Bugging out to Other Countries

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I Moved Abroad For A Better Life. Here’s What I Found Disturbing During My First Trip Back To America.​


I had my first panic attack on I-85 in Atlanta.

Gripping the steering wheel of my huge SUV rental car, surrounded by six lanes of aggressive traffic near Midtown, my chest tightened as my brain struggled to process the sensory overload. Eight months in the Netherlands had rewired me in ways I hadn’t realized until that moment – when the sheer American-ness of it all came crashing down around me.

When I left America last spring for a safer home for my family and a better quality of life, I thought the hardest part would be adapting to life in the Netherlands. Learning Dutch, navigating the health care system, building a new community — these were the challenges I’d prepared for. Nobody warned me that coming back would be what left me in tears.

The traffic incident was just the first crack in the facade. Later that week, I drove 20 minutes to meet my oldest friend for lunch at a restaurant. As the waiter arrived with plates piled impossibly high with food, the conversation turned to her daughter’s college preparations.

More:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tr...S&cvid=246429a946714ff08d2858fa3089e9dd&ei=23
 
All the libburl buzzwords in that intro. The HATED SUV. TOO BIG.

To a restaurant...WITH TOO MUCH FOOD.

That slop could be written by an AI bot, it hits so many mindless Leftist Talking Points.
 
Not about relocating. Jeff is a merchant seaman grabbing some shore time. Posting as a little bump.

Going Ashore in Veracruz, Mexico​

Feb 8, 2025 VERACRUZ

Join me as I walk the streets of Veracruz, Mexico which is a city I really enjoy. I had a great time and I hope you will enjoy seeing it as well.

13:13

^^^^
1313 could be a good number to play.
 

Europe vs. USA: Actual Everyday Life Differences​

Feb 9, 2025

11:34
 

Why I Moved to the United Kingdom... and then LEFT UK.​

Premiered 3 hours ago

22:23
 

Why EVERYONE IS LEAVING THE USA (And Where They’re Going)​

Feb 24, 2025
Retirees are leaving the US in record numbers mainly due to the prohibitively high cost of living. But there are other reasons too and today we are going to look at some examples of people who have made the leap and are happy with their new life abroad.

16:56
 

Unexpected culture shocks when moving to Scotland from the USA​

Apr 11, 2024

Today I'm talking about 10 unexpected culture shocks, or differences, that I experienced when I moved from the United States to Scotland. If you're an American living in the UK, let me know in the comments what your biggest culture shock was!

12:46

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:26 Saying hello in Scotland
01:11 Trash is everywhere
02:58 Tap water is amazing
04:17 Paying for bags
05:11 Sales tax
06:45 Diesel vs Petrol
08:14 Lack of sunshine
09:16 Daylight Savings Time
09:57 Milk Men
11:07 Danger in America
12:23 Outro
 

Ten unexpected culture shocks with moving to Scotland​

Mar 8, 2025

Today I'm talking about 10 unexpected culture shocks, or differences, that I experienced when I moved from the United States to Scotland. If you're an American immigrant living in the UK, let me know in the comments what your biggest culture shock was!

18:56
 
Somewhat related.

Don’t Californize The State You Move To. What I Experienced Moving To Arizona.​

Apr 4, 2025

17:16
 

ECONOMIC PREPAREDNESS: Record Number of Americans moving to Spain​

Apr 25, 2025

11:27
 

American Explains Why He Moved to Portugal and Then Left​

May 10, 2025
Kalie from ExpatsEverywhere sits down with Eric, an American expat who moved to Portugal and then left Portugal to go back to the USA after less than a year. Why did he leave Portugal? See as they talk about the initial move from the US to Portugal, what visa he came in on, and ultimately, why he moved back to the US and if he regrets any of his decisions.

28:12
 
Albania and Laos are where everybody is going to ahead of the crowds.
 

‘It really fits us’: They traded South Florida for the South of France​

Geoff and Pennie Zuercher spent decades living in Florida, but the popular retirement spot wasn’t what the American couple envisioned for themselves when they wrapped up their careers.

Nearly 20 years ago, the Zuerchers decided they would retire abroad, and the location they recently settled on — the sun-splashed city of Nice in the South of France — suits them better than the Sunshine State.

“Nice is what Florida wishes it was,” said Pennie, 63, listing some of the Mediterranean city’s most attractive attributes: “beautiful weather, low humidity … what they call hot here is not hot compared to Florida. And just a different cultural climate, more laid-back.”

More:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/i...S&cvid=f926d910a5f04af08b15ba531128599b&ei=20
 
This one is a bit different. Not about moving to Switzerland. It's about certain facets of life in Switzerland. Don't let the title fool you. It's a good vid.

