My mother Lucia lived the all American lifestyle until it was time to retire. For years she worked and flourished in San Francisco California. She excelled both personally and professionally in one of the most beautiful cities in America. The California way of life and the beautiful San Francisco Streets, surrounded with so much beauty, charm, and style, made for a beautiful movie-like backdrop, in which all of her dreams could come true.
 
She lived like most of us do in the United States, working hard to live well, and hoping to retire without any financial worries. In her mind retirement was a thing of the future, something people just did at a certain age, but it was never a true concern or reality. She always thought retirement would be a welcome change in her beloved city. She used to tell me, "Darling, I have worked so hard all of my life, when I retire I will relax, take up a hobby, travel, own my own time, and take long walks in Golden Gate Park, without having to look at the time, that is going to be great".
 
I always bought into that idea, but always thought retirement for my mom was so far ahead that I never really paid it any mind. Boy was I wrong, "time really flies when you are having fun, I guess". Before you know it you have arrived at your destination. It's a little bit like marriage, before you know it you are married and having your first child. You are also never really ready for it. You simply deal with it when it comes even if you think you have done all the planning. At least that's the way it was for me. Retirement for my mom was just like that, and when she reached that day she asked herself, "What happened, where did the time go"
 
As a personal shopper for Neiman Marcus she earned a good income which allowed her to live well and with a lot of style. It also allowed her to save through the company's 401K and other savings programs, so in her mind, the retirement savings account was covered, and thus, sufficient to provide for a nice and comfortable retirement in her city. She also had the social security check to look forward to, so things would be ok.

 
It's important to note that even though she made pretty good money, she would complain from time to time about on how expensive things were getting. For instance, cable TV went up from $35 per month to $58 when the local company was bought out, then coffee, which is what San Franciscans wake up to and go to sleep with was always on the rise. A regular cappuccino can easily cost you $4.50. The toll at Golden Gate Bridge went up from just a couple of dollars to $5, and then Safeway and Whole foods, our local supermarket, seemed to always be on the rise also. Not to mention the exorbitant amount of money you spend in medical insurance, car insurance and regular day to day expenses. But hey, that's how it is right, you work and you spend, there's no other way.
 
So one day retirement came knocking on the door, it was time to retire. She was going to put in her papers like they say. One of her first steps, after speaking to Human Resources, was to meet with her life-long accountant to go over the books and her future expenses. "A life plan" she called it. I remember clearly how happy she stepped out the door to meet Mr. Schwartz, her accountant. "Today is the beginning of a new day, today I tell Schwartzie (that's what she called him) that I am done, she told me excitedly". She was also looking like a million bucks when she stepped out, and I remember being so proud.
 
Later on that afternoon I received a cryptic message on my cell phone answering machine, it said, "let's meet for lunch at Kuletto's, we have to speak right away". I immediately called her back but there was no answer.
 
I simply waited, counting the minutes until it was time to meet her for lunch at our regular Italian restaurant on Powell St. When I arrived she was sitting at the bar with drink in hand, which at the time struck me as odd because it was not her regular glass of red wine, today she was having scotch on the rocks. So, when I sat down I asked her, what's up mom, what's with the message and the martini lunch. She said, "Darling, you have no idea, I am in shock with Schwartz". No longer Schwartzie I knew there was something wrong.
 
She to tell me that she was not retiring, and that she could not afford it. With panic on my face, I obviously asked her what was going on, to please explain. To be honest I was terrified. I thought she had lost all of her money or that she had been a victim of a crime. She explained that she simply could not afford retirement while at the same time meeting all of her expenses. She said that the sacrifice to cut costs in order to just get by would be too much to handle, and simply not worth it. She explained that in order to retire she would perhaps have to give up her city apartment, a large portion of her recreational expenses and perhaps her regular medical insurance, as it was simply too expensive. The words Mr. Schwartz used were, "drastically downsize in order to meet your current situation". "My current situations he says", as she cupped her face with both hands and broke down in tears. I immediately calmed her down by putting my arms around her and ordering another round, this time for the two of us, of course. I told her that we would figure it out, and that's what we did.

