By “Jimmy” A chap who left the USA and came back.
Edited by Grandpa with Comments June 2014
“Like most people who have left their home country,” Jimmy says, “I tried living in several foreign places.
Now I have returned home. In my case, home is the USA—with all its faults I love it still.’
The USA is home sweet home and the best place for me.”
I (Jimmy) am not a P.T. Why? It’s true that I have three vans full of furniture, a grand piano I always take with me. I’ve got an ancestral family home I will never part with. Too much other stuff I am attached to. Then too, there are my thirty years' worth of local contacts, plus kids and relatives. I don’t want to leave anything behind. I tried the PT Life once, and then I went back.
You will find this to be a “mixed message.” i.e., Jimmy's Truth; & Grandpa's Epiphany. This is not a sales pitch with only the positive aspects of moving abroad…Here’s the other side of the PT story.
==================================
“O.K. Grandpa--- I agree with you:
With my attitude, I will never be a PT.
Why? Says Jimmy…
I AM LIKE MOST PEOPLE
So why am I writing this? Because you (Grandpa) asked me to, & to warn people that the PT Life is not for everyone. It is not even for the average person.
It was not for me. I am like most people. My attitude is more common than that of more adventurous individuals who can pull up stakes, leave friends, family, and possessions behind, and be happy & prosperous anywhere they go.
THE BIG QUESTION I ASKED MANY YEARS AGO
“ I really want to leave my home country. It is going to pot. Where should I go?”
Grandpa said: Quite literally, there is a world of possibilities out there, each full of richness and opportunity. But as you might guess, adapting to the PT Life depends on your attitude. What would be a great expatriate haven for some will seem like a hellish nightmare to others. Over the years I have seen many expats roaming in and out of different countries around the world. This is one chap (Jimmy's) story..... But first, consider 2 possibilities….
Stop & Consider:: As of July 2014, I (Grandpa) have info about an “old town” furnished rental apartment in Campione d’Italia, Switzerland/Italy (near Lugano & Milano) where for relatively cheap rent, without buying any real estate, you can get a resident’s card. For most purposes, this legal residence status is the equivalent of a Swiss and an Italian passport. As a legal Campi resident, you will also get cheap or free medical care/insurance at your choice of Swiss or Italian hospitals & MDs & a few other surprising benefits! For details, ask for my Campione Confidential Report or come there and see the comfy 90m2 apartment! I am near there now. Contact me direct: <from.grandpa@gmail.com> . . .
Another possibility is LATVIA where you get EU Residence without living there, and a very good chance of doubling your €75,000 investment on a real estate deal . . . My Campione & Latvia Reports are each €99@ but for those reading this message, “Two for the price of one”…For those who respond promptly, you will get an extra bonus report, "Why Pay For Residence or 2nd Citizenship When you can get it free?"
And now . . .
Back to Jimmy’s True Tale of Woe....
Jimmy says: In my opinion, most expats fall into seven categories… Chances are you probably fit one of the following Modes:
PIONEER: You are an opportunity-focused expatriate who has already lived abroad for extended periods. Maybe you were once in the peace corps and your idealism has flagged. Now you are willing to relocate solely for the prospect of making a great deal of money and secondarily, doing something you find interesting. You think nothing of charging into an almost native, quasi-primitive environment. You don’t mind being (for a while anyway) ensconced in a place with dilapidated infrastructure, squalor, corruption, and even a little bit of danger. Not if you can get rich quick.
You are willing to learn the local language and if no one speaks English there, you will get along.… You love an almost lawless, Wild West atmosphere. Maybe it’s gems, gold nuggets, uranium, rare earth, oil. No matter. You can literally smell the money and you know you will go there for a few years and emerge with 100X what you could have earned back home in a similar period..
EXPEDITIONARY: You want to be like a classical traveler in the mold of 19th Century British aristocrats and explorers– you’d love to make journeys overseas to exotic places, but you want to take your comforts & amenities with you. .
-- a well-armed guard, servants, and a competent multi-lingual guide. You want to see places like Mumbai (Bombay) up close, dirty and personal… then go back to the Taj Mahal, a five-star hotel. In short, you want the richness of the expat experience, but you want it to be easy and painless. Grandpa’s Suggestion* A 5 Star Cruise Boat. Grandpa suggests “repositioning cruises.” Contact Gramps for a personal conference in Switzerland or Monaco.You are rich enough for that. If you send a round-trip ticket, he will come to you almost anywhere. Hiring Grandpa as your personal adviser isn’t free, but it’s 10% of the cost of a hotshot lawyer (as he was before retiring) with a less impressive background, and certainly not as much international experience & knowledge.
