IL Magazine: Discover the Best Retirement Haven + 24 More SUBSCRIBE NOW AND SAVE 35% about subscribing to International Living Magazine Whether it’s dangling from your neck or tucked away in your pocket, few of us are likely to travel without a camera. It’s how we share our experience with friends and family at home, and it’s how we recall our trips years down the line, when we’ve long since forgotten our experiences.
It's been a long time now since I transitioned from a traditional job to a footloose and fancy-free photographer but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Location independent income has become a mandatory part of my life and I wouldn't have it any other way.
When Costa Rica got its start as an expat haven more than three decades ago, it was all about retirees. But over the years, the great weather, stable government, and low cost of living have also attracted those too young to retire (or those who never want to). And they've found plenty of ways to support themselves—and their families—while living in a tropical paradise.
It’s possible to pursue your hobby and bring in some cash before and during retirement. These hobbies can help you to fund your life as a retiree overseas. If you’re dreaming of an apartment in Paris...a beach house in Ecuador...a farmhouse in Italy...and the only thing holding you back is lack of capital...then read on. Your interests can turn into a career that you love...
Last November I turned 10 years old as a travel photographer (in human years I am now 55). Before that, I practiced law for almost 20 years. I changed careers about 20 years before I intended to, but being a full-time travel photographer has been a fulfilling experience; I no longer think of myself as a lawyer.
Photography was always my passion. But I hesitated making it my "job" because I did not want to ruin the joy it brought me. I was one of those people that thought art was a hobby, not something that could sustain me. So I went off to college, got a Bachelor of Science (in psychology, sociology, and anthropology), and emerged into the "real world" with a career in social services.