Time has always been a difficult concept with which to grapple. It is not the concept of the passage of time nor the units in which it is measured which are complicated. Transcending any academic or philosophical considerations of time are the practical problems which affect day-to-day living. These are the aspects of time that need to be considered by those seeking to retire abroad. Long distance travelers quickly become aware of the effect of time when they experience jet lag. Adjustments are possible after a day or so in a new place. The body and mind soon become accustomed to the local time.

Some effects are persistent, irresistible and permanent when the local time is related to that in the place from which travel started. These things are caused by travel to the east or west of the starting point. There are also effects which occur when traveling to the north or south of the original location. When considering retirement abroad time can be a vital element in determining where to go.

Time is an important factor to be considered in any move to retire abroad. Season and latitude determine the relative length of day and night or light and dark hours. Longitude and the earth's rotation determine the time in one place compared with that in another. Lines of latitude are imaginary graduations on the surface of the Earth parallel to the equator. Lines of longitude are imaginary graduations running from the north to the south poles. There are social connotations with these time effects which cannot be ignored.

During summer in both the northern and southern temperate zones there are extended periods of twilight after the Sun sets. From the north and south poles and the Arctic and Antarctic circles respectively in summer the extreme of this phenomenon is reached when the Sun does not set. The reverse is true in winter when the Sun does not rise. These situations in the north and the south are, of course, mutually exclusive. When it is summer in the northern hemisphere it is winter in the south and vice versa. There is very little twilight in the tropics. It is dark, regardless of the season, within less than an hour of the Sun setting. Twilight is caused by the angle at which the Sun's rays impinge upon the Earth's atmosphere. This angle is in turn affected by the season. It is the position at which the Earth finds itself in its annual passage round the Sun and the fact that the Earth's north/south axis is at an angle to the plane of this journey that are the causes of the seasons. If long summer evenings are important for summer sporting and social activities then any situation in the tropics will not be attractive.

The rotation of the Earth from west to east determines the time in one place relative to another. When the Sun rises at any given place or along any particular line of longitude it has already risen earlier to the east but it has yet to rise and will do so later to the west. It takes one day for the earth to turn one full rotation or 360. It is easy to see that the further to the east or west of a given line of longitude so it is, respectively, earlier or later in the day. The actual time difference works out at four minutes per degree of longitude. If long telephone conversations between friends is a normal social activity it can be calculated who will be calling or whom is called at unsocial hours. The need for long contacts by telephone with friends or business associates may limit the choices of retirement countries.

Both of these time effects relating to twilight and the time of day can be experienced during a "Golden Rule" visit to the prospective retirement place. This rule states that no decision or irrevocable action with respect to moving finally should be taken without visiting a country at least once. If the time differences between the place of origin and the proposed place of settlement are not tolerable on a long term basis then it will be necessary to look for an alternative country in which to retire.