Frankly, I am of the belief that retirement isn't the best time to make these drastic changes. Why leave your support system and a nice life, to be near your kid? I mean, she will not be able to have the same kind of lifestyle, in Calgary, based on what you've said here. There's been a documented increase of older seniors returning to their home states/support system after some years of retirement in another place. I know I will never leave Massachusetts. I might want to travel for a few weeks in the winter (visit my friends in AZ!), but for example, I would never want to move to California, just to be near my kid who is there. Thankfully, my other son is here.