You don’t have to be an EXPAT to leave the US!

[@lindadorman2869]

Rather than move or travel full-time, I decided to keep a small apartment in the US as my home base but live abroad half of the year. I rent a live/work space that doubles as storage for my online reselling business, and the cost is a tax-deductible business expense. Plus I can keep my US bank accounts and physical address. I can go wherever I want, as often as I want and whenever it works for my schedule. Since I source goods from other countries, my travel expenses are also tax-deductible. It's the best of both worlds!

[@m8852]

Be aware: You can't legally take a tax deduction for the cost of living space. You can deduct the cost of storage space, however. If you were to say that the entire live/work space is used for storage, the IRS would balk. (I'm an Enrolled Agent.)

[@thomasreedy4751]

Or you could claim residency in South Dakota, Florida or Texas and not have to rent with the risk of something happening (water leak) while you’re away.

[@lindadorman2869]

@@m8852 Thanks for your comment. I was aware of that rule when I chose the space. It was inspected and classified as commercial storage by the IRS, but zoned live/work space by the county, and my tax returns for the last 4 years have all been approved without a problem. I think it's very rare to find this kind of space but not impossible.

[@lindadorman2869]

@@thomasreedy4751 I wish I could but I have 4000 units of physical inventory that I need to store somewhere, and I need to be here part of the year to make money.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @lindadorman2869, If your apartment is inexpensive enough to keep it and travel, that's awesome. Having a virtual mailbox has worked very well for us, so we don't feel disadvantaged in any way. We also can still vote and maintain our residency in California using our last known address. We always want people to be happy in whatever path they're on, so we're delighted that you've found a way to travel and work so well. Thanks for sharing your situation with us! We love hearing about it. -Judy

[@FrankTellez-vk9kn]

Jesus, my sister's and I are thinking of leaving the US, because we're on S.S. now and can't afford to live here anymore. We've been desperately looking for senior housing but there's nothing out there for us. Luckily we have the option of dual citizenship through our country of birth. I thought the process would be complicated and time consuming. It took one day.... one visit to the local consulate! Our main reasons for wanting to exit this place is the financial burden, most of our income is going to pay rent in an over priced cardboard box. The lousy traffic, you can't go grocery shopping on foot without the fear of getting killed just crossing the street! Police and fire truck sirens 24-7! These 'fast and the furious' low lives blasting up and down the street! It's a nightmare, in what was once a relatively decent place to live. We're looking for a better quality of life,....I know 'oh come on! This is the USA, the greatest country in the world, what's wrong with you!?' well, there is no quality of life here, like most people we're existing just to pay rent. No place to go, nothing to see unless you're willing to sit in traffic for hours to do anything, no thanks. The politics, I won't even start with that, the society, crumbling, the hatred and negativity, you can drown in it!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @FrankTellez-vk9kn, I'm shocked that you could get dual citizenship that quickly. I'm sure it depends on the country, but it's taken me 2 years and 9 months just to get the paperwork to apply for dual citizenship and my understanding is that many consulates are backed up years to schedule appointments. But if your dual citizenship is with a country that doesn't require these things, that's great for your family. We have a video on how we retired early. It sounds like you may already be retired, but there are some ways that it can be a little more affordable to live outside the US. We've definitely found that there is cheaper healthcare in many other parts of the world. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. -Judy 🎥 How we thought unconventionally to retire early: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqXcmWeEjdeVnNU 🎥 Why We'll Never Live in the US Again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpa3lYCGh8yeja8

[@FrankTellez-vk9kn]

@FindingGinaMarie hello, well I already had my citizenship for my birth country, but needed a new passport, and that requires a "cedula" to renew and the process for that and the passport was one day. I showed up at the consulate with my citizenship certificate but needed the cedula. The cedula and new passport required just that one visit to the consulate. My sisters only have what's called their "registro civil" from our country of birth, but with this document in hand the cedula and passport are a one day process. All this from a country considered a "third world" hole by the US, the land of bureaucracy and red tape.

[@FrankTellez-vk9kn]

Funny thing is, I was given what I thought were one too many ticket numbers for the waiting list. But it turned out to be two different tickets, one for each document process. Photos, finger prints, all taken care of the same day. And the passport a ten day wait! Plus first class treatment from the consulate staff. Try getting that from a US government agency!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Ahh, that explains it. Yes, if you already have dual citizenship, that gives you a lot of freedom! It's wonderful to hear that the process was so efficient and straightforward for you. And yes, I think there's a lot of misinformation and propaganda that the US communicates to misinform people about other parts of the world. We have been very grateful to have lived in very different places and see for ourselves what they are like and also learn another side of history than what the US history books-which definitely are slanted-have to say about world events and their part in them, which often are not as altruistic as they want to appear to be. -Judy

[@FindingGinaMarie]

We are so happy to hear that it was such an easy process. Very encouraging news to others who might be considering that as well. -Judy

[@robinfrazier79]

Just found you guys!!! Love your channel! Can’t wait to be nomadic! Thank you!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @robinfrazier79, We are so happy to have you here. We have a full series on downsizing and an ongoing series on full-time travel. Hopefully they'll be helpful. Let us know if you have any questions! -Judy 🎥 Downsizing for Retirement or Full-Time Travel Series: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF2xRusfMEQvN-5LZZqdnQIf ✅ Downsizing Prep Worksheet: findingginamarie.com/request-downsizing-prep-worksheet FULL-TIME TRAVEL 🎥 Preparing for Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF0Hm94IeHJksaTV37AcdchX 🎥 Navigating Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF1PzikjO5wvLLMtOE1UkdvH 🔗 Here's a link to our ever-growing articles for full-time travelers (you can find it by going to our travel tips and then filtering by Nomads): 📝 Articles for Full-Time Travelers: findingginamarie.com/travel-tips/?category=nomads

[@nunuvyurbiz123]

I'm currently going through the process of getting rid of everything, reducing my stuff to just what I'll take traveling. It's wild. It's so hard to let go for a variety of reasons such as wanting to get some money out of it, or it may be handy actually (although some handy things tend to be handy only because of something else that I own....), or nostalgia, or ancient concern that I may need it some day. Selling stuff is a bit of a nightmare.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@nunuvyurbiz123, We have an entire video series about downsizing that may be useful for you. I realize that you're making headway already, but we have videos on how to get rid of the sentimental stuff and other videos that document our process as well. Below are links if you have the time to watch. But BRAVO to you for the progress you are making. It's intimidating and time consuming, but I promise that you will feel so much lighter and freer when you stick to it. You'll get there! Thanks so much for watching and for sharing your experience. -Judy DOWNSIZING SERIES 🎥 Downsizing for Retirement or Full-Time Travel Series: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF2xRusfMEQvN-5LZZqdnQIf ✅ Downsizing Prep Worksheet: findingginamarie.com/request-downsizing-prep-worksheet 🎥 Why We'll Never Live in the US Again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpa3lYCGh8yeja8 FULL-TIME TRAVEL RESOURCES: 🎥 Preparing for Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF0Hm94IeHJksaTV37AcdchX 🎥 Navigating Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF1PzikjO5wvLLMtOE1UkdvH 🔗 Here's a link to our ever-growing articles for full-time travelers (you can find it by going to our travel tips and then filtering by Nomads): 📝 Articles for Full-Time Travelers: findingginamarie.com/travel-tips/?category=nomads

[@CJ-Photo]

I think my issues with slow travel vs. home base are two fold: 1) I have/want pets and 2) comfort (mainly beds - I'm too old to sleep on bad beds!). Also, my longest vacation was about 7 weeks and I just remember what a total relief it was to get home. I loved the trip, but there was something special about coming home and being comfortable.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @CJ-Photo, We do understand about bad beds, but for the most part, they've been good-and we've stayed in our share of different beds in the last two years! We know some people who travel with their pets, so it can be done so long as they aren't very large. How did you travel on vacation for seven weeks? We typically stay a month in each place (so if we're uncomfortable, it's for a manageable amount of time). Also, we don't live like vacationers where we are on the go all the time. We read books, watch television, play games like if we were home. We find a specific coffee shop and try to hang out at the same place for our entire stay. We do some cooking when we can. We sightsee, but not every single day. We do like to take long walks and while I guess that's considered sight seeing, it doesn't necessarily feel that way because we don't have a destination in mind. We walk until we want to turn back around. We know we could not keep up the same pace traveling full time as we did when we were on vacation. Here's a video where we talk about some of this in the summer of 2023. And we actually do acknowledge that this lifestyle is not for everyone! -Judy 🎥 Slow Travel or No Travel! Why we have to stay longer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqOveH1jjZt8aqM

[@CJ-Photo]

@@FindingGinaMarie I think I'm one of the lucky people from the US that's gets 5 weeks of paid vacation per year (and they let me accrue a little!) and use a pet sitter while I'm away. Most of my "big" trips average 4-5 weeks and I do prefer to stay in the same spot even on shorter trips - I really hate doing the 2 days and each location thing. Good to know about the beds. Guess I've just been unlucky! Just recently had the worst bed ever on an Alaska trip to take photos of the bears...glad I went, but the bed just about killed me. Yeah, I prefer cats so they'd be pretty hard to travel with :)

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@CJ-Photo We had "unlimited paid time off" from the companies that I worked at in San Francisco. However, I had one executive who made a very big deal about taking two full weeks together and was told how rare it was to be able to do that. Another manager told me I could only take time off if I could get someone to cover for me-I was in a role that had no redundancies and she wasn't willing to cover for me-or if I worked while I was on vacation. Those are a few of the reasons I'm now retired! What the heck?! We have not been to Alaska, but everyone says it is amazing. Sorry to hear about the beds in Alaska. What a shame. Thanks for sharing a little more about the way you travel! -Judy

[@CJ-Photo]

@FindingGinaMarie the new buzz words now are "work life balance" so if you were still in the workforce, it's possible that could be different now. But still - being retired and slow travelling is much better! Thank you for all the work on your videos and sharing your travels with us. (And ps. Alaska is great to visit but if you're going to a very remote place, there aren't a lot of options for comfortable beds!)

