Thinking About Leaving the US
It’s not a decision we made lightly. But after years of watching the cost of living spiral and navigating a pension situation that left us shortchanged, the question stopped being “should we leave?” and started being “where should we go?”
Why we’re looking at the exit
Let’s be real about what’s driving this. My pension — the one I earned after years working for BART — was divided in ways I still find deeply unfair. The California court system made its call and there’s no undoing it. What that means practically is that I’m retiring on less than I planned, in one of the most expensive states in the country.
Paso Robles, the town we loved, is no longer realistic for us financially. And it’s not just California — costs are rising coast to coast. We’re not alone in noticing. The trend of Americans looking seriously at living abroad has been building for years, and we’ve become part of it.
Some of our friends push back. They remind us about California’s healthcare system, about how great things are here. And look — I get it. They’re not wrong that there are things worth staying for. But friends don’t need to agree with our reasons. They just need to respect them.
How we’ve been researching
We’ve joined a couple of communities that have helped frame our thinking. International Living skews toward investment properties and real estate opportunities worldwide. Amelia & JP take a different approach — they champion slow travel, moving between countries every 30 days or so and treating the world as a home rather than a destination.
Both models have appeal. Both have tradeoffs. We haven’t committed to either philosophy yet, which is kind of the point of where we are right now: exploring.
Central America: Belize and beyond
In 2024 and 2025, we made two trips to Placencia, Belize — a quiet peninsula village south of Belize City that people are calling the “Malibu of Belize.” It has a charm and an energy that’s hard not to like. We drove south through Toledo, Hopeville, and Punta Gorda, though that stretch of the country is sparse in terms of services and infrastructure.
More promising for a longer-term base: Corozal, about 30 minutes from the Mexican border, or San Ignacio near Guatemala. Both have expat communities and a more connected feel. The one sticking point with Belize is healthcare. Quality care means a nearly 11-hour drive to Guatemala City — and that’s not a realistic scenario when you’re in your mid-50s and healthcare is a top priority.
We’ve also looked closely at Mexico, particularly the Yucatan Peninsula — from Mérida east through Tulum, and south along the Caribbean coast to Bacalar and Chetumal. That corridor is worth a dedicated post of its own.
The broader shortlist
We haven’t limited ourselves to one region. The working list of countries includes Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Colombia, and Uruguay in the Americas. Looking east, Portugal and Spain come up constantly in expat circles — and while they’re solid choices for many people, they don’t quite light me up the way some of the other options do.
The country I keep returning to in my research is Albania. I know — it’s not the first place most people think of. But hear me out.
Albania: the wild card worth taking seriously
Albania shed communism in 1992 when the anti-communist Democratic Party won the country’s first free parliamentary elections. It’s been rebuilding ever since, and the pace of change — especially along the coast — is striking. Getting there isn’t simple; you typically fly into Greece or Italy and take a ferry, which adds time and complexity. But the destination itself is compelling.
We’ve been looking at the whole country — from Shkodër and Tiranë in the north to the coastal cities of Vlorë and Sarandë in the south. Healthcare is ranked 64th globally (compared to 33rd for the US), which gives me pause. At 56, that matters. But it doesn’t disqualify Albania — it just means we keep asking questions.
Cost of living, growing expat presence, Adriatic and Ionian coastline, Mediterranean climate. For the right person, Albania could be a genuine hidden gem.
What about Europe?
We did visit Amsterdam and Prague on a trip — and Prague grabbed me in a way I didn’t expect. It’s a beautiful, walkable city with history around every corner and a legitimate expat community. The practical hurdles are real though: as non-EU retirees, visa options are limited and usually require business or family-based routes.
More practically: the climate rules it out. Four seasons, cold winters — that’s not the life I’m after. I live in shorts and flip-flops. That’s not a joke or a preference; it’s a genuine filter for where we land. If Brno or Prague were on the Mediterranean, the conversation would be different.
The backup plan, and our timeline
We’ve left one door open domestically. There’s an option to move to Coupeville, on Whidbey Island in Washington — her mom’s house could become our base. From there, we’d slow-travel the world without fully cutting the American cord. It’s not the dream scenario, but it’s a solid bridge.
Our original target date for leaving was 2027. That’s still realistic, and it could happen sooner if we get more serious about downsizing. We’ve been chipping away at debt, clearing out possessions, and strengthening our financial footing. The work is happening — it just takes longer than you expect.
We’ll keep writing about what we find. If you’ve made this leap — or you’re planning to — we’d love to hear what you’ve learned.
