What am I thinking!

July 28, 2010
It is a warm morning here in Maine, the one week anniversary of catching a few moments of an episode of House Hunter International which featured a couple looking for property in the Dominican Republic. I am not a tv watcher, I usually lay with my feet in my husband's lap totally immersed in my own space which I affectionately call Cindyland, opting instead to Google. I was rather lost, not really wanting to work on school plans, not wanting to work on much of anything to tell the truth, so I Googled Dominican Republic Real Estate and started clicking. It didn't take long to find out that Ecuador topped International Living's List of top places to retire.

Now, as surreal as this is, I can retire. I just finished my 24th year of teaching here in Maine and I can get a check for the rest of my life. The trouble is that it is a SMALL check. It is just like when I began my job. A long time ago, I was a college graduate with a job and I could have groceries and a car but no housing, or I could afford housing but not eat or drive to work. That is what my current retirement status is... I can pay my rent or have a car and eat, but I can't do all three. Life journeys bring you to interesting places. Mine has not brought me to owning a home and having a huge bank account. It also has not been a story of being destitute and miserable.

Right now I am exploring getting out of Dodge, so to speak. What if I could take my small retirement check and be able to afford a nice apartment, good food, a car, a motorcycle and enjoy a bit of travel without working any more? But... I know that this opportunity comes with the negative reality of moving away from my children and becoming part of a new culture and a new place! I don't know what to think yet but I am thinking that I just might go! I decided to keep a diary of the process and invite comment from anyone else who might be reading this in order to keep track of my thinking and reflect on what just might be the most drastic change of my life.

So far...

Safety is my first concern. Things don't seem good if you read the government's travel warnings. Costa Rica's report is much more positive yet it is ranked only one point higher on the International Living list. Much of what I am reading on the Internet and watching on YouTube is that you are essentially seen as a target by those who have less than you. Duh! Who can blame someone who has little to take interesting objects such as cash, jewelry, computers and phones that are out and about with little supervision. I don't see this as troublesome. Of course a vendor will let you pay $3 for a $1 meal. Buyer beware. Essentially, I think these are real concerns but I am not very troubled by them.

My second concern is not related to moving to a foreign country. What does a person do when they are retired? Do I want to retire?

My last concern is simply being alone. I don't see friends and family that often, but what would it really be like to leave? My four breakfasts out with Kathleen suddenly seem to occur fairly often! I know everyone will be as close as email, and most of my interactions occur over the computer... but, my daughter is just down the road. If I leave, that isn't true. An email from her to go apple picking couldn't come with an invitation like it does now. Family game nights that we only have three or four times a year would stop.


These are actions I have taken:

1. I have started to downsize for the second time. I am working on my porch, back room and storage space.

2. I have my passport.

3. I signed up for a workshop on my retirement benefits in August, only a few weeks away.

4. I contacted a person I know who lived in Ecuador. Lots of positive things were said.

5. I put in for five personal days in February so we can travel down and see the place for ourselves. This would happen if I continue to work for the next year.

6. I got a subscription to International Living.

7. I bought a book about retiring in Ecuador.

8. I bought a book about gold panning in Euador.


At this moment, I am 95% sure I am going to go. I think I will leave as quickly as next summer. All I need to do is participate in one of the volunteer programs to teach English as a second language. They will help me negotiate all of the necessary protocols and I will merge into a support network that I can somewhat trust. When I think about the stress of 8 more years of working going is the hands-down winner. Then, I start to think... A Stranger In a Strange Land...

Cindy