Our Initial Attempt at Becoming Expats - About the Year We Blew Up Our Lives

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89 Days Away | Slow Travel | Post-Work Lifestyles

2 ай бұрын

A summary of our experience closing down our US residence and heading to the EU on a scouting trip (to Portugal), to facilitate an overseas move. We talk about what prompted the move, how we went about the initial steps, what we experienced, and the results of the trip.
It was an amazing experience for us. Something we will look back on fondly for the rest of our lives. But in the end we decided to put off the full expat move (for now), and instead opted to do a part-time expat or slow travel approach.
We’ll have more videos coming as soon as our regular work slows down.
Please like and subscribe if you like this video!
And give your feedback in the comments!
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📌📌Are you interested in more news, advice, tools, and inspiration for thriving in your 50s and beyond? Join us in our newsletter where we crack the code of midlife: empty nests, retirement, health, and more (with just a little bit of travel thrown in). You can even try a sample before subscribing! 📌📌
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notes-from-the-road.beehiiv.com/
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👨‍🦱👩‍🦰More about us:👨‍🦱👩‍🦰
www.89daysaway.com/
And in case you were wondering, our channel title "89 Days Away" refers to the typical 90-day visitor limit for staying in a country or area (such as the EU Schengen Zone) before having to become an official resident.
We try to maintain a lean, scaled back lifestyle in the US, and spend around 1/2 of our year living overseas as "slow travelers", within those time limits, to get the overall expat experience without having to become a full time resident of the foreign country.
Our channel started out talking about that lifestyle, but has morphed into other topics related to this stage of life that we find interesting.
We hope that you find the topics interesting as well.

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@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

A summary of our experience closing down our US residence and heading to the EU on a scouting trip (to Portugal), to facilitate an overseas move. We talk about what prompted the move, how we went about the initial steps, what we experienced, and the results of the trip. It was an amazing experience for us. Something we will look back on fondly for the rest of our lives. But in the end we decided to put off the full expat move (for now), and instead opted to do a part-time expat or slow travel approach. We’ll have more videos coming as soon as our regular work slows down. Please like and subscribe if you like this video! And give your feedback in the comments! __________________________________ 👨‍🦱👩‍🦰More about us:👨‍🦱👩‍🦰 www.89daysaway.com/about-us 📌📌Are you interested in more news, advice, tools, and inspiration for thriving in your 50s and beyond? Join us in our newsletter where we crack the code of midlife: empty nests, retirement, health, and more (with just a *little* bit of travel thrown in). You can even try a sample before subscribing! 📌📌 👇👇👇 notes-from-the-road.beehiiv.com/ ___________________________________ And in case you were wondering, our channel title "89 Days Away" refers to the EU Schengen limit of letting visitors stay 3 months (in the Schengen zone) during a visit-living away for 89 days before having to go home. If you want to stay away for longer, some other countries let you stay for 6 months, so you can put together an agenda that allows you to stay overseas as long as you need to get what you are looking for.

@Alexandra-qn4xv Ай бұрын

I’m Portuguese and moved to the US over 20 years ago. My spouse and I are also exploring retirement in the EU as we’re both originally from the EU. Although citizenship/language/culture/food are not barriers for us, we’ve realized just how much we’ve changed during our tenure in the US. We realize that we’re no longer “fully” the product of Europe, we’re instead a blend of American and European, which makes the transition to full-time life in Europe “an adjustment”, to say the least. I cannot imagine what it would be like if we didn’t speak the language and believe that language is paramount to adjusting to a different culture/country. The move to the US was hard enough, from a cultural perspective, and we both spoke English fluently. I would say, learn the language quickly if you want to have a good shot at adapting to a new country.

@89daysaway Ай бұрын

I agree - Learning the language seems like the main issue for success as an Expat. How do ou think that your new perspectives gained from long term expat experience (in the US) affect your life when living back in the EU?

