The Foreign Service Journal, September 2003

SEPTEMBER 2003 • AFSA NEWS 9 ADVICE FROM FS MEMBERS Where to Retire? I appreciate AFSA’s decision to publish occasional notes frommembers about where to retire andwhy, first proposed byVirginiaKrivis in theApril AFSANews. I am nearing retirement and have lived overseasmost ofmy life. Since retirement is for the rest of your life, you want to do it right the first time. My (much younger) brother convincedme awhile back to start looking at different places each year. I also started reading books and magazines for different viewpoints, suggestions and rec- ommendations. For many, the weather is the most important factor in choosing a retirement location. The climate at my last post, Harare, spoiledme. Theweatherwas nice all year round. When I startedmy search, Southern California sounded good, until I came to the next priority: money. Depending on the state, thousands of dol- lars can be saved by retiring in one of the stateswithnopersonal income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. New Hampshire and Tennessee tax only inter- est and dividends, and both offer exemp- tions. The last twoyearswehave visitedReno, Nevada, a short drive fromLakeTahoe. By chance, we met some retired Foreign Service friendswhohave already bought a beautiful placehigh in themountains over- looking the bright city lights of Reno. California and all the other western states are just a few hours away, ready to explore.Dependingon the time of the year in Reno, there are balloon races; “Hot AugustNights,”whenvintage cars takeover the town, “Street Vibrations,” when the motorcycle crowd takes over the city; and the not-to-be-missed rodeo. The weath- er all year is relatively mild. I subscribed to the Reno Gazette Journal in order to get abetter flavor for the community. Fornow, Reno seems to be calling me. Dennis Thatcher New Delhi W hen I retired from the Foreign Service in 1996, I decided to return to a previous post, Guatemala, to live in the Spanish colonial capital of Antigua. I have never regretted the decision. An unconventional choice (there is only one other retired FS couple here, George and Helga Andrews), it is nonetheless a good one (especially if you speak Spanishorwant to learn) for the fol- lowing reasons: • A magnificent springlike climate year-round; • A cost of living that is significantly lower than in the U.S.; • Many conveniences, including cable TV, U.S. plugs and sockets, 110-volt electricity, good Internet access; • The fact that it’s in the same time zone asHouston andonly a couple hours flight time fromHouston or Miami; • A slower pace of life, with almost no traffic or parking problems; • A fairly large and interesting interna- tional expatriate community; • The possibility to get involved in important issues, including basic develop- ment (education, health, microloans), environment, archeology, anthropology andmanyothers. Yes, there’s lots of pover- ty, but on any five-minutewalk you’ll also see something of extraordinary beauty, humor or unexpectedness. • Access to the Mayan culture, one of the few traditional cultures in the world which continues to thrive. Sue H. Patterson SPatters@conexion.com.gt Antigua, Guatemala ▫ Retiree Issues QUESTIONS FOR AFSA RETIREE ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR BONNIE BROWN Q: You recently succeeded Ward Thompson to become the new Retiree Activities Coordinator at AFSA. What are your thoughts about your newposition? A: Since assuming my duties as Retiree Activities Coordinator in June, I have had the opportunity to talk with a number of retirees about issues that are of concern to them, to see how ably the dedicated AFSA staff promotes the interests of the entire Foreign Service community, and to appreciate Ward Thompson’s legacy of advocacy for the interests of retirees. I look forward to working on behalf of Foreign Service retirees, encouraging an increase in their membership in ASFA, providing assistance in resolving retirement bene- fit problems, tracking retirement issues in Congress and the bureaucracy, and advocating continuing participation in the foreign affairs community through retiree associations. I welcome ideas and suggestions about retiree activities. It is a great pleasure to be working in the Foreign Service community again. Q: What is your background? A: I served abroad in Brazzaville, Johannesburg, Abidjan and Accra as a Foreign Service spouse, con- sular assistant, USIS educational advis- er, human rights and self-help grant coordinator, and in development. Here in the U.S. I have worked as an attor- ney at the State Department and the Federal Communications Commission and as the executive director of a human services organization in North Carolina. ▫ Q & A Since retirement is for the rest of your life, you want to do it right the first time.