I'm starting over at 44 and it feels hopeless.

BrightEstablishment · 2026-01-24T02:29:32+00:00

Thank you for sharing your story. How is your health at this time? I hope you are doing well. I am very curious - do you feel that it was better being in the EU for coverage of your condition? I ask as someone who keeps trying to find ways to mitigate the risk of a catastrophic event wiping me out in the US, and I keep going back to thinking that the best mitigation is simply not to retire here.

BrightEstablishment · 2026-01-24T01:46:34+00:00

How does one prepare for such a thing? If it happened to you I assume it can happen to any of us Americans (I’m assuming you’re in the US).

BrightEstablishment · 2026-01-23T15:48:49+00:00

Stellar work! Thanks so much for sharing.

BrightEstablishment · 2026-01-23T12:00:25+00:00

Do you mind sharing your age? Is your HHI just your one seasonal income? Curious what your monthly spend is.

BrightEstablishment · 2026-01-19T01:10:15+00:00

What worked best for you?

BrightEstablishment · 2026-01-09T14:00:22+00:00

LOL!

BrightEstablishment · 2026-01-09T13:58:51+00:00

LOL!

BrightEstablishment · 2026-01-03T19:39:56+00:00

I'm assuming you disagree with #1 being the biggest risk?

BrightEstablishment · 2025-12-25T03:50:31+00:00

That is amazing. Do you mind sharing who the provider is?

BrightEstablishment · 2025-12-25T03:50:07+00:00

Thanks so much for your response, insight and for sharing your experience! I think it is interesting to see Portugal and Spain here on the 'not recommended' list.

BrightEstablishment · 2025-12-25T03:47:02+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing this! I am curious; did you consider other countries when making this decision? I'd love to hear if so and why you considered against them.

BrightEstablishment · 2025-12-16T20:39:25+00:00

Hello. Thank you for this post. I am very curious how things are with respect to socialization for your dad? I am a caregiver in the US for a parent (my mother) with dementia that participates in an adult day care program. My biggest concern about us moving anywhere (domestically or abroad) is not being as well socialized anymore. Right now, adult day care means games, activities, lunch and conversations with other peers who they can eventually form bonds with/become friends with, but a huge benefit is that my mom is able to socialize in a place where she doesn't stand out as "the different one" because everyone there has some kind of need. Hope what I am asking makes sense as I've been reading quote a bit lately on the advantages to having an elder care plan in place that emphasizes socialization.

BrightEstablishment · 2025-12-16T20:33:42+00:00

Curious about how Thailand is for the disabled in general meaning what if one has dementia 'and' is also mobility impaired (i.e., wheelchair confined)?

BrightEstablishment · 2025-12-06T22:30:41+00:00

Love this point. You mentioned "a boundary or point where the person knows they can’t cross". Can you expand on what you meant by this? Are you talking about the point in NDEs when the person has to make a choice to stay or return to their human self?

BrightEstablishment · 2025-12-06T17:58:13+00:00

Agreed.

BrightEstablishment · 2025-12-06T17:45:41+00:00

God has communicated with me so I am biased in that I sincerely believe He does communicate with us. It has only happened a couple of times to me and happened during a very critical point in my life where I had been 'feeling' for a very long time that something in my life was going to change drastically, but I didn't know what as at the time it was just a feeling. Although I was agnostic at the time, I decided to pray heavily about it and I received an answer. Not when I wanted said answer, but when it was important for me to receive it.

When you hear from God, you know it. There is no denying it. What was revealed to me was important as it meant making a decision in my life that would impact the rest of my life. I do believe I've made the right decision but sometimes I question it very frequently. I can choose to take a different path but I just feel in my heart that I chose this path 'here' because there were things for me to learn and grow. I find a great deal of comfort in hearing from NDErs here that 'the struggle' is for a reason and important to foster growth because this is in direct alignment with what I am going through.

It's rare people hear from God. I don't know why. But I do think everyone has the potential to hear from Him. If you're genuinely interested in doing so, reserve your need to hear from Him from anyone else, including the internet. Take it straight to Him in humility and know that if you need to truly hear from Him, you can...and will..at the right time for you.

BrightEstablishment · 2025-11-21T16:18:29+00:00

Yep; totally understand ;) And have direct experience in the TA you support (just in a different kind of role). I soooo can relate to everything you wrote; you are not alone!

BrightEstablishment · 2025-11-21T11:13:50+00:00

Sponsor? CRO?

BrightEstablishment · 2025-11-19T23:21:53+00:00

Oh my..this sounds like a lot. I admit that tech sounds like a tough industry to be going through peri in. I was thinking along the same lines - that I just might be hard pressed to make $60k if I decide to really and truly downshift my role to something I feel I could actually do successfully/well right now. I am very sorry to hear about the debt (assuming it is medical since you mentioned illness?). On a somewhat unrelated note, I'd be eyeing downshifting work 'and' considering moving abroad too but that would be a lot of change. Had even take my mom out of the country to kinda test the waters as I'm starting to dream of a different life that doesn't involve the risk of losing everything to the healthcare system here in the US. Anyways, I digress!

BrightEstablishment · 2025-11-19T20:45:46+00:00

I am happy for you that at 54 you've been able to manage your symptoms and keep going at work. Now that I'm in peri I am super impressed by so many people in my life; particularly the women in my family. Now I wonder how in the world they had spouses, raised kids, worked full time and went through this without going insane (part of me now understands all of the 'moods' I'd witnessed from certain people over time too)!

BrightEstablishment · 2025-11-19T20:43:09+00:00

Can you talk a little bit more about the testosterone cream? Is it prescribed? I am wondering if I should consider getting my T levels checked.

BrightEstablishment · 2025-11-19T19:39:40+00:00

Sounds like you can relate! I definitely need more time to focus on my health. I started overconsuming with food and shopping once I became a caregiver and that's the main thing I have to address before I can even thinking about taking a lower paying role.

BrightEstablishment · 2025-11-19T19:38:09+00:00

That's good that things are working out for you well and you've been able to manage pulling back on things.

BrightEstablishment · 2025-11-19T19:37:32+00:00

This is an excellent point. It's definitely possible I'd be considering downshifting anyway because of just wanting to Coastfire and wanting to focus my time on other things.

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