Ever dream or moving somewhere else around the world? (Photo: Thinkstock)
Ever been on a trip someplace warm and relaxing, and found yourself dreaming about never coming home? For some, it’s more than a dream. We caught up with four travelers, each of whom decided to make a permanent (or semi-permanent) home abroad. Here’s how to live a life abroad.
Leffel in Guanajuato (Photo: Tim Leffel)
Where: Guanajuato, Mexico
Why he made the move: For Leffel, a travel writer and author of the expat guide A Better Life for Half the Price, one of the big draws of expat life is the ability to stretch your dollars. In addition to lower housing costs in Mexico, Leffel pays $7 for symphony tickets and $3 an hour for babysitting.
How he did it: Leffel brought his wife and daughter to Mexico for a monthlong trial run, a move he recommends for all prospective expats. During that time, they got to see what it was like to live like locals, and also had a chance to check out private schools for their daughter. A year later, they returned and bought a house
Top expat tip: Go with the flow in your new home, Leffel advises. “If you’ve lived in the U.S. your whole life, you’re used to tremendous convenience,” he says. “You don’t necessarily have that when you go abroad.” Some things can be more difficult or labor-intensive, and things might not always make sense from an American perspective, Leffel notes. People who are able to laugh off these annoyances, he says, make for happier expats.
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