One Couple's Retirement Adventure in the Caribbean

Charles and Katherine Fritz quit their jobs in 2015. They rented out their two homes, sold their cars and gave their children most of their furniture so they could relocate to the Dominican Republic. The move greatly puzzled and even stunned their family and friends.

[See: 50 Affordable Places to Buy a Retirement Home in 2016.]

"Everyone thought that perhaps my wife Katherine and I were suddenly becoming real adventurous," Charles says. "Some suggested that maybe we were experiencing joint mid-life crises or that we'd simply lost our minds."

Whatever the motivation, the die was cast. In August 2015, Charles and Katherine made the Dominican Republic their home and teaching English their occupation. "Certainly it has not been a perfect transition," Charles says. "But any difficulties have been offset by the Caribbean breezes, the almost constant blue skies and the genuine warmth of the Dominican people."

Charles and Katherine discovered the Dominican Republic as tourists. They took frequent vacations to Punta Cana. At some point they began to think beyond vacation stays and realized they could see themselves enjoying their later years living in this country full time.

Rather than Punta Cana, though, the couple decided that Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic's cultural and business center, would be the best place to get the lay of the land and explore different retirement lifestyle options across the country.

From their Santo Domingo base, Charles and Katherine have spent time in Samaná, Las Terrenas, Juan Dolio and Cabarete. The island is small enough to make travel anywhere on it convenient, but big enough to stave off the island fever that can be a challenge on smaller Caribbean islands. In addition to its many sandy beach towns, the Dominican Republic also boasts a central inland region of mountains, rivers and waterfalls.

In the States, Charles and Katherine lived in South Carolina, which enjoys a temperate climate with only the occasional thunderstorm, snow only once every few years and a hurricane every decade or so. Still, the weather in the Dominican Republic was one of the biggest appeals for the couple. "No need to watch the weather report," Charles says. "Practically every morning brings blue skies and that glorious Caribbean breeze. It makes it easy to plan outdoor activities or go for a long walk or pleasant jog, and it is nice to be able to have lunch any time of year at one of the many outdoor cafés here in Santo Domingo."

[See: 10 Ways to Reduce Your Housing Costs in Retirement.]

Another thing that attracted the Fritzes was the convenience factor. They knew from spending years on the island as tourists that getting along here is easy day to day. You find neighborhood corner stores known as colmados on almost every block that stock anything you might need and that even offer delivery services at no extra charge. Should you need one more egg while cooking, experience a sudden craving for chocolate ice cream or have unexpected company and realize you need some rum or a few more beers, all you have to do is pick up the phone and, in a few minutes, your order is at your door. In addition to the colmados, many other stores and many restaurants also deliver, including U.S. chains such as TGI Fridays and KFC.

The couple agree that this move would have been a lot more difficult a couple of decades ago. Their biggest misgiving in pursuing the adventure was leaving behind family and friends in the United States. This worry has been eased with the help of technology now available in most of the world, including in the Dominican Republic.

Charles and Katherine have invested in the Magic Jack service for their phones at a cost of $48 a year. This allows them to have daily conversations with folks back home. They're able to access major U.S. television and cable networks, including HBO, Lifetime, Discovery, the History Channel and CNN through a cable TV and internet service package, and they go to the movies at least once a week to see first-run American productions in English.

The couple has chosen to rent the place where they're living in Santo Domingo. They decided this was the best strategy while they're still in their exploration stage and trying to consider all of the island's retirement lifestyle options. They're paying $660 per month for a big three-bedroom, seventh-floor apartment with marble floors, crown molding and beautiful woodwork, as well as a balcony view of the Caribbean.

"We enjoy the sea breezes from our comfortable Dominican rocking chairs every day," Charles says. These breezes are not only a great pleasure but also allow the couple to use air conditioning only in their bedroom at night for sleeping. This helps to keep their electricity cost down. Their bill is between $40 and $60 a month. The couple has chosen not to invest in a car, as public transportation and taxi services are readily available and affordable in Santo Domingo.

If your dream is a quiet, relaxing Caribbean lifestyle, Santo Domingo is probably not the best option. You might be more interested in this island nation's many beautiful and welcoming beach enclaves. Life in the Dominican Republic's capital city is more like life in New York City, Los Angeles or Chicago. Traffic is heavy, and traffic laws seem to be mere suggestions. The constant sounds of motorbikes, honking horns and street vendors may be too much if you value peace and serenity.

"The ability to ignore loud noise has proven to be an advantage for us," Charles says. "For the first time in my life, I can play my own music at whatever volume I choose without disturbing the neighbors. Hopefully my Dominican neighbors are enjoying my Carolina beach music and the sounds of Memphis, New Orleans and Nashville. No one has complained yet."

[See: 10 Affordable Places to Retire Overseas in 2016.]

Despite some of the difficulties adjusting to a new culture, including not being fluent in Spanish and learning to pay attention to the currency exchange rate, Charles and Katherine believe they have made the right decision leaving the stress of their old lives behind. "Here in the Dominican Republic, life is all about new adventures," Charles says. "We have never been happier."

Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group.