 2 months US. I have no idea what shape I'll be in at 65 (no one does), or what family obligations I'll have later in life etc.. I may love it, I may hate it, but one thing I know is that I am going to regret not trying. Thanks for all the info and safe travels!

I follow a lot of travel channels, this is my very favorite. I think because you feel like you're listening to friends giving you valuable advice while not taking themselves too seriously and never being judgemental or negative, even when discussing negative subjects like crappy AirBnB hosts :) CHEERS and BE SAFE!!

Community hobbies is what stopped our plan for long term travel. We only travel 3 mths in the winter season. It’s great to arrive home and enjoy all our projects again.

Yey to more traveling, exploring and living live to the fullest! I never want to settle in one place. Left the US 2 years ago, never been happier. I don't miss anything except my friends, but I made some new ones in Europe and I so love my life here now- it's so full of adventure,lots of history, great people, much safer than US, and I don't even want to talk about the food- the quality here is far more superior than in the US. Living the good life! I'm very grateful.

i love that you two always touch on topics in the full time travel lifestyle that are often not discussed!!

Thank you for sharing candidly your state of mind now, and how that has evolved over time. Really appreciate the insights.

Can I just mention a slight warning? The longer that you are away, the harder it is to go home. We left England in 1988. We have lived, worked and now retired in several different countries. The country that I knew, does not exist anymore. Places change, people change, cultural references change etc. If you are away for a long time and expect to go back to how it was, it may be a disappointment. We have known several folks who have lived and or worked abroad for a period of time, and it can be an adjustment and sometimes quite tough to go “home”. I am not saying it can’t be done, just be careful.

Great topic. My spouse and I started slow travel on October 1 last year right after I retired at age 67. I turn 68 next month. I am in great shape, walk an average of 16.000 steps and can still hike up steep, difficult mountains. So, we plan on continuing this lifestyle for a long time. I’ve had a healthy year, but recently I had a very bad cold, which has kept me in for a few days for some bed rest. Our apartment in Santiago Chile is very comfortable…but I missed the comfort and familiarity of home. I’m recovering really well now, but I know that in the future when I need to physically slowdown, it will be at home.

What I love about you guys is that you always keep it real. My husband and myself are 67 and 68 and are in decent shape just returned from a trip to Northern Italy which included hiking in the Dolomites. But even though healthcare maybe good in other countries, continuity of care is important if an issue arises. My husband develped an arrthymia last year and had a battery of tests and a procedure, hard to do if you are on the road. We both retired at 65 and since we turned 50 have tried to do a European vacation once a year. Everyone has different retirement goals, but we can relate to everyone of your concerns for having a home base close to family and the ease of familiarity. Cheers to you enjoying safe and happy travels.

If you're not careful, you'll talk yourself out of travel altogether. Seriously, we've arrived at similar conclusions and are keeping our house in the US as a home base.

I used to dream of doing this but after a few rounds of cancer I would be very nervous. While that put the damper on traveling, we still travel as much as we can. For now we will live abroad through you guys. Thanks for the content.

You guys are great! You and a few other channels are playing a big part in our inspiration and preparation for our full time world wandering journey and RU-vid Channel! It's definitely interesting and reassuring to to hear your perspective on things that could eventually get you to stop the full time travel. For us I think our military time may have prepared us well for a lot of these concerns. We have no kids and no pets, haven't lived within a 1000 miles of family since we joined the military in 2010, are accustomed to missing holidays (only been home for Christmas 3 or 4 times in 14 years), moved to new locations every few years, deployed overseas multiple times for months on end, I've never had a primary care provider (just used whatever military medical is in the area), and so on. Definitely agree that if nothing else happens before then, there will definitley come a day when age makes us settle down, but we will both be under 40 when we start our journey so hopefully there will be many years of travel before then.

It's scary leaving the good old USA. I'm retiring in Thailand. The cost of living is low, food is healthy, and it's strategically located to other countries. I won't miss the high cost of living in the States. The divisive politics and the difficulty making new connections. It's different for a married couple, for sure.

