BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Polish Culture Retiring in Poland

Hey guys..........lily here!

Wanted to ask - if anyone knew folks who live say four or five months a year in Poland - or are permanently retired in Poland................and possible ways to make the financially feasible - and the best way to go - living on the outskirts or what cities - that would provide the best advantage.

Last year when husband and I went to Poland - we both agreed, it was nothing, with a car to live in a nice outlying area - say within 25 or 30 miles of the city......

Just wondering if anyone out there has thought about the same thing - did any investigation - or knows someone doing this at present.

US retirement checks sure would go a long way in Poland.

lily

I have heard in the past of a certain % of US Social Security checks going to Poland, then there are colonies of retired Americans in mexico for much the same reason. I was flattered to have freinds in Germany suggest that I retire to Germany when I get tired of Alaska!

Things to think about: friends & family in the US, establishing roots overseas, language, lifestyle, healthcare and eventual infirmity...

The idea is tempting somewhat, is it not? I would choose Slovakia over Germany. Germany has too many grey heads!

Kai

Lily, I have recently moved to the suburban area of Warszawa, little cosy place, all in the forest! and just 20 km from the town centre. The traffic-jam in the morning and aftrenoon is terrible though, the trip takes 40-60 minutes in the rush-hour. One of our neighbours are Polish-Canadians who retired in Poland six years ago, they seem very happy although they say that they mentally feel the best while on the plane to or from Canada - in-between their worlds-apart <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> The gentleman speaks fluent Polish, with heavy accent though, learned it from his Polish mother, the lady learns Polish fast!

Lily,

I Am not sure what advice to give to you. I will still worry a bit about your security. If the news spread that "rich" Americans live in Poland and if you do not know Polish that well - you may feel a bit uncomfortable and somebody can rob you. But I heard that more and more people comtemplate to retire in Poland after living in the USA.

Hey everyone..........lily here!

I guess husband and I would like to retire - say four months of the year - just the reverse of Florida and the snow bird concept.............leave Florida about the time of all the heat (and hurricanes) and come back about the end of Oct.............so about June 15 thru Oct 15th - live in Poland.

Probably a good way to start - would be to rent an apt or home in or near a city - and see how it goes............maybe do this for one summer - rent a car - drive around and pick a spot to do this in for a complete summer - four months. Grezwald is a good first choice for us being 20 miles from Olsz (?) and a really nice church going town - this is the place where the Blessed Mother appeared to village children - we visited last fall and fell in love with the place...........

Just throwing around some ideas here...............we know that the American dollar goes a looooong........way, and we really learned how to stretch things. We could really live nicely on pension and social security there.


We have friends doing this in Mexico in an American Condo community - have been doing for about fifteen years now - the community is gated - and they LOVE IT!


lily

That is the best of both worlds. You take 4 months a year to explore Poland and see if you find the magic place you love to retire, and then you stick with it, no prior commitments. Maybe three months if that is the limit without visa.

For security and robbery there is the American attitude - "I am the meanest SOB in this valley and just dare anyone to mess with me!" It works quite well.

Maybe we should meet up sometime, in an armistice area!

Kai the Peacelover

PS I would forget all that "Blessed Mother appeared to village children" stuff. There is no use cramming for final exams, you life works is in the balance on deciding where you go. Just enjoy the last few years of life and get acquainted with the Blessed Mother when you get to heaven!

Kai

I think that was the most reasonable advice Lily could've find! As to the risk of burglary once 'the rich Americans are in town' message gets around, I don't think the risk exceeds that in any country rich Americans choose to retire. I'd worry more about learning Polish and leaning how to behave on the roads in order not to get killed since driving habits in Poand are so different from those in the US. Second- learning how to behave in public places to avoid theft or robbery in big towns --) something of the kind American (and European, too) had to learn coming to New York and riding on the sub in the pre-Guilliani era. To further push the subjecy on --- approx. half of my friends from school, univerity etc. left Poland before 1989. Nine out of ten approx. are back and happy by now, even if in some cases it was almost the re-emigration, they had to learn contemporary Poland again... after many years away from the country.

Added in Edit mode: I mean the "take 4 months a year to explore Poland and see if you find the magic place you love to retire, and then you stick with it, no prior commitments. Maybe three months if that is the limit without visa." advice, I don't mean to get involved in eschatological discussion <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

hey guys..........lily here!

For six months before we visited Poland last year - we were on edge from all the "horror" stories we heard about robbery and driving and all the this and that - that was going to happen once we got there. Of course, I speak Polish so there was no problem in any small village or town as well as big city. My husband - Italian, who grew up in inner city Detroit nad has also driven across Italy five or six times- laughed once we got to Poland........as far as he is concerned, driving was a piece of cake - NO PROBLEM AND AFTER A WHILE, WE GOT TIRED OF BEING SO PARANOID.......the people were absolutly wonderful, everywhere, and like Detroit - you go into back alley's at night - or places your not suppose to be - I don't care if you have the toughguy American attitude or not - your going to get your face pushed in...........you don't belong there in the first place unless with a member of the surroundings...........it's kind of a 'Detroit inner city gang rule (where he grew up!) -!

I think in the end - the information I got from Jaga and Nancy and others familiar with Poland was 100% more on target than all the rumors we had heard and read from media.

You simply mind your own business - don't flash "gold and silver around" - keep your mouth shut and don't be the mouthy American visitor - do your thing during the daylight hours in people traffic - stay off the highways at night - and just enjoy..........

For six weeks - we traveled probably 100 miles a day (car) and never ever, not even a "maybe of problems" - you stick to the right side and let the world go by.

I FOR ONE - 100% POLISH - WAS SO PROUD OF THIS EXPERIENCE OF COMING BACK TO THE FATHER-LAND - AND THE WAY THE PEOPLE TREATED US. I SPEAK THE LANGUAGE AND ENJOYED VERY MUCH - BUT I CAN GO EITHER WAY AS FAR AS THE THREE OR FOUR MONTHS IN POLAND. My husband on the other hand - 50% each, Italian and Polish...........speaks no Polish.........absolutly LOVES POLAND AND WOULD LIVE THERE IF HE COULD!!
As he put it - "it felt like coming home" -
OF COURSE, HIS GRANDFATHER - MICHAEL CHWALA WAS FROM FRYSZTAK NEAR JOSLO - HAD EIGHTEEN CHILDREN - AND A VERY TOUGH HARD FARMER..........perhaps my husband identifies with the WORK ETHIC - WILL TO LIVE - DETERMINATION AND DRIVE - ETC., WHICH WE SAW ON THAT TRIP mostly in small towns and villages.

I know he would like to go back and soon!

God Bless

lily

Kai........what city in Alaska do you live in?