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1 - Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2024

Marion Repetti
Affiliation:
Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Switzerland
Toni Calasanti
Affiliation:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
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Summary

On 14 July 2022, International Living, a well-known company promoting international retirement migration,1 posted to its website the testimony of John, an American retiree living in Costa Rica. John explains why he and his partner retired abroad:

I grew up poor. I was the first person in the family to ever graduate college. I went on to become a physician and then returned to my hometown [and] had a successful career. You know – The American Dream. But somewhere along the way, [it] turned into An American Nightmare. Striving to achieve and maintain all that ‘success’ created consequences that demanded more and more of me. … That successful American dream was killing me. So, my partner … and I decided to look elsewhere for our dream. A dream that would let us slow down and enjoy life.

(International Living, 2022)

John describes the better quality of his new life in Costa Rica:

We live in an almost-secret valley at 4,000 feet elevation. Here we have no need of air conditioning or heating as our days average in the mid to upper 70s F. … The fertile, volcanic soils allow me to grow wonderful gardens of all kinds. … Between leaving the stress behind, walking much more, and living a generally more healthy lifestyle, I don't need to take blood pressure or cholesterol medicines anymore. … Because there are so many natural wonders to experience in this tiny country, we can take mini-vacations on a whim. And we have also taken several world vacations we would never have been able to do before due to time and money. … Property taxes are almost nothing. Private medical and dental care is about 1/4 to 1/3 of what it costs in the States. We live on about 1/3 of what we spent before we moved. Plus, now we have a maid twice a week, a full-time gardener, and a full-time handyman. We have plenty of time to socialize with friends again. … And speaking of friends, those who visit us from the States – the ones who thought we were nuts for moving – always comment on how happy, relaxed, and healthy we are. So, closing that door on an old life and starting a new one here has been the best decision we ever made.

(International Living, 2022)
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Publisher: Bristol University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Introduction
  • Marion Repetti, Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Switzerland, Toni Calasanti, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  • Book: Retirement Migration and Precarity in Later Life
  • Online publication: 23 January 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.46692/9781447358244.002
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Save book to Dropbox

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  • Introduction
  • Marion Repetti, Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Switzerland, Toni Calasanti, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  • Book: Retirement Migration and Precarity in Later Life
  • Online publication: 23 January 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.46692/9781447358244.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Marion Repetti, Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Switzerland, Toni Calasanti, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  • Book: Retirement Migration and Precarity in Later Life
  • Online publication: 23 January 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.46692/9781447358244.002
Available formats
×