@Alexandra-qn4xv Ай бұрын

In our view, we became accustomed to certain conveniences and infrastructure in the US, which we generally take for granted here. It’s a rude awakening to realize that those basic things are not so granted elsewhere. For example, it was pouring rain in Lisbon when we left last year. There were water leaks coming down on passengers at the airport, everywhere. Their solution was a few old buckets but no warning signage for wet floors. We take that for granted in the US. Another example is that in the US there’s generally enough seating in airports to seat passengers while awaiting flights; but in Lisbon, there were maybe 20-30 seats at each gate. Literally nowhere to sit anywhere in the capital’s airport. We saw elderly people sitting on the floors, the wet floors. We take these things for granted in the US. I could go on and on about this but the general theme is that there is a process and structure for most things in the US and in Europe it’s mostly the opposite, with the added pressures of ancient social rules, like no “work” on Sundays (ie. no washing your car or other such activities 😊).

@gregperez919 Ай бұрын

Excellent info. My wife and I basically had the same plan but we executed it in 2016 and purchased a brand new and affordable 2 bedroom condo in the South of Spain. It wasn’t completely built and ready until 2019. And when Covid hit I retired so we couldn’t even get to our new place until 2022. We did the same as you folks. We sold our place and gave away most of our furniture and managed to stuff the rest in one 10X15 storage. Oh my how we love our life. We’ve been slow traveling between our home in Spain and the rest of Europe, Africa and the Middle East. You are on target that you need to do your research, go to your favorite location and experience it for a few months. Real estate is climbing but you can still get way better prices than the US. We are in Turkey for the month of May, Ireland in June, then UK in July. August and September we are back in Spain for 2 months. Bravo to this couple!

@89daysaway Ай бұрын

Wow! You folks are making it work. Congratulations! A place in the South of Spain sounds like an ideal place to land for the winter months.

@JayandSarah Ай бұрын

We sold it all and moved overseas to slow travel. This has been a great experience for us. We don't worry about language issues as we can't possibly learn all the languages where we will go, it is simply not possible. We use google translate, English and fumble our way through many things - but always manage to get through it all. In every country there will be someone who can speak some reasonable English who is willing to help you out. That is our experience so far.

@j.p.8248 2 ай бұрын

I'm a single 47 year old guy, also a dual citizen. Hanging out in Utrecht right now. Beautiful in lots of ways, no language barrier issues and Dutch is relatively easy to pick up anyway, but it's very expensive and there always seems to be a chilly breeze in the evenings and it can be depressing not to see the sun enough. I was thinking of making this home but these might end up being dealbreakers. The Algarve and Spanish coastal areas are warmer, sunnier and somewhat more affordable generally. Those feel like contenders as well. I'm working an American job remotely which means here in Europe it's an evening shift, which makes it hard to get out much and meet people. Not sure yet I'll be able handle it long term but it's been a fun adventure so far. It's amazing to be able to live entirely without a car for months on end. I might end up back in the US as well, but honestly the car dependency really sucks once you've seen that it's possible to live another way. Writing this message on the train from Amsterdam to Utrecht.

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

I was in Utrecht in November. Lots of rain at the time. But I love the NL. Glad you are making it work for you. Congrats. It seems like a great place to live. Regarding car dependency, we were there during train strikes, and during the crazy dysfunction at Schiphol when the security folks all quit, and we missed having access to a private car... .

@warrenr.johnson7990 2 ай бұрын

I don't know what's coming next for you, but do not give up your dream. I went through all what you did and slow traveled through Central & South America, Central Europe, and the UK. At age 81, I'm living in Albania 8 months of the year and traveling for 4 months. It's a compromised plan but still an exciting one. You, too, can do what you choose. Good luck!

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. You sound like a hard core traveler. And still going strong at 81. You're an inspiration to us!

@suzanwright83 Ай бұрын

Great video, thank you. We were considering retirement abroad due to dual citizenship and lower costs of living, however this year we realized that there is something very important we missed -complicated tax and banking situation/restrictions between EU and USA. This is a long topic and things are going in a wrong direction for expats but whoever considers this move please be aware. Just opening simple bank account in EU as US citizen is a challenge.

@CarolinaCanada 2 ай бұрын

You are an organized and very engaging speaker. Fantastic channel!

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

Thank you so much!

