You're Retired. Where Do You Want to Live?
By Erica and Karen
You worked for decades at a career that required you to be in a certain place. You retired. Now what?
First, feel the freedom. You can go anywhere! Well, maybe that depends on whether you have a partner or family that requires your presence, or health or other restraints that mandate particular locations. But otherwise, start thinking about all the places in the world that might become home.
And yes, do think first. Maybe you live in a cold Northern city, and it is January, and you really want to go somewhere warm for the rest of your days. We suggest you go somewhere like that immediately, and have some fun, but don’t make a permanent commitment right away. Take some time to consider your options
If you do want to think about moving, there are lots of possibilities.
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You could live on your yacht, wherever you anchor. And there is at least one ship that circumnavigates the globe and advertises permanent residences. We’re not sure how many could, or would want to, do either, but it would be fascinating.
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Do you want to stay in your own country? Or emigrate to another one? One resource to check out is International Living Magazine. Perhaps you will find the perfect home in a fabulous town on the shores of the Coral Sea. Consider whether you actually want to become a citizen of your new country of residence. There may be financial reasons to do so, but it is a big step.
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Think about how you are likely to want to spend most days.
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Are you an urban girl? Big city crazy or smaller, more civilized? Is food important? Or fashion? Or politics?
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Maybe instead you fancy a home in the country with a big garden where you can grow roses and your friends can come help? Or maybe you want to purchase a vineyard and make wine. How about a small house with a blue door in a small town on a gorgeous coast?
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Do you want to be near the ocean? In the mountains? Both? In a university town? A tech center?
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What do you like to do? Rock climb? Ski? Make ceramics? Attend world premiere operas? Figure out what activities excite you the most and then figure out where to find them. Create an algorithm that will accept all your inputs and spit out the best solution (that will put you on a path to becoming a tech mistress)—or go visit them all before you decide. That would be a good project.
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Would you like to make a serious commitment to the future and live in a place where you can help communities deal with specific challenges? Awesome.
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One thing you definitely should do is abandon any idea that you know a place where you have not been for a long time. As far as we can tell, every location we thought we knew has greatly metamorphosed in the last decade, and the social changes wrought by COVID and climate are significant. So research before you commit.
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Money and other necessities may also be relevant. Every year many publications publish new lists of the best places for retirees, considering cost, access to heath care, tax benefits, ease of transportation among many other things. For example, check this and this and this.
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We’re not fans of designed neighborhoods, probably because we associate them with the retirement communities that began in the 1950s. But we are interested in the emergence of a new concept—pocket communities that are intergenerational, places where it is recognized that people of all ages can live creatively together. They offer many benefits to everyone—older people can look after children, children can learn that older people are cool, people of all ages can be reminded that at any age we all have much in common as humans. Cities do organically, but we think these concepts are fabulous for people who want more intimate life styles.
The point is, if you really are free to move, you should think about whether relocating might be a rejuvenating adventure. It is amazingly liberating to realize you can go wherever you want to. If you need further inspiration, read this!
Moving could be one of the best parts of the next phase of your life.