Bay Area couple shows how families can leave California

Californians obsess about the sheer number of people leaving our state. But maybe we should worry more about the quality of these departures.

Californians are supposed to dream big. So why do their ambitions get so small when they head for the exits?

So, enough with vamoosing to vapid Vegas subdivisions. Cool down before you sign a lease in hot Phoenix. Think twice before taking a mortgage on that house in Houston. If you’re going to depart a state as fabulous as ours, why not make your leaving a fantastic triumph?

Amon and Christina Browning can show you how.

Two years ago, entering their 40s, the Brownings retired and left the state with their two teenage daughters. Their destination: Portugal, and a lifestyle that rivals California’s, at a much lower price.

The Brownings documented their move on their YouTube channel, Our Rich Journey, fueling fantasies of flight among Californians, including this columnist. When, I reached out to the couple, I learned that nothing was ever so Californian as their leaving it.

Amon, an urban planner, and Christina, a lawyer, met at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Christina grew up in Stockton. Amon’s family moved around the East Bay — at one point, they were homeless.

Growing up without wealth made the Brownings take finances seriously. And when — after stints in San Diego and overseas — they returned to the Bay Area a decade ago, they embraced the FIRE movement (“Financial Independence Retire Early”) and made a plan to retire in 10 years.

To achieve it, they saved relentlessly (70% of their income), added income through side hustles, and fixed up and sold rundown homes. They hit their financial target two years early. “I don’t think we would have been able to make as much money and be as successful on our journey if we weren’t in California,” says Amon.

If they were going to stay in the U.S., they would have remained in California. But their money could go further elsewhere, and they wanted to live overseas.

Portugal offered similarly amazing weather but with less crime (it’s the world’s third-safest country). Lisbon also tops rankings of the best cities for raising children, and the Brownings say schools there feel more welcoming. Portugal is healthier, too, with an average life span four years longer than America’s and cheap universal health care. Amon and Christina have marveled at how their neighbors embraced COVID-19 vaccinations, making Portugal one of the most vaccinated countries on earth.

And housing is much cheaper. After renting for a year to study the market and establish residency, they bought a house on Portugal’s central coast, not far from the beach, for 190,000 euros (about $220,000).

Even as they grow their YouTube channel, create online classes and make media appearances, including on “Good Morning America,” the Brownings are enjoying retirement. They have more time for their children, for themselves and for trips around Europe.

“It’s this very relaxed environment, peace of mind — you don’t feel like you’re looking over your shoulder,” says Christina.

The Brownings are African American, and friends often ask how race is shaping their European experience. Their answer is that Lisbon is diverse and they feel comfortable.

“When I’m in California, when I’m in the United States, I have to be conscious of race wherever I go,” says Amon. “I’ve never had a problem here, or a bad interaction with people here.”

Life in Portugal isn’t perfect. Learning Portuguese is harder than they thought. And they miss family, friends and their home state’s unmatchable culinary diversity (especially Mexican and Chinese food).

The Brownings say they love California, and might split their time between Portugal and the Golden State. “We positioned ourselves where we could leave,” says Christina, “experience what it’s like in another place, and then go back if we couldn’t handle being away from California.”

Perhaps the perfect California departure is one that leaves the door open for a return.