Why I let go of my U.S. citizenship

I admire your courage. Citizenship is an idea I think about often. I am Canadian by default. My long time boyfriend is American. We met years ago in Taiwan, where we are now permanent residents. It's an amazing country that we both love profoundly. I have thought about renouncing my citizenship, but my duty as a mom stops me for doing so. You see, there is a heavy shadow lurking from across the Straight and the skies are getting darker day after day. I must protect my daughter. On one hand I feel grateful we have an exit plan if China was to attack. On the other hand, I feel cowardly that I would not stay and stand up against that bully for the country that's been so kind to me.
Our daughter was born here but she doesn't hold Taiwanese citizenship. It was not a choice, only children born from Taiwan parents can get citizenship. From about four to ten years old, she did not care about the rule. She proclaimed herself Taiwanese. We did not try to convince her otherwise.
I try not to be angry with Canada, the USA or the world for the situation we find ourselves in. Anger is too viscous of an emotion and the problem too vast. Anger hurts you instead of the problem that generates it, so I try to maintain a merely disappointed and annoyed attitude. I joked that I might ask asylum to Buthan soon. A more wholesome way to make a change, instead of becoming minimalist, vegan or move into a tiny house.
I admire your courage and will keep your story in mind, for when my mom's duty is over.

Definitely a gusty thing to do, Derek. Of course, I'm not surprised that you took the time to think it through. Mustn't have been easy, but I admire you for taking that step.

I have citizenship in three countries, and I'm not sure that I could take the step in giving any one of them up. Of course, the only one of those countries that I view as home is New Zealand. A home that I've adopted and which, I hope, has adopted me. Now you've got me thinking perhaps that's enough ...

It was Hernan Cortes. With his army of 600 men. In 1519. I've got an artist's rendering of it on the sticky post of my Substack newsletter.

Your bold moves inspire many more to dream. Just wanted you to know that, Derek. Thank you!

How much did they charge you for giving up your citizenship? Freud said, whay use is an American whithout money....

Derek, you are living your life. Don’t regret!!
We admire you in every way. You crafted ways for independent musicians and for that we will always thank you!!!
CDBaby was our entry to selling any piece of our music in the early 2000’s.
We can imagine how much better it could be with you at the helm still.
Why can’t you come for 6 months to USA like a regular tourist?

No shame in your action. Did you read all the small print. Are you now an NZ or Singaporean citizen. Have you read the small print of the applicable visa? Some have travel restrictions depending on the type. Tip : Do not blindly trust an immigration agent infact don’t employ one if you can do it yourself.

Thank you for sharing your story, Derek. The toughest part is that you don't have the right to enter the US. I'm not sure which passport(s) you now hold and what the entry rights are.

We left Canada almost 25 years ago to move to Switzerland. We are still here and, coincidentally, I just got back from the Swiss passport office to renew my Swiss passport. Fortunately, Canada and Switzerland allow dual citizenship so I have a Canadian and Swiss passport, something for which I feel incredibly fortunate.

Wishing you continued success with your travels. Always a pleasure to read you. If you ever make it to Switzerland, do let me know.

John

A very brave move. I can't help but think that's a risky decision.
When I moved out of my family home there was always a sense of security in the back of my mind knowing my old room was still waiting for me in case I made a hash of being an adult and needed emergency parental help. Luckily (for them and me) I managed to survive in the world alone, but having the option was nice, even if I was only subconsciously aware of it.
Cutting the ties seems drastic. In an increasingly uncertain world there must be value in being able to return somewhere familiar, especially somewhere safe and where your people (family) are, even if you don't exercise that option until you absolutely need to.
Travel broadens the mind and fills life with amazing richness and value that you can't achieve by staying in a local bubble, but there's a lot to be said for coming home - wherever in the world that may be.