The timing for your future plans are right on! I did tons of travel for decades starting in the mid 1980’s. Covid stopped all that. The more I look at things now, the more I think I’ll either stay put completely, or just leave for part of the SoCal gray sky season May to July. I really like things simple. Living in more than one place means more complexity. -Elizabeth

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on what your end game is. It's always good to have a plan in mind for your later years, bearing in mind that plans can change, as they did when you started your journey. Going back to the US might be what I ultimately do as well when I get to a very advanced age, but for now I see things gradually distilling down to 3 or 4 home bases and perhaps having one of those be my eventual permanent spot. But who knows! As for assisted living outside the US, there are indeed options just like in the US but for a fraction of the price in places like Thailand. Thanks again for sharing! Cheers!

First of all, absolutely love your channel for the great content and the sincere way you present it. Secondly, we leave tomorrow for Antalya, thanks to your video. I’ll have a beer and cheer you guys. Regarding the topic of this video, we found an ideal lifestyle almost by accident. We retired in April 2020, and after taking the RV to Florida that winter, decided to downsize and move to an RV resort on the Gulf Coast. Once the European travel restrictions lifted, we flew to Germany to visit my wife’s charming hometown in the wine district of Baden Wurttemberg in the summer of 2021 and to meet her family. We fell in love with the town, and decided to rent her brother’s apartment at a very attractive rate. We now enjoy winters in Florida, summers in the cutesy part of Germany, and still spend 2 weeks in spring and fall with the kids and grandkids in Colorado. We use our time in Florida for our medical and dental checkups (Medicare is a big plus for sure) and our time in Germany as an excellent homebase for exploring Europe and Turkey as well as attending the local Fests that are such a charming part of the lifestyle here. Oh yeah, they also craft some truly amazing beer here ;^). One benefit of European living that I think is underappreciated is the quality of food, without all those additives. We have trouble adjusting to US food when we return. Thanks again for all you do on this channel. You are two delightful people sharing an amazing journey with us. Thank you

We also quickly dispensed with becoming a full time expat for many of the reasons you mentioned. I like the term “Flexpat” so you don’t become a tax resident. We’ve decided to align our travels with our values that allow high quality volunteer opportunities (e.g., New Zealand and Australia). Now 50% of our travel time is spent volunteering. We have made a lot of great friendship and have an established network and sense of community.

Recently, my husband and I discussed the possibility of living abroad permanently, as some retirees do. We are in our mid 50's and semi-retired. The game changer that helped us deter that decision, was as you mentioned, the various comforts of living here in the United States, such as the usual grocery store we shop at, family gatherings, etc. Funny you should mention a houseboat, as my husband and I on a whim today, mentioned this possibility!😄

Great video! We're only two years into being nomadic. I know eventually we will get a home base. It may not be in the United States, but we really don't know yet. That comfort of not having a language barrier is really nice. Right now we are going home every other year for the holidays, but that may change, we may want to be home every year. That's the greatest thing about this life, being able to pivot.

Having a family doctor has changed from even 5 years ago. Family physicians as well as specialists change locations and systems on a regular basis. The expense and quality of healthcare is yet another subject.

My wife and I have traveled the world extensively. Prior to the pandemic, we also had plans to live full time overseas. But ultimately we decided that we need a home base in the USA for visiting family and friends, and for a familar and 'comfortable' routine. We still plan to travel (a lot), but having a home base is essential (for us).

We have been watching you guys for a while now and planning for our post work life. Trying to balance the desire for adventure and travel with the needs of healthcare, family and community is our biggest challenge. This video addressed those issues. Well done!

This is one of the luxuries that some of us recognize. You can ALWAYS change your mind. I am enjoying traveling right now. I'm the opposite in that I don't miss things I'm accustomed to; I appreciate the difference. But that could change. Please continue to live life on your own terms.

