My few regular readers have probably noticed that I've kind of dropped off the radar this month. It's something that is giving me constant anxiety, so even though I was planning to sit on this information for a while longer, I think I owe you guys an explanation. Here it goes:
In the beginning of February, some of you may remember that I was struggling to get posts up because I was having a garage sale. What I didn't tell you was that my boyfriend and I sold almost everything we own. The next week, because we had no furniture, kitchen supplies, or televisions left, I found someone else to take over the lease on our apartment and moved into my father's spare bedroom.
The reason we did all that is because we are taking our savings, selling our cars, and getting out of the country. The first stop will be Europe. We take off April 16th.
We're doing this for a few reasons. First of all, we're both 25 years old (we both turn 26 in the next month) and we want to see the world. Since we don't have any kids or real responsibilities yet, there's no time like the present. My boyfriend has never been to Europe and I love it, so we're going to go there first. We might travel for a few months and move on, or we might try to live there for a while. Who knows. We're purposely going with no plans whatsoever.
But there is also a bigger reason -that I'm not comfortable with admitting but I must -which is that I'm not sure I want to live in the United States. We want to see if there is somewhere else that will lead to a better life.
One of my biggest concern is healthcare, because life isn't that great when you're dead. Like I've said here before, as a writer who needs to buy my own health insurance, if I get really sick or get in some kind of accident, I'm bankrupt. It's that simple. Because of that, I can think of plenty of times that I would have liked to have gone to the doctor's just to check on something, but didn't because I didn't want the bill. Stupid, I know, but it's true. My boyfriend, an engineer who didn't want to go into the weapons industry, was working for a small company that promotes energy efficiency, and it turned out that he had even worse insurance than me! If the only way to have reliable healthcare in this country is to work for a huge, soul-sucking corporation, count me out. On top of that, I can't justify having a child in a place where if I don't have a lot of money, the hospitals would let my child die. It's just not responsible. And I want to have kids. What else can I do other than sell my soul or leave?
Another concern is that I don't think I can have the career I want here in the United States. At least not right now. You guys know the type of stuff I write about. Years ago, when I thought papers like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The LA Times, etc. were covering real news, I figured a bachelors degree in Communications and hard work would get me there. But then I found out that it's almost impossible to get paid to write about... reality. Look at all the established journalists that have been canned for telling the truth. What chance do I have other than either starting my own blog (done) and/or finding somewhere else where news - real news- is still valued? I don't know if a place like that still exists, but I want to find out.
Another reason that I'm shopping for a new home is because of the stranglehold the automobile has on our culture. I grew up in Southern California, which has some of the best weather on earth. It's also a place where people literally spend hours in their cars everyday in bumper to bumper traffic. It's absolutely tragic. Due to the amount of time we are forced to be in our cars (because public transportation is a joke and bike lanes are unbelievably dangerous anywhere other than on the beach) we are generally unhappy, stressed out people. At least I know I am after my 45 minute, 7 mile commute back from the place where I'm currently working. I'd like to find a place where I don't need a car. I had a vehicle-free life for 4 months while living in Germany and didn't miss my car for a second. I want that life back.
Then there's the wars. I don't like them, I don't believe in them, and I don't want to finance them. Since I don't want to be thrown in a Halliburton prison for not paying my taxes, I'm paying them this year and getting the hell out. I'll chip in again when the government stops using my money to kill innocent people.
And finally there's my tin-foil hat. If the Great Depression comes crashing down onto this country, I want Euros in my pocket. If Bush declares martial law and starts rounding up and locking up dissenters, I want to be safely off the continent. If, for whatever reason, my friends and family need somewhere else to go, I want there to be a safe place for them. After the posts I've written in the few short months this blog has existed, I would be a fool to not be preparing myself - even if all my friends and family think I'm kinda nuts.
Do I feel like I'm abandoning my friends and family to an uncertain but dim-looking future? Yup. I struggle with that all the time. But, as my boyfriend said, they haven't and wouldn't listen to me anyway. We've got to do what's best for us.