I admire your courage in doing this and your desire to live in other cultures. With love and respect I would like to encourage you to think about not flying as a way of life. The science is telling us very clearly now that we are headed for a dark future of catastrophic environmental change if we don’t stop pouring carbon and methane into the atmosphere. Flying is a major contributor to that (especially business class). We all have to try our best not to fly now. We owe it to our kids because they will be paying the price for what we do now. If you have to travel, please consider taking the train instead of flying (Senior climate scientist Prof Kevin Anderson took the train from the UK to China recently). Anyone who wants to know more check the recently released report from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) or talk to any climate scientist at any good university or look up senior climate scientists like Prof Kevin Anderson or Prof John Schellnhuber on youtube. Thanks for considering this.
Agreed! — Derek

I left the United States a few years ago and now divide my time in thirds: one part in Türkiye; one part in Italy; and one part on the road exploring new horizons. I return to the US about once a year and feel no pull whatsoever to live there. It’s not that I don’t like the US – every country has its pluses and minuses – it’s just that I spent enough time there and was ready for something new.

How do I become and ex-citizen of Earth? This world is not my home.

I have a lot of respect for you, from reading your blog along the years, but this was a stupid move from multiple points of view, especially with family still living in the US. As you said, it's always good to keep your options open.

Let's not mention what a spoiled and privileged thing to do, when immigrants to US fight for a decade or more to get citizenship (my family's case), and you just throw it away.

The better solution would have been to just burn your passport, or something similar, to create a complicated bureaucratic pathway you would have had to walk to reenter America if needed.

I would have understood had there been serious tax or other incentives...

I'm sorry. I don't see courage here. I see recklessness.

You amaze me in your choice of decisions and actions. Selling that goldmine cd baby, lavishing most of your proceeds from the sale to charity and travelling. I never thought anyone will want to give up their US citizen, some reasons most Africans will never understand. I have a Nigerian and British citizenship,
i love them both, ive never thought of loosing any willingly. Like i said you always amaze me

Big fan of yours, always and from way back.

And great respect for your well-considered decision. I am now in the DC area so if there is any way I can help do let me know -- else I will find ways to visit when I am abroad.

Please, stay in touch!

Wish that I could leave.

Sorry to see you remove yourself as a citizen of the best country in the world, even with all its faults. Many men and women have the paid the ultimate sacrifice for you and others to live in this great country. The country that gave you the opportunities which you have enjoyed overe many years. Perhaps you can help the others in this post that want to leave the country also.

Hope you enjoy your new life and most of all, God Bless you!

Fascinating! I have no judgement on your action or explanation. But I am extremely fascinated. Humans create a lot of mental barriers about different choices they have in any given situation. If you would have asked 1000 people about this issue(including myself), I would bet that no one would have said to give up your citizenship. But it's an option. :)

Always love to hear from you! Cheers.

Been shopping around for golden visas for a few years now :)

I understand your feelings about your home country.
I used my sail boats to travel to other countries and learned how different people felt and considered the USA. It changed my feelings as well as I under stood their feelings. But being a scientist and understanding the problems at those times, I had to come home and help our Country to work them out.

Frank

I fully understand the no cookies in the fridge way of being as I also keep a bare fridge and cupboard as I would do exactly the same if I had cookies or the likes of in the house. I'm sure you will be attacked for multiple reasons by those who may hold the belief that America is the greatest country of all and why would you give that up unless it was to use another country to save money. It is your choice to make and you sharing it and not revealing it says wonders about the type of culture you lived in all your life. I've been living in the states for over 25 years now and I'm starting to look at other places in the world to live where I can play music and work on my golf project and although I can do it here, my intuition tells me to move somewhere that has a less of a corporate mentality and a larger group of people that would be fine paying more taxes to live their own life of purpose. Each to their own on this journey and good for those who actually take an action to live their life according to their current reality. I do believe through that we can take a look at our current perception of reality which is pretty much filtered to us by our unconscious belief systems, that run automatically behind the scenes keeping our consciousness mostly run by our unconscious. If we can get to the point where we can create awareness of the limiting belief about if cookies are on the house, I will eat them, we may be able to do some work on that and alter it in a way where myself and cookies can be in the same house and I don't have to eat them all 🍪🤔🤷‍♂️