@susanmccall9630 2 ай бұрын

After traveling extensively throughout the EU, focusing on Spain and Portugal, we came to the conclusion that, for us, slow travel is what works for us. We are excited about this. Truly enjoyed your story. Thank you.

@JayandSarah Ай бұрын

Slow travel is what we are doing and it's been enjoyable so far. Moving days are not fun, so staying as long as possible in places that make sense, makes it easier on us. We enjoy seeing different places and not having to deal with residency and potential taxation.

@debbiegirard6702 2 ай бұрын

I appreciate your honesty about the reality of being an expat, especially in the EU. The whole tax thing did it in for us, which is why we are returning to the States in a couple of days after living in Madrid for eight months on a non-lucrative visa. Unlike you guys, we thought we did our due diligence before embarking our our expat experience but sadly didn’t fully realize the whole tax exposure thing until we were here (and rented an apartment, etc.). But like you and your wife, this experience is not deterring us from traveling, but we’ll use our home in the States as our base from which to travel. That way, we always have some place to come back to. Please make more videos about your experiences as they are so much like ours! Thank you!

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

Madrid sounds great! Southern Spain is on our list for next Spring. Glad to hear that you are finding a travel approach that works for you and your circumstances. We looked at what would be required, and wanted to find a way to minimize the hassles and labor associated with getting residency and making it work. Staying somewhere for weeks or months at a time can give someone the feel for living there without upending everything else in their lives.

@brianwhite1189 2 ай бұрын

It's my new plan, as well. See you on the road.

@tobirates916 2 ай бұрын

I’m curious, what are you doing with your homes in the US while you travel? Renting, Air Bnb, keeping them empty, or have you sold?

@JayandSarah Ай бұрын

Taxation is the single biggest issue for expats, you always need to know which countries have tax treaties with your own home country. Americans unfortunately have the worst situation of almost all countries in that as long as you retain your US citizenship, you are taxed worldwide. There is no way to escape.

@JH-me Ай бұрын

After 9 years of full time travel, I am returning to my house in the UK . I will do 2 to 6 month trips now but it will be great to have a base to return to at last .

@saga4646 2 ай бұрын

About two years ago my plan was to move to Spain full time but as you said about Portugal, the housing situation is not of my liking and the areas that I was hoping for are about the same as U.S. affordability. So, like you , I have decided to to live abroad for chunks of time while maintaining y U.S. home. I've given myself until I'm 65 to decided if I want to leave permanently. I love videos like these because they help to see the reality of situations. Merci.

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

Many thanks! We were hoping to find a great place for much less than the US. And while the prices are lower in general, it is not really enough to make it an amazing deal that we would immediately jump on.

@saga4646 2 ай бұрын

@@89daysaway Exactly. The prices I was running into were the same on decent properties or if they were less they lacked insulation or were a 4 story walk up. I can do 4 stories now but I have to think long term. I do still want to spend considerable time there because the healthcare situation here is atrocious and getting private insurance even if you aren't a resident allows you for better care.

@brianwhite1189 2 ай бұрын

My feeling, exactly. Was waiting for my Portugal D7 visa when covid hit and everything ground to a halt. Now I'm nearing 70 and think extended trips is the way to go.

@prieten49 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for your story. I pulled the plug in 1997. I first lived in Germany and the last twenty years in Japan. Expat life works for some, not for others. You sound like you're inbetween. It's great that you have the flexibility to choose. Good luck!

@nomadjim 2 ай бұрын

Nice to hear your story. Even though you didn't end up doing what you thought you would, you gave it a try and learned from it. Many people never take that first step. From your initial experience you concluded that while being an expat wasn't the right thing for you, you weren't going to be discouraged because there were other ways to live overseas, such as being a part-time expat slow traveler. And living in that way has a myriad of possibilities. You just try different things until you find what works for you. Don't copy what everyone else is doing. Chart your own path. Thanks for sharing!

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

Many thanks! It can be tricky to find a path that fills your needs. We keep trying options to see what works for us. Our approach may not work for everyone, but maybe our experience can prompt some ideas that someone can adapt to their own situation.