RETIREE: You have had a full career and are looking for a switch… It’s not about playing golf every day (though there could be plenty of that), it’s about finding a new direction in life, taking new steps, meeting new like-minded people, and getting re-energized. You are looking for something worthwhile to throw your time and effort into. You want to be surrounded by like-minded people who are in a similar position in life. In a way, you want to turn back the clock and find a place that reminds you of home years ago– 1950s America. Grandpa says: Google the remote Doug Casey's La Estancia de Cafayate in Argentina or Brignone's Costa-Careyes in Mexico. Maybe you will find a suitable 2nd home there. Grandpa knows these hideaways well & many others too.
You are rich enough to become a Grandpa client for €15,000, so let him hold you by the hand to guide you into a life with no bureaucratic confrontations, no record keeping; Better medical care than you get in a Big Brother country. Paradise. Nothing but sunny days and love. Well, at least the illusion of love from a charming wife-equivalent, with no chance of an expensive divorce. Most importantly, when you depart from your Big Brother home state, it is not an all or nothing decision. You can and should try out several possible nesting places for short periods. Then go back to the places you like best to see if you really want to live there semi-permanently. And if you get tired of any one place, you can always move somewhere else –or go back to where you started. Just don’t burn your bridges. And at first, RENT don't buy.
IS MEDICAL INSURANCE CHEAP OR FREE?
For the best medical care, you can’t beat Switzerland …With subsidized care --if you live in Campione -- I’d consider finding out more about residence in that Italian enclave Campione --100% within Switzerland. Grandpa wrote an extensive report [Campione Confidential] about the situation there.
NOMAD: You are a permanent traveler. You roam the globe because there are simply too many amazing places to see and abundant opportunities in each. You perhaps have a ‘home base’ somewhere, but you won’t “go home” for months at a time. You know many people and can make friends all over the world. They are PTs who enjoy making new connections and trying new things. You count air miles as an asset and talk about ‘running down to Panama for a few days’ as if you were going down the street to pick up a quart of milk at the grocery store.
FEARFUL HERMIT: You shun contact with most of the world because they just don’t get it as you do. You are passionate about your beliefs and are looking for a place where you can execute an agenda– maybe growing organic food, preparing and arming yourself with guns and a coin stash for inevitable social chaos, etc. Maybe you see the end of the world as we know it coming. Maybe you are a tax protester willing to go to jail for your beliefs. You want to stand up for your imagined rights and you don’t mind being perceived as a lone wolf, outlaw, and oddball. You are inept at making money or staying out of trouble.
You are an "airy-fairy person" possibly interested in setting up a new country or small community with like-minded souls, preferably away from major civilization where you can live your life without bother or interference from governments or corrupt social institutions. Grandpa says I have a few chaps like you as friends or clients. I can keep you out of trouble. But most of all you need adult supervision, a bit of advice, common sense, and a re-appraisal of your ideas.
INTERNATIONALIST: You are a smart, educated, opportunistic professional. Sort of a cross between the pioneer and expeditionary voyager– you thrive on the opportunity but need some basic structure to feel comfortable… probably because you have a family or some other obligations beyond yourself. As long as your basic needs are met– safety, schools, healthcare, etc., you are happy and can focus on building a life and a new business anywhere. But a civilized place is more to your liking. Let Grandpa tell you about his life Experiences in Australia, Switzerland, Mexico, Philippines, Vietnam, and 39 other places. We can find places for you to try until you get exactly the right fit. Unlike the retiree, you may be looking for leverage real estate investments all over creation and making out like a bandit on your deals.
HEDONIST: You have been successful in life and now, simply want to enjoy the fruits of your efforts over the years– sunshine, wine, women, whatever else seems interesting. You want to feel like a kid again. You may be past your sell-by date, but you feel free to jump on a plane to follow your favorite sports teams, see old friends, & make new ones. Maybe you’d like to ride a Harley and have a sexy girlfriend ¼ your age. Grandpa helps you achieve those objectives. Been there, done that.
You pick a country and a suitable town because of its opportunities for pleasure and are always willing to explore new ones.
… So there you have it.
SUMMARY & RECAP
Most people can find elements of several categories in their souls. Yet most of us are generally dominant in one or two of the above. Of course, with age, experience, and or objectives will change...
Did I miss your category?
Think about what you want & let me know in to comment section.
Jimmy says:
“Having spent most of my life in the U.S. I’ll start my sermon with this warning—IMO most places don’t offer the same lifestyle that a U.S. citizen expects. Would you say “ I like all my favorite brands of food, free parking at the supermarket, relatively cheap gasoline, and everybody speaking my language?”
IS THIS YOU?
If so, you are neither PT nor Expat Material.
Grandpa’s Note:
Though Jimmy admits he was a failure as a PT I think his advice here below isn’t too bad!
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO TO PREPARE FOR A DEPARTURE?