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@CJ-Photo I feel like I had more work/life balance during the pandemic than in any other time in my career. Not that I worked fewer hours-I probably worked more. But I could have coffee in the morning with my husband, I could throw in a load of laundry before hopping on a Zoom call, I could take 30 minutes and start dinner at 3pm and then eat together with my husband and son and then be back working afterwards. In the past, I've been at the office until 8pm or even 10pm or later because of some deadline (because when I finally got home, my family resented me hopping back on to work when they hadn't seen me all day). So I'm someone who worked very well remotely, but I think companies didn't like that they couldn't see what their employees were doing all day (despite the work getting done). My job was fine, but as someone in tech, it was astounding to see all the back-to-work edicts from companies who had their employees working just fine remotely. We aren't generally fans of cold weather, but I think Alaska would be the exception. But good to know about the lack of comfortable beds! That might be the one and only place where we'd do a cruise, but it also doesn't sound like we'd be able to have the experience you did). -Judy

[@nycp1969]

I'm retiring next year and I am thinking of a second home in Nice, France. I won't have income from work, and I don't plan to work. France appears to be very welcoming to American "expats" (I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this term. I don't know why those of us with options are called expats, but those of who don't are called immigrants. Maybe I don't want to distinguish myself from people whom I may have more in common with than I think.) Thanks for your work!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

We wish you the best of luck on your journey! We applaud you for your self-awareness of the difference between expat and immigrant. I actually looked it up and this is what I found, "While both expats and immigrants move to a different country, the key differences lie in the intent, duration, and often the socio-economic backgrounds associated with the terms. Expats tend to retain a strong connection to their home country and have a more temporary outlook, while immigrants may be focused on permanent relocation and integration into their new society." The "socio-economic background" element really struck a cord with me. Now if this is your second home and not your primary residence, perhaps expat is fair for your purpose. But immigrant surely is a loaded term that many privileged people don't like to use for themselves. Thanks for giving me something to think about today. -Judy

[@AbiTheEngineer]

I see my future and it's bright

[@FindingGinaMarie]

We have absolutely loved this lifestyle. We talk about it more in this episode linked below if you are interested in reading more of our story. -Judy 📝 Happy On-The-Road Anniversary to Us: findingginamarie.com/articles/happy-on-the-road-anniversary-to-us?rq=anniversary 📝 Why Our Channel is Called "Finding Gina Marie": findingginamarie.com/articles/why-the-name-finding-gina-marie

[@wizardofoz4284]

I agreed with everything you said. However, I suggest you revisit your information regarding Italy. My wife and I are both retired and having a great time in southern Italy. We moved there March of 2021. We got elective residency and have been renewing it every year with no difficulties. We purchased a home when we got there and took a year to remodel the place. We use our place as a base and travel when we can mainly in Europe. I know some good lawyers and I can recommend them to you if you wish. We are older than you are and we chose this life style. I suggest you do what you are doing now but in 5-10 years I think you may want to seriously think about Italy ( Southern or northern Italy around piedmont area - housing is much cheaper). Hope this helps. P.s. we may reach out to you in September of 2025 to pick your brain regarding South Asia. my wife and I planning to visit Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia in December - February . Good luck and travel safe.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @wizardofoz4284, We have not ruled out Italy at all. I am still working on my dual citizenship, but it will be a while before we're ready to settle down. The main two reasons we haven't really been considering Southern Italy are that if we want to travel, it's harder to get in and out of Italy than it is from the north. Also, we've heard that healthcare and bureaucracy are a bit better in the north. But we have plans to visit Sardinia in May and will probably figure out a few other places to visit in Italy in 2025. We considered a base somewhere (Italy ideally), but it does give us less money to travel with if we do that. Our top two places in Italy so far have been Verona and Torino. We'd be happy to touch base next year when you're ready to travel to Southeast Asia. It sounds like a good series of countries to visit! -Judy 🎥 6 Italian Cities in 12 Days: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5CblIiJo9uqn6M 📝 Happy On-The-Road Anniversary to Us: findingginamarie.com/articles/happy-on-the-road-anniversary-to-us?rq=anniversary

[@wizardofoz4284]

@ agreed with you regarding health care. It is much better in north than south. We have Medicare and we do most of health care stuff in America. However we have insurance for Italy which we purchase every year that covers unexpected illness, and even routine stuff while we are in Italy. We are in tally about 8-9 months and then we return to America to spend holidays with our kids and their families. Regarding the airport, the closest airport to us is Rome ( about 2.45 minutes fast train), Naples is about 2.5 hours with regular train. We also have a smaller airport south of us called “ Lamezia”. I may be Bias here but Italy is a special place. When you come to Italy, it is hard to go back. It grabs your heart and would not let it go. I know you and Kevin know that already……😀😀😀. Take care and have a safe travel. Be happy to help and answer any questions you may have regarding south of Italy.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @wizardofoz4284, We are trying to avoid the high cost of healthcare in the US entirely. We've gotten health checkups in Thailand and Kevin had a hernia surgery in Serbia and they both were significantly cheaper and faster than anything we could do in the US. If you have residency, it seems like you should also have access to healthcare in Italy, correct? Or maybe you need private insurance as an expat. Our issue with living in the US for even three months is having to pay for renting a car and for expensive accommodations and food costs. Our time in the US is some of the most expensive we encounter. Do you live with your kids when you're there for that amount of time? We have a son in San Francisco, but he could not accommodate us and our other son and daughter are in Austin, so we'd still be taking flights to spend time with them or taking a long road trip to visit them. And gasoline is expensive, too! We will be hard pressed to find a place to live in that we love more than Italy. Since we started visiting in 2017, we've visited 31 cities there, and we have so much more of Italy we want to see. Our challenge is that we don't like the cold and we froze in Lecce when we were there in February. We still needed the heat on when we were in Palermo in mid December. So we're trying to figure out if there's someplace warm that makes sense to stay during the winter months. But that makes us pause about whether we want to have a year-round lease there and then double our costs in the winter months. Conundrums! I'm including our full series from Italy below. Our Lecce episode should give you a chuckle. If you have places you think we should visit in Southern Italy, we would love to hear them. We will be back in Europe in the spring and possibly a bit in the summer (and I know that's not the ideal time to visit Southern Italy-has the heat been killer there for you as climate change has made summers fairly unbearable)? -Judy 🎥 Italy video series: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF1Tj_VCjUNQTJBMtKpkz5Sk

[@wizardofoz4284]

@@FindingGinaMarie I understand your concerns regarding health care in America. We are lucky we have Medicare. Italian insurance coverage was cheap when we go there in 2021. It was around 400 euro for a couple for ex-pad per year. However, last year the government raised the price to about 2200 euros per year per couple. We managed to get a private coverage for about 850 euros for 2024 calendar year. We plan to renew the same coverage for 2025. Yes, when we get our percent residency ( Italian version of green card), we will automatically enrolled in Italian national health care free of charge but that is about 2 years away. The reason, we did not choose north was because of cost of property. It is much more expensive in north than south. We made a trade off. Weather in europe has changed a lot. Our Italian friends told us that. Winter used to be mild in south but not anymore. Generally speaking winter is not a good season to travel or live in Europe. The worst time is between December thru February, then the weather in south gets much better. That is why we come home during the winter. Have you looked at an area in north called, Emilia-Romagna? We had a friend told us about that area. It is not that as expensive as Venice, Florence, Luca, etc? . Also another area that you may want to look at is Piedmont. Those areas are still expensive compare to south but is much cheaper than Verona, Milan, or Turin. In southern where we are, there is a beach town called “ Praia a Mare”. I am told that you can rent a 2 bedroom house for about 600 euro. / month. But the catch is you have to sign a long term contract like 5 years of so. One more thing, as Steve Jobs used to say…….try to focus on your Italian citizenship and get that as soon as possible. If you do that , your health issues will go away and also, Kevin can get his permanent residency in no time. Hope this helps! P.s. could you provide links in your videos regarding air b and b you stay in - such as east Asia, France and etc. you talked about them but I could not find the links.Thanks.❤️

