The American Dream Isn’t Always In America
There’s a pervasive myth in America that’s known as the “American Dream”. There’s more than one version, but for the most part the American Dream is basically the “Nuclear Family” image. Marriage, house, car, 2.5 kids, white picket fence, financial stability, and time with family and friends.
I’m old enough to have seen America transition from this being a reality to it becoming a dream seemingly always out of reach for most Americans.
Now, there’s plenty of reasons for this, and I’m not going to get into them here. That’s a discussion for another time and another place.
What I do want to talk about is how, in my opinion, if you want to achieve the “American Dream”, perhaps it’s time to leave America.
It’s A Brand New World
Of the multitude of lessons living through the Covid pandemic has taught us, one of the biggest is that remote work is the future. It’s no longer necessary to get up, fight traffic, spend 8-10 hours in the office, fight traffic, eat, sleep, lather, rinse, repeat.
The “Great Resignation” is underway and people in the US and around the world are saying goodbye to the old ways and taking the leap into a brave new world. For some this means leaving urban areas and moving to someplace quieter.
For others, it means leaving the US for a whole ‘nother country.
Digital Nomads
The explosive rise in remote working and freelancing has pushed countries to create a new class of visa for foreigners… the “Digital Nomad” visa.
Currently there are 20 nations around the world with Digital Nomad visas with more nations developing their own in the works. This is great news for people looking to build their dream life.
The benefits and requirements of these visas vary by country. Some have minimum verifiable income requirements, some require you to obtain a residence before applying, and some exempt you from paying taxes on income earned from outside the country. It all depends on which country you choose.
The nations that currently have digital nomad visas vary from Germany to Bali to Norway to Mauritius to Iceland to Barbados… so if there’s a certain type of country you want to live in, odds are there’s a nation with a digital nomad visa that fulfills your desire.
Even here in SA, the Western Cape government has called for the creation of a 1 year Digital Nomad visa. It doesn’t exist yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it does by the middle of 2022.
The Expat Life Is For Me
Digital Nomad
Somedays, this is the view from the “office”.
Kim often asks me “How did you survive in America?” Honestly, that question is becoming harder and harder to answer. I guess when you don’t know any different, you just plug along, doing what you’re “supposed to do” in pursuit of the American Dream.
After three months here in SA, my answer now is “I don’t know”.
I remember when making 6 figures in the US all but guaranteed you’d have a comfortable life for you and your family. When I left the US, I was making nearly 6 figures and still had anxieties about money. It’s not as if I lived a lavish life, either… I was renting a small house, had a single car payment, and the typical bills for anyone in the US (cable, cell phone, insurance, etc.) and I would still often think to myself “Man, I should be farther along in life than I am now”.
What I do know is that the life I live now is the life I was chasing in America.
I’ve finally achieved the American Dream… and I did it in South Africa.
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