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Hi, thanks for your response. I actually live an hour west of Detroit in Ann Arbor. I've lived here for nearly 30 years. It has its positive and negative points, like anywhere else. I had originally planned to retire to Mexico, and started extensive research in 2006. With all the violence in the country since that time, I have changed my plans and am looking for a place in the US (less expensive and more retiree friendly in terms of taxes than MI). At any rate, I still dream of a retirement abroad, though it's challenging with all the restrictions in EU countries. I'd love to read your story on the other threads. Can you point me to these other locations? I understand why you don't want to repeat your story here. I'm happy to read the other posts if you tell me where they are located. Thanks again.
Ann Arbor is a nice town. But, with society as it is today, many of us have had to search for an area with a low COL in order to live comfortably in retirement.
About 25 years ago while living in Arizona I sent for a book about retiring to Mexico and continued to read & learn about the various areas. I became convinced that retiring to Mexico would be my utopia. By the time I retired in 2005, Mexico was no longer cheap and as you mentioned not so safe anymore. So that dream died with the times.
I have posted on several threads on this forum but I think you may be able to read a lot of my story on the "Retiring on a literal shoestring" thread.
I've been following this thread as time allows, and I'm curious if you are an American living in Scotland, or are you from an EU country? I'm asking since "retirement" to the UK is difficult for a US citizen. I'd love to retire to the UK, but there isn't any retirement visa for USA, and tourists can only stay 6 months out of 12. You are so lucky to be there! Look forward to hearing more about your background. I apologize if you have already discussed this on this thread.
Welcome to this thread--it also has been a great source of inspiration and comfort to me knowing that many other women are tackling the same dilemmas.
Briefly(hopefully) I am born and bred in Scotland --left in my early twenties for the states and came back about 7 years ago to be there for my elderly mother (she died 3 years ago) it was an adjustment coming back after 35+ years in America--I even had an uncle tell me that old saying "you never can go home" so now the only family I have here is a couple of cousins who I very rarely see and my only daughter and grandson in California and the pull to be near them is strong but practicallity keeps rearing its head. I guess my main worry about returning to the US is medical costs etc so the battle between head and heart has raged these last 3 years --driving me crazy with indecision stay or go?
So lately I have just decided to stop the angst and just appreciate the here and now. Retirement here is limited as you mentioned to the 6 months --but wouldnt it be wonderful to keep a bolt hole in the states and live in the UK for those 6 months but not everyone unfortunately has those resources --other EU countries do offer retirement options for non-EU citizens. I was stationed in Germany for 2 years and loved it---other dream places are Normandy and Brittany in France, Tuscany, Australia and New Zealand(have cousins there) a retirement visa there is around £250,000 and from what I remember you have to requalify after X number of years at a further very high cost.
It is different here now that mum and dad are both gone(I am an only child)--my dad told me many years ago that once he and my mum were gone that I wouldnt feel the same pull for Scotland and yes life here is not the same without them but the attachment is still so strong--as the saying goes you can take the girl out of Scotland but you can never take Scotland out of the girl despite this I do miss America---oh to be able to clone myself and live in both places lol.
I've been following this thread as time allows, and I'm curious if you are an American living in Scotland, or are you from an EU country? I'm asking since "retirement" to the UK is difficult for a US citizen. I'd love to retire to the UK, but there isn't any retirement visa for USA, and tourists can only stay 6 months out of 12. You are so lucky to be there! Look forward to hearing more about your background. I apologize if you have already discussed this on this thread.
After finishing that previous brief email of mine I forgot to mention that here the public transportation system is for the most part so much better and you can manage without a car like I currently do unlike Sacrament where although you can survive without a car getting around is not so easy particularly as you age although there are vans that can transport you for errands,doctors appointments for a fee so it is not impossible.
I often do my grocery shopping online and the fee to have it delivered is less than the taxi ride home from the supermarket---very handy for especially heavy grocery items. I have noticed that Safeway has online grocery shopping in Sacramento
...other EU countries do offer retirement options for non-EU citizens.
Thank you for the wonderful post and information. You and I differ in that I would love to live somewhere else other than the US. I do understand the attraction to places like California, but that state too has its challenges. With your family there, I can understand why you'd like to live there part of the time.
I have not found any EU country that offers any kind of retirement option for a non-EU citizen. Other EU countries restrict tourism to 3 months out of 12. The UK is 6 out of 12.
Are there any EU countries that you know of that allow US citizens to retire to an EU country without the time restrictions? I'd be interested! Your post seemed to indicate that there were retirement options for non-EU" citizens.
After finishing that previous brief email of mine I forgot to mention that here the public transportation system is for the most part so much better and you can manage without a car like I currently do unlike Sacrament where although you can survive without a car getting around is not so easy particularly as you age although there are vans that can transport you for errands,doctors appointments for a fee so it is not impossible.
I often do my grocery shopping online and the fee to have it delivered is less than the taxi ride home from the supermarket---very handy for especially heavy grocery items. I have noticed that Safeway has online grocery shopping in Sacramento
Wisteria, best advice I can give you is where you do not want to retire: Metro Nashville area. I currently live here and no acitivities for our age group and with the last three mayors stated they prefer the younger generations or couples for this area. Single women our age are considered, well, let's just say outsiders.
