How do I move to another country as an American citizen?

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > How do I move to another country as an American citizen?

jeff smisek: May 18, 2009

teen witch posted:

Heartily seconded. I recently moved from the US to Sweden and plot twist: there is still racism, sexism and generalised oppression here too! It's just a different flavor of it. Admittedly, I'm not worried a cop will kill me because I'm brown on a day that ends in Y, but there is still the Swedish Democrats, amid many other varieties of bigot here. I feel safer in Sweden, comparatively speaking, but I don't feel safe. Oppression speaks all languages.

[Effort post] If you are honest to goodness serious about this, learn languages. Be loving fluent as all get out. Look for job offers that suit your talents, and are willing to go through the labyrinthine hurdles to get you out of the country. Go to school in a different country if you can (I know a few people going to grad school in Canada or England). Meet people from all around the world, even if its online. But keep in mind, it isn't just financial or incredible time consuming effort, it's also emotionally taxing as well. I left everything I knew, in the country I grew up in all my life, to start my life with someone I love. I miss seeing my dog every day, I miss seeing my friends, I am now the outsider, the stranger in a strange land, and it's scary. On a near daily basis I sound like a weird mumbly mess in Swedish. My sleeping schedule still hasn't quite adjusted to the 3am sunrises here (why). I had a close friend succumb to cancer weeks ago and I couldn't go to the funeral. I'm still dealing with the cosmic horror of seeing someone that looks like my dad being executed livestream, even in Sweden.

And all that you DO love in America, family, friends, dogs, Taco Bell, whatever; all that is left behind for a Mega City-lite dystopia. You can't take them all with you.

While moving to an English speaking country won't have as many difficulties (like Canada as you mentioned), moving to Sweden is the scariest thing I've ever done. In my case, I feel that it's worth it, despite all the difficulties, as I'm finally, *finally* getting to live with the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I'm also tremendously lucky and privileged for being an American, because there are a TON of refugees trying to get in, fleeing actual daily living hells, and I feel that I pretty much slowly waltzed on in. Said refugees get it WAY worse, and it's getting even harder for them to escape Judge Dredd nightmares. I'm lucky because I was born in America and fell in love with a ~~goon~~ utterly wonderful person.

So you can stay and fight the shitstorms, hopefully making it better for you and others around you, now and to come in the future (which I am very much for), OR you can take an oftentimes complex and rough road to getting the gently caress out of there. But realize what also entails with "I'm loving LEAVING to Canada" card, and that it may not be all too different on the other side. [/effort post]

e: it's 3AM and it shows in my post.

I also fell in love with a swede, who has spent the past 2.5 years telling me to move there and I keep saying no because I feel like it's impossible, or that no one wants an American. So instead I visit every year and it's heartbreaking. How did you move? Did you get a job offer beforehand or something like that? He tells me just to up and leave and figure it out when I get there, but I don't want to break any laws or anything.