Great video about issues that some people forget about, we tend to have the discussion on an ongoing basis since we sold everything and started travel in 2017. Carrie's comment about the grocery store hit me right in the feels. I love the challenge of shopping in international locations and discovering new things, but there are times I just want to walk into our local store and get exactly what I am looking for so I can make our comfort meal instead of spending an hour bumbling around trying to find a substitute. We don't miss a home base exactly but just some of the things that come with it like groceries and not having to get up at 3 am to watch the soccer. The way we travel has definitely changed and what we consider comfortable is much different then it used to be. We go back "home" every couple of years and we have started staying a bit longer or going back more frequently and we do know that eventually we will settle there... but not yet! Still so many experiences to have and who knows what could happen that could affect the decision.

I completely agree with having a home base, if not only for the reason of planning ahead for the next phase post-travel but also in the event (heaven forbid) something unexpected happens now and you all of the sudden really need to be in one spot with familiar systems, language, people, etc. I find that a lot of the "retire and travel the world while you can" YT'ers don't ever talk about setting yourself up for the post-travel phase when you are significantly older and less interested/able to buy (rent) a house, buy furniture, buy a car, find a doctor, refamiliarize yourself with things, etc. I hope people remember that you're going to need your finances in a decent spot to be able to make that transition and also recognize that it will represent a fair amount of physical and mental/emotional effort as well. This goes a step further when thinking about budgeting for assisted living, nursing care, memory care.... There are a lot of hard discussions and things to plan for if you want the last few years of your life to be lived on your own terms.

This was VERY spot on and eye opening! For me, my perfect combination would be to stay in Europe for a few months at a time and come back home. A little here, a little there. Thanks for a great video!!

All the reasons for your returning to the US as an end game are valid. There's nothing comparing to the experiences shared and cherished with family and friends, the connection that I also miss. Having said that I can say for most other reasons such as knowing where things are in the grocery stores, having different seasons, carrying out cooking, baking hobbies, having a pet, investing, etc...even having a dryer can be solved by being a long term resident in one country while still enjoy the benefit of cheaper cost of living, healthier lifestyle of being in Europe. For Brian, having a football gathering can be accomplished. The only problem is the 9 hour time difference might impose a challenge. When your grand children are all grown up, I invite you to try out living abroad in one place for about 2 years to see how you feel. I think having a "home" also helps aleviating some homesickness. If you consider this option, I invite you to consider France. It's more affordable than you think. Please feel free to have a conversation with me in private.

My wife and I are looking forward to slow traveling in a few years. We find your videos interesting and inspiring

Everyone has to choose their own path. The only thing I would challenge is the idea that being an expat limits you in any way. We are expats in Mexico where we can easily travel back to the states for family visits and we have a Home base to relax in.

Home is where the heart is ❤

Less expensive slow travel enables us to have a larger nest egg if we decide to eventually settle down near friends and family in a more expensive location.

For me health was the first wealth, and you won’t find that in the USA. You both have parents, children, & grandchildren which many of us no longer have. Living in France for the last 18 years meant my healthcare was excellent & affordable. The food is better here as there are little to no GMO or ultra processed foods. Less poisons in our food, water and skin care too. I never enjoyed watching American sports on tv or tail gate parties. In fact, I never enjoyed the American culture either.

Tiredness with slow travel is popping up in all the channels I follow… 3-5 years seems to be the transition time.

Super interesting video! I am subscribing for sure. My partner and I sold our home in the US and bought a home in the USVI were we spend the winter months. When hurricane season comes each year in June we close the property up and fully prepare it as if a catastrophic storm is on the way. In doing this, we do not look back and enjoy several months of traveling. Last year it was 88 days in Italy and Spain as well as visit relatives and doctors in the States. This year we are following the same plan and have been to Croatia, Austria, Germany and now back in Italy. It works very well for us. The main downside to this way of live is that while we own our USVI home and property taxes are low there the actual cost of living in The USVI is very high otherwise. Since we use home exchanges for a certain percentage of our travel we are considering many factors relating to if we were to relocate our home to a lower cost US state of even a lower cost European county where we might want to reside. We are going start watching you both as this was the first time we have come across your channel. Btw: We are age 55 and 59 respectively.

