I retired in the No. 1 country Americans want to move to most—and I don't regret it

In 2011, she left a six-figure law career He retired at the age of 41. I thought I was financially prepared. But emotionally? Not much.

After decades of working, I had grown accustomed to the sense of purpose that came with my career, and I assumed I would have to give it up once I stopped working. My biggest fear took the form of major uncertainty: What am I going to do with all this unstructured time?

14 years later, my days are no longer idle at all. My wife and I now live in Portugalthe The #1 country Americans want to move to. I spend my free time enjoying local food with friends and hiking coastal trails filled with wildflowers. Retiring early is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, but I remember how overwhelmed I felt at first.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far in early retirement, and why I don’t regret it.

1. Uncertainty is an opportunity, not an obstacle

I’ve followed a predictable path for most of my adult life: law school, summer fellowships, and eventually a stable legal career. Then came the financial crisis of 2008. The company I was working for collapsed, and with it my sense of direction. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything other than practicing law.

I could have stayed in the industry. But instead I chose the unknown. Most people think that early retirement means not working anymore. But it’s about redefining who you are without a roadmap. It required a shift in mindset: I had to become an explorer.

Ocean mist shrouds the Sintra Forest, inside Sintra Cascais Natural Park in Portugal, near Lisbon.

Alex Trias

This mindset led us to Portugal, a country where we didn’t speak the language, knew anyone, and had no idea what to expect day to day. It was confusing at first. But uncertainty became our motivation to grow, learn, and build a fulfilling life from scratch.

If you’ve been putting off retirement because you don’t know what comes next, this may be exactly why it’s worth doing. Uncertainty may be your opportunity to take paths you never imagined.

2. You can still get ahead financially, even without a salary

When we first retired, my wife and I assumed that we would gradually withdraw our savings over time and hope that would continue. But something surprising happened: our net worth continued to grow.

One of the main reasons is that living in Portugal has significantly reduced our expenses. Here’s what we save annually compared to our old life in Washington, D.C.:

$15,000 on state income taxes
$25,000 on health insurance and deductibles
$14,000 on property taxes
$20,000 for food, entertainment and daily expenses

In total, we estimate we save about $5,000 a month just by living abroad.

We follow the same financial strategy we did while working: we live below our means, reinvest the difference, and let the compounding do the work. The only difference is that now, instead of salaries, our income comes from investments.

Retirement doesn’t have to be the end of building wealth. Rather, it could be the beginning of a more sustainable and intentional version of it.

3. Finding purpose in retirement is just as important as finding it in your career

Whether you work or not, most of us want the same thing: to feel like we matter and make a contribution.

A coastal event hits the rocks at Guincho Beach on the Estoril Coast in Portugal.

Alex Trias

When we first retired, we had an inner sense of purpose as parents of a young child. We joined school activities, studied the local language, and built a new life in Lisbon.

But when our daughter went to college, we were back to square one. Our schedules have emptied, and we’re faced with the same question we faced in 2011: What do we do with all this time?

Before diving into hobbies or commitments, make a plan. We have identified six core priorities that give meaning to our lives:

Building and strengthening friendships
Personal care and physical health
Fun time as a couple
He travels
Volunteering and giving back
Learn new skills

Once you have these priorities in place, it’s easier to build a routine that feels good.

Today, my wife volunteers at our tennis club, takes pottery and Dutch lessons, and plays sports. I focus on independent retirement writing and coaching and helping a local non-profit as a consultant. We host dinner parties, discover new recipes, and take short trips around Europe.

With the right mindset, early retirement can be the perfect new starting point. You just have to be willing to embrace it.

Alex Trias He is a retired lawyer. He and his wife have lived in Portugal since 2015. He writes about tax planning, investing, early retirement, and expat life in Substack.

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