My question is will you live in other countries and make them home giving up the comforts of NZ solitude, of the spiritual vibration of India? Or have you found home in the group you have now? How are the friendship conversations you have with people in the non USA conversations and do you think you could have the same types of conversations within the US culture now? I guess what I'm saying is, has your perception of reality shifted since you've left the USA given the premise that environment eventually trumps your will?

Cheers,

Jim

About the legend of the military leader, I guess it's this one : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Julu . Most of Chinese people know this legend. There is a Chinese idiom based on this legend and in Chinese words, it's "破釜沉舟".

In music there are no borders,

Derek, Why do you worry about what others think? You might be attacked for giving up your US Citizenship? By whom? How is it their business and why on Earth would you care? Why would you care about some Trolls? They will attack you for not eating insects coated with almond milk on Good Friday before sundown while watching Citizen Kane unside down wearing blue inversion boots naked!

Hey - at least you won't get shot!

America is certainly great if you like toxic food and unnecessary plastic products.
But for the most part, you're not missing a thing here.

Rampant greed, violence, and severe stupidity reign supreme - with no end in sight.
We call ourselves the greatest nation - and yet we can't even protect our own schools from savage attacks on a weekly basis.
Pathetic.

Enjoy your travels Derek!

"burn the ships to prevent retreat" is powerful.
My way of saying it: "Cut off plan Bs."
It is hard to decide to burn the ship because there is something to regret about it most often. It's not for everyone, and it does come at a cost, but the liberation and energy you get from only having PLAN A are unmatched.

Wow! That is one way. I guess I'm sure you weighed all the pros and cons. I'm just thinking what about war and US being the safest country (maybe) and most countries accept US passport to travel so it would be easier for that purpose...

Hi Derek:
I am totally in alignment with you. The corruption of the US and their participation in so many underhanded Cabal agendas has been horrific to say the least. I bought a condo in Mexico where I cam spending more time out the US and I feel much more peace and serenity here.
Hope you're doing great!
much love,
Aeoliah

One of the best decisions I made was leaving USA in 2019 and giving up my green card in 2021. I have spent the last 4 months in USA and can't wait to head to Mexico in a few days. I keep thinking and saying.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF BEING HEALTHY IN A SICK SOCIETY... GB

I believe you have also posted about learning other languages.

Any time I head to another country, I spend time leading up to that excursion learning the lanugage of the people there. I find it helps heighten the awesomeness of the journey and taking things in. Wish I had the luxury of getting citizenship in the Netherlands (my mom can based on heritage, but doesn't). Though the reality is more a feeling of being a citizen of the world - not a specific place.

One of the most interesting moments in my travels happened in England where I was with a significant other at the time. Her brother's were taking us to a gathering of their friends. On the way there, I was asked not to tell anyone I was from the U.S. but rather Canada. I went along with it. Later on at the party, one of their mates asked: "Where are you from?" Before I could answer Canada, a brother said: "He's from America!"

I looked at him and mentioned, you asked me not to say that. He replied: "It's ok, they think you're cool." After which we all got a good laugh out of it.

Fortunately or unfortunately, everywhere I go, I tend to stick out due to my height. At the same time, it seems to make it easier to ask people about themselves and find out about their culture.

It's fun to be a constant student of the world we live in.

I find this very interesting because I am beginning the journey of not living in the US I thought your reasons might be political, religious, cultural, etc and maybe they are all wrapped up in your reason Mine reasons for exploring this option is the discussions I've had with folks who have cut the cord. Most all of my reasons have to do with political and cultural reasons I'm beginning my journey in Mexico City for a month in August. I can't wait and then I want to spend 3 or more months all over the world I've done massive research and am scared but know this is something I will welcome once begun.

