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Bill Mauro and Marcus Laurence retired early while living in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. They soon realized that the high cost of health insurance would make it difficult to maintain their lifestyle in America. A vacation to Spain convinced them that retiring there was the answer! However, due to Spain’s residency rules they surprisingly learned that health insurance would be costly there as well. They researched and found they could move to Portugal and immediately use that country’s government healthcare. So, before ever visiting Portugal, they decided it was the place where they would retire. They boarded a plane bound to Portugal with six suitcases. The road to their home in the mountains of Portugal has not been completely smooth, but they now love, and are loved in, Portugal. Find out more about Bill and Marcus’ path to Salgueiro da Lomba, Portugal, on Episode 83 of Retire there with Gil & Gene.
Bill created a Facebook group called Bears Retiring in Europe.
Bill and Marcus have an Instagram page, dedicated to their home, called CasaDaLomba050.
Bill Mauro was born and raised in Hornell, New York. He attended Eastern University in St Davids, PA. He worked in Corporate America with his last job was in middle management for an insurance company.
Marcus Laurence was born and raised in Piscataway NJ and joined the US Air Force. He also worked in corporate America and mostly in sales.
After being together for 8 years, Bill and Marcus married in 2013 in Phillipsburg, NJ during a protest against Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex Marriage. The ban was lifted a year later. The couple retired early, sold all their possessions and moved to Portugal with only 6 suitcases in 2019. They sold their A-frame home in the Pocono Mountains and bought a farm in a very small mountain top village. It’s their dream home called Casa da Lomba.
They both love outdoor activities such as kayaking, riding their ATVs in the mountains, going to the beach, and their interests include antiques and architecture and exploring Portugal. Marcus is an avid reader and Bill likes to garden. During the pandemic, Bill started a Facebook group called Bears [& Friends] Retiring in Europe. The group has quickly grown to over 3 thousand members.
Marcus Laurence was born and raised in Piscataway NJ and joined the US Air Force. He also worked in corporate America and mostly in sales.
Bill Mauro was born and raised in Hornell, New York. He attended Eastern University in St Davids, PA. He worked in Corporate America with his last job was in middle management for an insurance company.
After being together for 8 years, Bill and Marcus married in 2013 in Phillipsburg, NJ during a protest against Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex Marriage. The ban was lifted a year later. The couple retired early, sold all their possessions and moved to Portugal with only 6 suitcases in 2019. They sold their A-frame home in the Pocono Mountains and bought a farm in a very small mountain top village. It’s their dream home called Casa da Lomba.
They both love outdoor activities such as kayaking, riding their ATVs in the mountains, going to the beach, and their interests include antiques and architecture and exploring Portugal. Marcus is an avid reader and Bill likes to garden. During the pandemic, Bill started a Facebook group called Bears [& Friends] Retiring in Europe. The group has quickly grown to over 3 thousand members.