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Our healthcare coverage for full-time travel is $5,781 and covers us everywhere in the world. The coverage in the US is limited to emergency care for less than 21 days in the US at a time. So the cost in Italy is significantly less than that. Even if we settle down in Italy, we don't expect to buy property. We like the idea of not being at the mercy of the market prices or being in an area that has few buyers, especially if we need our money to be more liquid or if circumstances change with family where we may need to be back in the US for any extended period of time. We also worry that we may need repairs or improvement permits that all can be tricky to navigate when you're not a local. When we first were considering Italy as expats, we considered Parma and Bologna, but we weren't really drawn to either of them. Is there someplace in that region you'd recommend? Turin is in Piedmont, which we did really like, but we haven't explored anywhere else in that area. Our biggest qualifier is that we don't want to have to drive in Italy, so we are careful about how small and accessible the place is that we would consider. I am working steadily on my dual citizenship. It's supposed to be filed with the Italian court in Napoli by the end of the year. We are just waiting for the final translations to be done. It's taken a long time to gather all the documents we needed (2 years, 9 months!), but we hopefully are on a faster path forward from here! We should be doing a better job linking our Airbnbs and other accommodations. If there are specific ones that I haven't listed below, please let me know. In some cases, we might want to give you feedback on them versus recommending them outright. If there is any specific location that I didn't provide that you're interested in, please let me know! These are the majority of them for 2024, except for the fast travel we did in Italy (through Rome, Amalfi, Florence, Lake Como, and Verona) -Judy 🏠 Siem Reap, Cambodia (highly recommend): www.airbnb.com/rooms/19076948 🏠 Chiang Mai, Thailand (good location, but somewhat pricey): www.airbnb.com/rooms/38447625 🏠 Hoi An, Vietnam (good location, homestay versus typical Airbnb): (www.airbnb.com/rooms/31635636 🏠 Taipei, Taiwan (windows weren't quite what we expected, so it felt a little closed in at times, but priced well): www.airbnb.com/rooms/39637334 🏠 Busan, South Korea (great host, ideal location a block from the beach, lots of room): www.airbnb.com/rooms/918676153351192874 🏩 The Prima Hotel Jongno, Seoul, South Korea: www.hotels.com/affiliates/finding_gina_marie/jongnosouthkorea 🏠 Orvieto, Italy (great location, good host, spotlessly clean): www.airbnb.com/rooms/40324247 🏠 Lyon, France (great location, smallish and no A/C, but nice host): www.airbnb.com/rooms/24445367 🏠 Colmar, France (great location, super kind and friendly host, but a bit talkative, no A/C, but good fans): www.airbnb.com/rooms/9103391 🏩 Paris, France (5th arrondissement, very comfortable room): www.hotels.com/affiliates/hotel-europe-saint-severin-paris-paris-france.DGZvure 🏠 Tirana, Albania (great location in Blloku, nice host, comfortable): www.airbnb.com/rooms/39518687

[@bw5911]

I would never want to be an expat and live just in one country through the rest of my life because I’d rather travel and see many different countries. Today is my one week anniversary of living in my new (temporary) country.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

So great to hear from you, @bw5911! We hope you are enjoying Albania! Yes, that's one of the things that pushed us over to becoming full-time travelers. In fact, I just uploaded a companion blog post about it. We've traveled two full years as of just a few days ago and we share how we got here. At some point when our health is bad or our mobility becomes challenging, it might make sense. But we want to travel this way for as long as we can! -Judy 🎥 Happy On-The-Road Anniversary to Us: findingginamarie.com/articles/happy-on-the-road-anniversary-to-us?rq=anniversary

[@stringsnkeyboards]

Love your channel, a big fan! Thank you for sharing your travels and thoughtful insight !

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@stringsnkeyboards Thank you so much for saying so! We really appreciate hearing this from you. Here's an article I wrote as a companion that talks more about how we made our decision and also talks about celebrating our two years on the road, which began with Naples and Palermo on Nov. 21, 2022! -Judy 📝 Happy On-The-Road Anniversary to Us: findingginamarie.com/articles/happy-on-the-road-anniversary-to-us?rq=anniversary

[@RoamSweetRoam.]

I truly appreciate your videos. They are so enjoyable and informative and you, both, have a wonderful mindset. Thank you ❤

[@FindingGinaMarie]

How sweet you are to tell us this, @RoamSweetRoam! It means so much to us to hear. Thank you so much for watching! -Judy

[@Julie-ys2tk]

Watching this video from Berlin - you inspired us to pull the trigger and buy that first plane ticket!! ❤

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Wow, Julie, congratulations! We are very happy living as full-time travelers. We've yet to visit Berlin, but it's on our bucket list. Not sure if you are American or German, but we have a video listing the reasons why we don't plan to live in the US again. Thanks for watching, and we're happy to answer any questions you may have about living this way. -Judy 🎥 Why We'll Never Live in the US Again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpa3lYCGh8yeja8 RESOURCES: 🎥 Preparing for Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF0Hm94IeHJksaTV37AcdchX 🎥 Navigating Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF1PzikjO5wvLLMtOE1UkdvH 🔗 Here's a link to our ever-growing articles for full-time travelers (you can find it by going to our travel tips and then filtering by Nomads): 📝 Articles for Full-Time Travelers: findingginamarie.com/travel-tips/?category=nomads

[@samkurz]

I explored early in life. Went to many countries by myself and it was amazing. Now at 73, I sometimes want to do the same but it's different as you get older and solo. I was thinking about Italy but after hearing this I don't have the time to fight getting to stay there full time. I have a rent controlled studio in San Francisco for 33 years, it's hard to give up but I'M going to just go and look around for 3 months a year.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

How lucky for you to have a rent controlled apartment from so long ago, @samkurz! We loved our time in San Francisco and primarily left because we couldn't afford to retire there. Our rent was $5000 per month. It was a great apartment, but we needed to have tech jobs to afford it. It is challenging to be an expat somewhere. You might have to pay a little more to stay somewhere for three months at a time, but you can still probably negotiate a reasonable price for accommodations for that amount of time, depending on where you want to live. We wish you the best of luck. We were in Tirana this past August, and it was lovely and fairly inexpensive with Italian influences. It's not nearly as pretty in Tirana as Italy, but there's some cultural similarities and it was occupied by Italy during WWII. -Judy 🎥 TIRANA: Dive into Albania's Rich Culture & History | COMPLETE Travel Guide: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZi3aoxmgLmFqbM

[@GlobetrotterGranny]

Really, really, really enjoyed this video. Has some really great advice of things to consider!!

[@jeremynkelley]

Being on the move nonstop is truly addictive. I did van life for three years, sleeping in a different location every night. Now that I’m stationary again I CRAVE movement. Also I traveled nonstop for one year a few years ago for work, sleeping in a different hotel/motel every night and at the end of that year I only wanted more!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Wow, that's impressive. We have been extremely lucky that we've had almost no issues with flight delays and cancellations nearly this entire time we've been traveling. Of course, here in Argentina, we've had two trips canceled, which was a huge bummer. One place we could reschedule and unfortunately the other one we'll have to skip for now. In our hearts, we truly are slow travelers. We like to have some routines and I don't actually like having too much of a schedule. I like to know where I'm going in a few weeks, but we'd probably feel a sense of urgency to see and do everything in each new place. Curious how you managed that. Do you not need any down time? At least when we're somewhere a few weeks, we can take down days. In fairness, we work a lot, so it helps that we have days we can hunker down and days where we can explore at our leisure! -Judy 🎥 Slow Travel or No Travel! Why we have to stay longer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqOveH1jjZt8aqM

[@andrewkamchi7478]

Hello Judy & Kevin from Broughty Ferry, Dundee (we just got hit with an arctic blast, so we are a bit sick of this UK coldness that you mentioned). Yup, we are still here and getting ready to leave. Heading to Valencia, Spain in mid-december with some friends and spend the holidays with our daughter and then mid January, we head to Mexico City for a month. Mid February, we head to San Miguel de Allende for 2.5 months, for we want to hunker down and not move for a bit - we love it there. Sounds like you are heading in that general direction as well, so perhaps you will be in Mexico. If you guys are coming to San Miguel around that time, we've got a 2nd en suite bedroom for ya. Come spend a week! Christine and I always look forward to your videos each week, especially when it is cold, raining and the sun sets at 3:45p, sigh.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi Andrew, Thank you so much for watching and for writing! We really love London and strongly considered the idea of living there before we started traveling full time (and Scotland, but boy is the weather freezing at times). We will send you some warm thoughts to break the chill! Valencia, Spain is one of the cities we are looking forward to visiting (actually there are a lot of cities in Spain we are curious about). We hope you love it. We've not typically had Mexico on our list of countries to visit, primarily because we've been to Cancun. It's not the best representation of Mexico for sure, but we've been mostly interested in exploring new countries. However, we learned that a stopover in Mexico City would be a cheap flight to the US, so we're heading there for the first two weeks in March. I've not investigated how good the public transportation system is there, but if there's a way for us to meet up when we're there and you're there, we would absolutely love to make it happen! -Judy

[@andrewkamchi7478]

@@FindingGinaMarie We completely understand Judy and agree that Cancun in no way shape or form represents Mexico. Beautiful beaches though. That said, Mexico City has decent public transport from what we see and is very walkable, especially if you are in the Roma Norte / Condesa neighborhood. We are staying on the southern most part of Condesa, right near the park. Take a peek at San Miguel de Allende on google, I think you will be shocked at how beautiful it is there. I believe it is a 4 hour bus ride from Mexico City, so let's see how things are going by that point in time, with either group taking a quick / inexpensive bus to hang for a bit. Until then, enjoy South America and we love London too. Best fries we have ever had were in Portobello Market.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@andrewkamchi7478 Yes, let's keep in touch. We will be doing quite a bit of fast travel leading up to and including that trip, so let's try not to let this slide off of our respective radar. We've actually been hearing good things about San Miguel de Allende. Our primary reason to head to Mexico City is because it offered a convenient flight into Houston and was easy to arrive from Costa Rica, which is where we'll be coming from beforehand. -Judy

[@andrewkamchi7478]

@@FindingGinaMarie Nice, we've never been to Costa Rica. I just shared your message with Christine and she said at some point in the not too distant future, and before we are all in Mexico, we should catch up via facetime / whatsapp or something just to introduce ourselves. Funny small world thing... we were just talking about heading to Houston after Mexico to see a chiropractic specialist that we follow there.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@andrewkamchi7478 Definitely a small world! Reach out to us through our email and we'll work something out! Costa Rica has been a bucket list place since we had small children, but it always was too expensive for our family to get there. It will be a different kind of trip visiting now, but we're looking forward to it! -Judy

[@claudiahansen4938]

Excellent summary video! We emigrated from San Diego to Venice Florida last year, and are just now coming up for air! Enjoying exploring our new state immensely. Happy Thanksgiving to you!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@claudiahansen4938: How wonderful for you, Claudia. However, it seems like that part of Florida has taken a beating this year. Any problems with where you are? That's a big move, but so glad to hear it's working out. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too! -Judy

[@claudiahansen4938]

@ thanks for asking! Rained heavily all summer after 2023 drought. Helene decapitated three newly planted trees. Milton felt like a freight train barging through the attic. New construction concrete block home held up perfectly. We are eight miles from the Gulf so no storm surge. We lost power 48 hours and had no internet or cell service for one day. Didn't lose water service.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@claudiahansen4938 Oh boy, initiation by fire! While I wish you didn't have to learn the hard way about the structural integrity of your home, I guess it's good to know what all it can withstand! So glad you are okay. -Judy & Kevin

[@claudiahansen4938]

@@FindingGinaMarie thanks Judy and Kevin! It didn't kill us so I guess we got stronger…

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@claudiahansen4938 Definitely stronger!

