Worldwide Retirement: What I Miss about the U.S.

I just spent 6 weeks back in the U.S. – Minnesota, Chicago and mostly western Massachusetts, for a glorious New England summer of bicycling, beach-ing and kayaking. There were, as usual, many instances of “I wish I had this in Nicaragua….”, so here is my list of the main ones and something to consider for any of you thinking about relocating to a less developed country. Keep in mind that Nicaragua is kind of less developed than many other less developed places.

1. FOOD FOOD FOOD I can’t possibly list everything in this category, and some items are actually quite ordinary (like unsalted butter). Here are some: local organic berries, produce that I know is fresh, staple items such as chipotle peppers, real olives (i.e. not in a can or bottle), real mushrooms (ditto), smoked salmon and other types of fish, all the bins of fabulous organic grains, seeds, nuts and spices in the local coop or Whole Foods, the wide assortment of local high-quality cheeses…..and a thousand others. I also sorely miss the wide variety of restaurants, ethnic and otherwise.

2. GOOD, RELIABLE UTILITY SERVICES This would include high-speed internet that always works, decent phone service, electricity that doesn’t shut off without warning and isn’t run by the local mafia, water – ditto.

3. CLEANLINESS I needn’t go into great detail here. Everything is just a hell of a lot cleaner. Stepping in horse or pig manure just never seems to be a problem. Nobody’s throwing their garbage in the street or lake. There are rules about hygiene and cleanliness which just don’t exist where I live.

4. CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS High quality windows that actually fit the wall space without gaps, quality doors and cabinetry, walls, tiling, house systems.

5. AVAILABILITY OF SOLAR AND WIND POWER

6. INFRASTRUCTURE Good roads, bridges, high speed freeways, etc.

7. GENERAL EDUCATIONAL LEVELS Lots of highly educated folks to talk to, though I’m not really impressed with the general educational levels in the U.S. However, people do read and there are fabulous libraries everywhere.

8. OTHER: NPR (National Public Radio) or whatever they call it these days, public TV stations, recycling, CSAs, good vitamins, bookstores.

It’s a lot! But I’ve been here 7 years now and am happily getting along without most of the above. I have to say that I still haul down things like supplements, and organic seeds, nuts and spices. Most of the rest I live without and it’s probably good for me not to be surrounded by great stuff to buy. Maybe you have your own list, but I hope this helps anyone considering a move. Retiring overseas is a great option, but you have to consider what you´re giving up as well.

What I Miss about the U.S.

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