These are the exact same thoughts that have gone through our mind too and interestingly enough we reached the same conclusions. That's why we've decided our happy ground is summer in our home in the UK and winter travelling to nice warm places. I loved the way Brian said "houseboat" without batting an eyelid.........he'd be superb in a captain's hat out on the keys at two thirsty o'clock....😂

I get the convenience of the US, but the Healthcare, the outrageous cost of living, homelessness , violence (Two shootings nearby my house and I live in Rancho Santa Margarita, the second safest city in California), political division and the cost of nursing homes made completely change my mind about the USA. I was planning to spend winters in California (Great weather) and summers in my country, Northern Spain (Asturias) and now I am thinking to fully retired in Spain. The elderly in the USA have been left out in many ways and I totally understand why they want to move to more affordable countries. Now, if your vision of retirement and you can afford it, it is to pay $6,000 a month for a nursing home (If you loose mobility $8,000 to $10,000) and being drug out all the time so like that they don't really have to take care of you, I do respect your opinion.

It could be interesting for you guys to experiment residency in another country for 1 year to see if you like it. That gives you time to find doctors you like, do volunteer work, develop a community, etc. and enjoy some of the perks of life outside the US. Depending on the time zone, indeed, this might not solve the sports-watching dilemma ;) Karyn

When I head back to the US in November, I’m going to build a tiny house on wheels for my home base when I am back home. I’ve built one before, and like being a full time traveler, I love being a minimalist. Now I will own a suitcase AND a tiny house. NO, property tax, homeowners insurance and jumping through all the bureaucratic hassles.

I traveled in my younger ages around the world and no regrets .now I am older I don’t care much about traveling . I just visit my homeland for 2-3 months and come back to my second home .and I love it

Thanks for the honesty. I feel like most people don’t discuss this. They all make traveling seem perfect and don’t even think about some of the long term plans. Thanks for the honesty.

All of Europe allows Americans to make a handwritten will choosing the USA to be your jurisdiction. No problem.

Great perspective. Interesting about the dryer situation

I will be resetting my permanent residency to Italy in a couple of years. My Italian husband wants his turn to be at home and I completely understand. So, I need to deal with all the details. One small step at a time. Comfort creatures are easy. Family and friends are happy to tuck them into a suitcase as house gifts and Amazon works, too. I can buy a dryer and an AC unit. Creating a community of other travelers and expats is key for support. Family, especially grandchildren can be a big part of that. Medicare and social security are automatically set up in the US and medical coverage in the EU costs less than all the Medicare add-ons and is excellent care. Legal stuff can be done from a distance and on a yearly visit home. We still plan to keep a small place and travel for another 10 years. We can rethink what feels comfortable at that time.

Great video, guys. I enjoy your view, and I often take note of your experiences. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. We are still in Türkey for another month and will be heading back to the states on a repositioning ship (Thanks for that idea) We have 7 days left on Schengeng and will head to Sitges to get on 18 days transatlatic out of Barcelona port, 18 days, headed to Miami. I look forward to seeing our family and hitting the road to Baja again, in our Skoolie. BTW- I saw you may be going to Merida. October is Breast Cancer month, and that's where I do mine, along with my Gyn. Even if you're a full-time traveler, you can have your favorite doctors in a different country. Happy travels and enjoy your family time.

My original plan was to find a low-cost home base in Asia or Eastern Europe to retire and travel from there. At age 63, I’ve lived and worked in 40 countries since 1990, so I had a good idea of what to expect. But then I was able to reduce my living expenses in Chicago to just $1800 a month including rent, plus I have a business here that brings in extra income to supplement my Social Security and pension. So my new strategy is to keep my place in the US as my home base and travel 2-3 months, twice a year.

Please continue to share your thoughts on your lifestyle (past, present and future). It inspires us and makes us think about our own choices. It's very helpful!

Thank you so much for this wonderful video,for your authenticity,for sharing your thoughts, your experience, you're both awesome.

