In 2011, I walked away from a six-figure law career and retired at age 41. I thought I was prepared financially. But emotionally? Not so much.

After decades of working, I was used to the sense of purpose that came with a career, and I assumed I’d have to give that up once I stopped working. My biggest fear took the form of one major uncertainty: What would I do with all that unstructured time?

Fast forward 14 years later, and my days are anything but idle. My wife and I now live in Portugal, the No. 1 country Americans want to move to. I spend my free time enjoying local food with friends and hiking the wildflower-dotted coastal trails. Retiring early is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made … but I remember how overwhelming it felt at the start.

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

I followed a predictable path for most of my adult life: law school, summer associate gigs, and eventually a stable legal career. Then came the 2008 financial crisis. The firm I worked for collapsed — and with it, my sense of direction. I couldn’t picture myself doing anything other than practicing law.

I could’ve stayed in the industry. But instead, I chose the unknown. Most people think early retirement is about not working anymore. But it’s about redefining your identity without a roadmap. That required a mindset shift: I had to become an explorer.

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

If you’re delaying retirement because you don’t know what comes next, that might be exactly why it’s worth doing. Uncertainty could be your opportunity to travel down paths you’ve never imagined.

When we first retired, my wife and I assumed we’d gradually draw down our savings over time and hope it would last. But something surprising happened: Our net worth kept growing.

A major reason is that living in Portugal drastically 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 on food, entertainment, and daily costs

In total, we estimate that we save about $5,000 per 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 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. It can even be the beginning of a more sustainable, intentional version of it.

Whether you’re working or not, most of us want the same thing: to feel like we matter and are making a contribution.

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

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

Before diving into hobbies or commitments, we made a plan. We identified six core priorities that bring meaning to our lives:

1. Building and strengthening friendships
2. Personal care and physical health
3. Quality time as a couple
4. Travel
5. Volunteer work and giving back
6. Learning new skills

Once we had those priorities in place, it became easier to build a routine that felt fulfilling.

Today, my wife volunteers at our tennis club, takes pottery and Dutch lessons, and plays sports. I’m focused on writing, freelance retirement coaching, and helping a local nonprofit as a consultant. We host dinner parties, explore 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 is a retired attorney. He and his wife have been living in Portugal since 2015. He writes about tax planning, investing, early retirement and expat life on Substack.

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A decade ago, I boarded a one-way flight from Houston to Madrid with a suitcase and a rough plan to teach English for a year. I was 35, and I knew I needed a change.

As the daughter of Colombian and Iranian immigrants growing up in Texas, I never quite felt like I belonged anywhere. That changed when I moved to Spain in 2015. I’ve built a life here centered around community, freedom, and balance.

Along the way, I figured out the logistics, visas, and mindset shifts it takes to start over abroad. Now, through my platform She Hit Refresh, I help other women over 30 figure out their own moves.

I still visit the U.S. often, and there’s plenty I love about coming back, including family, friends, and my annual TJ Maxx run. But after 10 years in Europe, there are quite a few things I don’t miss about life in America.

When I first moved to Spain, I couldn’t believe how normal it was for people to actually use their vacation days. Here, full-time employees are legally entitled to 22 working days of paid leave, plus 14 national holidays. And no one feels guilty about taking them! Offices slow down in August, families head to the beach, and it’s completely accepted that you’ll be out for a few weeks to rest and reset.

Back in the U.S., I used to hoard my 10 precious PTO days like gold. Asking for time off felt like letting my coworkers down. I’d sometimes end up leaving days unused or checking emails during vacation.

The lack of freedom wore me down. I became a chronic job hopper in my 20s, quitting every nine months or so just to travel for the summer. It wasn’t sustainable, but it was the only way I could see the world.

When I lived in Texas, I couldn’t survive without my car. Grocery store? Drive. Gym? Drive. Life revolved around traffic, parking, and gas prices. I didn’t realize how exhausting it all was until I left.

Madrid, where I first lived, and Málaga, where I am now, are incredibly walkable. Most of what I need is within a 20-minute stroll, including markets, cafes, and my coworking space. 

