Libertas

“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise.” ~Robert Fritz

I have decided to leave the US and my goal is to leave in 2012, preferably by my birthday in June. I have a few potential countries that I’m interested in.

Thailand

Thailand is first on my list for personal reasons. I’ve already lived there, and most of my friends who live overseas live in Thailand. I also have ex-students all around Thailand working in the travel industry. I also have two friends from college living in Southeast Asia right. They will return to the US later next year and it would just be fun to be there while there are there too. My final destination I think will be South America. I can always go there later, but my friends will not always be in Thailand and Singapore.

Because I will probably need a job, with my contacts already in Thailand, it will probably be easier getting a job in Thailand than starting someplace new. I already have experience and I know there are hotels needing English teachers. Though I could teach in a school, teaching at a hotel pays more and often teachers can live at the hotel have use of their facilities. When I first worked Phuket, after getting my TEFL certificate, I took a job at Prince of Songkla University and taught academic English to college freshmen. I felt very prestigious. Two of my TEFL classmates, twenty year olds with no college, got hotel jobs. I made around 32,000 baht and lived on campus. It wasn’t bad. I had a two bedroom apartment for around 6,000 baht (roughly $125.00). I taught three classes three times a week, so I was in the classroom for around nine ours a week. I think there was also a lab which brought me up to 12 hours of teaching. The rest of the time I was in the office grading and prepping for class.

Nick and Jeff on the other hand worked at a luxury hotel and made 60,000 baht each. They lived on site and had access to all the facilities, such as the pool, spa, and weight room. They taught one class a day and walked around the hotel practicing English with the hotel staff. I had prestige, they had money and fun.

If I go back to Thailand, I plan on doing the same.

Costa Rica 

Costa Rica is also a possibility. A friend and his mother are planning on leave the US for the same reasons I’ve written about. Since they have never lived abroad and do not speak much Spanish, he would like some help and has asked me to join him in looking around Central and South America. He’s planning on checking out Costa Rica, Panamá, Belize, and maybe Guatemala. If the trip goes well, we may then take a look at South America later in the year.

Though Costa Rica is in the tropics, much of the country is in the mountains so the climate is pleasant. I can handle the tropics, but my friend and his mother would prefer something cooler. Costa Rica also has a stable government and NO army. It’s not as cheap as it once was, but still inexpensive. I enjoyed living in Mexico, so I think I would like rest of Latin America.

Paraguay

A major reason for choosing Paraguay is that it is fairly easy and inexpensive to get residency and citizenship there. I could actually apply for residency and be in Thailand in 2012. I do not have to be there all the time. Another benefit I’ve heard is that if you have residency in Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile or Argentina, you may live in the other three countries as will. This would work well with the PT strategy.

I could get citizenship in Paraguay and residency in one of the other three countries and go visit Thailand and Costa Rica for fun.

Next step, renew my passport!

Recommended:

Choose Costa Rica For Retirement by John Howels

Getting Out: Your Guide To Leaving America by Mark Ehrman