A grandmother learns a simple lesson from a 6 year old. Living overseas means missing family, but technology can close the gap more than people realize.
The writer’s daughter lives in Paris. She and her husband split time between Panama and Woodstock, Illinois. Last month the whole family gathered in Illinois for two weeks, celebrating the Fourth of July and letting the grandkids attend swim and riding camps. One granddaughter, Ariadne, even started a lemonade stand style business selling ice cream.
Weeks after saying goodbye, Ariadne called crying because she missed her grandmother. The two talked on video chat until she felt better, then asked if she could call anytime.
That question hit home. The writer recalled her own move from Maryland to Ireland decades ago, when her mother went months without seeing her granddaughter. No video calls back then, just distance and silence.
Speaking on a Forbes panel about retiring abroad, she was asked whether moving solo is harder than moving as a couple. Her answer: both. Couples split costs but must compromise. Singles carry it alone.
Either way, one thing helps everyone now that didn’t exist before. A phone screen, a familiar face, and suddenly the ocean feels smaller.
My Take…
Grandma. Six year old. Big feels. Family scattered across Paris, Panama, Illinois, because apparently nobody believes in living in one zip code anymore. Ariadne cried, called, felt better. Cue flashback: Maryland to Ireland, zero video calls, just silence and stamps. Forbes asked solo versus couple retirement abroad. Both hard. Technology though? Genuinely shrinks oceans. Who knew.
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https://www.liveandinvestoverseas.com/news/retirement-news/what-my-granddaughter-taught-me-about-retiring-overseas/
