E33 Retiring in Mexico's Lesser Known Jewels

Gigi Best Richardson and her husband Skip embarked on a quest to find the perfect location for relocating themselves and their African American bookstore/museum. Their criteria included a place with a rich African American history, abundant cultural institutions, and a blend of natural beauty along with a warm climate. Their search led them to St. Augustine, Florida, a city often regarded as the birthplace of African American history. St. Augustine is renowned for its cultural richness, with traces of heritage at every turn, wonderful sub-tropical temps and 43 miles of pristine beaches. Discover more about the captivating historic city of St. Augustine on Episode 175 of Retire There with Gil & Gene.

When in St. Augustine, be sure to visit the Richardson’s bookstore/museum, Best Richardson African Diaspora Literature and Cultural Museum.

Have you given thought to living alone later in life or joining a community of like-minded individuals? Some 50-plus individuals who are seeking this compromise are considering cohousing communities. Cohousing is defined by Wikipedia as “an intentional community of private homes clustered around shared space.” Jude Tisdall has found that a cohousing community can be much more. Jude lives in New Ground, the United Kingdom's first and only cohousing community for women aged 50-plus located in Barnet, North London, England. See what simultaneously living alone and together at New Ground is like on Episode 174 of Retire There with Gil & Gene.

Check out The Guardian’s descriptive article about the New Ground cohousing community, ‘We have brothers , sons, lovers - but they can’t live here!’ The happy home shared by 26 women.

In 2024, New Ground won a World Habitat award.

When Jo-Anne Bowen looked for a home in the Pacific Northwest, her wish list included an affordable single-story home in a nice community within a short distance of an international airport, as she loves to travel. She landed in the beautiful small city of Vancouver, Washington and her home is only eight miles from Portland International Airport. Jo-Anne’s motto, “spend as little as possible on the necessities so you have as much as possible for the luxuries” has served her well. Learn more about Jo-Anne’s life in the Evergreen State on Episode 173 of Retire There with Gil & Gene.

For more information on living in Vancouver, see Jo-Anne’s 2021 Travel Awaits article, 14 Reasons I Decided To Retire In Vancouver, Washington, and check out Jo-Anne’e other Pacific Northwest articles in Travel Awaits.

Michael Andrade had visited every Spanish and Portuguese speaking country in the Americas searching for a retirement destination. The catch was his sole source of income was social security. He landed in Salvador, Brazil, a place he describes as “magical.” Michael’s rent is a mere $400 per month for a one bedroom apartment in an upscale neighborhood near the beach. Check out his vibrant life in Brazil on Episode 172 of Retire There with Gil & Gene. 

Julie Diebolt Price and her husband Gordon spent much of their working years in Southern California, but longed for a change. They initially bought a cabin in Rhododendron, Oregon in the shadows of Mount Hood enjoying years of vacations there. Despite Julie’s firm stance against Arizona, where she had visited her parents for three decades, fate led them to Goodyear. Surprisingly, they explored a model home in Tuscany Falls, a 50+ community, and ended up purchasing one in the very place Julie had sworn never to live … Arizona! 🤣     Discover what changed Julie’s mind, on Episode 171 of Retire There with Gil & Gene. Link in bio. 

Julie’s website: PhotoTravelWrite.com. 

Julie is a published author and her photography books include: (1) Baby Boomers' Guide to Digital Photography; (2) 9 Steps to Stock Photography Success: Proven Techniques to Earn Money with Your Photos; and (3) The 10 Most Important Things to Know About Event Photography. She also published 2 coloring books: (1) 7 Continents and Big Cities Coloring Book and (2) Sonoran Desert Animals Coloring Book.

Brits Sallyann Phillips and her architect husband dreamed of designing and building a home on a Greek island. They started visiting the Greek island of Kos and later purchased land and began the process of planning the home. Just prior to the pouring of the cement foundation, Sallyann’s husband passed. She faced a monumental decision - stay in England or start construction of the house and move to Greece. Sallyann’s courageous move proved to be challenging but triumphant. Hear her full story on Episode 170 of Retire There with Gil & Gene.

Sallyann Phillips’ books about Kos: (1) Build or bust before Brexit: Home at last in Kos; (2) Just Be Kos: The year I moved; (3) Why Kos: A taste of Greek life; (4) Kos. An expat in the Corona years: The good the bad and the restrictions; and (5) No more thistles and Ticks: How to create a Mediterranean garden.

Beverley and Chris Wood moved from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada to Mexico, where they stayed for 9 years. After a series of unfortunate events, Beverley yearned for more stability in her life and the couple journeyed back to Vancouver, Island. This time, to the small harbor city of Nanaimo, located mid-island. It is important to note that Vancouver and Vancouver Island are very unique places. The biggest difference being Vancouver is a large cosmopolitan city on the mainland while Vancouver Island is an island full of rainforests, small cities, villages, beaches and wilderness. Follow the Wood’s explorations and experiences on Episode 169 of Retire There with Gil & Gene.

Beverley Wood is the author of: The Move to Canada Bible and The Move to Mexico Bible. More books by both Beverley and Chris may be found at www.whitedogcreative.com. 

Keep up with Beverley at www.beverleywood.com.

Are you courageous enough to move across the world to start a new life on rural land? Dani and Evan Benton relocated to Omishima Island, Japan and seem to be loving the challenge. The industrious couple purchased two akiyas (abandoned or vacant houses in rural japan) for a total of approximately $30,000. For income, they remodeled one of the homes and are renting on airbnb. They plan to earn additional income by raising honey bees and from Dani’s photography business. Learn more about the Benton’s enterprising move on Episode 168 of Retire There with Gil & Gene.     

The couple’s website is Benton Homestead. To see what they are doing in Japan, including the renovation of their akiyas, visit their YouTube channel.

Check out the Benton’s Airbnb page about renting their guesthouse. 

To help the Benton’s ship their precious belongings to Japan, make a donation on their GoFundMe page. 

Have you watched the Yellowstone series and imagined roaming free on wide open land in Montana? Real estate agents Will and Angie Friedner moved to Whitefish, Montana where they enjoy living near Glacier National Park, lakes and a Rockwellesque downtown. The couple even have a YouTube channel, Living in Montana, and a book, Moving to Whitefish, Montana, where they explain what it is like to move to and live in Montana. To find out more about life in and around Whitefish, listen to Episode 167 of Retire There With Gil & Gene.

Angie Friedner is a real estate agent with Glacier Sotheby’s International Realty and Will Friedner is with Montana Life Realty.

Celebrate the New Year with Gil & Gene! Tune in as we reflect on the remarkable growth and transformation of the Retire There podcast throughout 2023. We share behind-the-scenes happenings, key 2023 statistics, revisit standout episodes, and offer a sneak peek into the exciting plans for 2024. If you value the Retire There podcasts, consider supporting Gil & Gene by making a $5 donation at at buymeacoffee.com/retiretherepod. Each contribution helps cover the production expenses of the show.