Quit Grinding Your Gears to Fit Where You
Are—Go, Instead, to Where You Fit

As borders begin to open once more and a glimpse of light starts to show at the end of the tunnel, it’s a pleasure to report that here at International Living, we’re getting our troops mustered and our boots dusted off for a return to our globetrotting ways.

As I write this, our France Correspondent, Tuula Rampont, is making her final preparations for a fact finding trip to the exquisite river-valley region of France: the Dordogne. On the other side of the globe, IL Vietnam Correspondent Wendy Justice has just returned from her own trip to the beaches, mountains, and cities in the southern part of Vietnam, bringing tales of cool highland retreats, sophisticated metropolitan living, and tranquil beach life at some of the country’s favorite coastal resorts.

Something else Wendy found on her travels, is contented expats. They’re taking the recent global crises in stride, safe in the knowledge that they’re living in a place where the virus has been contained, where the low cost of living means that they have fewer financial worries than they had in North America, and where ample low cost, high-quality healthcare means that even if the worst should happen, they’re in good hands.

Fitting your home to your needs, like they’ve done, is one of the prime benefits of moving overseas. It’s a big world, and with so much to offer, it just makes more sense to head to the place that fits you best, rather than struggle and grind your gears trying to fit into one that doesn’t.

That’s exactly what IL Colombia Correspondent Nancy Kiernan has done in Medellín, Colombia. It took her only a couple of days to realize that this sophisticated, people-friendly city, lined with trees and strewn with parks and gardens, was where she wanted to make a home. It fits her perfectly, and she’s delighted to sing its praises.

For David and Sherry Lee, it’s the search itself that provides the reward. They didn’t want to be away from their grandkids permanently, so they stay in the U.S. for the summer, then spend the rest of the year exploring. “It’s a big world out there,” says Sherry, “and I want to see it all!”

For Dawn Schick, it was the Caribbean beaches, exuberant coral reefs, and the social life that lured her from her high-stress life in Virginia to the barefoot langor of Belize.

So, will you be next up? Turn the page to explore some of your best options for a new, happier life.

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