I was working in my office about a month ago, listening to NPR, and found myself disheartened by the campaign rhetoric, the housing market and all the other “bad” news coming from the speakers.
I said to myself, “I wish I lived in another country so that I didn’t have to listen to this.” And then I realized I could just turn the radio off, not listen to it and pretend to live in another country. After all, that news was not personally effecting me. My mortgage was secure and I knew who I was going to vote for – so I didn’t need to be informed about any of this. (This NPR-addicted gal turned the news back on a couple of days later, but that’s beside the point.)
I’m not alone in joking over the last 6 or 7 years that I’m going to move to Canada. Many Americans snicker about this and, for most of us, it’s been an empty threat.
But with the news of the $700B bailout of the financial industry, I wondered this weekend how many of you are now seriously considering joining the ranks of the expat community to escape the fact that we’re all going to be paying (literally) because of the deception, lack of morals and poor decision making made by the captains of the financial industry, despite their ability to pay themselves multi-millions of dollars a year.
You may be quite responsible with your finances: you carry no credit card debt, your car is paid for and you’ve got a stable mortgage. Yet, the recent bailout events have forced us all to closely examine the message that our government and our society promotes: spend money, go into debt, borrow for what you can’t afford. Now we’re being punished by the behavior and ignorance of the machine that promotes this lifestyle.
How close are YOU to moving elsewhere and where would you go?
Perhaps you’re drawn to Costa Rica… where you’d have access to both mountains and beaches? Or Bhutan… where the lifestyle is based on Gross National Happiness? How ’bout India… where you could live on a fraction of what it costs to live in the U.S.? Or southern France… where you could sip strong coffee and eat croissants all day?
While I fully appreciate the opportunities that the United States provides me and I know that all countries have their own issues – be it corruption or poor infrastructure – the prospects of living elsewhere are sure looking inviting.
Tomorrow, I’ll wake up in my own bed, enjoy the view of Mt. Rainier through my living room window and pause before I turn on the news. And then I’ll start making a list of where Jon and I might live so as to take back some control over our financial lives and live in harmony.
Travel Well!
Beth
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Traveler says
I’m taking a year-long sabbatical in Mexico with my family, but not until summer after next because of school considerations. Will go scout out locations in June. If I were single, I would be gone already. And as I noted in this blog post, if you’ve been laid off with a severance package, you should be out traveling in cheap countries instead of trying to fight the trends. Come back when things are on the rise again.
Tom Hundt says
Talk to my friend Steve — he’s live in Hong Kong for years.
Lola says
Slowly making that transition to Scandinavia
Meg Noble Peterson says
Oh, Beth, I’m one of those who said that if Bush won a second term (which is still up for discussion) I’d be out of here. And here I still am. Hope springs eternal! But, then, I’ve also been out of the country, traveling, for half that time. It’s a real knotty problem, and getting worse by the day. At this point, looking at the financial news that is coming from far away places, it looks as if you can’t get away from the chaos no matter where you go. But I’m still looking….
Meg Noble Peterson
http://www.megnoblepeterson.com
transienttravels says
I would finally finish getting dual irish citizenship and hit the road – though I probably won’t even really do it.
Meg Eisenbraun says
It’s tempting, but I’ve lived in Italy and the Philippines and still prefer the USA, despite wonderful experiences. Besides, I can’t leave my 3 year old grandson!
pam says
The truth about expat life is so much more complicated than “go elsewhere, leave troubles behind.”
I gave up my expat life to live in our deeply flawed society because of oh so many reasons, and hey, I have legal EU residency status.It wasn’t just speculation. I’ll take our effed up American society over what I had in Europe any day. And believe me, I’m as surprised to hear myself say that as anyone.
Beth says
Traveler: I’m totally jealous. Can you adopt me?
Tom: Hmmm – I’m assuming your friend has plenty of complaints about HK.
Lola: You go girl!
Meg NP: You’ve got nothing to complain about your GlobeTrotter!
Meg E: You must stick around to spoil the little one!
Pam: Wow. I love my neighborhood, I love my city, I love my friends and family but…. I don’t know, I’m close…
Beth says
Oh, and transienttravels: why not go for it?
ken bledsoe says
Could be worse… you could live in New Jersey. Seriously, If all of us that are unhappy with our government moved to Wyoming, there’d be enough of us to take over the state and disengage from the union. The Feds could then make Puerto Rico a state so they wouldn’t have to change the American flag. We could call our new country Wynotoming. Of course, we’d have to expel Cheney, or at least go hunting with him.
wandermom says
Transienttravels: You can apply by mail. It’s easy as pie.
Pam: This is one topic on which I flip-flop regularly. I love living in the US, but every time I return to EU, the difference in the pace of life smacks me in the face. Currently, I’m deliberating again.
And btw: my eight-year-old has stated in no uncertain terms that if McCain wins, he wants to move back to Ireland – which is particularly funny when you consider that he’s never lived in Ireland!
Mara says
Well, you know, I actually like living in the United States. Despite the problems, it has much to recommend it. (And honestly, it’s not like the Canadian government right now is so wonderful either).
My pick-up-and-move-to-at-the-drop-of-a-hat place is definitely Paris. But I think I’ll stick around. There’s plenty of trouble in the world, and I’m sure I’d find it if I went looking elsewhere.
Jul says
As someone who vowed not to move back to the US until Bush was out of office, I have to say that it is very nice to be observing the current news coming out of the US from a nice, safe distance. Sure Germany has its problems, too, but they don’t bother me as much as the problems from my home country. Plus there’s that minimum 6 weeks of vacation…
My NPR consumption is limited to podcasts of Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me and This American Life. 🙂
Greg Wesson says
I pulled the trigger this year, moving from Toronto, Canada to London, England. Unfortunately, with the economy being global nowadays, the economy in the UK is feeling the hit from the credit crunch in the USA, so job hunting is going very slowly! However, I’m so glad I did it. Even if the reality of moving abroad doesn’t quite live up to the dreams you have before you go, I am glad I never have to ask that question – WHAT IF?
Greg
marina says
Hi, I am an ex pat living in Costa Rica, and I’ll tell you being an expat has a lot of benefits, however, when you start to live in a certain country, you might have escaped your country’s problems, but now you have to deal with the other country’s problems. and from what I learned life isn’t simple anywhere, it’s certainly exciting in other parts of the world, but then the novelty of living in another country wears off and you start to live daily life and dealing with daily problems.
Beth says
You’re absolutely right, Marina. But there is something to be said for not being a part of the society that you’re living in. You can observe (and possibly be frustrated with) it, but isn’t there SOME peace of mind that comes from not being a part of the wheel?
marina says
Hi, you know what, if you live in a country long enough, you will be affected the same way as the locals do. at first not so much, but once daily life and regular life sets in, trust me you’ll be feeling it!
Marina
MuchaCostaRica.com
Deanna Keahey says
I’ve certainly felt the same urge to pack up & move, with the current economic & political situation here.
Personally, I’m dreaming of a small island country — living in flip flops, and running a little beach bar, serving up icy cold beers to relaxed patrons. Occasionally somebody would bring up the topic of US politics, but it would seem so remote… (-:
But practically speaking, I’ll probably be here, doing the same thing for years to come!