I was lonely and working 15-hour days in the US. Moving to the Philippines gave me a community.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Britt McAlister, 56, who left the US to retire in the Philippines. It’s been edited for length and clarity.

I realized I wasn’t happy with my life in the US.

After my divorce, I was working 12 to 15 hours a day as a sales manager in the roofing industry. Each day, I’d get a few hours of alone time, then go to sleep and do it all over again.

I had all the things I thought would make me happy: a car, a condo, a small yacht. But still, I felt like I was missing something.

A large part of it was social connection, especially after the pandemic. My family and old friends were in Georgia, where I…