[@danbulowski7013]

Something else to consider when applying for dual citizenship, is the military national service rules. I can easily get citizenship in Poland or Czechia, because my parents were born there. But my parents discouraged me from dual citizenship when I was younger, because if I had Czech citizenship, and I was residing in Czechia for at least six months, then I would be forced to join the army for a year or three. I’m not certain about the timeframes anymore, but it’s definitely something to consider. Especially for me, if the Ukrainian war spills into its western neighbours. My parents point was they travelled as far away from the horrors of WW2 as they could get, to shield their family from war. They wouldn’t be too happy if some of the family went back to the hotspot years later, and got caught up in more trouble.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@danbulowski7013 You raise a good and valid point. There may even be issues for the US if you want to have certain security clearance. It may be frowned upon to have dual citizenship somewhere. But I can appreciate the danger you are sharing. Thanks for bringing it up. Sounds like you have smart and resilient parents. -Judy

[@morrowcleveland]

Excellent info. Thank you!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @morrowcleveland, Thank you so much for watching. It is so great for us to know that you enjoyed this episode! -Judy 🎥 Why We'll Never Live in the US Again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpa3lYCGh8yeja8 🎥 Happy On-The-Road Anniversary to Us: findingginamarie.com/articles/happy-on-the-road-anniversary-to-us?rq=anniversary

[@erinaustin9968]

We don’t know where we want to live until we visit many more places! Working on exploration and we seem to fall in love with many places as we go. After we travel for a few years, we think we will just slowdown more and more over and will end up bouncing around 3 or four places to avoid residency.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @erinaustin9968, we feel the same! Places we never dreamed of or knew anything about now open up to us as places to consider. Those would mostly be for a time when we have mobility issues or other health issues that would prevent us from traveling. And even with dual citizenship, we don't want to deal with the cold that Italy deals with! -Judy P.S.: Will you be able to join our livestream today?

[@TRAVELiving-NJLA]

We completely agree! You make great points. As a full-time travel couple ourselves, we see the benefits of this lifestyle. Thank you for sharing your insights! Such an amazing video!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Thanks for watching, @TRAVELiving-NJLA. We took a quick look at your channel when we were at breakfast this morning. We just subscribed, but we'll take some time to look at your other videos past your intro video. Best of luck. It's a great lifestyle! We want to encourage you however we can. KZbin has been an interesting ride, so if you have any questions, feel free to reach out! -Judy

[@TRAVELiving-NJLA]

@@FindingGinaMarie Thank you so much for your kind comment and for subscribing! We truly appreciate it! We are so grateful to be able to live this lifestyle as well. We will definitely reach out sometime! Thanks again!

[@worldtravelor]

I have retired for 5 years, and I have traveled the world extensively. But I don't really understand the benefits of being in places other than the US. We have been in Southeast Asia twice and Europe twice this year, all together about 4 months. We travel slowly, trying to immerse in local community and culture. The longest travel outside the US was a little more than 2 months, and we wanted to come home in the Great Lake region. We stay home in the summer June thought August, when it is most comfortable here, while everywhere else is crowded with tourists, and hot as hell (Rome and Athens was 100 degree for weeks this past summer.) In the winter, we like to be in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia for the warm weather. For us, home, sweet home, can not be replaced by any other places.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@worldtravelor Part of the reason we won't return to the US is that renting cars to drive from place to place is expensive (and if you like taking long road trips, gasoline is also super expensive). When our kids were young we took a lot of road trips, but we always worried a little about crazy drivers, drunk drivers, and drivers with road rage with guns (we lived in Houston for 29 years and that was a common concern). We think learning about other cultures and ways of life has made us more empathetic and opens our minds to other ways of thinking. You probably already have that by traveling extensively, but many people never leave the US or even their state. We agree that being in places that have better weather than where you live or traveling during shoulder seasons to avoid crowds is the better way to travel. We loved our time in San Francisco, but it was a very expensive city to live in. We talk about this more in our video linked below if you're interested. Thanks for watching and for sharing your perspective. -Judy 🎥 Why We'll Never Live in the US Again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpa3lYCGh8yeja8

[@vanajaselvaraj8812]

I binge watched your videos and a fan of both of you. I admire your decision. My husband and I have traveled /vacationed in many European countries , southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil etc. We are very close to taking retirement. We really like your idea of slow traveling. Will be visiting Panama in Jan 2025. I hear that a lot of expats live there . Especially in Boquete as it has year around spring like temp. Going to check it out on our drive from Panama city to Boco del Toro. Have you been to central American countries? Is your next place Uruguway? What made you to select that country ?

[@FOHguy]

For the wife and I, the benefit of moving to Europe was for work. In 2023, living in the States, I was home a total of 54 days. Working mostly in Europe and living in California, when I had 7-10 days off, it wasn't worth flying home.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@FOHguy Yes, one of the benefits of living in Europe is that so many places are very near to each other. You can take a weekend getaway and see many different countries so much easier than when you have to deal with a long-haul flight. Thanks for sharing! -Judy

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@vanajaselvaraj8812 Thank you so much for watching! We are glad our lifestyle and our videos resonate with you. Yes, Boquete can be lovely, but we're hearing about them having a terrible rainy season. There's a channel I watch periodically called The Nomadic Movement (kzbin.info) and they've been sharing the challenges of Panama's weather. We currently are in South America now for the first time, starting with Argentina. We'll be in this part of the world through mid February and then Costa Rica and Mexico before our short yearly trip back to the US and then off again to Europe. We've been to Sydney before we were full-time travelers and we'd really like to get to Melbourne and New Zealand this fall if we can swing the finances. We were attracted to Uruguay for two reasons. The first is that it's a ferry ride from Buenos Aires, so it's easy and affordable to visit, and we are always keen to explore a new country. Also, people have ranked it very high for safety and as an ideal place for retired expats. Whether it's somewhere we would like to live, I'm not sure, but we definitely wanted to visit so we could share it with our viewers. -Judy

[@dr.carmenmcguinness2482]

It’s not true that you’re not allowed to live in Italy while you’re seeking your Italian citizenship. I lived in Italy throughout the process. I applied at my local comune after I had purchased a home. However, home purchase is not necessary. I was given my Italian citizenship by blood after only five months. You’re very welcome to contact me directly. If you would like more details as to the agency I used on the process I went through.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @dr.carmenmcguinness2482, People who are applying for Italian dual citizenship through a 1948 case are not allowed to live in Italy during the process. Not all dual citizenship processes are the same. A 1948 case requires going through an Italian court, and consulates are not authorized to handle these complex cases involving ancestry before 1948. The court case occurs in the comune of my family, but because you are required to be represented by a lawyer, you do not need to be present for any of the hearings, which also means that you don't have a right to live in Italy while you're waiting for a hearing or a verdict on your case. -Judy

[@dr.carmenmcguinness2482]

I didn’t apply to the consulate. I applied to the comune. 1948 cases can also live in Italy during the application process. It’s not required. That is true, but you are permitted to live there until your case has been heard. I think it’s important to always give absolutely accurate information when posting about the process, so as not to discourage others.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@dr.carmenmcguinness2482 I understand that you did not apply to the consulate, but 1948 cases are not permitted to use their pending case to gain residency rights in Italy. So the only way to stay is by applying for a regular residency permit. Basically you need to be part of a very narrow group of people (work visa, study visa, golden visa, or family unification), which we did not qualify for. At the time the digital nomad visa did not exist. Also, retirees can only earn passive income while living in Italy and we have a KZbin channel and other types of work that would prevent us from applying through that route -Judy

[@dr.carmenmcguinness2482]

You’ll just need to file a temporary residency application at the comune, including your documentation for your 1948 cases. Italian law requires that you be granted, temporary residency while your case is being heard. Obviously if your attorney has told you, otherwise you have no help on the ground. But I promise you that this is the law and that the comune where you have a domicile will grant you temporary residency. This will not be true, of course for your husband, which may be the reason your attorney is advising you against it.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

This is from Italian Dual Citizenship, the company handling my 1948 case: "Despite the popularity of these court processes, because people who petition the court, technically speaking, do not qualify for citizenship (but argue they are entitled to citizenship anyway) you would not be able to file any application through the public administration (Italian comune) and as a consequence I am sorry to let you know that there is no permesso di soggiorno in attesa di cittadinanza available. This is also logically explained by the fact that you do not need to reside in Italy while your process in the court is pending (whereas people who filed at the comune must maintain their residency in the comune)." -Judy

[@56phil020244]

Thank you for an interesting and thought provoking video.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @56phil020244: Thank you so much for watching. We have an expanded article tied to our thought process as we debated for ourselves whether to be expats versus full-time travelers. It's linked below if you're interested. We also share in this video below why we don't plan to return to the US permanently. -Judy 🎥 Happy On-The-Road Anniversary to Us: findingginamarie.com/articles/happy-on-the-road-anniversary-to-us?rq=anniversary 🎥 Why We'll Never Live in the US Again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpa3lYCGh8yeja8 🎥 How we thought unconventionally to retire early: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqXcmWeEjdeVnNU

[@amyavalon9188]

Such a great video! See you later on the livestream! Love the membership options and non-FB community- thank you so much.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi Amy and Rich, We are thrilled to have you joining us and for all of your support. Thanks for watching! -Judy

[@tedg4171]

@@FindingGinaMarie where is this livestream that was spoken about?