This doesn't mean that I'm leaving forever or that I'm ever going to stop fighting to save this country. That's where Little Country Lost comes in. My plan since the beginning was to seek out and share news that isn't being reported enough here in the states. I've been able to do it somewhat effectively while living here, through tons of reading and talk radio, but I have no doubt that from Europe, I'll be able to do it much better.
Why do I say that? In 2003, I watched Colon Powell give his speech to the UN before the Iraq War (the one with the mobile weapons units and other such bullshit) from Germany. After the speech, there was a commercial break and then the local news reported that sources out of the UK had reason to believe that his evidence was faulty. I came back to the states just assuming this was common knowledge. Then this information became Breaking News!... in 2006.
We have no idea what is being talked about out there in other parts of the world. I'll be sure to let you know.
So what does that mean for the next few months? Well, until we leave in mid-April, I have a part time job that is taking up a lot of my research time. I had to pick this up in order to make up for the daily decline in the dollar. It's now going to cost me $1.55 to buy 1 Euro. Yesterday, it was $1.54. I don't know how much time I can dedicate to writing between the job, wrapping up loose ends, and spending as much precious time with my friends and family as I possibly can before I go. All I can promise is that I'll write as much as I can - and will stop what I'm doing if the information warrants that reaction.
From there on in, I can't make any promises other than I'll let you know what you need to know. Apparently, a lot of youth hostels (the only accommodations my increasingly worthless savings can afford us) have included internet access, which means it shouldn't be too difficult for me to stay online. Considering I someday want Little Country Lost to be my career, I'll never abandon you guys.
I'm sorry I didn't tell all of you about this sooner. It was nice having a group of people that didn't know what we were planning and would just talk about issues with me for a while. But now you know. I hope you'll come along with me. At the very least, it should be an interesting ride.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
The Future of Little Country Lost
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25 comments:
I can absolutely relate to what you and the BF are planning. My wife and I are wondering if we can afford to retire in this country. I certainly doubt it unless some things change. I think I've mentioned it on my blog before: Costa Rica, Panama, Paraguay's off the list since Bush has property there...
Anyway, I wish you both luck. I really do look forward to reading your posts from Europe and getting their view of our (lack of) news.
Chris - thanks. It should definitely be interesting.
I feel so bad for the people who are retiring right now, thinking that they've saved enough. The decline of the dollar and the resulting rise in prices is going to be a pretty brutal reality.
Have a wonderful time! I've added you to my blogroll today, with some commentary, so you'd better report on how you're doing.
Like Chris in Seattle, my husband and I are watching our retirement savings dwindle away in the collapsing markets and wondering what's going to happen to us here in New Jersey, a state that is headed down the shitter with no end in sight. It's hard when we DIDN'T buy a McMansion and we DON'T drive a bigass SUV and we AREN'T up to our eyeballs in debt to find ourselves getting screwed anyway.
Not that I'm wallowing in self-pity; at least we had part of our lives in the America you guys probably don't even remember. I think you're smart to get out, and I just wish that we had been able to make things different for you.
In terms of this U.S. market correction, I think it's eventually going to result in reform, at least some tentative steps away from Reaganomics and imperialism. This has happened to every major empire in history -- the elite get complacent, sloppy, and a little too confident in their own power, and suddenly the mythology that had informed their decision-making process is revealed as so much self-aggrandizing nonsense.
And if reform doesn't happen in time and it really starts to hit the fan in the U.S., the E.U. is going to end up at the helm of the global economy, so it's not a bad idea to be there. Also, the problem you mentioned with city layouts and a reliance on cars is going to get worse from now on, because gas prices aren't going to be coming back down, so better to be in a city that was built before the internal combustion engine came along.
Anyway, godspeed and stay clear of the hooliganism. I'll watch for dispatches from the other side of the pond.
You're right to do this while you're young. I wish you all the best.
Regarding getting a job in the U.S. in the journalism industry, I can vouch for that. My daughter is a journalist and a reporter for a small newspaper in NH. They just had a major lay off at her paper and luckily she was spared the ax. I was surprised because she has only been working there less than a year. Newspapers and magazines all over the country are going belly up...thanks to guys like Rupert Murdoch.
Enjoy your adventure, and please stop by The Divine Democrat and give me an update from time to time. If you ever want to do a guest post, I'd love it.
