The Grown-Up's Guide to Running Away from Home, Second Edition: Making a New Life Abroad

by Rosanne Knorr

For empty-nesters, early retirees, and even established executives, midlife is the ideal time to turn travel fantasies into real and rewarding experiences. This second edition of THE GROWN-UP'S GUIDE covers estimating cost-of-living expenses, the dos and don'ts of international health care, the boom in online travel resources, and much more. Whether planning a monthlong escape or a whole new life in another country, this empowering guide will encourage mature would-be expats to pursue the overseas adventure they've been craving.

 

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

198 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Terri Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has done extensive travel, I really love this book. The author packs a lot of info between these covers.

You start out thinking about living abroad. The first two chapters guide you through this process to decide if you actually even want to pack it up and move to another country. Don't skip these thought-provoking pages. It is vital to think these things through BEFORE you try to make the big move.

The next chapter takes you through some really fun information to help you narrow down the country you are interested in moving to. Your dreams are important but it is even more important to be practical and think about the cost of living in a country, the language and the likelihood you will be able to learn it, how safe and welcoming the country is, the kind and quality of health care, jobs, and housing available and other practical matters.

Once you have narrowed down your choices to one great country, this author very logically includes chapters on how to pay for your getaway, how to live economically within that budget in your new country, how to legally get a job in the country, and all of those things you will have to do including find a home, pack, handle your finances and personal affairs when you move, moving the kids and pets, what to do with the things you can't take along (like those major appliances that won't work there), paperwork required to enter legally and stay legally, transport of yourselves and your things, how to get health care or signed up for your new country's medical insurance, and much more. These are all things you will need to think about, plan for and do and she has really got you covered here.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is even thinking of moving abroad.

[Calee Spinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a gem! This is a great guide that breaks down all the different aspects involved with moving abroad — how to plan, what to expect, steps to prepare, what to do once you’re there, etc. The second edition is from 2008 and it clearly needs another update, but the real value is in pointing out the things you need to look into or prepare for. No book like this can stay correct for long, but highlighting topics or issues points you in the right direction, which is great.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was definitely more target to old people then the young. I still kind of enjoyed it for the reference to places I would never think of "retiring" to such as Mexico. The authors live in France but referenced a lot of people in Mexico and Latin America as well as Portugal so I think the accounts of those people were of more interest to me. All in all, a decent read, but didn't really apply to the young all that much. And of course, only for the upper middle class and above. Those below no need apply.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear, one day I'm doing it!

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some really good information, but is geared more toward older retired people, thus the 3 star rating. Still a great resource.

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever dreamed of living abroad this is a how to guide that would set you in good stead to read. Great tips and good resources.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no intention of retiring to another country, but thought this might be an interesting read just to get some ideas. We plan on relocating somewhere in the USA, and got some good ideas from it. Much of the advice in the book can be useful to anyone retiring anywhere.

They talk about being frugal and not having to keep up with the Jones when you retire to a foreign land. Well, you can, and should, do that in the USA too. Living in the country is cheaper than the city, but there are trade offs. Yep, that applies to the USA as well. If you are very rural, you might need a car, in the city not as much.

[Wendy B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been wanting to read this for some time now and finally got a hold of a copy. It's a good resource for those who are ready to take the plunge and move out of the country but it's also a good starting point for those who aren't sure they actually want to relocate to another country. There are many good ideas such as to visit different areas of where you think you might want to go. How to use your hobbies to either find a job or volunteer until you do find a job. So I know I will start my relocation journey with an artist workshop in the country I'm interested in.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I underestimated how much this book was geared towards middle-aged retirees when I got it from the library. It was also most recently updated in 2008, which means most of the information is incredibly dated. When she started talking about calling airlines to check ticket prices and something about AOL, I knew this wasn’t going to be very helpful.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Supremely basic and, by now, mostly outdated, but the information is delivered with a can-do attitude.

[Melody · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the book well enough, but much of the information struck me as simple common sense. There was a curious reliance on old-fashioned information venues, and all the internet resources were crammed in at the end, almost as an afterthought. This second edition came out in 2008, following a first edition in 1998, so maybe the AOL stuff can be overlooked. Still, this feels older and clunkier than it needs to be.

[Heyhansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't really the "target market" for this book, so it didn't work for me as well as it may others. If I was ten years older and hadn't dabbled with packing up everything and moving, I think it would be a better fit. Some fun quotes sprinkled in though like; "Learn a new language and get a new soul" - Czech Proverb

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointed. I didn't expect a 5-star book but I was hoping for a 4, or at least a 3. I didn't get anything from this. Maybe I have already given more thought to the subject at hand than the common person, but still...? If you find this book helpful or insightful, I suspect you will either never go overseas.

[Patti Pjerrou-Paynter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second time I have read this book and I am still at home, so I don't know what went wrong. It does include a lot of good tips if you are planning to live out of the country for any length of time.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it and loved the title. Some info is a little dated and it's surprising the author has US credit card bills sent three time a month by snail mail instead of getting statements online, but otherwise has a lot of good info on details to keep in mind.

[Shiloh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thid book was okay, it was mostly written to retirees and filled with advice on how get your social security check, but still it had some good advice.

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm thinking the target demographic is a little older than I am...but good to help me think through everything that is involved in a move (which I am really itching to do!)

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. It helped me plan my trip through Europe and I am re-reading it for clues on how to escape on a more permanent basis. A must read!

[Laura Roush · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had some really good information!

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had A LOT of useful information in it... if you're retired. However, it was a quick read, and I did enjoy it.

[Helen]

This is a how-to book aimed primarily at readers in the U.S. who have no or little experience of international travel. I gave up after the first few chapters.