When I can’t walk, I take the bus or metro, which are clean, reliable, and inexpensive. For longer trips, the high-speed trains make it so easy to explore the rest of the country, even if you’re on a budget.

Walking everywhere has done wonders for my stress levels. Instead of sitting in traffic, I get to start and end my day with fresh air and sunshine. I feel more connected to my neighborhood — I know the baker, the grocer, and even the street cats. Plus, I hit my step count without even trying.

The U.S. healthcare system used to be one of my biggest stressors. Every doctor’s visit felt like spinning a roulette wheel; you never knew what surprise bill you’d get. Finding a primary care doctor meant endless calls, and I constantly worried about what would or wouldn’t be covered.

In Spain, it’s the complete opposite. Healthcare is affordable, accessible, and straightforward. I book appointments through an app, wait times are short, and I pay about $76 a month for private coverage as a healthy 45-year-old.

As a woman, I feel safer walking home at night in Spain. Spanish cities are denser, well-lit, and full of life late into the evening with families strolling, people dining outdoors, and kids playing in the plazas.

In the U.S., I was always on alert. Whether it was walking through a parking lot after dark or attending a crowded event, there was a constant, low-level anxiety around harassment and gun violence. 

Spain’s strict gun laws help. Automatic weapons are prohibited and firearm ownership is tightly controlled. The Global Peace Index ranks Spain among the 25 most peaceful countries in the world, while the U.S. doesn’t even crack the top 100.

Every time I visit the U.S., I’m shocked at how out of control tipping has become. Even if you’re grabbing a cookie at a bakery or using self-checkout, the screen flips around with options sometimes starting at 20%!

In Spain, where service staff earn fairer wages, rounding up or leaving a few coins at restaurants is a small token of appreciation, not an expectation. And you’ll never be asked for a tip for your morning pastry.

One thing I see more clearly since leaving the U.S. is how surrounded Americans are by intense political division. Don’t get me wrong, Spain has its own complexities — different regions with their own identities, languages, and politics — but the overall energy feels less combative.

There’s less of that “best country in the world” mentality that often comes from people who’ve never actually seen the world. The U.S. does many things well, but so do plenty of other countries, Spain included.

As a woman in the U.S., I felt the societal expectation that by 35, I was supposed to be married with kids. I wasn’t, and that made me feel like I was behind.

In Spain, where the average age to get married is 38.8 (compared to 30.8 in the U.S.), it’s completely normal to be single and childfree in your 30s and 40s. It’s great to go out and see plenty of people your age and older at social events, bars, and more. When I moved here in my mid 30s, I felt far less judgment for being unattached and not having children.

Of all the things I don’t miss, this might be the most impactful one. Letting go of that pressure to follow a traditional timeline gave me the freedom to build a life I love.

Cepee Tabibian is the founder of She Hit Refresh, a community and resource platform that helps women aged 30+ move abroad. She’s the author of ”I’m Outta Here! An American’s Ultimate Visa Guide to Living in Europe″ and host of the She Hit Refresh podcast. As the daughter of Colombian and Iranian immigrants, Cepee grew up in Houston, Texas, before becoming an immigrant herself in Spain. For tips and real talk on how to move abroad, follow her @shehitrefresh

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While Markeiz Ryan, 36, was a senior airman in the U.S. Air Force, he took a trip to Vietnam that would set him off on a new journey — he just didn’t know it yet.

At the time, Ryan admits, he was feeling down after having gotten in trouble for breaking his curfew. He lost out on several months of pay, was restricted to his military base and demoted from staff sergeant to senior airman.

“After this, I was very depressed and very sad,” Ryan tells CNBC Make It. “But that depression and sadness make you think about where your life is going and it makes you redirect your life into the right direction.”

″[Vietnam] just looked like so much fun and it really lived up to all the hype,” he said. “I ended up having the best time of my life, and that depression was [just] gone.”

Ryan says he didn’t want to let go of the good feelings he had on that trip, so when he got home he almost immediately started planning his return to the country.

The veteran went back to his life in the Air Force and completed his service on a military base in Wyoming before being honorably discharged in 2019.