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@tedg4171 Hi Ted, The livestream is for our Gelato Members who help sponsor our channel. We do them monthly. You can read about them at the link below (and we have a video that gives a brief overview as well). For paid members if they miss the live event, they can watch a replay for as long as they have an active membership. We also have a separate, completely FREE hosted community forum (La Famiglia) for anyone who wants to join. -Judy 🍦Find Out More About Our Gelato Membership Insider Perks: findingginamarie.com/join

[@moradw]

Hi Judy and Kevin, Thanks for the inspiring videos. Always bringing smile on my face every-time you talk about your experience in travel. You are always welcomed anytime you travel plans is taking you to Vegas. Would be lovely to catch up. enjoy your trip to Uruguay. looking forward to your videos.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @moradw, Thank you so much for watching and for your very kind words. They really matter and help us! Our time in the US is always so short, but my birth mother lives outside of Palm Springs, so it might be a possibility at some point! Thanks for the good energy for Uruguay. We are excited to see what it's about! -Judy

[@julilopez]

Thank you sharing this video, it’s informative specially for those who are considering nomads for a year or two ❤

[@FindingGinaMarie]

So glad to hear this is helpful, @julilopez. And yes, this does not need to be something a person does forever. But it's the adventure of a lifetime, and you won't always know if it's for you unless you try it. It's also significantly easier to try out than becoming an expat somewhere. -Judy

[@yanmamabear5734]

Hi, thank you for sharing your insight. What is the better months to visit Europe for less tourist and less expensive?

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @yanmamabear5734, You want to avoid high season, which is typically July and August. But each country has its own high season. In some countries, the peak month is June, September, or December (Christmas markets can make certain places expensive and with more tourists). The cheapest time to travel is the off season, typically October through April, but the weather isn't ideal then, so that is sometimes a factor. The best balance of decent weather, low prices, and fewer crowds is shoulder season (April, May, September and October), but again, it varies by country. I hope this helps! -Judy

[@TrekkingwithDebandMike]

Excellent points.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Why am I not surprised that trekkers like you both get it?! Thank you so much for watching, Deb and Mike! -Judy

[@Property2030sg]

Hi Judy and Kevin, my wife and I hv just started our slow travel ! Currently, we are in Spain - staying for 1 month in the Carihuela beach area on the outskirts of the city of Torremolinos :) Very nice area! It is now mid to late Nov (winter is coming) and yet, I still see many British and Dutch people sunbathing on the beach ! Unfortunately, we Asians do not sunbathe, we try to avoid the hot sun instead, hahaha. From this base, we hv already taken day trips to nearby cities like Malaga, Benalmadena and Mijas 😊. Hope to also visit other towns in the Costa del Sol such as Marbella and Ronda, before our one month stay here is up :) Are you in South America now ?

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Wow, hooray, Mike! We are THRILLED for you! How does it feel so far? Is it sinking in that this has started? We're curious if any part of the areas you're in are must-visit cities for us. We're currently in Buenos Aires and will be here for another week. We'll be in South America until mid February and then we'll spend some time in Costa Rica and Mexico before we head back to the US for a quick two week trip and then we'll be back out again! Not sure what your schedule is, but if there's a way to meet up, we'd love to do it! Congratulations on getting started! -Judy P.S.: We have a full series of videos and articles on full-time travel. Not sure if you've seen or read them all, but they're linked below. 🎥 Preparing for Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF0Hm94IeHJksaTV37AcdchX 🎥 Navigating Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF1PzikjO5wvLLMtOE1UkdvH 🔗 Here's a link to our ever-growing articles for full-time travelers (you can find it by going to our travel tips and then filtering by Nomads): 📝 Articles for Full-Time Travelers: findingginamarie.com/travel-tips/?category=nomads

[@Property2030sg]

Yes, I am sure that our paths will surely cross one day somewhere in Europe :). After one month in Costa del Sol, we will be moving on to Costa Blanca. The Costa del Sol region is really nice to explore - each city has its own quirks and charms :)

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@Property2030sg: It is so nice to hear that you are having a good experience. Are you pinching yourselves?! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. So much to be grateful for! -Judy

[@johnmclean6380]

Great stuff-thanks! ♥️

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Thank you so much for watching, @johnmclean6380 and for letting us know you enjoyed it. We appreciate it! -Judy

[@livingworkingoutsidebox]

Very helpful video with good points. We were looking to move to Portugal too, with the NHR program. Then it was canceled. That's how we found out about slow travel. We were also thinking of getting a small apartment in a small town in Southern Italy. As a home base that we could rent out. We'll most likely use my dual citizienship with Germany. Will still stay under the 180 days to avoid potential tax liabilities. 😊💰 We're 4 years out so things can change. 😊 Feel like I've missed your videos. So will be binge watching after we eat. Happy Thanksgiving 🦃

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @livingworkingoutsidebox, Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃 🍽️ 🍁Having dual citizenship with Germany gives you a lot of options as a full-time traveler, and not having a home base at all gives you more money to spend on the road. We opted not to continue to earn by retiring early, so having as much money in our pockets by not having a home base was helpful to us. You know your financial situation best. We have a series on full-time travel and also downsizing that might be helpful to you. I'll put a bunch of links below that might be helpful to you as you prepare to move forward. We also have been considering Italy when we're eventually ready to slow down, but for us that's several years ahead for us. If there are places you think we should explore there, we'd love to hear them! -Judy 🎥 How we thought unconventionally to retire early: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqXcmWeEjdeVnNU 🎥 Preparing for Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF0Hm94IeHJksaTV37AcdchX 🎥 Navigating Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF1PzikjO5wvLLMtOE1UkdvH 🔗 Here's a link to our ever-growing articles for full-time travelers (you can find it by going to our travel tips and then filtering by Nomads): 📝 Articles for Full-Time Travelers: findingginamarie.com/travel-tips/?category=nomads DOWNSIZING: 🎥 Downsizing for Retirement or Full-Time Travel Series: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF2xRusfMEQvN-5LZZqdnQIf ✅ Downsizing Prep Worksheet: findingginamarie.com/request-downsizing-prep-worksheet 🎥 Italy video series: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF1Tj_VCjUNQTJBMtKpkz5Sk

[@livingworkingoutsidebox]

​@@FindingGinaMarie Thanks I'll check them out. Puglia Italy is a great region. On the east side near the heel of the boot. There are a number of places that offer authentic Italian cooking classes. Have you been to the Philippines yet? Incredible food and warm-hearted people.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@livingworkingoutsidebox: We've been to Lecce and passed through Bari, but we visited in February and it was way too cold for us! We've been saying that we need to visit at a time of year when it's a little better weather. We were supposed to head to the Philippines earlier this year, but we just couldn't land on a where to stay for a month. Typically we choose one city. It was a little expensive to fly in and we weren't sure whether Manila or Cebu City would be better. We were looking at Cebu City, but we were concerned that staying in the IT Park area would give us a less authentic experience. We need strong wifi. Some people were suggesting to us that we really need to puddle jump through the islands, but that's not the way we travel as it does add significantly to the cost and they admitted that wifi would be very spotty. If you have recommendations for us, we would love to know them as it is a place we would like to see. Thanks for the suggestions! -Judy 🎥 First Impressions of Lecce: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4XWo2CgeteNfJo 🎥 Lecce travel tips - One week in Puglia, Italy is not enough time! 🇮🇹 kzbin.info/www/bejne/npTHqpyIjsulosU

[@livingworkingoutsidebox]

Southern Italy in the spring or early fall. I'm not a fan of cold weather anymore either. @DextersWorld is a fish and poultry channel in the Zamboanga Philippines, which is often called "Asia's Latin City", partly because the Chavacano language, a Spanish-based creole, is common and partly because is shares other Spanish traditions; it even has the same patron saint as Spain, Our Lady of the Pilar. He owns a couple of pet shops and works with a few charity groups. One he runs another youtube channel for. The city has just under 1 million people. So should have the internet speeds you need. Along with a cultural aspect that other slow travelers and vlogers haven't over filmed if any. I'm sure he would have some wonderful recommendations for you.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@livingworkingoutsidebox, Thank you so much for the recommendation! I've added it to my list of places to explore! -Judy

[@GlobetrotterGranny]

As of right now and looking into the future, I doubt that I will move overseas-it would take something dramatic happening for me to consider moving away from the US. That said, my plan (as you guys are aware) is to lead multiple small group tours each year. The one thing I would like to do, is have a base in Europe that allows me to do the multiple small group tours without having to personally purchase international flights every time I lead a tour. Still working on how this is all going to look.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi Rebecca, Yes, those international flights can be a killer on your wallet. That was one of the attractions of living overseas when we first started looking. It's not a coincidence that Europeans are so well traveled. You can drive or take a train and be in one of a handful of different countries in the time it takes just to make it from one end of Texas to the other! We think your enthusiasm is exactly what people want for when they're looking for a tour guide. We hope your businesses boom and your biggest problem is how to juggle it all! Thanks so much for watching! We hope you'll be able to join us on the livestream tonight! -Judy

[@GlobetrotterGranny]

@ I’m at my cabin this weekend and my connection can be a bit spotty, but I do plan to join you this evening! 😁

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@GlobetrotterGranny Awesome news! We look forward to seeing you! -Judy

