Where Should We Retire?

A couple years ago we decided that as soon as we could afford to we would quit the rat race and retire overseas.....but Where?

We began by looking at Panama, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, and other South American countries. We would still be close enough for visits back home to visit our son and daughter-in-law.

After lots and lots of research we decided to make our first retirement spot in Cotacachi, Ecuador. We would start there and if we liked it stay for awhile or move on to another location if we felt like it.

Then last June our son finished his Masters of Special Education degree at the University of Oregon and decided to apply to the JET program in Japan to teach English there. He was accepted into the program and he and Lisa moved to Japan and will probably be there for the next 3 - 5 years. She is also a teacher, with her Masters in Science Education, and within a week or two of being in Japan has gotten a teaching job there as well.

Our feeling is that they will not return to the US as the state of Education in this country is deplorable and they both love to travel and enjoy other cultures. When his JET obligations are over we're sure they will either find another teaching program in Japan or move to a different Asian or Indian country to continue their careers.

We have been liquidating all of our "stuff" in preparation for our move when we retire. Our house is in the final stages of escrow and if the 1%ers don't screw things over for the buyers we will be FREE of all the anchors we have accumulated over the years.

These events caused us to look into retiring in Asia/Southeast Asia/India to be closer to them for visits. And that led us to decide that we will start our retirement in Thailand.