People in THIS COUNTRY are CRAZY​

May 31, 2025

8:15
 

I Went to the Netherlands To See if I Could Live There​

Jun 1, 2025 NETHERLANDS
I've always dreamt of moving to Europe, so I finally booked a ticket to the Netherlands to find out if I could actually live there. I visited 10 cities in 2 weeks, each with a unique vibe, lifestyle, and cost of living. In Part 1 of this series, I explore: Groningen, Scheveningen, and The Hague. In each place, I talk to locals, visit neighborhoods, and share my honest impressions of what it might be like to move here. For help planning your move abroad, contact me at https://www.travelingwithkristin.com/...

16:40
 
Is there any mention of the masses of African and Moslem immigrants there? Or of their exploding crime "problem"? Or even what they're doing to the Dutch farmers - putting them out of business with their eco-regs.

This seems to me to be on a level with the old Soviet Life magazine. I remember seeing a few old copies, about 45 years ago. Beautiful slick paper, color photos, lovely people. Neat farms. Beautiful little villages. In-depth interviews with "average" Soviet "citizens."

A Potemkin magazine.

I suspect much the same, here. No, I didn't watch it. Never read Mein Kampf, either. I try to avoid propaganda, whatever form it takes.
 

The first village for digital nomads | DW Documentary​

Jun 8, 2025 #documentary #dwdocumentary #dwdocs

Since 2020, Madeira has been attracting freelancers from all over the world. They live and work on the island. But everyday life in this supposed paradise is also sometimes overshadowed by existential worries and loneliness.
The Portuguese island of Madeira lies in the Atlantic Ocean. It is known as the island of eternal spring. With its pleasant climate and community, the village of Ponta do Sol attracts young freelancers like Nina and Heiko. But rents and the general cost of living here have risen sharply, pricing out locals.
Nina arrived in Madeira in 2021. Her goal: to set up a "digital village” for young freelancers in Ponta do Sol. The young woman from Munich is still here, but things have changed since the early days. Most freelancers only stay for a few months and then move on. With such a transient community, it’s difficult to build close friendships.
The "first village for digital nomads” advertised on social media mainly consists of a co-working space where freelancers can work for free. The high turnover of travelers inspired Nina to come up with her business idea: she manages shared flats, known as ‘co-livings’, where freelancers can find a ‘temporary home’.
Heiko is packed and ready and dreaming of a life on the island. "Madeira is definitely my dream destination,” he says. The graphic designer has loved the island since he was a child. Now he wants to gain a foothold there with the help of the digital community.

The first village for digital nomads | DW Documentary
 
When a person puts himself in the position of an expatriate, a person without power or recognized rights by the State (or what authority there is), and lives at the native Elites' pleasure...that's not escape. That's not Sovereign Man or International Man.

That's literally stupid. The expat's government at home, hates him for his views or insistence of rights, yes. But in another place, you STAND OUT as someone not of their world, and you become a convenient scapegoat and target.

Such persons become completely powerless.
 
Even in our own country, I think less of my two neighbors who just bought land and built their houses and stay strangers most of the year. How are they a real part of our neighborhood? If and when they decide to really join us, I am completely open to accepting them. But for now, they are the absent strangers in our nine or ten owners in our mile of highway.
 
If I wasn't married and had 2 businesses in America I would be on the next plane to SE Asia. Once there I would tour Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Then around Spring 2026 I would travel to Albania and chill out for awhile. I would circle back to Uruguay, Panama and Argentina by Christmas or early 2027. I could do all that on less than $2k per month for everything and live like a king.
 
What kind of power are you looking for? What kind of power are you giving up by leaving your home country? Most countries are very welcoming of foreigners and especially those from the US. They want those dollars coming into the country. Residency and even citizenship is usually not to difficult.
The biggest problem I am seeing is that expats spend way too much on property.
 
Cigarlover said:
What kind of power are you looking for?
Click to expand...
The power over your own destiny, your own person.

THINK of history. What rights did a serf have? Not even his own body...he was essentially a slave to the landlord - which in Medieval times, was a lord or nobleman. He owned you, without even legal title.

If you are a foreigner in another nation, especially one that doesn't have a strong history of basic human rights...you are CHATTEL.
 
What greater power over your own destiny is there than to decide where on earth you want to live.
I don't think anyone leaving the US is looking to become a serf in another country. Not even sure what countries would allow serfdom other than a couple in the ME.
Most people I have talked to that actually do travel outside of the US always comment on how welcoming the destination country is and when they return to the US is when that feeling of dread comes over them.