I believe the trade offs are well worth the travel! 👍🏻👍🏻

There is no Badge of RU-vid Honor for doing anything you don’t want to do. Find your balance, ignore the other RU-vidrs, do what serves you. Everything is temporary!

Sure, there will always be reasons for staying in the US but I try not to overthink them. I travel solo so my decisions pretty much only affect me. I spent most of my life doing what I had to do now that I’m retired I do what I desire, travel.

Same here. Three weeks on the road and just came home today. The comfort foods of home are better no matter how great restaurants on the roads were.

You guys are awesome! You always enlighten, inform and entertain in your videos. Thank you for your realistic commentary surrounding the subjects we all think about, but rarely address. I agree with everything you said! I absolutely LOVE travel, but it’s always so comforting to sleep in your own bed when you arrive home. I’m sure you have many years of travel and exploration ahead of you, however it’s so very important to be home for the milestones of kids and grandkids. You seem to incorporate those things nicely! I’m looking forward to your next adventure; blessings ❤️

Ha! I want those comforts now (especially my own comfy bed). By the time I retire, I'm afraid there's no way I'll be able to handle those hard Airbnb beds:) There's something special about coming home after a long trip.

Thanks for hoenst thoughts ❤...seniors who want to be full-time travelers are most those who didn't have chance to travel at young age . We always encourage pur kids to travel far as posible because your young full energy and expansion of mind experience before haveing a family.... to us , we had traveled all of the world since 30s . So travel full time after retirement isn't a thing for us. We are getting older, we focus on LONGEVITY. Wellbeings . Regular life routines, good rest ,slow pasted life are good for longevity. But we continue to travel global 2 twice a year ,thats enough. 😊😊

Hello Carrie and brian! Great video really enjoyed it Jennifer and I are going to Rome in April got a really nice repositioning cruise going to be over there doing the Schengen shuffle for 6 months. You guys mentioned about Medicare overseas Medicare will not cover anyone overseas just FYI. That I am aware of. I've called them numerous times and they keep telling me no. We are starting to downsize for the next 7 months but we will have friends stay at our small home when we are gone, because as you said as you get older you seek out a home base and our house is paid off and we would not want to come back to the states without a home base. Our dear friends are struggling with hard times so we offered our home to them for the time that we are gone so at least we have someone watching our place . We follow many Nomads on RU-vid but you by far are the best ! We just wanted to share that with you!! Have a beautiful day!❤❤❤❤

I wouldn’t move out of the country while my mom is alive. After that, I definitely will. I don’t like how things are turning out in my town. I particularly think the USA is missing its charm, but I totally understand your point. Safe travels!

We have followed/subscribed since the beginning and we always had the "long term" question in mind. We are frequent travelers [retired] and really enjoy your content - thank-you for that!! It was great to hear the last piece of the puzzle, as we know, continuous travel is not really sustainable, Thanks again!!

A lot of good points, for anyone interested in slow traveling. Keep up the great work. You guys made many informative videos while in Budapest. Safe travels.

Bonjourno, Brian and Carre! Thank you for the informative videos. We are now considering moving to Italy with the Elective Retirement Visa (ERV). Since the Portland condo market is down, we will rent our condo and visit the country in the spring. Grazie! Dean & Cindy

Its a good topic for serious consideration. You hit all the points that directs you back to Home Sweet Home. In your situation If I guessed right, you are in the early 50s, the health insurance will be a big $$ item to deal with unless you want to take up a job upon return (highly unlikely to start all over...). So that leaves the option to continue doing what you are doing now until you hit 65, and at that time it makes the decision easy with SS (though reduced amt. because have to hit 67, and if any money left over with SS) coming in and Medicare kicking in. Tough decision now, and easy one at 65 in my opinion.

I recently started watching your channel and am glad that you find the silver linings of travel and home. I know this is very important to you because Carrie's rate of speed when she talks about they "why's" just about doubles. We're retired and we are about to start "seriously" traveling but we are going to keep our house because we need to be near to family and because, "there's no place like home".