@mharrisona5526 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your experience. For years I’ve described to friends and family our goal to be abroad 4-6 months per year and I’m glad to learn that it’s a ‘thing’. To that end we’re finishing up renovation on a lovely little property in Italy which will serve as our European home base. That’s the plan anyway and it’s been a rather fun adventure so far. 🎉

@89daysaway Ай бұрын

We were always worried about renovating a house in a foreign country. It can be difficult enough in the US to get decent work done at a reasonable price. Glad it is working out for you. Having your own "home base" will make a big difference.

@brianwhite1189 2 ай бұрын

Was waiting for my Portugal D7 visa four years ago when covid hit and changed everything. Now I'm still in the states and think extended periods of slow travel makes much more sense for me. Looking forward to your future videos.

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for watching and writing! Portugal is truly such a beautiful country. The light is like nothing else I've seen--Lisbon, Nazare, Algarve. It's still a Top 5 place for us to go back to for visits. The visa saga in Portugal has been something to watch! Glad you found your path.

@lindadorman2869 2 ай бұрын

After working in global marketing for decades, I planned to retire abroad. I’d been to 40 countries, many for months at a time. My idea was to find a low-cost place in Asia or Europe as a home base and travel part of the year. But during the pandemic, I started a business that required my presence in the US, and I was able to lower my living expenses to $1600/mo. It's hard to find another country where I can live on less! Now my new strategy is to keep my apartment here, grow my business and travel 3-4 months.

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

That sounds like an ideal and simple approach, with minimal work to make it happen. Simpler tax situation for your business as well. Good luck with that!

@afreshyou5266 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience. I look forward to future videos!

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the kind words!

@tonytony9159 2 ай бұрын

Great video! Very organized and put together well. Good luck!

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

Thank you! You too!

@LeonardBottleman 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing. We started investigating an expat life in Portugal back in 2017 when we made our first exploratory trip. In October of 2022 we made our final "pre-move" trip where we spent more time in our cities of interest (Porto, Braga, Ville do Conde) and had the same concerns about the quality of real estate options that you have expressed here. We had an extra complication in having two horses we planned to bring with us and ride, and this detail is what ultimately caused us to rethink relocating to the EU for now (we simply could not find a combination of suitable horse boarding locations near riding trails not too far from a modest sized urban center). We're waiting until we no longer feel the need to do as much riding as we do now before revisiting the expat option but we also like the slow travel lifestyle you proposed -- that too will need to wait until we are post-horse, and so we are doing extensive "normal travel" until then.

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

We always reserve the option to try again later if a good situation arises. But with the NHR status change in Portugal, and less stability in the world overall, we are happy to have our main residence in a place where we understand the situation more deeply.

@slicksalmon6948 2 ай бұрын

Very interesting story. Reminds me of the KZfaq couple who moved from Boca Raton to Paris and didn’t last six months. My wife and I were so taken with our French experience that we retooled our lives to live more ‘French’ in the US. It can be done.

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

Great point. Each trip we make and each country we visit usually gives us something to bring back with us that improves our life at home. Sometimes it's the tiniest things! We found a drying rack we loved in Tallinn, and now we have one at home. We had a "self-serve" griddle breakfast in a small quirky guest house in Amsterdam, and we bought one when we got home. And Kristen loves UK television now LOL. It adds up over the years! Thank you for watching and writing.

@jmnxjmn 2 ай бұрын

At the start it is easy to view the choice as binary (live in the US or be an expat elsewhere) but there are alternatives in between. We bought a house in Italy in 2017 but don't plan on full-time relocation. We currently travel on a tourist visa so we have to do the 90 days in rolling 180 day program but I am working on Czech dual citizenship via jure sanguinis. Even with that, we don't anticipate spending >180 days per year in the EU for tax reasons. There's always the option to move if we want but it isn't a requirement for us.

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

Agree.

@artistjjebsen Ай бұрын

Your “flexpat” plan is something that I hope to try in a few years. Seems like a great idea. Downsize in the US and spend 2-3 months in countries on a short term basis. Having a base home in the US must be a reassuring feeling.

@89daysaway Ай бұрын

Yes - Having a home base in the US really simplifies things.

@danielkristianson208 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experiences. As a 67 year old single man, I'm planning my first overseas living adventure ....