Interesting that I often encounter so many "true Americans" who are globetrotters. At the recent NAB Show in Las Vegas, I met several filmmakers and photographers who travel the world and are potential expatriates. They are all "true Americans" who got picked up by high-paying corporations.

Conversely, I have met and even lived with Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans, often fluent in the language of their parents, who seldom, if at all, travel beyond American borders. In New Mexico my bilingual Latino roommate never sojourned beyond Cuidad Juarez or Palomas, when he could easily travel and live anywhere without linguistic issues all the way to the tip of Chile, all of Central America, some Caribbean Islands, and of course Spain and its territories. I met other similar Hispanics who often prefer to stay within and help build their communities.

I, too, am not a "true American." I've been to Asia and don't receive the congenial treatment that fair-skinned Americans get, that happy-go-lucky, you-are-supreme embracement. Even in Europe some folks were relieved to know I'm American so they can talk to me in English. But what if I didn't speak English; many "Americans" don't.

I've lived a lifetime of being in the community while also dabbling with overseas travel, perhaps even some soul searching. Alas, my lifelong experience, befriending stay-local Spanish-speaking Hispanics, and my most recent exposure to globetrotters at NAB, spawns me to really focus on my mixed-race, mostly Hispanic and Asian community and use my technical and creative skills in that regard.

Kudos to Derek Silvers for globetrotting and fitting in anywhere as a minimalist in the world community. While many of "us" and our ancestors struggle to become Americans, the "true Americans" often have the privilege to explore new ventures and forego what many strive for.

I refer to it as "a Viking ship burn" when moving forward sans retreat option.

Hope you mamaged to escape the Edward Saverin act.

You can easily return, just fly in and out of Mexico.

Not really understanding the reasoning behind doing this? You lose citizenship from the greatest country on earth simply for doing something that scares you? You can visit and even live in other places without losing your citizenship. I suspect this decision will be one you regret later on but if this is moving forward for you then by all means enjoy the ride.

Derek,
That was interesting.
I would imagine you can do what ever you choose to do.
I would hope some of this tenacity came from a raising where you were taught Sovereignty.
The U.S. has been on a roller coaster ride ever since her existence. She has withstood lies, indoctrination, invasion of her borders and her God ordained governing system.
She is about to come off her bed of sickness and thrive as she never has before with God at her helm. I am sorry you will not be here to see it, but come to think of it sometimes it's a better view the further away we are🥰
Diane

I am Chicago, I’ll born living in Cali 40 yrs. I’ve recently applied for Irish citizenship.
. For me, it’s an option if it gets intolerable politically here. I relish having Dual capabilities. I love your, “ Strap yourself to the mast” metaphor.
Keep writing
Cheers,
Elizabeth

My brother and I were born dual citizens of Panamá & the U.S. (our mom was Panamanian). We went to school in Panamá and then we went to college in the U.S.

My brother returned to Panama with his wife and started a business there. The friction of having U.S. citizenship caused him to renounce his citizenship and now he faces the same issues as you.

He’s not had any problems coming back to the U.S. as much as he wants. Many of his friends in Panama have also renounced their citizenship for the same reasons (e.g. not taxes).

It’s hard to imagine as many Americans doing what you and my brother did in a prior decade. The world is more global and diverse and yet the U.S. is coasting on a delusional idea of American Exceptionalism. People living in the U.S. have difficulty seeing what is so obvious to the rest of the world. 😏

I am an old man now. I will stay and do what an individual person can do to make lives better. Looking back, after serving with the 25th infantry, I should have left also. I am often ashamed that our society can't work together for the common good. We can't manage incentives for businesses, politicians, or common citizens. Everyone feels entitled and our society is largely selfish. We are a huge ship with nuclear power guided by groups of people with paddles all working to move in different directions.
Bravo for your bravery, make things better where you feel most at home.