Everything you are saying regarding missing the United States are luxuries only the rich can afford. Medical? Must be nice to have that. Most of us won't in America as it is tied to our job and 100% unaffordable while looking for a job.

Thanks for sharing this with your viewers - even if it's none of our damn business. You are a lovely example of a couple that works well together and a welcome breath of fresh air.

Thanks for talking about the challenges too. I’ve wondered about this myself and most people just post the positivity.

Another quality video. As far as pets go, I think the other thing to consider is what is in the best interests of the pet. Pets generally crave structure and a familiar space. Different places, hotels, weird food etc would likely not be in their best interest. Even slow travel likely is not best for an animal. It would also be a potential hassle with baggage on trains, buses and planes. Of course family and friends take precedence over sports teams and games with similar fans. I like the addressing the 15 year plan for 53-68 and then the later years (68-83) etc - - many talk about the go-go years, slo-go years and no-go years. I had no doubt that you have talked about this. Other younger vloggers I wouldn't have the same confidence. Always good to have the conversation. You continue to do what I would dream of doing and seeing the world as you have. Cheers to both.

I haven’t had the same doctor for over 1-2 years. Most doctors leave and move on where I am in the states.

I'm traveling full time as well but my plans were always to eventually return back to the US and re-establish my home base there. I actually like living in the US and it's by far my favorite country to live, I'm traveling full time simply to see as much of the world as I can, not to "escape" the US like some people are doing.. and when I am on the road I do miss the US. I'm here in Madrid in an Airbnb, there is a washer, but when I asked about the dryer the host points to a clothes line in the yard, "that's your dryer" 😁 Luckily no rain for the next few days.

Leaving for Greece tomorrow for four weeks and I’m already missing my home and dog! We love traveling however we miss our home, kids, and family, 49 years in the US and still miss the US when abroad.

Great point, you two! Ultimately, that's why we chose both to buy a place in Europe, but to have our base at home in the US. We have a place to call home in both continents, and also to keep our dogs. Any choice is not always perfect, but we tried to get as close as we could to something that works for us. Very insightful video...thanks.

We are reducing our belongings and trying extended time away, but definitely we will be keeping our home. We have downsized and made the updates for us to age in place. Being 67 and 63 these are easy choices for us.

I would like to have a homebase here in the US and be near my kids and future grandkids. I also love the fall. However, I feel like now is the right time to travel while i am in good health. I will see where my kids settle, and eventually, live near them. I've asked them to have an extra room for me!😊

I didn't really start working toward retirement until I was 40 (Im 45 now), but I was able to buy a really inexpensive house in Spain, and then this year I bought an affordable condo in Florida. I'm working to pay off the condo in 5 years and am hoping to retire between 50 and 55. I work remotely and make a below average salary, but thanks to side hustles and really looking for the right deals, I can have a home base in two locations and still travel quite a bit as well. I agree that after traveling for a few years, realizing the value of community really stood out a lot more. I initially thought geographic arbitrage was the answer, but I've found other creative solutions to make both travel and community happen.

My plan is to get a permanent residency first. (In Ecuador it takes two yrs.) And THEN I'll do my slow travel after that. I'm happy to study my Spanish during these two years too, so I'll have it available to me during my travel years

Very useful information. Thank you! 😊

Appreciate your honesty, I was thinking about doing exactly the same but I agree with all the reasons you mentioned. We will slow travel but will keep our home base so we can come back “home”. Thanks

I appreciate this conversation so much. My husband and I are both 54 and we want to move to Spain but with our 20 old at home and our older son is having his first child we feel like we are in a holding pattern. Feel like we might miss out because of family obligations. I wish we had had a 10 year span to explore between our raising our kids and caring fir parents and before starting grandparenting. Looking at how to do it with all the people who factor in to the situation.

Don't take this the wrong way, but your videos are now my go-to when I need background noise to fall asleep (calming voices I guess?). I do listen to them awake too, they are interesting 😅

Great points! I hope you travel for at least a while longer because I enjoy your content so much!

