Sagely Ignoring Conventional Wisdom

Sagely Ignoring Conventional Wisdom

“More places…more often…with more insiders as our guides.” This year, we’ve made a commitment to expand our reach…to cover the world more comprehensively…to open up for you new possibilities. People always talk about how the world is getting smaller. But as an IL reader, yours is about to expand. In an era when so many news organizations are calling their foreign correspondents home (further insulating an already myopic American public), we’re doing just the opposite.

How to Take Your Dog to Europe

How to Take Your Dog to Europe

I was talking to a sassy American woman on the cusp of retirement. She was buying my car and asked why I was selling a fairly new vehicle with such low mileage. When I told her I was going to Italy—with no plans to return—she got a dreamy, faraway look in her eyes… then looked a little sad. She would love to go to Europe, she said, but she couldn’t bear to leave her pets behind.

The Secret to a “Richer” Life in Latin America

The Secret to a “Richer” Life in Latin America

This past year, I turned 65. Medicare age. Yikes! Instead of celebrating—or whining—I spent several days quietly taking stock, reflecting on where I am in my life, how I have changed, what’s important. My key insight: I’m a lot happier now than I’ve ever been, because I’ve finally seen through the myth of wanting perfection. Life isn’t perfect. Friends aren’t perfect. I’m not perfect. Knowing that, I’ve learned to lighten up, go with the flow, and cut the world some slack. What a relief! I’m sharing this with you because every year, every class session, I face a room full of anxious expats who are grimly challenging themselves to become fluent in Spanish… or die trying.