Your Lot and Parcel
Your Lot and Parcel
Is It Too Late or Too Risky to Move Abroad Alone?
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What if the life you have been dreaming of is just one bold decision away? In 2021, amid global uncertainty and COVID lockdowns, Barbara Grassey did what most people only fantasize about: she left the United States and moved to Europe—alone. At 62, she boarded a plane to Portugal without knowing a single person, without speaking the language, and without ever having visited the country. What she did know was this: the time for waiting was over.
American Expat: Moving Abroad Solo After 60* is a candid, often funny memoir about leaving everything familiar behind and starting over in Europe later in life. The book chronicles Barbara's first year in Portugal—from wrestling with visa requirements and maddening bureaucracy to building a life from scratch in a country where she barely understood the street signs. Along the way, she confronts loneliness, fear, unexpected freedom, and the surprising joy of becoming someone new.
This memoir speaks directly to anyone who is ever wondering if it is too late or too risky to move abroad alone. Whether you are considering retiring overseas, relocating to Europe, or simply leaving the United States behind, Barbara's story offers proof that reinvention has no expiration date. If you are in your 50s, 60s, or beyond, partnered, or solo, this book will show you what is possible.
American Expat* is not just a memoir—it is your permission slip, your roadmap, and your proof that it is never too late to change your life.