If you are an American, I would pick at least ONE non-U.S country that is not too expensive or difficult to get to. Then for starters, just to ease into the PT Life, get legal residence papers there. Then I would find some kind of local investment/business or partnership to support myself if I ever needed to move there in a hurry. Maybe I would buy a rental property or two. Why? Besides setting up an alternative life support system, in our brave new over-regulated world by buying property, you will have an explanation for frequent travel and money transfers overseas.
It is VERY important to get travel documents, a fully paid up “vacation home,” and money abroad. Banks accounts and fiat currency is OK for part of your money. I’d also have a safe deposit box full of gold and silver coins --Especially if you are too old & worn out to start or run an active business abroad.
Is Canada a good choice? IMO, Not for Americans. Canada has full access to all U.S.A. governmental computers so it's not my first choice. Besides, aside from damp & rainy Vancouver, Canada is way too cold in the winter.
If you are not an American, the USA is a pretty good choice for one of your “escape countries.” It is possible to get a lifetime in & out visa. Then too, it is relatively easy to gain ownership or control of a business or real estate investment deal there. A fully paid-for paid-upmodest house in a safe rural area could be an excellent investment. Look at Freedom in the 50 States:
http://mercatus.org/publication/freedom-50-states-index-personal-and-economic-freedom
Remember the original Hill PT advice? If you have European or other ancestry or language skills, always start your search in a country where you may have some claim of citizenship. Grandpa can help you. If no such ancestry, consider getting citizenship in a place where the residence requirements and waiting periods are short. Like Campione or Latvia. Read Bye Bye Big Brother & the update for BBBB, called ESCAPE!. A second passport is important and if you want help in your PT quest, , and can afford his €15K, 2 year unlimited consulting fee.
Getting a mentor is a good idea for anyone who can afford it. Why? Because Grandpa has walked the PT walk for over 50 years. He helps you achieve your goals, keeps you out of trouble with the law & protects you from false steps, & all the scammers & sharks .… Jimmy says: I used him, and regrettably ignored advice that would have probably changed my attitude.
The “Historic Collection of the Hill books” is a really good cheap guide for the wannabe PT, through some of the specifics are out of date. I am happy to give it a testimonial here...
"If you would like to read the same reports that inspired me 18 years ago, The basic philosophy on how to achieve Freedom Privacy & Wealth is as good now as they always were. Have a look. It could change your life." A leading Newsletter writer wrote this unsolicited testimonial recently...
The book that inspired me – was called simply PT (short for “Perpetual Traveller”), by Dr. W.G. Hill. It was bound in red leather, with the letters “PT” embossed in gold – with a hefty US$100 price tag! But the ideas in that book shook my world yet again – and gave me hope at exactly the time I needed it. It was the best $100 I ever spent.
I was pondering my stupidity and my fate – which, for a man in his forties (to have been dumped by my wife & who lost almost everything), seemed like an impossible situation. I couldn’t imagine HOW I could climb out of my hole.
I could have handed in my passport and gone to jail for “contempt,” alimony & child support non-payment.
The system was stacked against me. That’s where this inspiring PT book came in. It gave me hope & showed me a way to escape --- a way to build a new life – abroad. It was my lifeline. I met many others who did indeed escape and are still abroad. They are in that PT Library that I still read, with a little bit of envy and nostalgia. But back to 15 years ago . . .
I was immediately aware this information was dynamite. Why hadn’t I ever heard of such a “PT strategy” before? Why had it taken me so long to find out that such ideas actually exist? There and then, I realized I could, at a stroke, build a “new” life abroad on the basis of the ideas in this radical book.
I did spend some years abroad, and I don’t regret those years. Grandpa showed me how to get an EU passport. Maybe someday, I will give the PT Life a 2nd try. But as you read from my true confession, I ultimately screwed up badly abroad & decided to go back to the USA. Then I went to law school here, passed the bar, and though not entirely happy, I have found my niche back here in the good old USA.
Grandpa says, among other things, that I am a slave to my possessions & wouldn’t be happy anywhere. I suppose he is right. A part of me would like to move back to Italy where I spent the happiest year of my life. So this is a mixed message from a guy who experimented with the PT life. I am very glad I did, but ultimately, I went back to square one. Whether you will do the same is up to you.
FOR THOSE LIKE ME WHO PREFER TO STAY IN THE USA
There is a vast difference between the American states. New York City and Las Vegas are different worlds. Rural Idaho is quite different from the California Wine Country. Some places you will surely find more acceptable than others. With a bit of common sense, maybe some help and guidance, you can live invisibly in the U.S. and be pretty much off the computers.
To be honest (says Jimmy) I didn’t make it abroad. But that was my fault, not Grandpa’s.
Best wishes, Jimmy, ex-PT.
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Here are some questions you can use to note your thoughts while reading and answer below when finished reading the WHICH COUNTRY IS BEST FOR YOUR ESCAPE.
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