Andrewmc wrote:
Guessing it's a lot easier than going somewhere where you don't speak the language which was my genius idea...........
I am speculating, but for me, between now and when I am 60-70 I think in an English Speaking country it would be a breeze to make social networks
I just immigrated my folks to the USA - they were looking to retire to somewhere in southern Europe and decided that having lived the last five years in France and Switzerland that they'd also like to be somewhere that the prevailing language was English. It certainly does help when you're able to converse with your neighbours, ask for things in shops, and go out for dinner without every meal being a mystery.
My parents retired to the Knoxville area, which is nice and the weather is far more appealing than where I live in Maine (I say this sat in the screen porch where I have worked all day!) - but one thing to be aware of is that if one wants to ride bikes down here, it's hilly. All very well when you're young and fit and spry.... We're looking at moving down to be closer to them and my fiance is looking at the roads and thinking "no way." We've been driving the local smaller towns and that seems to be a recurring theme. Chatty has a gorgeous downtown/city centre area, but it felt like when we dropped down off the mountains this weekend the air just stopped moving. I don't know if that's typical.