Thanks for sharing your unusual choice and how you got there. I didn’t realize it was something someone could do. It’s kind of interesting to see how aggressive some folks are about your chive that doesn’t impact them in any way at all.
Anyways, Live Long and Prosper

Dave

I’m always amazed at how adventurous you are. I’ve only been out of my home state 3 times. Just never felt the need to leave on a permanent level.

My partner and I have been living abroad for well over a decade as well. Grateful for our friends of many cultures, and for the varieties of nature and the arts that we have enjoyed.

I am back in the USA right now because the love of my life requires heart surgery. Medicare is in the process of being scrapped by the health insurance industry through their Medicare Advantage programs, but, right now, it's still there for us, and we are grateful for that.

A lot of darkness has descended on the USA. We will likely learn if getting out or staying to fight was the better option. Godspeed to you my friend.

I've done it too Derek! And I don't regret it for one minute at this point! I must admit that it felt a bit weird at first? And--whether I like it or not--I will always be the "Ugly American" here in Lausanne, Switzerland where I've been living for the past (almost) 30 years. But unlike you, Derek, I did it for both tax reasons and because I'm SO fed-up with the state of the USA today. It's no longer--by a LONG SHOT--the country I grew-up in & the criminal, demented fool in the White House is rapidly--but surely--turning the USA into a "modern" 3rd World Country. So, God Bless America & let's hope there's still a chance to rectify all the incredible damage that this Corrupt Fool Biden has reaped upon America. But in the meantime, I feel both blessed & extremely happy with my Swiss Citizenship (and heritage) & basically, good riddens to the (once) wonderful(?) country of my birth.!

I have known you since we started with CD baby and been watching you grow into the person you are today. You are very passionate and evolving soul... I can only admire what you have done with your life and it's not really all about you, you have inspired thousands of other folks like myself.

Next week I am turning 69... I just don't believe it and I have never been to any other part of the world except Mexico and the Caribbean just a few times

Around Christmas we had a big change in our charity Veterans Outreach. We increased our national headquarters signed by 700% by purchasing at an auction the old wet headquarters of Arby's corporation.
That is a new chapter of our charity and unfortunately it has to come at a time when I have less of a wick to burn and more to do. With our charity my family and hopefully I can strengthen my ties with our Creator.

Anyways, Derek, Good luck to you in your other endeavors and molding your place in the world to include us waiting for your next inspirational developments. Do you ever need to make a tax deductible donation...
We are standing by...

Take care and best of luck...! You still are at patriotic man and soul and always will be in American to me. Unfortunately, these days that is not the greatest thing to be... But we will get better I believe... Take care!

I don’t recognize the US anymore. Freedoms that were dearly won, are being used against us, and we are being held to a standard that few societies on this earth have ever passed, as our leaders flirt with world war.

No, I could hardly blame anyone for wanting to leave the US. As for severing all ties?

My mum was a war bride who lived through Hitlers bombing. She took me to England as a child, and it was a beautiful country, but I would probably not choose to live there today, or anywhere in the West, because I view their leaders as too foolish and weak for the times.

I recently began conducting a very small part of my business in Singapore, because it is a stable country that is known to be business friendly. I have never been there though.

India intrigues me and I have always gotten along with the people, it is also up and coming. So perhaps it would be my first choice among the countries you call home.

For over a year and a half, I lived in the Yukatan among the Mayans, who are a wonderful people. Indeed, I have considered returning, yet find it unsettling that the Chinese (government) is gaining such ground in South America.

Although I was never a political person, but have rather been shaped by these times… I’ll end with some words from Raheem Kassam:

“I’m always stunned by the flippancy with which many Americans treat their own Constitution. Codified liberty is an extremely rare thing in the world today. Defend it with all your might.”

I am not sure I am willing to strap myself to the (American) mast, certainly not without a few cookies...