@89daysaway Ай бұрын

Best of luck! It was the most interesting times in our lives (other than having a new baby).

@tobirates916 2 ай бұрын

Considering this very thing for the future and interested to hear your experiences! (By the way, I thought I heard a bit of a Maryland/Baltimore accent while you were talking. A bit of home for me! I’m from the DC area with many relatives in the Baltimore and DC suburbs but live in the Pacific NW now)

@89daysaway Ай бұрын

It takes a lot of work to suppress the Bawlmer accent!

@WanderingTuckers 2 ай бұрын

Nice... We are less than two years from doing the 89 days on/off slow travel, too. But, i want to build a list of countries that have tax agreements with the USA or territorial tax so if we decide to stay beyond 6 months in a year we don't have to worry about taxes.

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

The issues is not necessarily about paying taxes. For most of these countries, if you stay beyond the initial visa period, you have to become legal residents, which includes taxes, but it also includes a lot of paperwork and other requirements to become a legal resident. There are also a range of requirements for getting a resident visa, such as having a source of income above a specific amount, purchasing health insurance in the country, etc. Take a look at the process for a place that you are interested in to see what hoops you have to jump through to become a resident.

@actionvj 2 ай бұрын

Great story. I considered the idea of becoming a part time ex-pat. My issue is that I don’t want to rent out or ABNB my home (which I would keep as a base). I’m more likely to take the leap and just go. Looking at your concerns, some of them seem to be those initial problems. They might subside once you make a “final” decision. Knowing you could unravel from Portugal may have been too easy of an out. Thanks for sharing.

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

Yes, understand what you mean about just taking the leap. The logistics of having a rental are a lot to consider, but are a good financial solution for many! And yes, you're right--we would have made it work, probably...even for a couple of years. Thanks for watching and writing. :-)

@bestyou774 2 ай бұрын

Have you considered moving to the UK? Maybe somewhere like the Cotswolds or the Dorset Coast? There would be no language barrier and Europe is on the doorstep. Flights to Europe from here are very inexpensive. I am flying from London to Zadar, Croatia in June for a few days and I paid £36 for a return ticket.

@89daysaway 2 ай бұрын

We really like the UK, and visit there each year (our daughter currently lives in Scotland, so it is a short train ride away). But as far as I know there is no readily available visa option for US citizens. UK is also very easy for slow travel because someone can stay up to 6 months in a row.

@JayandSarah Ай бұрын

For us the UK is a non starter... simply due to the weather. Who wants to retire in a place that has that much gloom and rain? No way we could do that. We plan our countries based on weather so we can wear shorts year round essentially.

@bestyou774 Ай бұрын

@@JayandSarah Yes that is a fair comment. I guess everyone’s requirements are different. Enjoy your travels!

@JayandSarah Ай бұрын

@@bestyou774 totally, everyone is different. We are from Vancouver, BC Canada... we've spent our entire lives in a coastal rainforest climate where it can rain for weeks on end with no reprieve. No way I want to spend my early retirement with rain coats and umbrellas. Plus we film KZfaq content and nobody is interesting in watching videos of people vlogging in the rain! Lol.

@bestyou774 Ай бұрын

@@JayandSarah Hey that is a slight exaggeration. It is sometimes said that the UK does not have a climate as such, just a lot of weather. It is true that the weather here is very changeable but don’t believe all the stuff about constant cloud and rain. When the weather is good Britain can be absolutely beautiful but yes I accept there are no guarantees. I still remember the summer of 76 ☀️😀

@Kate-fn8rj Ай бұрын

Have you considered exploring France? US and France have great tax treaties.

@89daysaway Ай бұрын

We have spent time in France, and like the environment. We are planning on some long trips there in the future.

@Lisa-rc6em Ай бұрын

We have a similar story! We are even from the DMV, and my fiancé is a dual US/EU citizen. Question, is your wife also an EU citizen? If not, can she travel over 90 days in Schengen if she is with you?

@89daysaway Ай бұрын

Greetings fellow traveler! She is not an EU citizen, so the 90 day limit applies. If I decided to declare residency on a country, she could get a spouse residency permit that would eventually turn into a "green card" to stay permanently.