I am like you have a few more years till retirement and will more than likely get a job after retirement. I have allergic asthma so I am looking for a city/town in Tennessee with cleaner air. Right now I am looking at greater East Tennessee area for a smaller town/city and slower pace of life.
Reading the posts I noticed a lot of women like ourselves who are young, active and would love to have a support group of our own in the same city. I am still looking at others states, right now exploring KY as well.
Wisteria, best advice I can give you is where you do not want to retire: Metro Nashville area. I currently live here and no acitivities for our age group and with the last three mayors stated they prefer the younger generations or couples for this area. Single women our age are considered, well, let's just say outsiders.
I am like you have a few more years till retirement and will more than likely get a job after retirement. I have allergic asthma so I am looking for a city/town in Tennessee with cleaner air. Right now I am looking at greater East Tennessee area for a smaller town/city and slower pace of life.
Reading the posts I noticed a lot of women like ourselves who are young, active and would love to have a support group of our own in the same city. I am still looking at others states, right now exploring KY as well.
Welcome to the thread! Wisteria has not posted here for quite some time because of work comittments.
I am retired and live in NE Tennessee (Tri-Cities) which is a very retirement friendly area. However, quite a bit of pollen allergies around here but do not know if it is any worse than Nashville. If you wish to remain in Tennessee, you might want to look at Cookeville or Crossville. Very friendly retirement areas. Knoxville is a great town/city and probably much more retirement friendly than Nashville. Don't know anything about KY.
That sounds like so much fun. Will you be in one of those Chinese boats that we see racing at festivals etc---the ones with multiple rowers?
I have always fancied living on a boat even in my declining years lol I even knew of a couple in their eighties that did it---my type of senior citizen I particularly like the model of boat called the Formosa(as seen in Captain Ron) Three advantages of living on a boat 1. When you want to move you just weigh anchor and take your home with you. 2. It forces one to seriously declutter--( where on earth would I store all my Wagner cd's) and # 3 When one gets too frail etc you could just get towed out to sea--hey presto a Viking funeral and it would be off to Valhalla a fate much preferable than withering away in a nursing home
Love that - a viking funeral. Now that's a great way to go!!! You put living on a boat in a whole new perspective! And I love the Formosa as Captain Ron is one of my favorite fantasy movies. For those new to Dragon Boat Racing, yes it is one of those long boats with lots of rowers. It's like a 40 ft. canoe with 20 rowers (10 on each side) plus the steerer and the leader/caller. I've been out twice and am hooked. In October Disney World is hosting it's annual Dragon Boat Racing Festival and am planning to enter with a team. That's when the put the Dragon head/tail on the boats. They have clubs all over the U.S. and world. Great workout, lots of fun and great people. Here's a photo taken of the newbies. I have now gone from being a Neonate to a Hatchling!
Love that - a viking funeral. Now that's a great way to go!!! You put living on a boat in a whole new perspective! And I love the Formosa as Captain Ron is one of my favorite fantasy movies. For those new to Dragon Boat Racing, yes it is one of those long boats with lots of rowers. It's like a 40 ft. canoe with 20 rowers (10 on each side) plus the steerer and the leader/caller. I've been out twice and am hooked. In October Disney World is hosting it's annual Dragon Boat Racing Festival and am planning to enter with a team. That's when the put the Dragon head/tail on the boats. They have clubs all over the U.S. and world. Great workout, lots of fun and great people. Here's a photo taken of the newbies. I have now gone from being a Neonate to a Hatchling!
For those new to Dragon Boat Racing, yes it is one of those long boats with lots of rowers. It's like a 40 ft. canoe with 20 rowers (10 on each side) plus the steerer and the leader/caller. I've been out twice and am hooked. In October Disney World is hosting it's annual Dragon Boat Racing Festival and am planning to enter with a team. That's when the put the Dragon head/tail on the boats. They have clubs all over the U.S. and world. Great workout, lots of fun and great people. Here's a photo taken of the newbies. I have now gone from being a Neonate to a Hatchling!
My kind of girl! Would love to do that - except, the ocean is a ways from here. I also have always wanted to kayak - that I can do here
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Wakening up to the appreciation of where I am.
) I am born and bred in Scotland --left in my early twenties for the states and came back about 7 years ago to be there for my elderly mother (she died 3 years ago) it was an adjustment coming back after 35+ years in America--I even had an uncle tell me that old saying "you never can go home" 
so now the only family I have here is a couple of cousins who I very rarely see and my only daughter and grandson in California and the pull to be near them is strong but practicallity keeps rearing its head. I guess my main worry about returning to the US is medical costs etc so the battle between head and heart has raged these last 3 years --driving me crazy with indecision
stay or go?
despite this I do miss America---oh to be able to clone myself and live in both places lol.
Forgot to mention
I particularly like the model of boat called the Formosa(as seen in Captain Ron) Three advantages of living on a boat 1. When you want to move you just weigh anchor and take your home with you. 2. It forces one to seriously declutter--( where on earth would I store all my Wagner cd's
