Share your story

Real, honest stories from people who've actually made the move are what Voices from Beyond US Borders is all about — no polished travel-blog version, the real one. If you've retired abroad and are willing to share what it's actually been like, here's how.

This whole site started with my own questions about fixed income, mobility, and pets — you can read more about that here — so if any of that sounds familiar, you're exactly who this is for.

There's no deadline and no pressure. You'll see the finished page before anything is published, and you're always in control of how you're identified — first name, a nickname, or fully anonymous.

1. Download the packet

One document, two parts: a short consent form (covering how you'll be identified and where your story may appear), and the interview questionnaire itself. Answer as much or as little as you're comfortable with — nothing is required, and several sections are marked optional.

Download the Packet (Word doc)

Prefer to talk it out instead of typing? Record yourself answering the questions with your phone's voice memo app — most phones (iPhone and Android) can transcribe the recording to text automatically. Just send us the resulting text along with your signed consent form. Still at your own pace, just spoken instead of typed.

2. Add a few photos, if you'd like

Photos aren't required, but they help readers picture your day-to-day life far more than words alone. A good mix, if you're willing:

One photo of you outdoors, somewhere that feels like your life there
3–6 everyday photos — your home, a local market or café, a walk you take often, a pet if you have one, a favorite spot

Phone photos are perfect — they just shouldn't be heavily filtered or edited, and please only share photos you took yourself or otherwise have the right to use.

3. Send it back

Once you've filled it out (and added photos, if you're including any), just email everything to:

voices@beyondusborders.com

If there are a lot of photos or the files are large, a shared folder link (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) works too. Writing it out at your own pace is genuinely the easiest way for both of us — if typing it out isn't accessible for you for any reason, let us know and we'll find a way to make it work.

What happens next

We'll read through what you've shared, may reach out with a clarifying question or two, and will send you the finished page to look over before it goes anywhere. Nothing is published without your OK — and if you ever want something changed, removed, or your identifying details updated after the fact, that option never goes away.