 
Originally from Nicaragua, my mother always thought of her home country as a nice place to visit, never as a place to retire. After all, she was an American. Although she loved the climate, the welcoming people and the natural beauty of its geography, she left Nicaragua at such a young age to attend college in the U.S. that returning to Latin America never really crossed her mind. It never really crossed her mind until she realized that her life as she knew it would never be the same as a retired person. She realized that she simply could not afford to retire on her tMr. Schwartz apparently suggested a "senior citizen retirement community" in order to minimize costs. Knowing my mother, she couldn't have liked that at all. She never really liked the term senior citizen. She used to tell me with a grin on her face, "Give me a break, all I really get a discount on with this new title is cheap movie and bus tickets". I always got a kick out of that. When she asked herself what would make her truly happy, now that she was considering Nicaragua, she took into account affordability, comfort, safety, accessibility to good health care and the ability to be active in the community.
 
So after researching Nicaragua and considering the possibilities of actually retiring outside of San Francisco, it quickly became evident that this was not an escape but a true viable plan to secure a decent retirement. Through our research we discovered that the exchange rate was very favorable against the dollar so her money would obviously go further, and thus, makes things more affordable, that it was the safest country in Central America, that it was easy to access via different airlines and just a couple of hours away from Miami, and that good healthcare was available at a fraction of the cost. After further research, it also became evident that a comfortable home would cost a fraction of what it would cost in California. All of a sudden this did not look like such a crazy idea.
 
I think that her biggest concern was whether she'd be able to enjoy life as she once knew it in a sustainable manner without drastic sacrifices. Being a fast mover, my mom s took action and she took a reconnaissance trip to Nicaragua just within a few weeks of her dreaded conversation with Mr. Schwartz. She packed a light bag with just the necessary clothes for one week and took the overnight flight to Nicaragua. She decided to visit friends and family in Granada, the Spanish Colonial town where she was born. There she could reunite with friends that could guide her.
 
Several weeks passed without any calls from my mother, which I found odd because being an only child she keeps close tabs on me. Since another week went by without any contact I decided to call and request an update. When she picked up the phone there was an instant tone of excitement in her voice. She said, "hello love, long time no speak, did you miss me already, and cracked a laugh". I said, what's up mom, what's the story? She laughed and asked me to research international moving company's interested in shipping her things. I said, what, are you serious? She replied, I'm happy and I'd like you to come see me right away. Without an elaborate reply from my part, I simply said yes and took a flight out the following week.

 
Upon my arrival I was picked up by her friend Juan. Juan was a throw back to old Hollywood or Havana Cuba where the jet set played when they got bored of Palm Beach. He was wearing an all white linen suit, spectator shoes, and a beige Panama hat. A character I thought. The guy was looking cool. I remember saying, "only my mom can find a character like this to come pick me up". Juan was a long time friend that spoke perfect British-style English. He took me to meet my mom at his family's hotel right in the middle of town. The whole ride over he had a mysterious grin on his face, as if he knew something I didn't, or perhaps he was harboring a deep secret. I asked myself, "What has my mother done now". To my surprise, he was right, I was going to be very surprised.
 
When we arrived in Granada I noticed the horse carriages, the manicured cobbled stone streets, the old churches, the beautiful scenery, and most of all, the smartly dressed woman wearing a white linen dress, and a straw hat while sipping a glass of wine and smiling at me upon my arrival. She looked just like my mom, but since I knew she did not pack so elegantly for this trip, I wondered where she got the get-up. All I could do was smile, because only mom can pull this off with so much ease. I leaped out of the car to say hello, and before I knew it my bags were being ushered in while a doorman was greeting me with a huge smile, saying "Welcome Home Sir". At the time I did not know it, but now that I look back it felt like home. It was an eerie, yet exhilarating feeling.
 
