Talisker
11-03-2004, 01:51 PM
Here's a very insightful writeup from someone who did just that last year:
Thinking of moving abroad? - My experiences from the last year (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/11/3/133649/855)
Here's my take:
I've heard a LOT of people today say they're considering moving out of the country. I'm certainly not immune to that knee-jerk reaction; after seeing the (near) final results this morning, I found myself musing on the drive in to the office. Between Kerry's heartbreaking near-win, the strengthening of the Republican hold on Congress, and the unanimous success of the anti-gay amendments in every state where they appeared, well, I'm feeling pretty damn dejected.
When I was sixteen, my family lived in Scotland for the year -- Dad was on sabbatical from his teaching position, and brought the family there to live while he co-wrote a book with a professor at St. Andrew's University. It certainly wasn't unpleasant -- Scotland is a lovely country, and the people there are among the finest I've met in my life; assuming I could find appropriate employment, I could very easily live quite happily there.
So -- what if I did? What if my wife and I sold our house, picked up our most important belongings, and moved overseas? Would it fix everything? Would I feel better?
Suppose I was able to overcome the sense of homesickness, the feeling of being too far away from friends and family -- after all, with modern communication, email, phone calls, internet, frequent flier miles, there really isn't that huge a difference between overseas and out-of-state anymore. If I was able to arrange things such that I wouldn't miss my friends, wouldn't feel disconnected from my family, would I feel better? How would I feel come election day, 2008?
It struck me -- where I live doesn't matter. It wouldn't matter if I lived overseas today -- I'd still be watching the news, hitting the election result sites, reading the discussions, feeling kicked in the gut.
Like it or not, America is my home. No matter where I might run to in the world, I'd always be turning an eye back to see what's happening at home. I can't NOT care, no matter how hard I try -- it's where I'm from, it's part of who I am, no matter where I am. It's home.
When I was a kid, my brother and I would fight sometimes. We'd yell, call each other names, we'd punch and kick, until Mom would come and separate us. "I hate you!" I'd yell from my room as we served our time-outs. I'd fantasize about punching his nose so hard he'd bleed for a week. Underneath the anger and hurt, though, I'd wish for something else even more -- I'd wish we'd quit fighting.
As I drove, I passed a local out in his yard, standing next to his Bush/Cheney sign, looking satisfied. As I drove by, I pictured, just for a moment, punching him in the face. I didn't feel any better.
Thinking of moving abroad? - My experiences from the last year (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/11/3/133649/855)
Here's my take:
I've heard a LOT of people today say they're considering moving out of the country. I'm certainly not immune to that knee-jerk reaction; after seeing the (near) final results this morning, I found myself musing on the drive in to the office. Between Kerry's heartbreaking near-win, the strengthening of the Republican hold on Congress, and the unanimous success of the anti-gay amendments in every state where they appeared, well, I'm feeling pretty damn dejected.
When I was sixteen, my family lived in Scotland for the year -- Dad was on sabbatical from his teaching position, and brought the family there to live while he co-wrote a book with a professor at St. Andrew's University. It certainly wasn't unpleasant -- Scotland is a lovely country, and the people there are among the finest I've met in my life; assuming I could find appropriate employment, I could very easily live quite happily there.
So -- what if I did? What if my wife and I sold our house, picked up our most important belongings, and moved overseas? Would it fix everything? Would I feel better?
Suppose I was able to overcome the sense of homesickness, the feeling of being too far away from friends and family -- after all, with modern communication, email, phone calls, internet, frequent flier miles, there really isn't that huge a difference between overseas and out-of-state anymore. If I was able to arrange things such that I wouldn't miss my friends, wouldn't feel disconnected from my family, would I feel better? How would I feel come election day, 2008?
It struck me -- where I live doesn't matter. It wouldn't matter if I lived overseas today -- I'd still be watching the news, hitting the election result sites, reading the discussions, feeling kicked in the gut.
Like it or not, America is my home. No matter where I might run to in the world, I'd always be turning an eye back to see what's happening at home. I can't NOT care, no matter how hard I try -- it's where I'm from, it's part of who I am, no matter where I am. It's home.
When I was a kid, my brother and I would fight sometimes. We'd yell, call each other names, we'd punch and kick, until Mom would come and separate us. "I hate you!" I'd yell from my room as we served our time-outs. I'd fantasize about punching his nose so hard he'd bleed for a week. Underneath the anger and hurt, though, I'd wish for something else even more -- I'd wish we'd quit fighting.
As I drove, I passed a local out in his yard, standing next to his Bush/Cheney sign, looking satisfied. As I drove by, I pictured, just for a moment, punching him in the face. I didn't feel any better.