Living The Semi-Retired Life: Is It "unAmerican" To Leave America?

Get a load of this—

There’s so much here I’m unsure where to begin.

Off the top, I appreciate Amber’s comments because they nicely describe two of the main things I try to do in this newsletter—

• Provide “concrete, current, or relevant… research and revealing actual statistics. Imparting how they apply now and could in the future.” Alongside this, I use thoughts, ideas, strategies, plans and actual numbers from my personal life, focusing on what they mean now and why and how I hope to change them in the near- and long-term future.

• Have “real conversations” and “take into account what the driving forces are behind” our decisions to live the way we live. Whether it’s my decision to Never Retire, my semi-retired life now and how I hope to live it as my partner and I prepare to enter relative old age. Or taking my views, outlooks and experiences and presenting them in a way that allows you to adapt them to your own situation.

If you’re thinking about subscribing, I hope you’ll use this summary above, this recent installment below and the conversation that follows to help you make your decision.

Part 16: Where We Have Been, Where We Are, Where We Are Going

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First, where you live has a lot to do with how people react to your decision to leave the country for a better version of the semi-retired life. Or, even if you don’t plan on relocating abroad, your decision to do life differently in the United States. More on the latter in a minute, but first—

I try not to get too much into politics in this newsletter. I also try not to generalize.

That said, I think it’s clear where I stand politically. It’s also clear that I’m open to opposing points of view as long as you respect others.

At the same time, there are parts of the country where so-called patriotism prevails more than in others. Heck, within California, you see that divide between the big cities and parts of Central California. Between far Northern California and Orange County and parts of San Diego County.

A divide often marked by two extremes:

• You hate America. You think it’s evil. And—even if you have no concrete plans or real intention to do so—you can’t wait to get out.

• You love America. You bleed red, white and blue. Anybody who says anything even borderline critical about your country isn’t patriotic. Clearly, it’s the best place in the world to live. Why do you think all these foreigners are flooding our borders?

The response you’ll receive when you bring up your plans to leave America likely depends on where you are or the crowd you're mentioning it to.

In some parts, you’ll get a blank stare. (Where the hell is Portugal? Is that in Spain or Brazil?)

In other parts, you’ll be called an unpatriotic slack ass who is going to cut and run because you don’t want to work hard enough. Don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!

In other parts, you’ll get a fist pump, affirmative nod and either I would if I could or I’m right there with you. I almost moved when Bush got reelected OR I know a small village in the south of Spain, away from the tourists with amazing sherry.

This diversity—conservatism, provincialism, nationalism, ignorance, borderline or overt racism, open-mindedness, liberalism—isn’t an American thing. It’s a people thing. You’ll find some flavor of all of the above no matter where you go.

I like to think I come in somewhere in the middle, leaning sorta hard to the left.

I acknowledge America’s shortcomings. I prefer the society and culture elsewhere, particularly in Spain and Italy, especially when it comes to urban built environments, the prevailing style of public life and eating and drinking at and away from home.

This said, I am well aware and appreciative of the fact that America has been (very, very!) good to me. I have a good life today because this country—with its good, bad and ugly—helped facilitate it. I’m thankful, even grateful.

All of this said, just because I live a good life today doesn’t mean I do not or should not want to make it better, especially ahead of one of life’s major transitions. The transition into relative old age.

After thinking about it every which way for a long time, I’m convinced I cannot improve my quality of life—from cultural and financial standpoints—anywhere in the United States. It’s simply not possible.

Spain and Italy’s urban public life and culture does not exist here. And it will not anytime soon. American society at large is against that way of life (even as many Americans romanticize it) and a majority of our built environments no longer can facilitate it without massive retrofits that sit well beyond our will or inclination to care enough to do so.

And, of course, from a cost of living perspective, doing life in America continues to get more expensive. This isn’t changing anytime soon. One case in point of many—there is no way my partner and I can grow old together in the USA with no or a super low housing payment.

Insert your preferences, favorite places around the world, needs and goals here in place of mine.

But it’s not just tepid, sometimes hostile reactions to leaving. It’s getting shit because you decide to do life differently in America.

Consider this comment from a recent Medium article I wrote about work ethic—

The things we discuss here simply aren’t palatable, let alone desirable for large swaths of our sometimes going backwards society.

And that’s not a political statement; it’s just a shame.

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Second, we love to say it is what it is in America. Countless people ignore their financial situations or exclaim it could be worse. While the latter is true, it can also be better.

Making it better doesn’t always require leaving.

My partner and I are focused on Spain and Italy because of the culture, built environments and, subsequently, our quality of life as we approach and enter relative old age. It just so happens that the financial side of the equation looks as if it can/will work in several Spanish and Italian cities.

If we didn’t have these cultural and physical preferences for the next place we call home, any number of situations exist where we could leave Los Angeles (and California, for that matter) and rightsize our financial situation headed into our fifties, sixties and beyond.

I plan on doing a lot of this going forward. Showing examples of where and how you can make it work. And I promise I’ll go beyond Buffalo.

I use Buffalo as an example often because it’s truly an underrated city making a comeback. And the heart of that city’s West Side (particularly the Elmwood Village, Five Points, Grant/Ferry neighborhoods) is among some of the best terrain urban America has to offer. Plus I know it well, given that I was born in nearby Niagara Falls and have spent considerable time in Buffalo.

Anyhow, it takes about 30 seconds to find opportunities, particularly in Five Points and Grant/Ferry (Elmwood Village has become relatively expensive). Like the image of a multi-family property for sale—right now—for $199,900.

You could secure this property today for $1,640 a month, including property tax and insurance, assuming a 6.6% interest rate over a 30-year mortgage and 10% ($13,193) down. That’s not bad at all. (Though I bet it goes for higher than the list price).

Built in 1904, the house looks like it could use some cosmetic love and includes two units, each with two bedrooms and one bath. On the low end, you could get $1,000 a month in rent for each unit or live in one and rent out the other.

The specifics on this house or any other you come across in the area don’t matter. It’s just that escapes from outrageous property prices and exorbitant rents do exist in this country. Even in exciting urban environments.

Funny thing is if you made this type of move—basically a response to some of America’s current shortcomings—the same people who might absurdly brand you a communist for wanting to move to Europe would laud you as entrepreneurial, even patriotic for investing in your own country.

As high as I am on this part of Buffalo and know and understand the opportunities that exist there, I would not be happy there. I’m not going to say it is what is and make a move that doesn’t suit my preferences as much as possible just to stay true to the country where I was born. Makes no sense.

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Bottom line—we all have our preferences, hopes, dreams and desires.

And to satisfy these things, we have options. Or we strive to create opportunity—and options—for ourselves. This is what my partner and I are doing right now. You might be in the midst of something similar. Maybe you’re thinking about it or have already done it. Whatever it is, all that matters is that it brings you the life you wanna live now and for the duration.

It’s unAmerican to look down on somebody else for maximizing their options in a way that best suits them culturally and financially.