If you had told me five years ago that I would be managing a global marketing team from a cabin overlooking a cloud forest, I would have laughed. I was part of the "Skyscraper Culture," believing that my professional value was tied to my presence in a glass building in a high-stress city.

The average Social Security check in 2026 is about $2,071 a month. But that's an average — and averages hide people. If you claimed early at 62, or your work history was modest, or you're a widow living on a single benefit, your check might be closer to $1,200 or $1,500. In most of the United States, that number means anxiety: it doesn't cover rent and groceries and a doctor visit, let alone a life with any joy in it.

For about a decade, whenever an American sat across from me weighing Ecuador against Portugal, the conversation went the same way. Portugal had the beaches, the wine, the famous tax break, and a path to an EU passport in five years. Ecuador had a lower cost of living and the U.S. dollar. It was a real contest.