Mid-Lifers’ Guide for Planning a Life Abroad

Long commutes, weekdays spent inside an office, driving kids around on the weekends, and doing chores at home–it’s enough to make a mature adult think about how to escape from it all.

It’s no wonder my curiosity was piqued when I saw Roseanne Knorr’s  book The Grown-Up’s Guide to Running Away From Home: Making a New Life Abroad.

Think What Color is Your Parachute for middle-aged people who are starting to think about how they’d like their future to look after their kids are grown.

The Kids Are Gone. Now What? It’ll be about 10 years before our youngest child goes to college, so that gives my wife and I plenty of time to plan. But if the last decade is any indication, our nest will be empty before we know it.

One of the primary things I’d like to see in our future is travel to Mexico and other countries in Central and South America. It might even be nice to live in one of these places at some point.

Money Will Go Farther in Mexico. With the huge hit to our 401ks over the past few months and the declining value of the peso, Mexico is looking more attractive by the day.

But is money all there is to it?

While money is a major factor, The Grown Up’s Guide offers  additional factors to consider before moving to a far-off land:

Your Personality. Do you really want to move to Costa Rica? Or, could it be that the cold weather has got you down and you’re in a rut at work?

Knorr writes that it’s important to test yourself before making the radical change of moving to a foreign country. Try smaller changes first and see how you adapt to them. Take trips to the places where you can see yourself spending your retirement years.

The New Culture. To enjoy a new location, your focus needs to be on the moment. You won’t be able to do this if you’re longing for the comforts of home, Knorr says.

A sense of humor can help you adjust to a new way of life. One thing I struggled with in Costa Rica was the lack of hot water in the showers. To compensate for this,  many hotels attach electrical gizmos to the shower heads. Not activating the gizmo meant a cold shower. Activating the gizmo and inadvertently touching it (as I was prone to do) meant a shock. The situation was less than ideal, but it made for some funny stories at breakfast.

Your Family. If you’re married, your spouse needs to be on board with your plans for adventure. Chances are your teenage kids will not want to come along for the ride. Does an elderly parent need you to care for them?

While realizing your dreams is important, you need to plan for the right opportunity. The Grown-Up’s Guide offers up the right directions for getting there.