I love America and all of its countries. I love the USA the most. It’s where I started. I love apple pie. Baseball. National Parks. My family lives there. My roots grow deeply.
A fifth grade teacher taught us the words to all the great American tunes; America the Beautiful, The Star-Spangled Banner, Yankee Doodle, and This Land Is Your Land. I’ve lived on all four coasts of the US; born on one, grown up on the other, educated on the third, career’ed on the fourth. My retirement came at the foot of the Purple Majesties.
Two Carry-Ons and a Plan
When I left the USA five years ago, it didn’t feel permanent at the time. A life of full-time traveling as nomads with our two carry-ons had a plan. We’d travel until we didn’t, we’d settle where it made sense, and we’d always be attached to the US.
Afterall, as US citizens, we get the privledge to always pay taxes to the US. Which, frankly, is a bargain. Great roads. Strong military. Good schools. Fantastic parks. A safety net to fall into, if necessary.
Thus, yanking my roots out of Yankee-land pangs me.
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page. ~Mark Twain
But the problem is, according to Twain, I’m no longer illiterate of the bounty of the world. I see better options, safer conditions, healthier choices, and high-value life styles that the US can no longer provide.
Why I Won’t Live in the US Again
There are two items that devalue a US lifestyle faster than a bitcoin trade on a tariff announcement, Guns and Healthcare Expense.
>Guns<
The United States makes up 33 percent of the combined population of these [mostly European] 36 countries; however, it also accounts for 76 percent of public mass shooting incidents and 70 percent of victim fatalities in these countries. (ref)
While in the US, I walk into a Wal-Mart wondering if I’ll be shot. I don’t go to the movies anymore. I fear my safety at concerts despite walking through metal detectors. I can’t identify a good guy with a gun from a bad guy with a gun. I’m on edge in parks when I used to be tranquil.
The US is the only place in the world where public spaces frigthen me more than dark alleys.
Conversely, I freely walk in the world, and the only thing I worry about is tripping over bad sidewalk curbs. In most places, I don’t think about guns or being shot. It’s not a front-of-the-mind anxiety like what I feel when I’m stateside.
85-Year Old Ladies with Guns (Fear)
I spontaneously flew from Athens to the US for my mother’s surprise 85th birthday recently. She expressed pride that she was the oldest of her peers at her party. Agile, mobile, and engaged, my mom’s youthfulness beamed from her smile. Then strangely, she turned to me.
“I worry about you traveling the world, are you safe?” she asked.
Before I could answer her with platitudes or facts, she commented how all the ladies at her party, except her, were packing. Not presents. Guns. I looked askew at all the little ol’ lady bags hanging from chair backs.
Loaded with loadeds.
My mom asked me, “Do you carry a gun?”
And this is when I knew the gun issue will never go away.
I’m struggling with the belief that an 85-year old American woman maintains about guns. She believes carrying a gun across international borders around the world is the safest way to travel in the world. Because that’s how *she* sees the world; it’s a dangerous place where gun-packing people are safer.
It’s an image projected into her mind by an entire society that believes guns are the answer. But no one is asking the right question. Why do they feel they needs guns in the first place?
>Healthcare<
The second issue is healthcare. See this crazy chart below.
And this chart here:
While I agree that the quality of health care in the US is generally good, it’s the cost, access, and ease of use that are flat-out ridiculous.
During the November medical insurance shopping season, I annually reviewed my medical insurance options and discovered that my cost of coverage jumped to $250 a month. The price is not unreasonable, but it has coverage I can only use in Texas, and I have to spend $10000 before insurance will start to pay my bills. The deductible is unreasonable. I would get one wellness visit a year, and everything beyond that one GP visit would incur co-pays of $50 or more.
Conversely, I saw an orthopedic doctor yesterday in Greece for $45. No appointment, no referrals, no insurance. He ordered xrays (no charge) and a follow up visit (no charge.) We communicated directly on WhatsApp. His number is alphabetically listed underneath my Greek dentist whom I contact directly for teeth cleanings ($50.)
Value at the Expense of What?
Which brings me to the feeling that the US just isn’t worth it anymore. I think we all get to spots in our lives where we’re tired of putting up with mediocrity to justify the joy in other parts of our lives. I remember the moment I decided to get divorced; the bad finally tipped heavier than the good. It was time to move on.
The same has happened for me with the US. I always thought I’d be connected to the US via insurance or income. At the point that the cost of medical insurance no longer made sense, other ridiculousness became unacceptable.
The active shooter drills at elementary schools.
The $49 smoothie to buy status.
The identification of gender on a passport.
While in the US, I tried to make an appointment with the doctor. My insurance had assigned me to a pediatrician. It took three days to sort it out. When I called my new doctor for an appointment, the admin said I first had to establish a relationship, then I could set an appointment. The relationship appointment wasn’t covered by my insurance. The doctor wouldn’t be able to see me for three months. The admin couldn’t tell me how much the visits would cost. This is more of the ridiculousness.
And now I know. This is not how the rest of the world does medical care. It’s easy, accessible, and affodable everywhere else but in the land where its locals think their medical care is the best in the world. It’s NOT.
I’ll Be Back to Visit…
After a nice weekend with my mom, I flew back to the little island of Poros, Greece, where we’re wintering. We’ve taken a break from fast travel to re-group and consider our priorities. We’ve applied for Greek visas. We’re not coming off the road, but we want a place to go in case the US blows up. Or shoots itself.
In the mentime, I’ve decided that I can’t live in the US. The saturation of guns, the lack of access to good quality, affordable healthcare, and the belief that guns make the world safer are not what I want to support. Despite the US’ beautiful parks, great infrastructure, and super people, it’s just not worth it anymore.
Fortunately, I maintain a US passport, and if I change my mind, I can always return back. I don’t dismiss the privledge of this option, and despite these two things that I hate about the US and many things I don’t like, I still love my country.
Are you thinking of leaving? What’s keeping you from leaving? Or, do you have an exit plan? What’s your next step?
Those 2 issues (which I agree with) are nothing compared to the masked secret police dragging people out of homes, cars, and workplaces. And blatant corruption, cronyism, and violent cruelty at a scale never seen in any banana republic. My father who served his country his whole career is turning over in his grave.
I'm in France at the moment and had to go to the ER twice. I was seen right away both times and was in and out in less than two hours -- despite receiving a number of tests/treatments. I was stunned! And then in filling prescriptions at the pharmacy, the medications were a grand total of 20 euros.... and they were filled immediately without waiting.
I've traveled all over the world, and I know the US health care system is very high quality (relative to other countries I've visited where unfortunately the standard of care is lower.) But it blew my mind recently to receive SUCH robust, fast care for such a low price.