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Retirement is supposed to be the time when you finally get to enjoy everything you’ve worked so hard for.

This couple spent years dreaming about splitting their retirement between home and another country they had grown to love.

And after nearly four decades of working, they felt like they had finally earned the chance to chase that dream.

However, when they shared their plans with their parents, they got accused of “abandoning” them in their older ages.

Now, the couple finds themselves stuck between enjoying the retirement they’ve been planning for years and staying close to parents who want them nearby as they get older.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITA for wanting to retire abroad and leaving aging parents behind?

My wife and I are approaching retirement age in a few years, and we’ve started having serious discussions about what we want to do post-retirement.

We have been studying a foreign language and are very taken with the people, culture, food, etc. of this country and would like to purchase a small property there to reside for several months out of the year.

After bringing this up with our parents, they have expressed their concern and disappointment that we would be “abandoning” them in their advanced age and wouldn’t be able to care for them properly.

Now, they both have different opinions on what to do.

Our argument has been that we will only be abroad a few months out of the year and after almost 4 decades of work this is the one thing we really want to do.

Now, after several conversations, my wife is starting to feel like we should wait.

I disagree as that puts our life on hold for people that could conceivably live into their 90s (not uncommon on either side of our families) and would bring us to an age when we wouldn’t be able to travel anymore ourselves.

AITA?

Oh no! That’s never a fun situation.

Let’s see what the folks over at Reddit think they should do.

According to this reader, they can do both.

This could be.

According to this person, their parents will get used to it.

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When you read stories like this, it gives you a whole new perspective.

Life doesn’t stop just because your parents get older.

Of course, it’s important to be there for the people who raised you, but that doesn’t mean putting your own dreams on hold indefinitely.

If they’re only planning to spend a few months abroad each year, they can still be present for their parents while making the most of their own retirement. Hopefully the parents will come around once they see the couple isn’t disappearing forever.

Ultimately, the fact of the matter is that you only live once, and they need to enjoy themselves.

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Author

Heather Hall

Heather Hall | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Heather Hall is a contributing writer for TwistedSifter specializing in internet culture, workplace conflict, and viral customer service stories. With over a decade of editorial experience in digital publishing, Heather excels at curating trending online discussions and providing insightful commentary on the daily dramas that capture the internet's attention.

Since beginning her career in 2011, she has developed deep expertise in SEO-driven digital content, having written for a wide array of publications covering lifestyle, business, and travel. At TwistedSifter, Heather focuses on synthesizing complex social media threads into engaging, highly readable narratives that highlight the human element of viral news.

When she isn’t analyzing the latest internet discourse, Heather is a dedicated mother of three sons who takes family gaming nights entirely too seriously—whether she is dominating in Mario Kart, exploring The Legend of Zelda, or jumping into Roblox.

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