When I finally got to speak with my mother I remember making a smart-aleck remark like, "I see you've been shopping", she simply smiled and said, "You know me darling". She went right into the conversation. She explained that she had decided to move to Nicaragua without any hesitation in her voice. "I can now retire she said". All I could do was nod my head and listen as she went on about the beautiful city, the beautiful people and the beautiful home she was thinking of buying. The beautiful home I said!! As you can imagine I was in shock, this was happening so fast, but I remember feeling very happy for her at the same time. Although I was worried at first, I knew that she was savvy enough to make the right decision.
 
It was a beautiful Spanish Colonial home with 18 foot ceilings and an inner garden which was simply amazing.
 
Again, I was shocked at the asking price, a mere fraction of what a two-bedroom apartment would cost in San Francisco, so it felt more than feasible. All of a sudden my mom's outside of the box idea felt as if she had just acquired the "secret knowledge" of a far away place where life could make sense again. After crunching numbers, hiring the right attorneys and doing the due diligence, she decided sell the apartment in San Francisco in order to purchase the home in Granada. This transaction was fairly fast, and shortly thereafter she shipped her household goods from California. Everything seemed so fast, but it also felt right. Not to mention that at the end of the purchase she had a nice balance to furnish the home and put into her savings account. To my surprise all of her goods were exempt of taxes, and she was even able to purchase a car free of tax. The government obviously had incentives for those retiring in Nicaragua, which was just a welcomed bonus.

 
How is my mom's life in Nicaragua today? Well, it is simply terrific as her quality of life has improved immensely. Since she retired in the year 2002, she's never looked back. In short, she can now afford her life much better now. As a retiree her regular day to day bills are easily managed to the point that they are now an after-thought. Now when you ask her what makes her truly happy, she responds with a smirk, "freedom darling, freedom". I guess that's a great way of describing her new life. The freedom to have a worry-free and active life is a sought after commodity that my mother has found in Nicaragua. It's sometimes hard to describe, I guess that you have to experience it. I guess that my mom's only regret is that she did not do it sooner. But hey, she did it and that's what counts.
 
My mother presently lives in a beautiful Spanish Colonial home in Granada, is catered to by a personal cook that also cleans, does her laundry and all chores. Can you imagine, "no more chores, not ever" She also has a gardener that tends to her gorgeous garden, and even has a personal driver. And the best part is that she pays approximately $220 per month for all of this life-changing service only afforded by the very wealthy in the United States.
 
In case you were wondering, she gets to shop at modern shopping malls in Managua as well as attend the theater regularly. She is also very active socially with new friends from all over the world. She is an integral part of the community in Granada, and very involved in charity work assisting foreign doctors with translation services. Although she now visits her beloved city in California regularly, she seems to miss her garden back home, and thus, cuts her trips shorter and shorter every time. I don't blame her.
 
If you'd like to reach my mother to say hello, you can do so at luciabenard@hotmail.com Perhaps you'd like to visit her in Granada on your next trip. She'd love to meet you.
 
As far as me goes, well, I now live in Nicaragua with my wife and our beautiful 4 year old son. If you'd like to reach me and chat about Nicaragua, please feel free to reach me at avalldejuli@granpacifica.com
 
When it came time to retire, Lucia discovered in Nicaragua an opportunity like no other in the America's. "The opportunity of financial freedom and a life full of wonder and excitement". Drawn by its natural beauty, the warmth of its people and the financial advantages of living in a true emerging nation full of promise, she made a decision most of us only dream of. The dream to retire in a tropical paradise while at the same time taking control of her financial future.

 
As you well know, in the coming years thousands of baby-boomers like yourselves will start to consider retirement. Perhaps retirement in your own cities or local towns, or perhaps in a slower and more prosperous part of America in order to maximize your retirement income. Like Lucia, your pioneering way of thinking is exactly why thousands of retirees and investors are taking a closer look at Nicaragua for retirement and investment options. We at Gran Pacifica can help you realize your dreams.