Soon after leaving the Air Force, Ryan relocated to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where he spends roughly $1,031 a month on expenses: $850 in rent for a two-bedroom apartment, $130 for utilities, $8.50 for his cellphone, $15 for gas and $27 for a VIP gym membership.

His other expenses include $96 a year for internet, $1,000 a year for health insurance, and $100-$400 a month on groceries. What he spends on groceries varies because he often alternates between cooking his own food and dining out.

To keep up with his life in Vietnam, Ryan’s monthly income comes from several sources and totals roughly $4,000, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

It includes approximately $1,500 from VA disability, $1,000 from the GI Bill while he’s pursuing a master’s degree in Business Administration, and $900 to $1,300 from teaching English. Ryan also does occasional odd jobs like voiceover work, where his pay can range from $200 to $600 a month, and is an avid fan of day trading, where he averages about $300 a month.

“This might not sound like a lot in America but trust me, this is more than enough to be middle or even above middle class in Vietnam,” he says.

The one job he loves the most, though, is teaching English as a second language.

“ESL teaching is fun and very rewarding. I wanted to do it since high school. I felt like it was the only job I ever completely enjoyed,” he says.

“Vietnam is the number one safest place I’ve ever lived. I never have to look over my shoulder here. I noticed that there’s this great level of calm,” Ryan says. “People are more focused on their day-to-day life and they’re less focused on what’s going on politically. It’s a much more calm feeling.”

Ryan uses the extra income he receives to invest in the U.S. and Vietnamese stock markets. He says he also supports the local communities and always has money set aside for medical bills and visa runs.

When Ryan first arrived in Vietnam, he moved around quite a bit, but has been living in his current Ho Chi Minh City apartment in one of the country’s tallest residential towers for two years now.

“If I leave, it’s because Vietnam told me to leave. In America, I felt very unmotivated. I felt like no matter how hard you work, you’re still in poverty. You’re constantly chasing a standard that you can’t really achieve,” he says.

“Here in Vietnam, it takes a lot of the monetary pressure out of your day-to-day. You focus on what makes you happy, who you want to become and how you’re going to get there.”

Since moving to Vietnam, Ryan has made an effort to learn the language, but he admits he’s still not the best at it.

“I can never claim that I’m fluent in Vietnamese, but I do a lot better than most of my peers here,” he says.

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More travelers are heading to the mountains: Big Sky, Montana was named the top trending travel destination for 2026, according to a new report from Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.

The report ranks 10 global destinations on the rise based on increased flight and accommodation searches on Expedia from 24,000 global travelers over the last year.

Big Sky, the Rocky Mountains town an hour’s drive from Yosemite, may seems like it “came out of nowhere,” but it’s “long been known for world-class outdoor recreation, skiing and snowboarding in the winter and hiking, mountain biking and rafting in the summer,” says Melanie Fish, travel expert for Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. Also adding to its charm are an evolving dining scene, growth in family-friendly offerings, community events and cultural activities, she tells CNBC Make It.

Here are the top 10 hotspots for travelers in the coming year and how much search interest has risen from 2024:

1. Big Sky, Montana, USA: 92% increase
2. Okinawa, Japan: 71% increase
3. Sardinia, Italy: 63% increase
4. Phu Quoc, Vietnam: 53% increase
5. Savoie, France: 51% increase
6. Fort Walton Beach, Florida, USA: 45% increase
7. Ucluelet, Canada: 44% increase
8. Cotswolds, U.K.: 39% increase
9. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico: 30% increase
10. Hobart, Australia: 25% increase

Okinawa, a chain of islands with a subtropical climate in southern Japan, is the No. 2 trending destination for 2026, per Expedia searches.

Travel to Japan surged in recent years thanks to a weak yen and lifted Covid restrictions, but some cities like Kyoto have introduced so-called tourist taxes to curb overcrowding. Meanwhile, Expedia recognized Okinawa for meeting its “Smart Travel Health Check” framework, aligned with World Travel and Tourism Council principles, for the region’s efforts to offer cultural and natural experiences without the overcrowding seen in many major global cities.

“Expedia doesn’t feel like it should or could be the arbiter of where travelers should visit or should want to visit, but we do play a role in informing travelers of what’s happening in the places that they’re making plans to travel to,” Fish says about recognizing places that support sustainable travel practices.

