One Foot on the Dock

When the dock is washed away...

I have written before about the choices one must make as one considers moving to another country. Having just spent a few days with a couple that has a home in Portugal and one in Fort Myers Florida…the choices seem even more daunting.

Perspective

Permit me to begin by stating the obvious…there are worse things than having damage to a second home. At least 14 people died in Fort Myers Beach because of Hurricane Ian…over 100 in Florida. One week after the storm hit Fort Myers 1,700 people remained in homeless shelters because their homes were uninhabitable or gone. I listened to an NPR interview with a couple in their 70s who had invested their life savings in a mobile home near the beach. You can’t insure this type of home…their home is gone. They have less than $500 in the bank while they wait for their next social security check.

We lived through two hurricanes while living in Vero Beach, Florida in 2004. We had just gotten the electricity back after Frances when Jeanne hit. Neither were as powerful as Ian and fortunately, we did not have any damage inside our home (the storm surge stopped one block from our house). You can replace a roof, take down damaged trees, or replace a fence…you can’t replace a life.

But we also should not minimize the stress experienced by our friends as they tried to assess the damage, file insurance, and FEMA claims, secure restoration companies, etc, etc, etc. from 4,400 miles away! (Note: while your family may talk to you via WhatsApp I suspect your insurance company will not. Having a way to talk to your home country¹ is vital during these times.)

One House or Two?

Whether to retain your house in your native country is perhaps one of the most difficult decisions you make when you move to another country. We are fortunate…we don’t get attached to stuff. And as our 6 moves in 26 years prove, we aren’t attached to houses either. But I realize it is more than just attachment to stuff. When we were thinking Mexico might be an option I read an ebook about a couple that regretted selling their home in the States. They moved to Mexico and in less than one year decided it wasn’t for them. They regretted having sold the home they loved … leaving the neighbors and community they had nurtured. (And while one might consider having a safety net … you can’t put your community in a storage unit.)

What’s the Right Decision?

While I know some of you wish I could look into my crystal ball and tell you what to do, obviously, I have no idea what that might be. Of course, the two F’s (family and finances) will be major drivers of your decision. But as you sort through these things, and all the other things nagging at the back of your mind, I suggest that you celebrate being human and embrace the opportunity to decide. (If you haven’t already read this post and watched Ruth Chang’s video you really should!)

Unfortunately, there will continue to be earthquakes, fires, tornadoes, and ever-increasing hurricanes. How would you deal with such things from afar? It is something to think about…

Next Week: starting to feel like home and building a house inside our building.

1. Adding international minutes to your cell plan is not the only option. You can buy Skype minutes, maintain a home country account, voice over IP (VOIP), etc. Take time to research the various options before you need them. And in the case of an emergency, remember, you need an option that will communicate with a landline and cell phone number without requiring the other party to do anything special or download an app.