Apologies for potential "buzz kill," but traveling while the world is so volatile concerns me. I left the U.S. two years ago and settled in Ecuador. I am planning to explore the Thailand area after getting my permanent residency next year, but I'm nervous about the next plandemic lockdowns, vaccine passports, visa changes, etc. I guess you just have to do research and use common sense. Like you said, deal with things as they approach!

As far as I'm concerned, travel has always been about negotiating various situations, whether away or at home with family and friends. For me nothing stays written in stone when it comes to either long or shorter--term overseas travel. Travel habits change just like life changes. It's great to think of possible future situations with being away from home, family, friends, etc. Being in my 60s and also having traveled overseas nearly annually and solo since I was 17/18, in my mind, even when young, I always tried to project how it might be when I got a lot older since no one stays young forever. For me personally, it was never about permanently living overseas. Plus, when I first started traveling, there were no nieces/nephew involved since they weren't even born yet.They're teens now. And since we're a very small family, I had to take that situation into consideration. I also thought about parents and aging and not wanting to be far away for really long periods of time. The way that I looked at it was that my parents raised me and whenever the time came that they needed more help, I would be available to look after them. One parent lived a 3.5 hour flight away, but even with working full time, I would fly to that parent on Fridays and come home on Sundays and back to work on Mondays. That parent lived into the mid-90 age range. The other parent lives here very near me and is still going strong and a few years from turning a hundred. One of my coworkers had parents who lived in NYC, so she flew from L.A. to NYC at least once a month, 5.5 hours each way, to look after them and take care of whatever was needed. Plus, to just spend time with them. She was also balancing work, flying to the parents, and vacation travel time. When I came home in early Feb 2020, after being away for 6 weeks in Southeast Asia, I knew then that I wouldn't be going back out into the world for quite some time. Plus, Covid hit here although I was already in it starting in late 2019 while in Asia. Life shifted again and it was back to going with the flow of life's unpredictable circumstances. My thought is to travel as long as one can, see and experiences as much as one can, but be ready to shift gears if one has to whether or not it's due to something related to either oneself or something related to one's family situation(s) where one might need to be present to support family. it's all part of life's rollercoaster. Greetings from Los Angeles

Thank you for your insight. Yes, one may want to sail/travel the world, but few people stay on that boat forever - i.e. home is home (for many/us). And travel takes a lot of energy, at least for us. Still looking for our balance. Heath issues make it all harder - such is life, so do it while we/you can, for sure. Keep the faith and stay safe.

Thanks for this discussion of your ultimate future plans. I have followed you for a couple of years, and I have discerned a gradual disenchantment with the life of constant travel, and at the same time, a growing pull toward your home area with its familiarity and family comforts. We are leaving the US in two weeks for a year of travel (starting with London, a tour of Tunisia, and 3 months in 3 parts of Italy, probably headed to Asia next), and are expecting to want to extend that for a second year at least. We are retirement age, and do not expect trouble accessing our SS and other funds from the US or with legal matters. We will maintain Medicare, but pay cash for care abroad. We have interest in setting up a home base again in the future, and possibly in Italy or France--I have researched it and know it can be difficult and time-consuming, but if it's feasible we think we would enjoy that change. It's different for us--although we love our families, they are all spread out geographically, and we don't have that hometown situation, but we will visit the US annually. We are also accustomed to spending most holidays away from family members already, but will encourage them to visit us. We have encouraging signs that we can gradually make friends in our future home locations, and we are undeterred by cooking with ingredients in markets around the world. Let's see if our travel experiences change our views on any of that! We are both open to recognizing however we feel along the way--positive or negative. So far my biggest problem is how to squeeze enough into my carry-on suitcase--my new mottos are "no cute outfits!" and "they have stores there." Here we go!

Respect to you both ,lots of love to both x

I kept my house in the UK ,rented it out and have been travelling continuously for the last 10 years I know it probably wasn’t the best financial decision but that’s what I chose . Am about to move back into my property and decide my next move , hopefully a new home on the UK coast from where I intend to do more travelling but shorter trips . Also , I totally get the need for your own place , I am really looking forward to being in my own space . Food options are better for me here too , I can cook and feed myself so cheaply . I am seeing my home town as a tourists point of view too and have decided that Bath England has as much to offer as many other European cities ❤.