[@jeremynkelley]

SUCH a great video!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Thank you so much for watching, @jeremynkelley, and for your note. We can't tell you how much we appreciate hearing you enjoyed it! -Judy

[@peterz53]

Thanks. 70 yo single male, so wondering how best to cover medical insurance & and care when traveling, especially if not settled in one location. In good health but things happen. Will check your other videos. Have just started process to get German citizenship (am naturalized US when very young) which would open up all of EU, but this is not certain. My preliminary thoughts are to move around, a few months in each location, which could help me decide on a permanent home base outside of US. Seems I could do that now, just as you outlined.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @peterz53, We'll share an article we wrote about our current health insurance that covers us full time while traveling. I'll also link to our vide from the health checkups we did in Thailand earlier this year. Yes, you could absolutely do what we are suggesting, and we love that it doesn't take a lot of effort to do. Planning where to go takes time, but some people do fine being even more flexible than we are and thus plan a little bit less. -Judy 📝 Peace of Mind Abroad: Choosing the Right Health Insurance as Retired Travelers: findingginamarie.com/articles/choosing-the-right-health-insurance-as-retired-travelers 🎥 Medical checkups in Thailand: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqrTo2tomcmKfZo 🎥 Why We'll Never Live in the US Again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpa3lYCGh8yeja8

[@rjh2772]

France on an extended stay visa for retirement one cannot work in France but you can earn income remotely as long as you don't do business in France

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @rjh2772, Yes. Everyplace is different. Some places have "retirement" visas, but for those you only are allowed to have passive income and can't work anywhere, even remotely. There are a lot of countries that require you to have a lot of money that you bring in each month before they'll extend any sort of residency to you, which also is different from what a long-stay visa is. Lots of rules ;). Thank you so much for watching and for your contribution! -Judy

[@jackbaldwin3649]

Interesting. What is the best way to find short term rentals specifically in Europe?

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi Jack, Personally, we have no problems using Airbnb. We prefer them over hotels because you can find ones with a washing machine, a couch, and a kitchen, all necessities for us when we're in a place for a month or more. Below is our video on how to choose an Airbnb that you might find helpful. You can also find aparthotels on booking.com. We haven't found any worthwhile properties on VRBO, but that's an additional option. If you find a place you like on Airbnb, you can also try to negotiate a stay for longer than a month by reaching out to the Airbnb with a message on the platform. We know that people book off the platform, but they typically do that in person when they've had a chance to take a look at the place first. We wish you the best of luck. Let us know if you have any questions at all. -Judy 🎥 Airbnb v Hotels: The TRUTH from full-time travelers: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6PZXnZ3qbZopbcsi=O8tV5IRAvIXHwoVA P.S. In the last two years we stayed in 33 hotels and 48 Airbnbs. We have been very, very happy with the quality of our stays in Airbnbs. -Judy

[@artbrutnewyork]

Good points about the positive aspects to full-time travel vs full-time expat. i think another benefit is related to maintaining a link to US banking services and your trusted healthcare providers. Do you rent out your US home when you go on extended trips?

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @artbrutnewyork, We actually sold everything we own to travel full time. We have no home base at all. Our son in the US is holding a single box of items for us, but otherwise, we own nothing. And we travel full time, so we only visit the US once per year to see family. Our daughter sometimes meets up with us during our travels and our sons are homebodies (one who lived in a different state from us, so we didn't see him more than once per year anyway). We try to meet up with family and friends once a year, but we also have made many, many friends through our channel and friends who live in various parts of the world that we meet up with. We don't typically use the US healthcare system since there is great coverage when we need it throughout the world. Thanks so much for watching. -Judy 🎥 Why We'll Never Live in the US Again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpa3lYCGh8yeja8 🎥 How we thought unconventionally to retire early: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqXcmWeEjdeVnNU 🎥 Surgery in Serbia: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2PTpGV4ltysfdk 🎥 Medical checkups in Thailand: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqrTo2tomcmKfZo

[@dansouth2088]

If you are digital nomad, is there any work visa required? How would the local country know you are working (besides them snooping your internet)?

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi Dan, Perhaps if our channel were bigger and we had a film crew, etc. we would feel more compelled to get a work permit. But since the bulk of what we're doing is tourist focused and the amount of money that we get paid by KZbin is proportionally quite small, we don't request work visas and feel fairly honest about saying we're visiting for tourism, not work. Kara and Nate make over a million dollars per year and have over 4 million subscribers. The US finally told them they need to get permits for commercial photography. We have a long way to go before something like that happens. Good, thought-provoking question! -Judy

[@dansouth2088]

@@FindingGinaMarie - Thanks, Judy! Happy Holidays to you and Kevin! I think what I was asking about is for travelers who can work remotely, like IT-related jobs would there be any visa requirements? Any info you have is greatly appreciated! Cheers!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@dansouth2088 Happy holidays, Dan. Ahhh, thanks for clarifying. It actually depends. If you are a month in Bali, say, and working for a US company, you can usually get away with not having a work visa. You can make a case for it being really more of an extended vacation and you're not taking a job away from an Indonesian. Although some countries might say that a travel blogger (like us) should have a work visa because that could be done by a local-but this is small potatoes to them. Some international companies worry about the tax implications to them if you are working in another country, so that can be tricky. I know people whose companies limit the amount of time they can work in any one foreign country. In some countries whether you're considered a digital nomad can depend on whether you are taking work away from a local. If your company primarily serves people outside of the country you're in (say an online Etsy business with an international clientele), you may be fine, but if your "customers" are locals (web designer for digital nomads living in Thailand), that can be a different thing because the work you're doing could be done by a local. It isn't always straightforward and varies by country. One good example is Italy. They recently (finally) have a digital nomad visa, but before then there was a very narrow set of criteria that could allow you to stay longer than three months. You had to either be visiting on a student visa, have a work visa (and only a limited number of those were granted per year and not specifically for digital nomads), or you were part of some sort of family reunification plan. When you get a digital nomad visa (anywhere), you have to show that you are self-supporting and each country has a different bar they set on how much income you need to be producing. Hope this helps. If you have specific questions, we are glad to try to answer them! Oh, and if you are in a country for more than 183 days, that actually requires you to declare your income in that country because you are considered a resident there. -Judy

[@dansouth2088]

@@FindingGinaMarie - Wow, Judy, thank you so much for all of that information!! We probably won't be able to travel full time due to certain responsibilities, but having the option to work remotely for 3 or 4 months while we travel to a few places could be ideal for us!!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@dansouth2088 Depending on what you're doing and for how long, you could get away without having a tourist visa, especially if it's your own business. If you are working for someone else, they may have their own set of tax concerns. It would be awesome if it could work out for you! -Judy

[@preparingforretirement]

We are going for Italian citizenship by descent through my hubby.... we plan on slow travel retirement and wanted another citizenship. We also wanted to spend a lot of time in Italy and the rest of Europe and this seemed like a great idea for a back up plan or if we want to slow down and live there or buy a home. We just started the process and I don't retire for a year. Interesting to hear that it will take you many years. We are hiring an agency that will do everything for us (since his grandfather came through Ellis Island with a minimum of info - the first mention of him is the 1920 Census) but his parents (and THEIR parents) are well documented in Italy, so it seemed wise. Are you using an agency or did you DIY it? Thank you for your content!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @preparingforretirement, I'm not sure how familiar you are with paths for dual citizenship, but I am a 1948 case. It's a little more complicated than some types because I am going through my grandmother (females weren't allowed to pass their citizenship to their children until after 1948, and so people often file lawsuits because women should have always had that right and 1948 was an arbitrary date-this method has had a high degree of success, but it requires you to file a lawsuit in the Italian court where your family member is from). I am using IDC (Italian Dual Citizenship-also known as Italian Citizenship Assistance). But my family is from New York State and it took me 9+ months due to a backlog of cases for them to send me birth records and other documents from NY. So I started the paperwork in February 2022 and it has taken me until now to get all of what I needed, as well as get apostilles and translations. The translations may take another few weeks and then it all will be able to be filed with the court. So what I had to pull together took nearly 2 years, 9 months. If your family members aren't from NY, it might be a quicker process, but it is a slow process. It may take another 18 months after the case is filed in Italy to get a judgment, but I'm hearing it can take a similar length of time to get an appointment with a US consulate for regular jus sanguinis. We were not prepared for the fact that although they "do everything," due to privacy issues, they aren't allowed to do things independently. We've had to receive the documents and then send them to IDC afterwards (and also check on the status of them when they were delayed). The government agencies will only work directly with you, not IDC if you are using them (but I'm assuming that's the case for every third party). We wish you all the best on your journey and your upcoming retirement. It will be here before you know it! I'll link a few of our episodes that may help you with downsizing and a link to our checklist that should help, too. -Judy 🎥 Downsizing for Retirement or Full-Time Travel Series: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF2xRusfMEQvN-5LZZqdnQIf ✅ Downsizing Prep Worksheet: findingginamarie.com/request-downsizing-prep-worksheet

[@enriquesanchez2001]

JUDY - KEVIN - great video with an unique angle!. The more I read and watch videos on BEING AN EXPAT, the more I think I am better off at my age (68), staying put, travel when I wish and stay close to my sister and her kids. It might have been better for me 10-15 years ago, but then those were the years my precious parents needed me most. God knows what he's doing... KEEP MAKING VIDEOS! Much love to both of you!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@enriquesanchez2001 Seeing your face pop up in our comments always makes me smile! Thank you for always watching! Our intention wasn't necessarily to turn people off of being expats, but we had no idea there was another way when we first thought we might want to live full time in another country. Part of us just wanted to have a different kind of experience and appreciate a different culture and country outside of our own. Basic curiosity. Well, maybe a little more than the average person on this topic! We are glad it didn't work out for us in 2011 because like you our lives would have looked so different. And for us right now, there's no one who really needs us in the way it sounds like your parents did. We are keeping our options open that there may come a time when we need to help out my birth mother or our children end up with children of their own and we decide we want to be nearby. But that time isn't now, and we are so incredibly happy to be living this way! -Judy

