I have a 17-year-old daughter who is finishing up a year in Vitoria, Brazil. She’s been having the time of her life in a gorgeous coastal city with the beaches of her dreams and the cute guys to match. What’s not to like?

Tara told us that we could buy a beautiful home (”All marble floors!”) on a spectacular beach (”White sand!”) in a number of lovely cities (”Amazing architecture!”) with friendly neighbors (”Dancing all night with people who don’t know you but love you anyway!”)

In fact, she helpfully suggested that we could snag one of these properties for a mere $100,000…less than half of the median price for a typical house in our area.

She went on to say that we could buy a house on the coast in Brazil and retire there, with a delightful lifestyle, plenty of great friends, outstanding and inexpensive medical care, and zero chance of boredom or loneliness.

We weren’t surprised that she suggested this. After all, she has an ulterior motive–why, SHE could be the one to manage the property until we decide to retire! She would, of course, have to live in beautiful, coastal, hunk-heavy, dance-crazed Brazil in order to do this, but she was willing to make this supreme sacrifice to support our perfect retirement.

How thoughtful. No, really. It sounds fantastic. I’m turning 45 in June, and that’s not too early to think about how I want to spend the next few phases of my life. I truly appreciate the suggestion.

The people I admire