I think you are on the right path. Our goals and needs change throughout life and later you will want a comfortable base, of course. We're in the slow-go time of our lives and chose Seattle for our home base. With no cars and no debt, we have been able to downsize our footprint and peg our budget to less than approximately $4000 per month and we travel a lot throughout the year much of that to Europe and Asia. We cruise several weeks per year and do not feel the need to skimp on everything. My wife wants to fly business class for long-haul flights and even though we are not extravagant, we enjoy the experience of travel as much as anyone. My hobby is travel and I spend many hours every week planning our trips. I have been involved in designing my own travel since high school. My HS principal was a bad influence on me ;-) I don't see that diminishing until I am unable to do it. Most of our immediate family members are deceased. We do have 2 granddaughters, but they are both teenagers now and I don't need to tell you that means they are becoming more distant ;-) There is little to keep us stateside but the convenience of knowing our base city is important which is why we would not choose to be expats or digital nomads at our age. We both love the climate of the Northwest. Our Medicare Advantage plan covers emergency healthcare offshore. Of course, we would need to pay for it and return the receipts to make a claim, but we have used dentists abroad and had excellent results. I am confident medical treatment can be as good offshore as what we have available here.

Love your reports and videos. Keep up the great work and stay safe. Be prepared for the nuances of Medicare and long term care in the US. Medicare is based on your income and can be extremely expensive if you need certain medications. Statistically you need to prepare for about $350,000 out of pocket medical expenses during your retirement that Medicare won’t cover. That’s all out of pocket expenses. Long term care expenses are a nightmare waiting in the wings. Costs of $10,000 to $15,000 per month are currently being reported as the norm. Social security benefits are based on your best 35 years of work life. Overall you may find it disadvantageous to retire in the US. In many of the countries you have visited and reported from your US based retirement income will go a lot farther.

Most American expats prefer Latin American Countries , which has no time difference with USA , or Portugal, which has the least time difference with USA in Europe, an important issue for remote working.

Your videos have been enjoyable and informative. It is understandable that with your travels that you have the difficulties of knowing all of the systems in each of the countries that you visit. If you were a resident for a longer period of time in one country, feeling more on a permanent basis, it would come easier. Having been a resident in two European countries, it just takes a little time. You are fortunate that much of the world speaks English and you can get some help when you need it. As far as health care, Medicare and such is no advantage for me to return to the US. The care that I have gotten here as an expat has been phenomenal and at little to no cost. My suggestion, take it or leave it, would be just to continue your travels as much as you want, with your ultimate goal to return to the US. It is evident that is where your heart is, based on the number of times that you said the word "HOME", in your video. Until you can let go of that word, a person cannot make it in another place.

I also love pets, but they are not a minimalist lifestyle.

Knowing “you can always go home again” is a great privilege we’re fortunate to have as Americans. I do think the cost of living in some areas of the US are just short of shocking once you’ve travelled a lot. Maybe slow travel until social security & Medicare kick in is the solution, in addition to seeking a place with affordable cost of living and slower pace…

One of my big reasons to find one place and park it in France next year: my pups. (Sue)

Glad you brought up sports. Living in Europe & watching games until 5 or 6 in the morning, makes your whole weekend is out of sync especially if you watch College & Pro football. But you are right it's not as much fun to drink beer alone at 4am. & when your team does good there is never anyone to HI-five!!

Love the show guys!! Hope to do something similar in the future!!

The bit at the end was funny 😂 love your videos!

I grew up in the US but left in my 20s. I don’t know where home is anymore now that I’m a full time traveler. 😂 But I intend to keep ties in both countries (I am a dual citizen which makes me happy)😊

While I enjoy traveling and plan to continue doing some, one thing I've learned in life is that its family and long term friends that really matter. Any success I may have achieved through job opportunities by changing locations, no longer seems even remotely worth the extra money it provided.