Jen, i wish you and your partner all the best!! ...a friend of mine is in europe as we speak/blog. he usually tells anyone who asks that he is a canadian citizen..not true, but people seem more comfortable with that, understandably. you may find that useful til senator obama becomes president. (sorry, i preferred senator clinton, ...but it looks at this time like sen obama has a better chance of uniting our country and bringing it back down to earth.) i look forward to the return to sanity that will mean, but it'll take a while.
i do believe we will once again be the land of freedom, promise, and security. i just gotta have some more patience and persistence (in my endeavors of inner peace).
i, too, look forward to reading your posts from the happier side of the 'pond.'
stay safe, strong, and happy!!
..rock ;-)
Best wishes to you guys and I hope it goes hitch-free and turns out to be exactly what you wanted. And what ME said, do it while you're young. Once you have kids, well, almost forget it. ;-)
I'm not too worried about retirement because I figure we'll have all been irradiated or imprisoned by then, I say, tongue half-in-cheek.
You're smart to get out now as far as my opinion goes.
When the shit hits the fan we'll all try to leave at the same time and it's likely other countries won't take us.
Your plans sound great. You can be sure it'll be an interesting ride.
I left the country in the mid 1970s to travel in Europe and Asia. I thought I'd be gone for a few months, maybe a year at the most. I was gone for two years. I was working for part of that time, but working in a foreign country is pretty cool too.
I'm sure you'll find internet access to keep the blog going.
Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for your support!
Jill- Thanks for the add and the post about this blog. My traffic has shot up today :). I appreciate that you wish things could have been better for us, but the fight isn't over yet. I may be getting the hell out of dodge, but it's a "just in case" move. Everything might be just fine. Might.
Jonathon - I hope you are right and that there will be an equal and opposite reaction to the insanity of Reaganomics. I also think that it's possible that the reliance on cars will have an opposite reaction with the rising gas prices. The more cars put a strain on American wallets, the more people will start to resent their cars. Hopefully, that will turn into a political demand for public transportation.
It's a tired saying, but where there's a will, there's a way
Mary Ellen - I'm glad to hear that your daughter was able to keep her job. Unfortunately for the people that have dedicated their lives to that medium, the print media seems to be a dying industry. However, this blogger world is booming. It is my hope that advertisers will catch on soon to the fact that blogs have dedicated readers (look how many us know each other by name because we check out each other's writing daily). I think in 10 year, a person will be able to have a decent career as a dedicated blogger.
For now though, I'm going to have to sell individual pieces to random papers and mags. And wait tables. I think I'll be 95 and still waiting tables.
Ahh- the life of a struggling writer.
Rock- When I lived in Germany in 2003, quite a few of the other students in my study abroad program put little Canadian patches on their backpacks and told people they were Canadian so that Europeans would stop asking them questions about the war (because the vast majority had no idea what they were talking about). I made a decision back then that I would never say I'm Canadian unless my life was in some kind of danger. The United States is a pain in the ass, but it's my country, and I am an American. I am a good representative from this country and someone needs to be able to defend us regular people from the false perceptions that are held in other parts of the world. We're not all Bush supporters. That needs to be made clear.
You are right in that saying you are Canadian is much easier, but I think I'm up for the challenge (and I'm confident that my boyfriend is too). We pay attention and we might be able to explain to people what is really going on over here (I'm really referring to the fact that we don't know what is going on, not out of stupidity, but because the information is just not available. In fact, it's completely drowned in propaganda).
Ah Randal - If anyone can make prison entertaining, I bet it would be you. Who knows - maybe the CIA will snatch me up anyway (they are all over the world). We might end up sharing a ward just yet.
Polishifter - that thought has definitely occurred to me.
