Living in Albania for 9 months

[@HJones-pi5bs]

The reality is that many people are approaching retirement without enough money to live on. We should be grateful that we can take our pensions or government benefits abroad and live comfortably. Thank you for providing information to help people make good decisions for themselves!

[@cgordon3370]

Patrick thank you for your reply we are trying to get as much information as possible so we will know what to prepare for next. Your videos have been helpful to many of us who would like to make the move to visit or stay. Get well soon and thanks again

[@eddhernandez9410]

Patrick - good to see you but sorry that you have this cold. Take the time to get well and then come back to us. Remember life is a journey not a race. Slow down now so that you will be able to get back to your walks and exploring

[@patrickoverseas]

Hi Edd ! Yea been staying staying in. I admit its frustrating because theres so much i want to do and see. Thank you for the concern.

[@jennineosorio8786]

Good morning Patrick! Sorry to hear you're not feeling well! A good remedy I take every morning is 8 oz warm water, not hot! And squeeze 1/2 lemon into the water. Then drink it down. You can add a bit of honey too. It has helped me stay cold and flu free foe a year. I can't wait to view your next videos! And get better soon!

[@patrickoverseas]

Thanks! I will give that a try.

[@TimeToTravel-u2x]

Lol.....

[@khaledaldwaikat199]

good idea! Thanks for sharing

[@Elizabeth-dx5oz]

Get well Patrick 🥳🥳💪 Thank you for your effort 👏

[@patrickoverseas]

I will be ok...thank you. Im just frustrated with it. Somethings going around. Friends here and Tirana are sick

[@LeoHipolito]

Great update Patrick!

[@AncientEko]

Feel better soon Patrick! Thank you for taking the time to post even when you feel so lousy. Get some rest!

[@patrickoverseas]

Thanks buddy. Its frustrating. But i will shake it soon.

[@malcolmnicoll1165]

hope you're feeling better, Patrick. Glad that Dan from Vagabond Awake got you on his channel. Been. a fan since. Keep up the good work.

[@KpopGrandma]

Me too!

[@patrickoverseas]

Thank you so much

[@TheBlueCollarTourist]

I like your channel. In Kotor Montenegro at the moment. Gonna take the bus to Shkodor next month when my airbnb rental is done here. Lived in Thailand for almost a year. Loved it. Stayed in Mexico for a few months. Loved it there as well. Gonna see how Albania is next. It looks great. Gonna start with Shkodor then look at Tirana and Durres. Or at least that’s the plan.

[@patrickoverseas]

You will love Shkoder !!! Thank you for being here.

[@anthonynork8868]

I'm sorry you're sick, buddy. I'm in Fier now. I'll see you in about three weeks. Hopefully, you will be feeling better by then.

[@patrickoverseas]

We loved Fier. Glad your here !

[@ndyajeff]

I'm excited to see some of those videos you have planned!

[@patrickoverseas]

Me too...i love to explore

[@LizafromWhere]

Hi Patrick. Good video. NGL so jealous you bought a place so cheap whilst USD was high. So clever. I may need to catch up with you at some point. I'm about to retire. Currenly living and working in Myanmar. I think my next contract is either Uzbekistan or Algeria (International teacher). After that I should be good to retire. I know Albania as I lived and worked there too. Cambodia is also going ahead leaps and bounds and Siam Rep is currently my top pick. But Europe is home so maybe a blend. If I do end up in SR I can reciporocate and share what I know. But I will not buy there.

[@dianezell78]

My experience traveling solo has been really Amazing! Genuine hospitality- I fell for Montenegro- then I loved Bulgaria- I think I want to live on 🇦🇱- love Macedonia too!

[@patrickoverseas]

Happy for you Diane! We hope to visit Bulgaria as well.

[@Rick-l5v]

We are arriving Tirana in April. Do they require any specific immunizations? Thanks for great videos. Rick

[@patrickoverseas]

No sir...no worries...your good to go. Just make sure your passport is good and not about to expire

[@Rick-l5v]

@patrickoverseas thank you

[@ExpatSingleMom]

So no Amazon or Walmart? 😫 J/k Hope you feel better Patrick! That’s really interesting what you said about Lin. The history there sounds very interesting. Now I’m going to look it up.

[@patrickoverseas]

Hi !! Yes incredible ! There are tombs here as well caved out of stone in Lin . Excited to see them.

[@spidrawebster]

I hope you feel better soon. Thanks for sharing your update with us. Is it possible that in a future video you can cover how you researched & prepared for your move to Albania? Or if you've covered this in detail before, can you point out which video it was in? Thank you!

[@patrickoverseas]

Yes...on my channel. Look for play list. click there. Its all the videos i did in preparing for the move here. Banking, passports, research we did before we came.

[@spidrawebster]

@@patrickoverseas Thanks. I definitely tried to do my due diligence before asking the question as I want to make sure to respect you and not ask you to use your time in order to save me time out of laziness. 😇 I've appreciated your videos on mail, banking, etc. and I'm sure I'll rewatch them 'til I've got it. I was just wondering if there were other aspects. Like researching which items would be hardest to get in Albania so you could decide how to prioritize which of your possessions you brought with you instead of selling off in the US and replacing in Albania. Or any research you might have done into major differences in Albanian law from US law. Or spending research time ahead of time trying to figure out which were going to be the biggest areas of culture shock. Thanks so much again for your channel. It's a tight squeeze for me, but I think I'd like to try moving to Albania (and learning the language, the culture) based on yours and other folks' reports.

