Retirement only means it’s time for a new adventure

I like to travel, no big surprise there. I enjoy writing about it, hence this blog. So the ideal would be to combine the two, right? Which brings me to my news.

I can now call myself a writer and even have my editor’s permission to do it. How cool is that?

But maybe I should explain.

There are those for whom retirement is so far in the future that the thought of retirement planning is laughable. I’ve never really been one of those, at the age of 17 with my first proper job I started putting money away for the future. I bought a house at a favourable point in the market and I managed to invest in safe but wise shares. All of which enabled me to eventually throw in over 25 years of slogging in banks and casinos and make the decision to somehow travel and get paid for it. I could list the amazing things I’ve experienced travelling since then but I’d encourage you to read this blog instead.

After all that I now find myself sitting in South East Asia, writing and getting paid for it. Yes, this blog has Google ads on it and people clicking on ads that are of interest to them is a good thing but it’s not enough for me to justify calling myself a writer. I also have a few other niche websites that have ads or are attempting to sell things but that certainly doesn’t make me a writer. What makes me a writer is selling an article to a magazine and getting paid for it and I can now say that I am a published writer.

International Living is a print magazine and website for expats and retirees. In their own words “We know from experience that there are a host of places around the world that are cheaper…healthier…safer…freer… than you ever thought possible. Our job is to help you discover those places, and then to help you take advantage of the opportunities they offer—opportunities to improve your quality of life…to lower your cost of living…to invest for profitable return—before the rest of the world catches on.”

My first article was about living and/or retiring in Luang Prabang. My second article, an interview with a Luang Prabang expat, is currently with my editor and I have ideas for further articles, either about Luang Prabang or Chiang Mai in Thailand. I guess I am in a reasonably unique position of nearing that age where retirement planning becomes much more important but still having the flexibility to travel and seek out the stories and I hope that I will be able to pitch interesting ideas to my editor for some time to come.

So where can you read this article? The magazine is not for sale in retail outlets, only by subscription through the website. This is the link you want to follow: https://secure.internationalliving.com/ILVA/PILVS1A2

A big thanks to everyone who is reading this blog and to anyone who reads my article (or hopefully articles).