Tom- I'm not too concerned about finding internet access. My bigger concern is finding work. I really hope that I might be able to get a few writing gigs, but like I said to Mary Ellen, I'm experienced in waiting tables too.
jen ---
i envy you -- travel is great -- while i never lived abroad i did take two extended (2 month) trips through europe and loved it --- and have gone back many times. european culture is far superior to american.
i also wish i could just pick and go --- i probably could, except i lack the courage you guys are showing. and i am old, ok older. and i have excellent insurance through my very very big corporate behemoth. and a job that pays pretty well === if it lasts. and i do like NY
but i hate what this country has become and is heading towards. i hate the fact that there are people who still think bush is a god, that war is good, that we are doing the right thing, that live through fear and that think god is the answer to everything (to me most religions = intolerance, hence i am as non-religious as it gets). and most of all i hate american capitalism because it is not even capitalism -- it is greed and power
i dont hold much hope for this country anymore... i dont think the next prez will be any different -- no matter. i know, i am a pessimist
hence i think your idea of going exploring and staying somewhere else is a good one.
stay alert, stay smart and stay in touch -- you have a great head on your shoulders, you are a terrific writer -- and you will make a difference someday
all the best
Jen, if you want you can always do a guest appearance at Jonestown.
We have a "Contact" button in our sidebar, if the fancy ever strikes ya.
If I didn't have a daughter, I'd be on the flight out.
In fact, I intended to move far from here years ago, but as they say, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him all about your plans."
We can certainly understand what you are going through and are dismayed that so many of your generation are in such straits. When we left the USA for France ten years ago, we too were seeking a better life for many of the same reasons (though at a different period in our lives, after children, before "retirement" age) and had the wind of a strong dollar at out back and the future looked bright. We thought we could live off a little savings stash and, eventually USA pensions -- paid in dollars. We watched the 9/11 attacks on TV and said, well, if Bush screws up the response, the USA is headed into deep trouble. He did. The USA did. About two years ago, when the dollar really began its fall (gradual at first, but tumbling now), we knew we were in for a rough ride. Since then, we've cashed in our Euro investments -- no more trust in stocks and bonds -- bought a house in a town and environment we love and is cheap to live in, and have cut costs to the point where we can barely, just barely make it. If the dollar doesn't go much more than two to the euro. When that happens we'll be selling crocheted hats at the market on Saturday.
In France, Americans as people are not disdained and are even liked and appreciated. There is a special history, one of reciprocal aid over the years. There is no French equivalent of the France-and-the-French bashing that goes on in the USA. Romney's anti-French statement in his resignation speech was an absolute horror and embarrassment. You would never hear such a thing here, not about the USA itself.
The French follow USA politics better than most Americans, probably. So of course the Bush admin is reviled, even laughed at, etc. and Obama is seen as the bully bandleader for hope of a better day -- FOR ALL THE WORLD.
The French, and Europeans generally, are much more savvy about their politics than USAmericans. They keep up with the news. They talk about it. And they do it without much help at all from political advertising of any sort -- politics is considered too important to be left to the Media Circus. Italy is a special case in this regard, granted, but even there, the Media Circus has a different hold on the political discourse than in the USA.
Anyway, don't worry about saying you're Americans in France or Spain (catalan Spain, anyway, which is the part we know best). In fact, people will be curious and polite, at least here in the South. They may even want to engage in a debate. Take this as a compliment. People here do understand that the political winds blow right and left, you get your duds for President and you get your geniuses. What counts in the long run is keeping the discussion alive and sticking with your principles and not being a bully.
Final thought: we are watching the Ken Burns series The War on French TV (prime time, two episodes a week). The American experience fascinates the French. But they learned a different lesson from the wars of the 20th Century (remember, France really got socked hard by two wars). War only makes matters worse, never better. War is bad, period, and every effort must be made to find an alternative. Americans, however think that war is fine for settling disputes. War rocks, and nations that cousel restraint, patience, etc. are weak at best, degenerate at worst.
So good luck and we will add your blog to our list of blogs to visit and will follow your progress and comment when we can. You are really brave, heading out with the world in the shape it's in. But it's a time of great challenges, too, and you'll be in the thick of it. Being old Sixties Types ourselves, we can see the progressive winds beginning to blow. Let these winds fill your sails.