I think a big problem in the US is people don't even realize how controlled they are becoming. Little by little they lose more and more freedom. The patriot act was a big one and more recently of course is Trump signing off on gathering info on everyone in the US to create a social credit score. I doubt this will be used against us but future generations won't even know what hit them. Kind of how the income tax was implemented in it's current form. A little bit at a time so it is now so complex and so much fear has been spread that people here forgot about freedom.
although it's a simple life, in many ways it's a higher quality of life in that they dont live day to day because of big Pharma and seldom go to a Dr even for an annual checkup.

So in the end, who is more of a serf? Those looking for a better quality of life in another country that isn't so oppressive or those losing more and more freedom to a government that is increasingly oppressive because they control the worlds reserve currency and can afford all the bells and whistles to enslave their population without their population even knowing?
 
Cigarlover said:
What greater power over your own destiny is there than to decide where on earth you want to live.
Click to expand...
Sometimes one can make unwise choices.

Lee Harvey Oswald, chose to live in the USSR. And regretted it.

How about all those American Woketards who joined the Ukrainian Army as mercenaries? They went for adventure, money, and moral posturing. They got none of that.

Once you're in another sovereign state, you have little choice but to live under their laws, or face consequences for non-compliance. Often times, they extend NO rights to aliens. Arriving naive expats can find themselves stripped of money, papers, and everything that can be seized or extorted, and themselves reduced to compost.
 

American Dad Moved His Family to Russia — Now He's in a War Zone!​

Jul 17, 2025 #ukraine #russia
Texas man joins Russian army to “earn respect,” gets lied to as he is sent to front line instead of welding job
Derek Huffman’s wife is now appealing on social media for his reassignment and asking for prayers, saying he “feels like he is being thrown to the wolves.”

8:27

'Thrown to the wolves!' Texan who fled LGBTQ 'indoctrination​

A U.S. father who moved to Russia in a bid to protect his kids from LGBTQ "indoctrination" is feeling buyer's remorse after he was reportedly sent to the front lines in the invasion of Ukraine ...

Texas man joins Russian army to "earn respect," gets lied to as he …​

4 days ago · Derek Huffman, a Texas man who relocated his family to Russia in 2025 seeking "traditional values," has been sent to combat in Ukraine despite assurances he would serve in a …
 
You lost me at "snopes."

How many times, how many ways, does that Fake-Troof site and its former-prostitute owner, have to be discredited?
 

I Escaped the USA and Bought A Cottage in the Scottish Highlands |​

Jul 25, 2025
I'm a Gen X American expat who moved to the United Kingdom, married a British woman, and bought a cottage in the Scottish Highlands. I'm a first-time homeowner in the UK, figuring it all out as I go, doing my best to culturally assimilate and integrate into Scottish culture in the far north of the Highlands. This vlog is my story.

18:51

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAmericanHighlander/videos
 
Looks like Malaysia, Bali, Laos, Albania and Czech Republic are looking good right now.
 

I’ve helped hundreds of Americans move abroad—this is the No. 1 overlooked country in Europe: ‘It checks a lot of boxes’​

Like many Americans, I had always dreamed up moving to Europe. And in 2015, at 35, I decided to leave Texas for Spain.

Two years later, I founded She Hit Refresh, a community that helps women over 30 take the leap abroad. Since then, I’ve helped hundreds of women build new lives in countries like Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands.

The most popular destinations among the women I work with tend to have warm weather and flexible visa options. Spain and Portugal top the list because they’re relatively affordable for Western Europe, enjoy a relaxed pace of life, and have residency pathways that don’t require you to be independently wealthy or retired.

One country that few Americans could probably find on a map, let alone consider moving to, is Albania. But that’s changing.

More:

 
I was.looking forward to living in SE Asia for a year, but have an opportunity to build a home in the TN mountains on acreage inexpensively. I think I would need Starlink in the.mountains, but everything else would be less hassle.
 
nickndfl said:
I was.looking forward to living in SE Asia for a year, but have an opportunity to build a home in the TN mountains on acreage inexpensively. I think I would need Starlink in the.mountains, but everything else would be less hassle.
Click to expand...
I really like TN. I settled for the Ozarks next door in northern AR. Completely Off-grid with Starlink.
 
Viking said:
I really like TN. I settled for the Ozarks next door in northern AR. Completely Off-grid with Starlink.
Click to expand...
What kind of water and electrical systems are you using. I could easily connect to county electric, but would need to drill a well. I was also thinking 2 metal buildings.
 
nickndfl said:
What kind of water and electrical systems are you using. I could easily connect to county electric, but would need to drill a well. I was also thinking 2 metal buildings.
Click to expand...
I have a well, there is also a spring fed stream that boarders my property. I am using solar for power, and may put up some wind turbines on my workshop roof when completed.

Welcome to come visit some time and check it out.
 
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