Daily Doses of Happiness and Fun Are Easier to Find Overseas

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I recently saw a TV interview with the British actor Richard E. Grant (most famous for his role in the cult classic Whithnail and I) in which he talked about how his terminally ill wife had told him to find “a pocketful of happiness in every day.” In today’s world—with all our economic, social, and political turmoil—it can be hard to do that…

But I’d venture to say: It’s easier in the right spots overseas. A morning swim in the Caribbean…never pulling on a heavy winter coat or scraping the car window… enjoying a spontaneous dinner out with a friend and not worrying it’ll blow your budget. Find your happy place, and you’ll never have trouble creating those daily pocketsful of happiness.

This month, you’ll read about three couples who found their happy place in the world’s top retirement haven, Panama. Steve and Kari chose to retire in Pedasi after reading about it in these very pages. “Life has never been better,” Steve says. “No stress, great weather, tons of friends, tasty, inexpensive beer, and plenty of time to enjoy it all.”

But moving overseas doesn’t have to be a full-time proposition. For our feature story, we talked to folks who live an international life… part-time. “You’re never too old for fun in the sun and to play every day,” says Beverly who splits her time between Lake Tahoe and Cozumel, Mexico. You might think this kind of lifestyle is reserved for the well-heeled (“Oh we winter in the Caribbean”), but we’re here to tell you it’s not. You’ll be surprised at how accessible—and affordable—a part-time overseas getaway can be.

Of course, you needn’t move at all to live a more international life. Simply grabbing your passport and hopping a border will do it—even if you’re gone for just a few days. We asked our seasoned stable of travel writers for their best tips, tricks, and secrets for traveling better and saving time, trouble, and money along the way.