Planning my getaway

I also understand you. Holly & I were figuring out we both moved 17 times each, I think it was. I moved countries as well as states and we were on our way to either Washington State or B.C. when husband died.

I don't have the health or the wealth to be going travelling. I'm glad I went where I could when I had the chances.

Make sure you check the medical availability and efficiency of anywhere you decide. It could be crucial now, it was for me. Best wishes for adventures!
 

@NorthernLight I've lost count of the number of times I have mulled a similar decision. I have lived in a number of states in the US and have visited many more. I traveled abroad often for my job which lit a spark in me to move to one of these countries one day. Now that I'm retired, I started researching it extensively.

Finding a country that I could move to that has comparable medical care similar to the US ( a big consideration for me as I have been treated for cancer), where English is commonly spoken and older (unemployed) adults are welcome is a challenge. I don't want to move to South or Central America. My preference is somewhere in Europe but there are too many issues in addition to those I mentioned. And I'd miss my family and friends too much so I finally put the idea to rest.

I hope you're dream does come true, that you find the epicenter of your happiness. Go for it!
 
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If I were more of a people person and wanted to live cheap, I think I'd move to some kind of co-op or inner-city commune in a major city like NYC or San Francisco where there's a lot to do and see. I have no desire to move to another country at this age.
 
SeniorBen said:
If I were more of a people person and wanted to live cheap, I think I'd move to some kind of co-op or inner-city commune in a major city like NYC or San Francisco where there's a lot to do and see. I have no desire to move to another country at this age.
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An inner-city commune. I lived in a similar situation I guess. A guesthouse on a beautiful island, with interesting residents and visitors from all over the world. But it had its downside too, especially during Covid times. That's why I left.

If you mean what I think you mean by co-op housing, that is out of my price range, and a big commitment.
 
@Leann Yes, there are so many considerations. Each of us has different needs. Thank you for your kind wishes.

Today I briefly looked at a couple of online lists of "cheap" places to retire. Haha. I'm already pretty sure that I wouldn't qualify for residency in any country.

I think I should to stick to information for long-term travelers on a budget. Most are younger, but maybe not all. And even if they are, somebody has to be the first.
 
Now I'm thinking *maybe* I could keep my apartment and residency here, and travel south for 6 months of the year. Definitely on the cheap though.

I could save money by canceling certain services while I'm away. Could also get rid of my car. I'd rather not. But all things must pass....

I could go for the summer or the winter half of the year. Obviously I'd rather go in the winter, but there might be factors I haven't thought of.
 
jimintoronto said:
The lady has lived in a number of nations in Central and Southern America, in the past, She is not a novice in this sort of travel, at all. JimB.
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Thank you, Jim. I've lived in Mexico and Korea, and visited other countries briefly. But there are other ways of getting inside information, especially now!
 
NorthernLight said:
Aw, I can still be on SF. They'll probably have Internet where I'm going.
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Good thing! I hope you can stay connected with us wherever you decide to go and keep us informed every step of the way.

The six month exploratory trip sounds like a good idea. During that time all sorts of opportunities for accommodation might pop up.

I'm excited for you!
 
Della said:
Good thing! I hope you can stay connected with us wherever you decide to go and keep us informed every step of the way.

The six month exploratory trip sounds like a good idea. During that time all sorts of opportunities for accommodation might pop up.

I'm excited for you!
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Thank you. It would certainly be exploratory. But I was thinking I'd do it every year, for as long as I'm able. Rather than trying to live abroad year round.

That way I'd still be a Canadian resident, and I'd have a place to come back to when my traveling days are over.

If I had a higher income, I'd definitely live in another country. But I'm too poor to qualify for residency in any country I know of. So maybe I need to compromise, and come back here for part of every year.
 
jimintoronto said:
The lady has lived in a number of nations in Central and Southern America, in the past, She is not a novice in this sort of travel, at all. JimB.
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Well, aren't you the font of information.
From here on, I'll just check in with you before I post anything.

But

Maybe not
I still have yet to find out from you what you think 'ARA' stands for.....
 
