I began this draft a few weeks ago, after the US decided it wanted a war with Iran. Things have escalated since and I am feeling more internal pressure to GTFO.
But I am currently committed to working on one of two Lakota reservations— theoretically sovereign nations— for the next two years. That’s something I am grappling with because this is something meaningful I can do to serve people here, but part of me just wants to throw my hands in the air and start over somewhere that might be less prone to military adventures and economic shenanigans.
Another part of me is just plain ready to throw hands, but that doesn’t seem prudent for an older lady with arthritis. Maybe after some strength training. (That’s a bit of dark humor.)
An aside: The more I learn details of indigenous history, even recent history, the more I see how heavy-handed the Federal government can be and always has been.
Anyway, returning to Project GTFO:
I have wanted to see the world and live in other places long enough to really get the deep experience of those places since I was 12 years old, or perhaps even before that. I have failed to make that happen. It’s not hard to talk me into moving abroad. I speak Spanish, although it is rusty from lack of use. I am pretty sure I could get better at it pretty quickly. Spanish and English open a lot of the world for me, and my enthusiasm for language learning throws the door right off the hinges.
My husband did live in Europe a couple of times as a child due to being part of a military family, and he has warm fuzzies for Western Europe. He likes the idea of countries where people speak English, but he does speak some French and has particularly pro-France feelings.
I am considering a number of places for a soft-landing and staging phase. (Or they might also be permanent places to stay if we fall in love.) I was also initially most interested in Europe— maybe somewhere with relatively easy entrance and longer visa-free stay or digital nomad visa opportunities, like Albania, Georgia, or Spain. The DAFT route for The Netherlands seems doable as well, but I am a little nervous about the housing crisis and relative affordability there.
Canada and New Zealand are on my radar, but we’d have to get our stuff together to qualify. And the concerns about affordability and/or housing apply there as well.
On the other hand, Latin America has some options that are attractive to me. Plus I speak Spanish (even if it is currently a little rusty), so that helps; I know enough to fill out most forms and I have a good dictionary if I get stuck. What countries are on my mind? Uruguay, for one. Paraguay has always fascinated me for a few reasons. Chile is attractive in some ways. Panama, maybe? Argentina would have been higher on my list at times, but I don’t have the stomach for the economic instability.
We’re not really interested in Asia or Oceania at this time, but we are just having our first glance and initial conversations about all this. There’s so much to learn and consider!
I am certainly open to hearing from expats, emigrants, and locals on the ground anywhere in the world.
I will share things I learn as I go. Let me know if you have any questions or insights, please.
The Mia Experiment 