My husband, Kevin, and I both turned 30 this year, and while the rest of our cohort is punching a time clock and climbing up the bitter corporate ladder, we’re sipping sangria on the balcony of our seafront apartment on Spain’s Mediterranean coastline… savoring café con leche (Spanish coffee) as the sun rises…or celebrating with cava (sparkling wine) under the moon.
In the heart of rural Panama, nestled in the crater of an extinct volcano, El Valle is a place of orchids, rainforest greens, and canary-yellow flowers. Though it’s relatively unknown beyond Panamanian borders, locals argue that no other town can match it. And not just because of the singular beauty of the velvety-green mountaintops.
A great view usually translates into a premium price tag. But you can afford a home with stunning vistas if know the right place to look. For example, I know of one Pacific coast town where a beachfront condo with Californian-style ocean views and a similar lifestyle will only set you back $119,000. You’d need at least three times that to get close to the beach in California.
When a serious health issue and the loss of my job occurred at the same time as the international financial collapse, we took a huge hit emotionally and financially. Our family’s income was instantly reduced by 65% when I lost my job. Saving for a rainy day had been tough enough…but we were ill-prepared for the several “rainy years” that followed.
When I first started uploading photos to an online stock agency I had no idea how it would change my life. I had stumbled on stock agencies while looking for a photo for a small design job. But once I saw how much money people were making from their photos, I realized I could do the same. A year after I started, I was making $600 a month. And my best-selling photo has now earned me more than $3,500.
It was New Year’s Eve 2012 and the view outside my window was perfect. In the darkness, I could just make out the rolling Italian hills, dotted with brick houses with terracotta rooftops. A lone bell tower rose from a small, ancient church into the sky. And as the bell tolled midnight, the sky lit up with fireworks from three different directions.
From Bali to Belize, retreat centers are popping up to meet the demand of busy First World clients in search of relaxation. Janine Hall has found a niche for women-only retreats focusing on surf and yoga…Carrie Tengler has made a solid living from the spa and yoga business in Belize…and Kristin Gilbert-Ramirez missed yoga so much on her Costa Rican travels that she set up her own classes and decided to move there permanently.
For some time now, I’ve silently wondered if I am the only one who winces at the frequent admonishment to “go big or go home.” Why, I muse, would folks smart enough to abandon a large working environment want to replicate that? Why is millionaire status still flaunted as the pinnacle of success? Or home ownership the epitome of the American Dream? It all seems so…well…20th century.
If you’re planning to make the big move abroad, you can create a new occupation for yourself right now—something you will simply love doing and make money from at the same time.You can even get it going before you give up your job, making the transition to your new life overseas seamless.All you have to do is start writing a blog on something you’re passionate about and turn it into a money-making website.
When I tell people that I‘m self-employed, they frequently respond: “Oh, I’d like to work for myself, but I can’t quit my job because I have such great benefits.”Well, people who are self-employed can have vacations and health insurance, too. In fact, they usually have a considerably longer list of benefits not available to those with 9 to 5 jobs.