Good evening from Zanzibar. In this live, I sat down with my parents (who are thriving right now) to talk about what retirement abroad actually looks like in real life—especially when you’re not sitting on some massive nest egg. We broke down why they chose to exit America: the cost of living in places like the DMV and Los Angeles, the cost of healthcare, and the nonstop “go go go” pace that wears people down. We also talked about how we’ve seen their health improve—better food, slower living, less stress, and access to real, authentic organic stuff you can literally pull off a tree. We got practical too. I explained why you need to keep an open mind about the word “retirement” (some countries don’t even tie it to a strict age), and why I tell people to go one step at a time—start with a visa, then residency, not citizenship on day one. We covered key considerations like taxes (yes, Americans still file), Social Security (yes, we receive it abroad), banking (make sure your US bank supports international living), infrastructure realities like power issues, healthcare options (Medicare usually won’t help you), prescriptions, driving/driver’s license differences, and even pets. The theme is simple: research, then research again—plus have your must-haves and deal-breakers list so you target the right country for your lifestyle and budget.