Grillman & Luna
hmmm.... ever been to boston!!
subway system is not european quality, but provides a really fine
alternative to the car -- and the entertainment is free!!
many folks i know back there are basically optimistic (or they were 2 yrs ago when i came back home to the heartland). i remember their minds being wide open -- and their protests of the current state of u.s. affairs being extremely vigorous.
i suspect that you and your boyfriend would find it well worth your while to schedule an overnight in boston on your way to europe. and when you come back (..if you come back, Jen...? and please do..;-)), you just might want to sink roots in that refreshing and invigorating little town. there's so much more to boston than meets the eye. while having its own unique identity,it has a pretty good liittle whiff of the flavor of europe you're after.
it's obviously not for me to tell you what to do or where to go in your life, Jen. But isn't it good to know you have options that fall short of completely burning bridges behind you?
Just for what it's worth.
..rock
Thanks for the linky love.
Good luck to you on your relocation overseas. I understand why you are doing that. I wonder sometimes if it isn't time for me to do the same thing, but at my age, it's a lot harder to do.
Are you studying any languages?
Its me KD,
If you ever get to France, look me up...
You can stay here a few days...
bon voyage and live my child,,,,
My favorite place was always australia and the phillipines.
Go to a place that is changing and happening.
DCap- I share you sentiment in so far as the way our country is headed, but I am a bit more optimistic that we can turn it around. Actually, I don't know if optimistic is the word - I think hopeful is a bit more accurate. Thanks for the well-wishes. I really hope I can make a difference someday.
Fairlane - I would love to do a guest post on Jonestown someday. When I have something really important to say, I'll be in contact.
As for making plans, I know exactly what you mean. That's why we aren't making any. Can't be too disappointed when you have no expectations.
Grillman and Luna - I really hope that the dollar doesn't get to 2 to 1, but I too am afraid that is where we are headed. As for the crocheted hats, it's good you guys have a back up plan ;-)
I actually am really looking forward to having debates with Europeans. I find so often here that world affairs are just not conversations that people want to have. It's all about being entertained. If I'm going to spend a night talking to people, I'd rather it be meaningful (hence why I love having this blog). I find that Europeans are much more willing to discuss the world we live in.
I too feel a progressive wind starting to blow and I really hope it turns into a hurricane. We'll have to wait and see.
Thanks for commenting and adding LCL to your blogroll. I look forward to talking to you more in the future.
Rock - you probably didn't know that my entire bloodline is from Boston! I love that city for all the reasons you laid out, but the weather is kind of a deal breaker. It's just brutal there between the wind and cold of the winter and the awful humidity of the summer (although I do remember some good thunderstorms, which I love). Good point though. They are getting better in terms of public transportation all the time. That is a city that is one my list of places I could see myself living.
I also am heeding your advice about not burning bridges. I'm going to try not to. Sometimes I forget when I talk about getting the hell out of here that the people I'm talking to are in many ways stuck. But I think I'm so willing to talk about the flaws of this country so openly because I truly am dedicated to trying to find a way to wake people up so that we can save it. I have no intentions on turning my back on the country where my life has been centered for 25 fantastic years.
the earth bound misfit - no need to thank me.. I love your blog! As for languages, I studied French for 4 years in high school that I found rapidly returns to me when I get to use it in practice. I also know some basic German from the 4 months I lived there in 2003. When we pick the place where we want to make our home, we both have all intentions of learning the the local language. I'm hoping it'll be French though since I have quite the head start.
Hatewatch - that is so nice of you! Thank you for the offer! Which part of France do you live in?
I hope that our travels will not end in Europe. There are so many places I want to see. Being from Southern California, I have a pretty passionate love for beaches and the ocean (water in general, actually) and would therefore love to see the islands of the world. Hopefully I can find a way to stretch my shrinking dollars and make it happen. If not, I'm hoping to get some Euros in my pocket and make it happen that way. Either way, if money stops being a problem, those are two places I would love to see.
Happy "St Paddy's Day", Jen."
..to you and all our friends here in LCL.
..Rock
This reminds me of deciding not to go to Canada in 1968. And the fact is, things could have gone any which-way, but my apples would probably not have fallen very far from the tree of my basic personality.
So, enjoy your travels, but don't beat yourself up about it if it turns out you don't want to do some of the things you thought you wanted to do.
There is, in any case, a world of wisdom in getting rid of heavy stuff it's hard to move.
And travel can be a good thing. In my life I've spent one day in Boston, and it was a perfect day. In fact, goofing off and riding the streetcar cost me a promotion, and that turned out to be a good thing too! You just never can tell...
