Dying to Retire Podcast

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Podcast by H.Douglas Ellsworth

Dying to Retire Podcast

I’m Doug — Baby Boomer, conservative gringo married to a Latina, and a guy with an eclectic work career that ended with retiring from the federal government. This podcast is its own show now. Real conversations about retirement, the political circus we’re all living through, and what it actually looks like to walk away from the grind and build a life in Latin America. I’ll cover the real ups and downs of transitioning from worker bee to just let me be — including why so many of my coworkers mentally clocked out long before they officially retired. They weren’t lazy. They were preserving their sanity and making sure they had gas in the tank for retirement. If you’re nearing retirement or already in it, this is your community. Especially if you’re a guy who’s done holding back. No one here will tell her. Questions or comments? Email me at dyingtoretirepodcast@gmail.com Follow me on X: https://x.com/Dying2Retire YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DyingToRetirePodcast
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Latest episodes

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30 June 2026

#046: The Casa Douglas TP Rule, Media Narratives, Front-Line Karma, and Second-Rate Standards

In this episode, we look at how divisive identity politics crash head-first into the real world. I share a story about my brother-in-law getting a dose of workplace karma as a new manager, and draw on my thirty years of management experience to contrast today's manufactured divisions with the unshakeable bonds forged in the 1980s military.

True solidarity isn't based on skin color or checklists—it’s about competence and carrying your own weight. We close with a stark reality check: when you prioritize checkboxes over capability, things break. You simply cannot run a first-rate country with second-rate standards.

Questions or comments? Email me at dyingtoretirepodcast@gmail.com

Follow me on X: https://x.com/Dying2Retire

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DyingToRetirePodcast

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23 June 2026

#045: Sewer Lines, Get Off The X, Northern Ireland, and the Two-Degree Delusion

In this episode, I skip the usual Casa Douglas construction update and talk about what's happening back in Maryland instead. The house decided it wasn't getting enough attention, so the main sewer line failed, followed by the outside drain line needing replacement. Thousands of dollars later, I'm still waiting on the county inspector so they can finally approve the work and let the contractor fill in the giant hole sitting in my front yard.

From there, I get into a mindset I've been talking about on my YouTube channel: Get Off The X. Whether you're a tourist, expat, retiree, or slow traveler, bad things can happen anywhere. Too many people spend their lives looking for a mythical place where nothing ever goes wrong. It doesn't exist. The goal isn't eliminating risk—it's learning how to deal with it and keep moving forward.

After that, I turn to Northern Ireland and the tensions we're seeing there today. I discuss what happens when governments bring in large numbers of people from cultures that don't share the values of the host country, continue spending taxpayer money on people who shouldn't be there, and then act surprised when social friction follows. I also explain why I think many of the same issues are headed for the United States if we don't get a handle on them now.

I close out the show with a social media post from a young man complaining that he had earned two degrees and still wasn't making six figures. Sounds terrible until you learn both degrees were associate degrees, he had no certifications, and he refused to leave his small town for places with better job opportunities. At some point, the problem isn't the economy. It's the decisions you're making.

Questions or comments? Email me at dyingtoretirepodcast@gmail.com

Follow me on X: https://x.com/Dying2Retire

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DyingToRetirePodcast

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16 June 2026

#044: Retirement Dreams, Building Casa Douglas, Self-Driving Cars for Seniors - Oh My!

In this episode of 'Dying to Retire,' I share updates on his upcoming move to Guatemala, where his new home, Casa Douglas, is nearly ready. He discusses the logistical challenges of settling into a new country, from furnishing the house to navigating local traffic. I also tackle the contentious issue of aging drivers and the rise of self-driving technology, questioning whether these advancements are truly beneficial for seniors. I explore my own approach to maintaining independence in retirement and reflect on how autonomous driving might impact older generations who cherish their driving freedom.

Questions or comments? Email me at dyingtoretirepodcast@gmail.com

Follow me on X: https://x.com/Dying2Retire

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DyingToRetirePodcast

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09 June 2026

#043: My Guatemala Residency Appointment, RENAP, Uber, and El Salvador's Mega Prison

In this episode, I walk you through my actual residency appointment at Guatemalan immigration — start to finish, what it looked like on the ground, how long it took, and what happened when RENAP put the wrong birthday on my DPI. Then I get into Uber in Guatemala, what most Westerners need to get over before they get in one of those cars, and one driver who used a 45-minute rush-hour ride to explain to me why he preferred meth over cocaine. After that I get into something that's been genuinely pissing me off — the libertarian think-tank obsession with gutting boomer and retiree wealth.

These groups are getting face time with elected politicians, and unless people are willing to call out the bullshit loudly and often, they keep operating without pushback. I close out with El Salvador's CECOT supermax prison. A liberal British journalist toured it, talked to the people who actually lived under gang rule for decades, and couldn't find a single person unhappy that the gangsters are behind bars permanently. Funny how that part didn't make the headline. Compassion for the victims, not the victimizers.

UK Daily Mail article on El Salvador’s CECOT Super Max Prison: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15833361/Richard-Madeley-El-Salvador-brutal-mega-jail.html

Questions or comments? Email me at dyingtoretirepodcast@gmail.com

Follow me on X: https://x.com/Dying2Retire

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DyingToRetirePodcast

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02 June 2026

#042: She Wasn't Ready for Guatemala, Bank of Mom and Dad, and Then Some!

In this episode, I discuss my niece's reaction to both the house being built and the community of the gated community outside of Antigua, Guatemala. Then I get into the Bank of Mom and Dad problem for retirees, a state-by-state retirement cost breakdown that explains why the expat conversation is growing on both sides of the aisle, and a take on a study claiming the best aphrodisiac for women is watching her husband take out the trash. I read the study and keyed in on what the article’s feminist author tried to bury. Guess what? Traditional couples are thriving. Funny how that didn't make the headline.

How much do you need to retire: https://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/how-much-do-you-need-retire-state-by-state-breakdown

Questions or comments? Email me at dyingtoretirepodcast@gmail.com

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26 May 2026

#041: Update on Casa Douglas - Building in Guatemala, Social Security Changes and Then Some!

In this episode, I cover a construction update on Casa Douglas — the retirement home going up outside Antigua, Guatemala — a Covey-based tool I built to help those thinking about retiring abroad stop wasting time on the wrong videos and online content, and the Social Security proposal that has me rethinking when to file.

Plus: a family event, a Gen Z teacher, and a Wicked reference that should concern all of us. Unfiltered, as always.

Social Security six-figure cap proposal: https://www.crfb.org/sixfigurelimit

Questions or comments? Email me at dyingtoretirepodcast@gmail.com

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