This brought back memories of my retirement in 2008. It's way more wrenching than the mythology would lead you to believe.

We moved to a house on a tropical island in Mexico (Cozumel) just 2 blocks from a beach. Living on a tropical island isn't nearly as pleasant as vacationing on a tropical island.

We stayed 3 years before moving to the mainland and buying a house in Merida. Your typical expat goes home after 18 months. Many taking a loss on the "retirement house" they just spent a fortune upgrading to "American standards".

What I observed is that men have a really hard time with the transition. When most of your identity and sense of self worth is tied up with your work. Losing that, can leave you feeling empty and make everything seem pointless.

In the expat world, there is a LOT of day drinking amoung men. Some get through it, and after a few years find their footing.

You build a new way of life and renegotiate your relationship with your spouse. You start something new and create a retirement version of yourselves.

You date each other again, because you are new people now. You let go of everything in the past and start fresh, carrying no baggage.

Or, you don't.

In our 8 years observing the expat community of retirees in Mexico we saw lots of alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, isolation, spousal abuse, promiscuity, cheating, and divorce. Lots of people just implode when they don't have a job to give them structure and a social group.