The biggest pleasant surprise I've had in the last few years has been the realization that I could learn to dance forrà ³. I've tried taking lessons for other types of dances several times both here and in the US, and I could never get the hang of any dance. I found a dance studio here in Natal that really wants their students to dance. Sure, it's a business, but they really take an interest in you. It's impossible not to get caught up in their enthusiasm, and before you know it, you're dancing!
What are some of the unanticipated problems?
I've been here for too long to remember what the unanticipated problems were. My biggest gripe is having the tourist visa expire while I'm having a big time and being forced to return to America. Even at that low point, I start to kid myself that happiness is just a state of mind, and there's no reason why I can't be just as happy in America. And it actually works for about the first month I'm back, I bounce around America with a wink and grin, and America smiles back.
After one month, the reality starts to dawn on me, and I become ever more cautious. My interactions with people become increasingly businesslike, and I dread any unnecessary contact with anyone. All the fake smiles and "have a nice day" start to ring increasingly hollow, and the sneers become more and more menacing. Even places I visit on a regular basis seem less and less hospitable. I feel like a burden wherever I go, and I view everyone as an unavoidable obstacle to my goal of leaving without any trouble.
My financial battles with all my usual nemeses start to become increasingly complicated and dire. Thoughts of shotguns and five-gallon containers of gasoline begin to fill my mind, and I develop a bunker mentality. sh*t starts getting real!
Ah, but the question was about my troubles here in Brazil, but somehow I got to thinking about the Land of the Free!
What is some advice you have for Americans who also want to get out?
Depends on the person. If you've never lived outside of America, go somewhere that seems interesting to you. Stay as long as you can. If you run out of money, go back to America and make some more: Rinse and repeat. Better yet, try to learn a skill you can do remotely like programming or writing. It won't be easy, but what could be harder than spending your life in America.
If you're afraid you might regret it, don't worry, there's a good chance you will, but you'll regret it more if you stay home.
I'm too old to be living this life, but I'll stick with it until I find something better, run out of gas, or the Empire finally collapses.
--Sean (51-years-old)
.
What are some of the unanticipated problems?
I've been here for too long to remember what the unanticipated problems were. My biggest gripe is having the tourist visa expire while I'm having a big time and being forced to return to America. Even at that low point, I start to kid myself that happiness is just a state of mind, and there's no reason why I can't be just as happy in America. And it actually works for about the first month I'm back, I bounce around America with a wink and grin, and America smiles back.
After one month, the reality starts to dawn on me, and I become ever more cautious. My interactions with people become increasingly businesslike, and I dread any unnecessary contact with anyone. All the fake smiles and "have a nice day" start to ring increasingly hollow, and the sneers become more and more menacing. Even places I visit on a regular basis seem less and less hospitable. I feel like a burden wherever I go, and I view everyone as an unavoidable obstacle to my goal of leaving without any trouble.
Ah, but the question was about my troubles here in Brazil, but somehow I got to thinking about the Land of the Free!
What is some advice you have for Americans who also want to get out?
Depends on the person. If you've never lived outside of America, go somewhere that seems interesting to you. Stay as long as you can. If you run out of money, go back to America and make some more: Rinse and repeat. Better yet, try to learn a skill you can do remotely like programming or writing. It won't be easy, but what could be harder than spending your life in America.
If you're afraid you might regret it, don't worry, there's a good chance you will, but you'll regret it more if you stay home.
I'm too old to be living this life, but I'll stick with it until I find something better, run out of gas, or the Empire finally collapses.
--Sean (51-years-old)
.
(Article changed on December 6, 2018 at 07:39)
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