Rock - Happy St. Patty's Day (belated) to you too!
Serial catowner - It's funny how sometimes you make a decision and the repercussions seem bad until you realize that the "bad" event opened up a better door.
Jen-
I wish you & your BF the very best in your coming adventures.
You are a very smart woman, talented, wide awake, and with a keen awareness to see through the bullshit!
I'll be reading Little Country Lost as long as you are posting, no matter where it's from.
I've entertained the notion of moving to someplace like Ecuador where land is still relatively cheap.
If I were 25 again I'd definitely be looking to get out of America.
But Europe is too crowded and expensive for me, and, in the next few years, when the impact of Peak Oil is fully realized, the world economy will crash, and not millions, but billions, of people are going to be homeless & starving.
I'd want to be somewhere warm where I could grow my own food all year round.
I believe the end of Western Civilization as we know it is nigh Jen, and your generation has front row seats for an increasingly savage spectacle of barbaric desperation as resource wars (such as the oil war in Iraq) further consume all thoughtfulness and reason. The war in Iraq is only the tip of the iceberg.
Imagine a devastating combination of Iraq, Katrina, and the Indonesian Tsunami impoverishing people on a worldwide scale.
My advice, as a 62 year-old human who has been increasingly tuned in to this unfolding nightmare for a good 40 years, is to continue writing & revealing the truth, while at the same time, moving as quickly as possible toward being part of a self-sufficient, self reliant community.
Your lives will depend on it...
Your life and the lives of my kids too, age 26 & 23.
For many years now Peggy and I have been trying to take responsibilty for our part in this mess.
We ceased owning automobiles 11 years ago, don't watch TV, have greatly reduced our consumption, grow some of our own food, raise chickens, and have tried to promote localized farming by supporting farmer's markets, especially organic growers.
I still believe your generation has the potential to create rewarding lives with a sustainable and meaningful future but it will be through living cooperatively on a much smaller scale in small communities with localized economies and food production.
With the advent of cheap abundant oil just 150 years ago, exponential growth in technologies enabled the world population to grow from 1.5 billion to 6.5 billion people.
But the capitalistic wet-dream of unlimited growth (unlimited consumers & consumption) on a small planet of finite resources (including oil) was always a fantasy, and technology has now come up against the stark wall of reality.
We have, collectively, shot our wad and now the party is over, but the band is still playing for the inebriated dancers in the ballroom of the severely listing Titanic.
What I'm saying girl, is keep your cool, but HEAD FOR THE LIFEBOATS!
Peace & Love,
Jim
Holy crap Jen- I laud you! This is great for you and the man. I think you are doing just the perfect thing.
Go out, explore, live.
This comment is brief but filled with good wishes and hope for you guys.
Reading this post has turned me around, feeling a little blue and now elated.
At 50,I've done a lot of travel (I have this idiotic widget on my blog with a map now...) but I never did what you did. I longed to.
Now I don't feel regret, because I am in a life I like right now and not working for soul sucking company any more and I have done a ton of things I wanted to do. And I plan on doing more!
But here you are- do this now and enjoy Jen!!!
I wish you all good things.
I can certainly understand your reasons! In fact, if I weren't 30 years older than you with aging parents/other relatives to take care of, I'd do it too!
Ireland is a great place for writers. Last time we were there I was very impressed with the Irish Times and their other newspapers.
I don't know if you read O My Word, but she is another expatriate - she is living in Paris - you may want to e-mail her for advice!
Best of luck and we'll be waiting for your news from the Outside! Isn't it scary that we really feel now that we are not getting the real news anymore? I definitely share that feeling every time I'm out of this country and hear what other news sources abroad are saying. Besides the more critical eye on our government, they also talk a lot more about other parts of the world. Our nightly news is all about the latest political sound byte and then highly local stuff like fatal accidents or toddlers falling from windowsills.
Jen, I wondered where you'd been. I fully understand your reasoning and had the same struggle myself in the 1960s when I seriously considered emigrating to Canada.
While my choice was and is to remain and struggle for my country, I respect your choice.
Last I heard, they have Internet in Europe, so we'd better see more of you. :-)
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