Jeff Layfield spent years imagining where in the US. He and his wife would retire after leaving Hawaii. Instead, they now live in a traditional house overlooking the sea in Japan. Before retiring, the couple lived in an apartment upstairs in their parents’ home on Oahu. Layfield worked in data management for the Marine Corps,
I retired at 53 and have been slowly traveling the world with my husband for almost 2 years. Last month, while we were renting a villa in Bali, everything next to it usually went quiet at dusk. That’s when there was a knock on the door. “Tomorrow night there will be a party,” Kadek told
This September marks 10 years since my father died and I left not only Florida, but the United States. Leaving the country was difficult, but now I am experiencing a new kind of pain: losing my connection to the United States. My relationships with my friends, my family, and my hometown have changed, but so
From my first week in Toronto I knew it wasn’t the place for me. However, it took me six years, a death, a breakup, and the loss of my dream job to buy a one-way ticket out of there. It was never my intention to settle in Toronto, but when love called, I responded. The
Cara West and her family moved to Europe in search of a better quality of life. Photo courtesy of Cara West In 2024, Cara West moved from the United States to Greece with her husband and young daughter. The family wanted a better quality of life, more affordability and a greater sense of community. West
I relocated to the Netherlands with my kids two years ago and have since helped many Americans call new countries home. Typically, I talk to two types of people considering a move abroad. The first type has been “planning to move” for years. They’ve watched every YouTube video, joined multiple expat Facebook groups, and can