[@enriquesanchez2001]

@@FindingGinaMarie Awww, thanks for that sweet reaction! You weren't turning me off specifically, by the way. I am being practical. Family is important to me. My sister and her children are my sole support system. Tonight, all the family is going to a special Mass for my cousin who passed suddenly, she was only one year younger than I am. My family is large and I expect a large crowd to attend. In the long run, and in keeping with my own thinking, it would be a selfish decision were I to repatriate myself. You simply enforced my decision to stay put and enjoy what I have than uproot myself into an unknown destiny. Your absolutely congenial outlook always makes me smile, and Kevin's not too shabby himself!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@enriquesanchez2001 I didn't get the sense that I was offending you, but my point was more that if some people want to leave the US, there are easier ways to do it than becoming an expat somewhere. We know that many, many people like having a home base or have family (either parents or children) that make it impractical to leave. And some people can't imagine living anywhere other than the US. All are fine with us! And we even know some people have no intention of even traveling to the places we visit. They might just want to learn about other parts of the world or watch us interact, relive their own favorite trips, or are curious to see how their own country is being portrayed. We are so, so sorry to hear about your cousin. What a tragedy. We will hold your grieving family in our prayers. Take good care of yourself and yours, Enrique. -Judy & Kevin

[@enriquesanchez2001]

@@FindingGinaMarie Judy, I fully understand this. I think I might have overboard in my response with too many facts - as if I were defending my case with you! It seems funny that I wrote so much. But thank you for your kind words about my loss. I'm good! Thank you both!

[@gloriacurrie4046]

What part of South America are you traveling through?

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @gloriacurrie4046, We are currently in Buenos Aires, but we'll be visiting Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, and Peru as well. We'll also spend some time in Costa Rica and Mexico City before heading back to the US for our yearly visit. We certainly would have liked to spend more time here-and we'll definitely be back because there are things we have had to miss. One thing we've learned about ourselves is that we want to mix up the parts of the world we see each year so that we can have an interesting cross section of the world. We don't want to deep dive into all the nooks and crannies of one part of the world and then have a health crisis that cuts our travel short forever and we missed learning about all the other parts we want to see. -Judy

[@sr9253]

Do you have a home base still in San Francisco? Or just have stuff in storage? I would like to sell my house in Los Angeles and travel full time but I don’t want to get rid of everything yet.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @sr9253, We do not have a home base anywhere. We kept a very small subset of our stuff around because there was a likelihood that Kevin would take a job in London. But it didn't take long for us to realize we no longer wanted to work and the amount of money we were paying even for a small storage unit adds up quite a lot over time. On our next visit to the US, we ended up getting rid of even the small amount we had kept (a few guitars, some paperwork, some winter clothes, some art pieces, and some kitchen stuff). Of course, the way storage companies work, they offer you a deal initially and then they steadily raise the price. When you're traveling full time, it can be expensive to detour back to the US to clean out a storage unit, and frankly, we had very little desire to deal with that stuff after being on the road and getting by with so much less. It's like a spending switch went off in our brains). We know that some people want a home base to come back to, but we felt like our lives would be so different and our priorities would have shifted so much after being on the road-which is 💯 true for us-that we knew whatever we were holding onto before we started traveling probably wouldn't have been right for us afterwards. After living with a backpack and a carry-on and not buying anything but a few replacement clothes once per year and refreshing our deodorant, shampoo, and toothpaste, we got out of the spending mindset. We also LOVE that we don't have to worry about going home for anything or worry about dealing with a property management company or anything like that. But you may feel differently. This is just how we felt about things. Hope that helps in some way. -Judy

[@reluctantlawyer517]

We have learned very quickly that there is no perfect location. There are downsides as well as upsides to everywhere in the world. Full time travel also has its ups and downs. The most important thing is to prioritize what you value. At this time, we value learning new things and experiencing different cultures so we prioritize travel over staying in one place even though there are downsides to that decision.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@reluctantlawyer517 Hi Stan, Thanks so much for watching and for your insights. We've been fortunate that our upsides have far exceeded its downsides, but we acknowledge that you and Erin have had your share of challenges, probably beginning in Equador, unfortunately. If you have specific challenges that you can reflect on and avoid going forward, we'd be curious to know what those are. -Judy

[@reluctantlawyer517]

@ definitely the upsides far out weigh the downsides. We are both still loving the travel lifestyle. I just run into a lot of people who are interested in full time travel but have obviously not thought carefully about it and don’t understand that for all the benefits, there are also things that you are giving up when you choose to travel full time. We have definitely learned to be flexible and to pivot when necessary. Each challenge just creates a new adventure and a learning opportunity.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@reluctantlawyer517 You're right. For us, what we gave up is small is comparison to what we are gaining, but everyone's priorities are different. We've been lucky to have very few hiccups on our travels and the planning and variable costs from country to country can be unsettling to some people. But gosh are we glad to live a life with so much less overhead! -Judy

[@GlobetrotterGranny]

Lots of people have asked me that question of where I like the best so far. I’m the same way as you … they are ALL amazing! That said, if I have to pin a place down for someone, then I typically will choose a place that I would actually live long term-e.g., Scotland is one of those places.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Good point! And all the places we mentioned in our video here are ones we'd strongly consider. Our biggest issues with Scotland are how cold it gets and that it's fairly expensive. But we love it, too! -Judy

[@GlobetrotterGranny]

@ very good point about how expensive Scotland can be.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@GlobetrotterGranny Yes, we LOVE Edinburgh, but we got a rude awakening last year when we tried to spend a month there. Broughty Ferry was lovely, but it was the most we'd ever paid for a month in one place (up until then). Unfortunately, costs have gone up everywhere. -Judy

[@ExploreTayo]

We've been expats and now Nomads, Nomad life is better!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

We know it’s not for everyone, but we absolutely are having the time of our lives this way. We are so happy to hear that it is working for you, too! Thank you for watching! -Judy

[@falaniaae1835]

What app do you uses to get your mail? Do you use IPostal?

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @falaniaae1835, We don't use iPostal. We use My Traveling Mailbox. We put together an article on our website that talks about how it works and why we chose it. You can read about it here: 📝 How to Stay Connected to Your Mail While Traveling the World: findingginamarie.com/articles/how-to-stay-connected-to-your-mail-while-traveling-the-world

[@gloriaandrews9265]

Wow!! I love how well thought out and helpful your videos are but I have to say your lack of information on US immigration process surprises me. You honestly believe it any less convoluted, costly and painful here as it is abroad? Welcome to being an immigrate.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi Gloria, I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying. I believe that the US immigration system is extremely messed up. In fact, one of the things that I find very curious and disappointing is that I have talked with people who have worked through the immigration process in the US and they’ve mentioned it takes 10 years or more to get their citizenship. But then when there are people proposing changes to make it easier, they are the ones that fight against it the most. I’ve been shocked at how the mentality is that because I had to work so hard to get in, everybody else should, too. So I believe it’s wildly expensive and impossibly difficult to become an American citizen or even to be a green card holder in the US. But this video was about wanting to leave the US and consider being an expat somewhere. We are proposing that rather than go through that difficult process anywhere, being a full-time traveler is a viable option to consider. We also understand that in the same way Americans don’t want to make it easy for people to live in the US who are not citizens, it’s not unreasonable for other countries to feel exactly the same. And someone recently pointed out that while there are definitely differences in meaning, using the word expat versus immigrant is often about how much wealth the person has. -Judy

[@QuinnPrice]

Nomad life is good, especially if you're living in a country that was awesome, but is now circling the drain due to rising costs, political instability, or crime.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@QuinnPrice That is absolutely true. And personally, we don't want to own property somewhere and then not be able to get out easily if we need to or want to. Thanks for watching! -Judy

[@bw5911]

I would never want to be an expat and live just in one country through the rest of my life because I’d rather travel and see many different countries. I wish I could travel with you guys because you are my tribe. And Judy, can you just narrate my entire life for me because I love listening to you do narration.😂

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@bw5911 We thought long and hard about it, and we also realized that when you have the entire world as your oyster, why not experience it all? There may be a time when we won't be able to travel, and maybe then we'll want to settle down at some point, but that time is definitely not now! How are you enjoying Albania so far? We hope you are enjoying it. We would ADORE traveling with you! We probably could learn so much from your wealth of experience. We literally just celebrated our second anniversary of full-time travel! And you are way too kind. You give me the words and I'll do the narration ;) I'm sure you've got quite the adventure for me to record! -Judy

[@bw5911]

@ I am absolutely loving it and I’m going to leave in a few weeks and go travel to some countries and go to some Christmas markets so that will be fun. I think I could learn more from you guys and you could from me! Do you think you will be back in Europe before next summer?