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Last night my language partner said he'd help me any way he could. He's in Guatemala. So I was thinking I could go to Guatemala, and to Bolivia, where I have another contact.

It might be fun to fly to Mexico City and take buses southward, but it's probably not practical. Land border crossings can be worse than airports! And some border areas are dangerous.

Maybe better to fly into a country and then take buses within the country.

I began checking prices of plane tickets. They seem to have come down a lot in the past few months. Last time I checked, they seemed prohibitive.

It's tricky making sense of the airfares. For example, going from A to C can be much more expensive than going from A to B and then B to C. But I've done this before, and I know I can figure it out.

I also looked into taking a boat past the Darien Gap (where there are no roads). The boat would take me from Panama to Colombia. Not because I want to take *that* boat, but because it's a place where there are coastal boats. And a boat ride would be nice.

Some boat trips last 5 days, with stops at tropical islands, and snorkeling, fishing, etc., They're on the expensive side, but might be worth it. Speed boats are cheaper.

Or maybe I should forget about that, and just take a 3-hour boat tour somewhere else.

I do want to go to South America. The *only* thing on my bucket list is to see the night sky in the southern hemisphere.

Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni -- the world's biggest salt flat -- would be something to see also.

bolivia-salt-flats-or-salar-de-uyuni.jpg
 
Northern Night: Sorry to hijack your thread. I enjoy your posts and want to post my "budget" travels.

My husband always wanted to visit Australia and New Zealand. We spent 5 months "down under" on house exchanges, The "Aussies" lived here for 3 months while we lived in their house in Adelaide. In New Zealand, we exchanged "basement batch's" on a "non- simultaneous exchange (we had vacant basement suites). We felt that with "exchanges" we lived as the locals - shopping and sight seeing; eighbours took us under their wings and had us to their family get togethers.
 
Have you considered giving private English lessons? A friend did this in Japan. He found the work when he got there.

If later you find you have to stay in Canada, you could look into being a tour guide on a bus. My late MIL who was a retired teacher always said she was going to do this. She figured she had travelled enough and could read local history fast enough to give a well informed presentation. She could have done it except they never stayed still long enough.
 
"My pension will be reduced (a lot) if I spend more than 6 months outside of Canada. I can't afford to maintain a residence in Canada and travel back and forth. So if I leave here, I'll have to really leave."

So your income would be reduced a lot, what if at some point you want to come back to Canada would your pension be restored?
 
mrstime said:
"My pension will be reduced (a lot) if I spend more than 6 months outside of Canada. I can't afford to maintain a residence in Canada and travel back and forth. So if I leave here, I'll have to really leave."

So your income would be reduced a lot, what if at some point you want to come back to Canada would your pension be restored?
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Yes, but there would be a lag, because that part of the pension (the part I'd lose) goes according to where you lived in the previous taxation year.

The lag would be one to two years, depending on which month I return. So for that 1-2 years, I'd be living on half my pension, and it's already difficult to live on a full pension.

And that's just in theory. When I first retired, the government messed up my pension twice, putting me through a year and a half of poverty and extreme stress. So I wouldn't trust them to give it to me if I came back.
 
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1. I can be out of the country for 6 months and not lose any of my pension.
2. Mexico lets me enter for 6 months.
3. Most other countries allow only 3 months.
4. I don't consider Mexico to be a cheap country.

For these reasons, I had been thinking of flying into Mexico with a 6-month ticket, going to at least 2 other countries, and then returning to Canada.

Today I'm thinking that would be too complicated and perhaps more expensive (per unit of time or enjoyment). Not only in terms of travel, but also my leaving everything behind for 6 months. And a couple of other considerations, which are difficult to explain briefly.

So maybe I should skip Mexico altogether. Visit one country for 3 months and come back. If I do this, I might be able to get away as early as this summer.

Of course I'd love to avoid the Canadian winter, but that isn't my main reason for going. Mostly I want a change of scenery. And something interesting to plan for.

I received a nice note from a woman on another forum. She and her husband retired to a Mediterranean island. It seems affordable, but again, I wouldn't qualify for resident status.
 


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