[@patrickoverseas]

@spidrawebster we came with just 5 suitcases and 2 back packs which is hard I'd say 1 thing to bring extra.. any certificates you have on education or honorable discharge from military. It will help you on residency Be as debt free as you can. Freeze your credit state side. It's free!! Separate your money to 2 banks. Have multiple ways to get your money

[@spidrawebster]

@@patrickoverseas Thanks. I appreciate you sharing your thought process on this. And sharing your look at the alleys of Albania.

[@tonyz9384]

Time sure flies. Something sure is going around as I have being having same symptoms. Maybe due to change it climate. I hope you feel better soon friend.

[@patrickoverseas]

Frustrating buddy. I really wanted to go to lin this weekend. But i know it will be there next week. Met a couple of cool guys from this area that will take me around. Will be fun.

[@alecspradling4288]

Patrick, thank you for the information you have provided about Albania! I am planning to visit very soon and stay for some time to evaluate how everything works out. Do you know of any expat groups based in Albania and more specifically in Tirana? On Facebook I found 2 but there is very little activity and people don't respond frequently. When I get there I would love to have a group of expats that I can connect with. Thanks!

[@patrickoverseas]

look up ...expats in albania.. They charge for stuff, but what is free from them is a event calendar....each month updated when and where expats are meeting in Tirana. I never used it, but give that a try. I myself want to be with the locals for the most part.

[@ScaryLarry2024]

@@alecspradling4288 I hope to be there by the end of March and I too would like to meet up with a few expats to help me settle in and maybe show me around. I’ve never been out of country, so I’m expecting a bit of culture shock.

[@alecspradling4288]

@@patrickoverseas I found them. thanks for the suggestion Patrick!

[@patrickoverseas]

@ScaryLarry2024 it just takes time. If you want to be around other expats I'd stay in tirana. The most Americans there

[@BobbyB3rd]

What kind of Charles Schwab account do you have.. my closing on my house is February 28th.. if all goes well I'll be In Europe and in route to Albania by the end of March.. I'm going to try and take a transatlantic cruise like you guys did. Figured it would be an awesome way to reset my brain for my new life 🙌🙏🙌

[@patrickoverseas]

Call them and they will walk you thru it. I have a checking account with them. And rolled my 401k into a IRA with them. They have great customer service. See if they have a office near you. If not call them. Yea Bobby,,,that cruise was perfect ! Like taking a vacation to get to your permanent vacation.

[@candyfields535]

Hope you feel better soon, Patrick.

[@patrickoverseas]

Thank you Candy ! Im just frustrated. I never get sick back to back. I was sick at xmas. Just a cold, but frustrating. Friends sick here and Tirana. Something going around.

[@COOKINGFROMTHELOFT]

I've enjoyed watching your channel grow!! A shot of some good Kentucky bourbon, lemon and honey will do wonders on that throat! Cheers!

[@patrickoverseas]

I like the way you think about the bourbon ! Thank you so much for watching.

[@Azureblaze77]

I'll be in Albania 2nd of April. I'm exploring future retirement destinations! I'm curious what the condominium fees are if any in the condo you recently purchased?

[@patrickoverseas]

Most buildings will charge you 8 to 10 euros a month for building maintenance. Elevators and such.

[@Azureblaze77]

@@patrickoverseas Sounds very reasonable, thanks for that.

[@cgordon3370]

Hey Patrick sorry to see you’re not doing well hope you feel better soon when ever we are coming into the winter I will take vitamin D and zinc to avoid getting sick and it seems to work well. You mentioned that y’all bought a condo do they have similar rules, regulations and association fees as we have here in the states and if you don’t mind me asking what is your unit fee there

[@patrickoverseas]

Most places will have a 8 to 10 euro a month for building maintenance. Elevators and such. Yea i take d3, zinc, and c each day.

[@dmm1863]

"It's not going to be like America." Yes, It's going to be BETTER

[@patrickoverseas]

Yea in many ways .

[@jenn5266]

People who actually expect other places to be like America need to get out and start learning. As an American who lives part time in Greece, life is very different than America . If you can keep an open mind and learn to go with the flow, you will enjoy life soooo much more. Never been to Albania but it appears a lot like Greece. New subscriber and looking forward to watching your vids here. Enjoy your time 😊😊

[@patrickoverseas]

@@jenn5266 Hi Jenn ! Thank You for subscribing ! I hate to see people struggle. Hope all goes well for everyone

[@jn109hyy]

Hi Patrick, as you bought a property there, you are eligible to have a Permanent Residence in Albania in this case. Am I correct? Are you going to apply for that? Just routine right?

[@patrickoverseas]

Going thru that now on residency.