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@bw5911 We are so glad to hear you are enjoying Albania! Good luck with the Christmas markets. They sound appealing except for the cold and crowds-but maybe they're just cool enough that those small inconveniences are worth it! We will definitely be back in Europe before next summer. We'll be in Malta in April and Sardinia in May and we haven't figured out June yet. If the budget could work, we'd love to be in New Zealand/Australia in September/October, but that leaves the summer and winter still open for us to figure out. If you are anywhere nearby, we'd love to be able to meet up! -Judy

[@bw5911]

@ I might have to pop over to Malta to meet you!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@bw5911 We would love that! We will be in Sliema from April 3-May 3! There surprisingly are fairly easy flights in and out! -Judy

[@pumuckl0]

Great video! There are a few other cons with full time travel. First, it doesn't really work if you have kids because they would have to be home schooled and don't have any lasting friendships. Second, it's quite difficult for adults to make lasting friendships and belong to social circles, or pursue hobbies that are not portable. Lastly, if you get citizenship somewhere else you have a place to go if you really want to cut the US cord permanently and renounce or if Americans become persona non grata because of wars, bad relations etc.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @pumuckl0, You raise some interesting points. However, Kevin and I were just talking the other day. Having the chance to travel full time as a kid brings with it so many positives compared to negatives. You are involving all five of your senses when you travel and learn history. You can put a foreign language into practical use. There's no bullying. Sure it's unconventional, but your kid doesn't grow up dealing with active shooter simulations that can be traumatic (as well as potentially dealing with a school shooting). And there are ways parents can engage their kids in expat communities and other ways of forming friendships. And that goes for the parents as well. I think that friendships made while traveling can be some of the best experiences. I don't think that work friendships are more lasting. And not that I recommend it, but I worked long hours before we started traveling. I didn't have much opportunity for friendships outside of work and very little time for hobbies (portable or otherwise). Now I'm learning a language and have a side hustle learning about blogging, editing, and videography. I think it's important to look at like much less conventionally when you're deciding to leave the US. I agree about cutting the cord, but an American passport still opens a lot of doors and if you renounce your citizenship, seeing family and friends in the US becomes exponentially harder if you're not allowed in as a visitor, so you have to choose very carefully which country you want to live in. And there can be a concern that children may be required to serve in the military if they have some other passport. Lots to consider, but everyone has to do what's right for them. We thought long and hard before we started to travel full time versus becoming expats. Thanks for watching and for sharing these potential concerns. -Judy

[@pumuckl0]

@@FindingGinaMarie Definitely agree with the second passports points. I have two other citizenships besides my US one, but both of those allow visa free travel to the US. I did check whether my kids would have to serve in the military and that is a concern for sure. Both my kids were born abroad and are pretty well entrenched into their lives with school and friends. I think it would be easier for kids to leave the US (for all the reasons you mention) and slow travel, but difficult once you live abroad and have built a life with friends etc. The only thing that makes us interested in moving at this stage is that we are nowhere near family. Would not move back to the US, but would consider moving to Germany since that's where my wife is from and we all have residency/citizenship there.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@pumuckl0 Thanks for sharing some of your backstory with us. I agree that not everyone would love full-time travel, and it's actually not our intention to try to convince everyone to do it. But there are hassles to getting long-stay visas and meeting residency requirements and we merely wanted to present another option. I do think that some kids might think traveling to exotic places is pretty cool. But it definitely depends on the kids and the parents. Nothing is for everyone. We have yet to visit Germany. It's one of the more expensive places for us to visit because of the cost of living there, but if you're able to afford it, that is awesome. We definitely want to visit when we can though. -Judy

[@onebeerleads2another791]

Thank you for this video. I've been trying to explain this to my ladyfriend, and your video went a long way toward convincing her I'm not insane. 😂

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @onebeerleads2another791, If you're interested in becoming full-time travelers, we highly recommend it. We talk through our thinking process in this article that we wrote celebrating the 2-year anniversary of full-time travel, which was Nov. 21, 2022. We also have episodes on our website that discuss full-time travel in more detail that you might find interesting. -Judy 🎥 Preparing for Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF0Hm94IeHJksaTV37AcdchX 🎥 Navigating Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF1PzikjO5wvLLMtOE1UkdvH 🔗 Here's a link to our ever-growing articles for full-time travelers (you can find it by going to our travel tips and then filtering by Nomads): 📝 Articles for Full-Time Travelers: findingginamarie.com/travel-tips/?category=nomads 📝 Happy On-The-Road Anniversary to Us: findingginamarie.com/articles/happy-on-the-road-anniversary-to-us?rq=anniversary

[@kathleenkalt3852]

My husband and I would like to travel. We're trying to figure out how to get prescription refills if we keep moving.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @kathleenkalt3852, We have an article regarding managing prescriptions below. Happy to give you more information if you have any questions. -Judy 📝 Prescription Power: Navigating Medication Abroad Like a Pro!: findingginamarie.com/articles/dealing-with-prescriptions-as-full-time-travelers?rq=prescription 🎥 How we thought unconventionally to retire early: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqXcmWeEjdeVnNU

[@randall8379]

Someone told me he was moving to Italy because he didn't like the government that will be in power in the US in January. He didn't know that Italy has a right wing government!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@randall8379 We are full-time travelers for many reasons outside of politics. Not sure where you got your information from. -Judy 🎥 Why We'll Never Live in the US Again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpa3lYCGh8yeja8

[@rjh2772]

we have to dogs how much fun is that

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@rjh2772 It depends on the size of the dogs and where and how you want to travel. It's a bit more work to arrange flights and accommodations and your pets need to be comfortable with traveling, but it's not impossible! -Judy

[@awadiopgueye-lu7gj]

🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Thanks for watching! -Judy

[@samkurz]

Mexico sounds easier the Europe.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @samkurz, It is easier and more straightforward, but it's not always the safest country for expats, and it has all the typical issues expats can experience in European, non-English speaking countries such as language barriers, cultural differences, bureaucracy, and more. It also isn't as cheap as you might think it is. Thanks for watching! -Judy

[@sheilah4525]

The best way is for you to do it forever……. This is just hedge betting it both ways, as if we care.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @sheilah4525, We are providing options for people who for whatever reason are interested in living outside of the US. We don't intend to live in the US full time, even if we decide to stop traveling at some point. So it sounds as though you'll get your wish. -Judy 🎥 Why We'll Never Live in the US Again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpa3lYCGh8yeja8

[@lbunnygordon1133]

Do u hsve any tips for a poor Uk lady...I m thinking of doing Tefl at some stage age and no degree are agsinst me..I worked all my life as simple office worker .have no real idea of online and schools dont accept you easily..or pay nect to nothing..am highly allergic to animals abd too weak for physical work..

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Have you ever thought about reaching out to organizations looking for virtual assistants or starting your own virtual assistant business? There are a lot of organizations looking for that type of help and you don't need a degree. We wish you all the best, Bunny! -Judy

[@beththomas6514]

I’m enticed by full-time travel, but also am still considering emigrating in order to change my tax residency so as not to continue to involuntarily help fund military operations that kill civilians, families, children. I’d rather have the taxes I pay go to universally available health care and affordable higher education in my new country. But establishing residency in a new country is a pretty big commitment. When I become an empty nester in a few months, I’m hoping to do a lot of traveling and then, in five to ten years, settle in Spain or Portugal.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @beththomas6514, We explored the idea of emigrating at one point, but our US passports open up the world to us for travel, unlike some other countries' passports. Also, if you have any sort of family or friends you might want to visit in the US, there is the possibility that your alternate citizenship might not allow you to visit the US. We understand how frustrating it is to have your tax money to go in directions you don't agree with. But even if you're living outside the US, you still get an opportunity to vote, and things can always change around. Thanks for watching. Below are some links to our downsizing series and also our full-time travel series. We wish you the best of luck! -Judy 🎥 Downsizing for Retirement or Full-Time Travel Series: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF2xRusfMEQvN-5LZZqdnQIf ✅ Downsizing Prep Worksheet: findingginamarie.com/request-downsizing-prep-worksheet 🎥 Preparing for Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF0Hm94IeHJksaTV37AcdchX 🎥 Navigating Full-Time Travel: kzbin.info/aero/PLNT98lWfwdF1PzikjO5wvLLMtOE1UkdvH 🔗 Here's a link to our ever-growing articles for full-time travelers (you can find it by going to our travel tips and then filtering by Nomads): 📝 Articles for Full-Time Travelers: findingginamarie.com/travel-tips/?category=nomads

[@beththomas6514]

@@FindingGinaMarie I would eventually have dual citizenship, keeping my US passport, but would change my tax residency sooner. I understand that the tax treaties between the US and Spain and between the US and Portugal avoid double taxation, such that I'd be paying taxes to my new country of residency. My taxes would be higher in either of those countries, but with a lower cost of living, especially for health care even if purchasing private insurance, while helping to fund public services to enjoy, like the train system and upkeep of the pedestrian zones and plazas. But I just noticed that, for Spain, my public pension would be taxed in the US unlike other forms of retirement income. Either way the dual citizenship means I would be able to keep my US passport. I wouldn't be at that point for many years though. First I want to do full-time traveling for several years before even beginning to pursue residency abroad. Thanks for all your great tips and helpful information on full-time travel!

[@FindingGinaMarie]

@@beththomas6514 We are on board with paying more taxes but having them go to services that actually help people. And we are exactly the same regarding residency abroad. We're excited by the prospect, but we are enjoying exploring the whole world right now and don't want to stop for the foreseeable future. We spoke about not living in the US even far into the distant future if we're ready to settle in one place. We also talk about why we chose to travel versus become expats in this article that goes into more detail and background than our video, including that we just celebrated two full years of full-time travel on November 21! -Judy 🎥 Why We'll Never Live in the US Again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpa3lYCGh8yeja8 📝 Happy On-The-Road Anniversary to Us: findingginamarie.com/articles/happy-on-the-road-anniversary-to-us?rq=anniversary

[@onecompass7290]

You need to be prepared to rent and pay for 3 months of all utilities UPFRONT.

[@FindingGinaMarie]

Hi @onecompass7290, Thanks for watching. I know that rent sometimes can be that way (first month, last month, security deposit), but I was unaware of that for utilities. Thanks for this info. Of course, it all depends on where you're heading, but it's a good reminder. -Judy