This essay is my opinion, not gospel, but if you’ve ever dreamed of leaving the U.S., here’s a snapshot.
There comes a moment, usually after another mass shooting, when living abroad stops sounding whimsical and starts sounding like survival. I’m concerned about what I see happening back home. The noise, the anger, the unpredictability of the U.S. feels heavier than ever.
Plenty of Americans have already jumped ship. Restless dreamers, retirees, digital nomads. In my family, it is practically hereditary: one cousin recently moved to Málaga for sunshine and tapas (and her daughter’s education), another left the U.S. and has done stints in Trinidad, Europe, and Central Asia. We do not collect stamps, we collect residency cards.
When I first arrived in Bali, the fear of the unknown was very real. The language, the bureaucracy, the banking, even grocery shopping felt like a test I might fail. Anyone who says it is all hammocks and sunsets is skipping the chapter where you lie awake at night, ugly crying, wondering what the F#@& you’ve done. Over time, though, learning the language and moving through daily life turned what once felt intimidating into real connection. Here’s the truth - you need patience, you need to be adaptable, truly, you need to adapt your expectations and your behaviors, you need resilience and you need to be brave. Life abroad is unpredictable, and you will be tested in ways that comfort zones never ask of you.
Case in point: I was scammed by a visa agent with a (formerly) stellar reputation. Not only did I lose money, but I lost a sense of security. It was a sharp reminder that you cannot buy your way out of unpredictability. You have to absorb the hit, recalibrate, and keep going.
Popular Exits
Mexico: Easy entry, tacos, and margaritas that make you forget U.S. gas prices.
Portugal: Pure catnip with cobblestones, vinho verde, so much charm.
Spain: Fiestas, and 10 p.m. dinners. Universities here also offer programs taught in English at a fraction of U.S. tuition.
Thailand: Smiles, mangoes, massages.
Colombia: Medellín’s eternal spring and serious cost of living benefits.
Japan: A surprise to many, but foreigners can own property. Temple University has a campus in Tokyo and Kyoto if you want to combine a move with academics.
Vietnam: Nha Trang is heating up as a new expat hotspot, with beaches, affordability, and crunchy French bread banh mi.
Morocco: A magnet for the stylish set for decades, with Marrakech riads that feel absolutely cinematic.
London: Polished, buzzy, endlessly cultural. If you can afford the cost of living, it is a dream for anyone craving city life at full volume.
And then there is Bali, my current playground. The food is incredible - satay skewers smoky from the grill, sambal with enough fire to fry your taste buds (in a good way), nasi campur that never tastes the same twice. The people? Loveliest in the world, not just in Bali but across all of Indonesia. Patient, curious, endlessly generous. The diving feels like watching Finding Nemo, the volcano treks could have been storyboarded from Land of the Lost, and the wellness culture is on overdrive with yoga, Pilates, and gyms that shame Equinox. The avocados, however, are tragic. Pale, watery impostors. Do not move here for the avocados.
Visa Games
Yes, paperwork. No, it is not fun. Quick cheat sheet:
Digital Nomad Visas: Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Bali. Perfect if your office is a laptop.
Retirement Visas: Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia. Show steady income, stay forever.
Golden Visas: Buy property, get papers. Bring money. Lots of money.
Tourist Hopscotch: Exit, re-enter, repeat. Works until immigration gives you “the look.” Not recommended.
Reality Check
You will lose hours of your life at immigration. The Wi-Fi will collapse mid-Zoom call. You will fumble through government offices. But then you spend the morning diving with manta rays, and your neighbor just dropped off papayas from her garden. This is what tips the scales.
Arbitrage Abroad
Living overseas is also about arbitrage, using the market inefficiencies that exist between the U.S. and everywhere else. In the States, obviously salaries are higher, but so is rent, healthcare, and the cost of your morning latte. Abroad, high-quality medical care costs less than a U.S. co-pay. Education too, as the Netherlands, Italy, and other European countries offer full degrees in English for a sliver of what American universities cost. You buy freedom by choosing a market where your dollar stretches, bends, and does backflips.
The Big Why
Life abroad is something completely different, and for me, it is slower, richer, more alive and more adventurous. Maybe it’s a terrace in San Sebastián, maybe it’s a hammock in Chiang Mai, maybe it’s a villa in Bali with bad avocados.
If you’ve been dreaming about an exit, here is your nudge: start googling visas instead of Zillow.