[@jackflanagle6079]

I'm American, retired and living in Durres. Yes, Albania has some funky issues to work out with trash, stray mutts, etc. But, I would rather be around these very friendly, helpful people who are always delighted when they ask where I'm from, this great winter climate and of course the low cost of living (with a careful budget I live well on less than $900/month) then being in certain EU countries to the north where, yes, there is very little trash, no strays but damn few smiles! And, we need to remind our fellow Americans that Albania gives us (only) a ONE YEAR visa, at no cost, and with no red tape. This is the best deal in Europe. Hopefully they never join the EU and go the way of Greece, Portugal etc. If you're ready to escape the United Security States of Anxiety (USSA) then come on over and check it out. I left nearly 14 years ago, ain't been back since. (I wish you a speedy recovery Patrick).

[@patrickoverseas]

Thank you sir...well said

[@dissco.partysan3333]

What way of Greece and Portugal? They are both in the EU.

[@patrickoverseas]

I think hes saying dont join as greece and portugal did

[@jackflanagle6079]

@@dissco.partysan3333 Greece demands you have a provable income of about $2500/month. Yet, the average Greek lives on about half of that. Portugal has a lower 'official' income requirement of something less than $1000/month but the ACTUAL income they are looking to see in the immigration interview (providing you wait a few years to even get one) is double that. Also, they REALLY want to see about $20000 deposited in their bank not the 'official' 10K. They will also TAX YOUR PENSION. I could yammer on & on but the point is that the EU only wants well-heeled expats, (not retired working people who's SS may be, say, $1500-1800 even though you have savings) and there are endless hoops (police reports, proof of property purchase, etc.) you must now jump through. They can get away with all this because so many want to have this romantic 'cultural experience' (Ditto Spain & Italy). Compare that to Albania's one year visa that took me all of ONE MINUTE to get simply by presenting my US passport. But if Albania ever joins the EU they will be pressured to adopt all this endless stupid BS as well.

[@morningcoffee4456]

If you have money its an option. Plus albanian is a difficult language to learn. I guess these videos are targeted to upper middle class earners with mobile money People in this bracket will enjoy life more no matter the location.

[@Kevin-et5zs]

Patrick, I have never called April momma, and I just wanted you to know that. :)

[@patrickoverseas]

lmao ! Glad to hear that.

[@g.l.stanley5672]

If you were 10 years older, do you think you may have stayed with the renting plan?

[@patrickoverseas]

At first yes. But now im glad we bought. Interesting how you said that...( if i were 10 years older ) ..yes it played a large part in buying. Im not a negative guy. But i have to think, if i die before April....She will have a place paid for. She can stay or sell. And in the event of my death she still will get 75% of my pension after my death for the rest of her life. Not trying to be a bummer, But as we age its something we must address.

[@TomBartram-b1c]

Im thinking of doing this ... before the UK gov bans it (as they should!)

[@patrickoverseas]

You have options my friend.

[@ScaryLarry2024]

Hey Patrick, I have been watching your videos while prepping for my trip/move to Albania. I’ve learned a lot from you and others and appreciate you sharing your experience. Would like to talk more if possible. Also, I’m opening a Charles Schwab account, do you have a referral code? Make u a few bucks maybe.

[@patrickoverseas]

Hi...no referral code. I dont charge anything. I make a few bucks off my videos. Schwab just has been awesome for me.

[@ScaryLarry2024]

@ thank you, I’m going to be using a combination of Capital One and Schwab. Thanks again for your videos.

[@patrickoverseas]

@ScaryLarry2024 GREAT PICKS ! I went schwab and bank of America...I've heard great things about capitol one from other expats. If I had to do it again I'd do the same as your doing

[@AsAbovesobelow952]

The stray dogs situation should be fixed soonish. The government knows wha to do but that solution might not be too humane. At the same time, Albania is poised to become more and more a touristical destination. Thus, soon or later, this issue will need to be fixed( in fact before 2029 when we will try to join EU, nothing is set in stone ofcourse) but defenetly the prime minister is trying hard to change the image.

[@jenn5266]

Do you do TNR there for stray animal situation? I read between lines of what you said and that breaks my heart. I’m an animal lover at heart

[@AsAbovesobelow952]

@jenn5266 look probably i was not clear. Firstly, i live in the states but I was born and raised in Albania until I was a teen. Secondly my point was that the government wanted to do that, but animal rights came along and said you can't just #&$& dogs My point is that a solution needs to be found. The government one way or the other will need to invest animal control. And Albanians over all are animal lovers, no one harms them unfortunately we have heard cases where dogs have bitten people but those are quite rare. Nevertheless it's not good for the image of thr country and the albanian society needs to pressure the government into finding a solution. Albania is really trying hard to join EU, and is marketing itself as a touristscal destination so a solution eventually needs to be found.

[@patrickoverseas]

Im just glad the dogs are fed well. April feeds them too. We are loving your country.

[@patrickoverseas]

Everyone takes care of them. They are well fed and friendly.

[@aphillips5909]

@@patrickoverseas Thank you for saying that! I have to say that was one of my main concerns: Loose dogs running all over the place and perhaps biting someone? I was attacked in the states by two dogs years ago, that was a bad situation, so I am very cautios when I see a loose dog.