“What we see in Okinawa is that they are taking proactive environmental measures like coral reef restoration, they’re moving towards a decarbonized economy by using renewable energy sources,” Fish says. “They’re celebrating local heritage and making sure visitors have educational opportunities.”

Rounding out the top three is Sardinia, another rising destination beyond hotspots like Rome, Florence or Venice. The island is the Mediterranean’s second-largest after Sicily and is sometimes referred to as “the Maldives of Europe” because of its beaches.

Parts of the region are considered a “Blue Zone,” an area of the world where people tend to live exceptionally long lives, thanks to healthy lifestyle habits, access to fresh food, and focuses on strong social ties and spirituality.

“Sardinia is going to take a little bit more effort to get to than the destinations that we are so familiar with, like Rome and Florence,” Fish says, but travelers are finding it worthwhile to enjoy the island’s beaches, food and diverse landscapes.

“There are beautiful coastlines, but then there’s a mountainous interior, and then those charming towns,” she says. “That’s really the trifecta of what travelers are looking for.”

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Last month, J.D. Power released its annual North American Airport Satisfaction Study for 2025.

Mega airports are defined as those with 33 million or more passengers per year. The study measured overall passenger satisfaction by examining their experiences across seven core dimensions in order of importance:

1. Ease of travel through airport
2. Level of trust with airport
3. Terminal facilities
4. Airport staff
5. Departure/to airport experience
6. Food, beverage and retail
7. Arrival/from airport experience

The 2025 study is based on 30,439 completed surveys from U.S. or Canadian residents who traveled through at least one U.S. or Canadian airport and covers both departure and arrival experiences (including connecting airports) during the past 30 days. The study was conducted from July 2024 through July 2025.

“While the annual growth rate in passenger volume seems to be leveling off, we’re still seeing record numbers of travelers pass through the nation’s airports, and, for the most part, they are enjoying the experience,” Michael Taylor, practice lead for the airport study at J.D. Power, stated in a press release.

Just like 2024, the top three airports remain the same, which isn’t surprising, Taylor tells CNBC Make It.

“The three airports that won performed solidly in what I call blocking and tackling. It’s about getting to the airport, is the bathroom clean? Is the TSA quick? That kind of thing and then the most important part is the food, beverage and retail which is the biggest swing factor in the study usually,” he says.

With the government shutdown still ongoing, air travel is being affected but hasn’t changed the satisfaction rankings of the mega airports in this year’s report yet, Taylor says.

His biggest piece of advice during this time is that travelers should be prepared to not go anywhere.

“Prepare not to be in the air and seeing more delays,” he said. “People will react negatively to that, which will affect satisfaction, but it’s generally fairly episodic. It doesn’t last forever and we haven’t seen a huge impact.”

The Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport ranked No. 1 on the list, scoring 660 out of 1,000.

The airport is ideally located between Minnesota’s two major cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul.

“From start to finish, Minneapolis has a really good relationship with its state’s Department of Transportation because signage is very critical to have a good airport experience,” Taylor says.

“They have actual highway signs that tell you which terminal you’re going to. That’s kind of unusual in the United States. They do a really good job of bringing Minnesota into the airport itself.

The airport served more than 37 million travelers in 2024, making it the 18th busiest in North America in terms of the number of passengers served annually, according to MSP’s website.

In 2023, the airport ranked as the world’s most punctual, according to a report from the travel data analytics firm Cirium.

1. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
2. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
3. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
4. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
5. Harry Reid International Airport
6. John F. Kennedy International Airport
7. Orlando International Airport
8. Miami International Airport
9. San Francisco International Airport
10. Boston Logan International Airport

The Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport took the No. 2 spot this year with a score of 649 out of 1,000.

“Detroit is a solid airport. They’ve improved their food, commercial, and retail, and brought more of Detroit into the airport,” Taylor says. “They have a simple setup, so it gives a feeling of space, and people get to spread out. They’re less stressed, and TSA does an awesome job, and people get through very quickly.”

According to the FAA, the Detroit airport is the busiest in the state. It serves as a major hub for Delta Air Lines and Spirit Airlines.

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