The pros and cons of retiring abroad

More people are spending their golden years abroad, and it's not hard to see why

A couple at a lake.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Joaquin Ossorio-Castillo/iStock, phochi/iStock)

After working as an environmental engineer for nearly 40 years, Ann Kuffner had had enough of corporate politics. She and her husband, Michael Brunette, who owned a contracting business, were overworked and burned out.

"We made good money, but worked like dogs. We had little free time for family, friends, or hobbies," says Kuffner, 68, via email from her home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. "Once we figured out that we could retire early due to the low cost of living overseas, we took a risk and went for it."

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Jaimie Seaton

Jaimie Seaton is a freelance writer who lives in New Hampshire. She reported for the Sunday Times of London and Newsweek from South Africa and Thailand, and has written for or edited numerous publications around the world. Her bylines include New York magazine, Glamour, O, Pacific Standard, and she's a frequent contributor to The Washington Post. She looks forward to retiring abroad.