When Life Becomes an Adventure
My husband and I never thought we’d be leaving the country at our ages - Dan is 69 and I’m 61. When we moved to Asheville (a blue dot in a red state), we expected it to be our home for the remainder of our lives. But then the election happened and I had a panic attack. Not severe enough to send me to the hospital to get my heart checked, but bad enough the fight or flight system was activated. Mostly flight.
And so the day after the election we started searching for hospitable countries.
Then an interesting thing happened. What had started as fleeing from an America we could no longer stomach, became a great adventure. What did each place have to offer? What would life be like? When we stumbled upon Albania - and stumbled is the right word, because it was a YouTube suggestion - the adventure was cemented.
Adventure Turned Into Following A Dream
Our scouting trip to Albania revealed a country rich in history and natural beauty - beautiful beaches, incredible mountains, and verdant farmland (sadly, no farmland photos). The culture is vibrant, but laidback, and the people are kind and friendly.
Because Albania is a still developing economy, money goes a lot further than it does in the U.S. Many American retirees would be able to live comfortably on their social security. We were able to purchase a small condo (a little over 700 square feet) on the beach. A similar condo on the beach in Miami currently costs three to four times what we paid. California is worse. We just can’t afford to live on the beach in the U.S.
Dan and I both grew up in southern California, and we both love the beach. We never thought we would get to live at the beach though. Now, we are going live that dream.
In the Midst of Chaos
We are currently in toughest part of the project. We have returned to the U.S. to empty the house of its contents. Some stuff will go to our kids; some stuff will be sold; some of it will be given away. Then the house will be thoroughly cleaned and put on the market. (Naturally, we are worried about what tRump’s economy is doing to the housing market. Sigh.)
A Change in Perspective
Anyway, life is funny. I now wondered why I never considered living abroad before. I think it might be because, I had put faith in our Democracy - a faith I no longer have. Or maybe because of our great healthcare system - that many can’t access without going bankrupt. Or maybe because it seemed safe. But the U.S. isn’t that safe. Maybe it once was, but with multiple, daily mass shootings, it’s not. On the Peace Index, of 163 countries with Yemen being dead last at 163, the U.S. ranks 132nd. Albania is 42nd.
I once believed in the U.S. I no longer do.
