As you continue on your journey to retire early, you may find that you are learning quite a bit about yourself for the first time. Retirement is intensley personal, and it is all about you and what you want. Of course, "you" also includes your family and loved ones who are extensions of yourself, but it can be a very exciting time as you begin to achieve the dreams you may never even have known you had. At this point you have already started your early retirement planning and you have made a pros and cons list of your top retirement destinations.

You most likely have a long list of countries that you are considering moving to, and hopefully you have the pros and cons list to go along with each option. It is now time to start narrowing down your choices. This is when the pros and cons list comes in handy. Take a serious look at each destination, and narrow your list down to 3 or 4 possibilities.

You can do all the online research you want. You can email, call, read, and study, but what is the best way to see a country for what is truly is? By spending some quality time together. It is suggested that you plan to spend at least a few weeks in each country. This will not only help you enhance your pros and cons list so as to narrow down your list even more, but it will also give you the opportunity to see what you’re getting yourself into.

Don’t let yourself be fooled by the beautiful sunsets and excellent margaritas. Focus on what is on the top of your priorities list. Attempt to take off the rose colored glasses and see if you can sincerely picture yourself waking up every morning to everything you see and hear around you, warts and all. If you decide this country isn’t the one for you and your family, don’t worry about it. Kick back and relax, enjoying your vacation. Take comfort in the fact that you can scratch off another destination from your list, making you that much closer to your final decision.

Once you have spent a few weeks in every country left on your list, it is now time to cut the list down to 2 final contestants. Plan an extended stay in both countries, a couple months at minimum. This will be as close as you can get to actually living there but with out making the commitment quite yet. One way to make the most of your time is by planning to take your trip during the worst time of year in your country of choice. A country can change drastically depending on what season it is. During the high season, or tourist season, every restaurant is open and you are never lacking for entertainment. The weather is perfect and life seems grand. On the other hand, low season can be the exact opposite. Hence there is the need to see each country in every light possible, both good and bad.

Another action to take while visiting is speaking with expats already living in the country. They will be the best source of authentic and trustworthy information. They have true hardcore experience and can give you the inside tip on the hard-to-get items. Learning how they were able to overcome certain challenges of moving overseas will give you a better idea of what to expect for you as well as any family members traveling with you.

Last but not least, it is a good idea to meet with as many real estate agents as possible. Due to the fact that Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is non-existent in most countries, meeting with various agents may give you various prices on the same property. So use your time wisely with these agents, looking at as many properties as possible, keeping tract of the different prices you are given.

Planning for your retirement is exciting and a little stresfull you will find. Make a list, be realistic, narrow down your choices through research, and find your top retirement destinations. Next up you will learn about how you can manage your legal affairs and pay taxes as an expat.