This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ward Chartier, a 70-year-old retiree living in Penang, Malaysia. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I’ve lived border to border and coast to coast.
Born in Wisconsin, I moved around the US as a kid because of my dad’s job. After college in Michigan, I headed to Texas for work and ended up calling it home for two decades.
My career in high-tech manufacturing eventually took me abroad, and for the next 14 years, I lived and worked across the UK, Denmark, Ireland, Malaysia, and China. I eventually moved to San Francisco in 2011 for a mix of family and health reasons.
In 2016, at the age of 61, I started thinking seriously about where I wanted to spend the next chapter of my life. Soon, I found myself with a list of 20 places I could see myself retiring in.
Seven of those were states in the US without a state income tax, including Texas. I also considered the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, but none offered retirement programs.
Moving to Penang
Malaysia, however, had everything I was looking for.
When I worked there years earlier, I was based in Penang — and that’s where I chose to retire. I applied for the Malaysia My Second Home visa in 2017 and officially moved over alone in 2018.
During my time working in Ireland, I was struck by how welcoming and hospitable the people there were, and I thought I’d never experience that again. I was wrong because I found that spirit the first time I came to Penang.
All the friends that I made in Malaysia back then are still my friends today. When they learned that I was moving back for good, they were eager to show me around.
Life in Penang feels very comfortable for me. Being able to speak English almost everywhere made things easier too. Also, Penang has a charm that big cities like Kuala Lumpur or Dallas lack.
As a retiree, one thing that’s always at the back of my mind is healthcare. My first real experience with Penang’s medical system came after I broke my leg slipping down a hill while hiking.
An orthopedic surgeon put me back together with a six-inch metal plate and seven screws. I was genuinely impressed by the quality of care I received.
Additionally, I’m a cancer survivor, and one of the factors I considered when deciding where to retire was whether I’d have the opportunity to volunteer with cancer patients.
That’s exactly what I do now, three days a week, at a dedicated cancer hospital. I’m there before 9.30 a.m. and stay until about 5 p.m..
Outside my time at the hospital, I’m also undergoing training to better support cancer patients and their family members.
I once read a book that recommended getting two hours of exercise daily for six days a week — and that’s what I’ve been trying to do. I’m a regular at the gym near my house, and I train on my own.
‘My only home’
Penang is very dynamic. The food culture here is amazing. People are constantly opening up new places serving new cuisines at reasonable prices.
If I want peace and quiet, it’s not a problem either. One of the things that I like doing is taking long drives. It takes about 70 minutes to drive around the island, so I’ll put on one of my old compilation CDs, listen to music, and just enjoy the solitude.
Penang also has nonstop flights to plenty of places in Asia, including cities in Thailand and China, so it’s easy for me to visit old friends.
Of course, moving abroad comes with challenges. For example, if you live overseas, it can be surprisingly hard to use an international phone number with US banks.
Looking back on all the moves I’ve made, you really do gain a much broader perspective on humanity and a tolerance for the many facets of culture. It helps you grow more accepting of differences.
I used to say that home was wherever my toothbrush was, and that could be at 30,000 feet on an airplane over the ocean. But that’s not a lifestyle for everybody.
My attachments are not necessarily to places, and definitely not to things. I like to say that I measure my wealth in the number of excellent friends I have.
I aspire to become an antique, so I’d like to reach 100 years old. There’s longevity in the family, so that’s a possibility — and I do want to live the rest of my life in Penang.
People say, “Oh, so Malaysia is your second home?” I say, “No, it’s my only home.”
Do you have a story to share about relocating to a new city? Contact this reporter at [email protected].
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