This International Life
Any “This American Life” fans out there?
You may have heard the recent episode where listeners shared their coincidence stories…
Like the guy who’s doing a survey at an airport, and it becomes obvious—from the uncertain tone of one participant’s voice—that he’s being given a fake contact number. By the time his respondent makes it to the end of the number, the surveyor can’t let it go:
“I’m sorry, sir,” he says, “but that is not your phone number.”
“Why isn’t that my phone number?”
“Because it’s my phone number.”
Really, it was.
Then there’s the newly engaged couple whose parents, from different states, fly to New York City to meet each other for the first time and celebrate the engagement.
After flipping through some old family photos, it turns out that, back in the 1960s, the boy’s dad (who’d died years earlier) had dated and proposed to the girl’s mom… all the way back in Korea…
And you thought your family was complicated…
Incroyable as some of the stories shared on the podcast were, I wasn’t all that surprised. Thanks to my line of work, I’ve come to expect the extraordinary…
Whenever a bunch of our international crew gets together over dinner or drinks, there’s always a story to be told. And just when you think you’ve heard the most unbelievable story ever, out comes another…
In Las Vegas for our Retire Overseas Conference last month, a handful of my colleagues and I were invited to a retirement dinner for international banking expert and long-time speaker at our events, Peter Zipper.
Everyone at the table who’d known Peter for some time took it in turn to share a story. I can’t reveal them all here (in any case, most are best experienced in person). But, among the tales that evening, this one from our Portuguese colleague João Gil Figueira—an international tax consultant—made me chuckle…
João was passing by the restrooms of a European airport when the distinct smell of cigarette smoke made him stop in his tracks.
Obviously, nobody smokes inside airports these days, right?
Unless, of course, you’re Peter Zipper.
Peter will try to nab a quick cigarette in any bathroom… at an airport, conference hotel… you name it.
João, of course, had no idea where in the world Peter was at that time. But, curious to see how his hunch turned out, he waited outside, close to that restroom.
Sure enough, one minute later, out walked Peter.
Guys like Peter, João, and many other experts we work with are all involved in serious business—banking, law, tax, asset protection, global real estate investing, and so on. It’s one thing to hear them give a presentation (which they always manage to do with a touch of humor)… but it’s a whole different level to sit around the table with them and hear their stories… the kind of stories that can only be shared in an intimate, small-group setting…
And, next spring, you have a chance to be part of the fun…
If you’d like to be at the table with Kathleen, Lief, and some of our top offshore experts… not only to swap stories but to tap into their expertise… we still have a number of places available to join our European Wealth Cruise, April 7–14, 2019.
Our plan is to meet in the beautiful city of Porto, Portugal, and depart aboard the luxurious Queen Isabel for seven days of adventure and discovery, experiencing together the history, culture, gastronomy, legendary vineyard estates, and stunning vistas of the Iberian Peninsula… all in the company of open thinkers and world-class wealth experts.
This is a rare chance to explore one of the world’s most delightful regions while, at the same time, gaining insights into the best current opportunities for living and investing across Europe.
Our team will reveal and detail your best options for owning real estate, precious and rare metals, and productive land as a strategy for building lasting wealth... and having a grand adventure in the bargain…
To ensure our time together is productive, we’ve limited our number for this cruise to just 10 attendees.
The stories are guaranteed…
Valentine Fouché