When I left my home country (Sweden) I was called a traitor by some. To my face. I have thought a lot about that part of leaving. The simple explanation would be that they were ignorant with a limited understanding of the World. A little deeper explanation would be that my choice touched upon some buried old dreams or sense of lost adventures in them. Or a mixed bag.
They upset me then.
I feel sorry for them now.

Dude I'm almost in tears from this. I made the same decision, but I struggle to explain it to others. And I used the same example as you give of "burning the ships". Thanks for the encouragement.

I am all for doing whatever scares me. I wrote about mine here: maryjob.wordpress.com/2015/11/06/what-are-you-afraid-of/

In my humble opinion, a dual-citizenship may have been better, but as long as you're happy/pleased with your decision, that's ultimately what matters most.

omgoodness - how delightful. born four days - tho many decades - apart.

Derek, if we were drinking tea and being thoughtful about the life and the world, here's what I would say:

If a person lashes out at you it's because you insulted their "religion." Such a person would be a member of the older generation. I grew up with Yankee high school books, reflecting my dad's sensibility, in the basement: I know how they thought. I guess the invention of diesel ships and aircraft allowed dual-citizenship, as travel was no longer one-way. (I noticed that roughly half of Scottish folk songs were about unassailable homesickness)

On the web I would never comment on a chat thread of young people. One day I was lurking on a site where the young adults couldn't understand why someone my father's age would say, "I belong to the United States."

I thought, "Wouldn't they at least hear someone say "I belong to" something less grand than a country, such as... and then I realized young people, after America's "loss of innocence" don't dare generate enough affection to belong to anything. How sad.

Maybe they are wiser than we were, but sadder too. Without even knowing it, since youth (unless they read) are innocent of history.

After 9/11 a man living some years in the US, although too old to fight, writer Christopher Hitchens, thought it appropriate to take out U.S. citizenship. So he did. (He said so in a Youtube interview)

As for any foreign county, I would wonder how it contains the city of Omelas. On the web, both written and audio, one can find Ursula K. LeGuin's short classic "They Walked Away From Omelas." In my time visionary Jane Jacobs, author of "Death and Life of American Cities," walked away with her young boys to Canada. For her, Omelas was conscription.

Only have one question what happens to you social security all that you paid in? Will you ever be able to receive social security?
Good question. I never expected I was going to see that money. Sorry I don’t know. — Derek

Wow, I have never thought about letting go of my citizenship because I really value being close to my family. Hopefully I can have a similar experience by studying a few years abroad. It's always cool seeing things from another perspective.

Honestly I think of renouncing my current citizenship and go “missing” in the forests. Just so I can live in a house off-grid with my family unbothered. Because the world ahead of us is scary. Scary I mean.

Hi Derek, you remind me of the short book "Candide" by Voltaire. Very much!

Bold choice. More often you hear of regret with inaction. Having lived with your choice, would you choose differently now?

Courage in the face of idealism. The kind of decision maybe men are better at taking than women, whose natural instincts are more in keeping the nest warm. Then again, there's some truth in the old adage (no offence intended),"the savage loves his native shore".

Your story evoked stirrings of my own, which seems like an inverse mirror image. I couldn't disconnect from the 'ole sod' and take an oath that could call on me to bear arms against it. The likelihood of the latter was remote, but the principle remained. So, I suppose it all comes down to where your passion lies. I have no problem having multiple citizenships, which I don't,
so long as none of them dispossess me of my bog blood heritage. This runs deeper than any material benefit. But then again, Celts have their reasons.

Have you read the original Ulysses? You may find echoes of your own voyage. Thanks for sharing Wish you well.
I read the original Ulysses, yeah, (the strap to the mast reference), and found it a fascinating book about hospitality. — Derek

From comments above:
In recent years, mainly from reading Homer, I have became accustomed to using the Greek version of various names, such as saying Odysseus, not Ulysses. But I'm not accustomed to epic poetry yet: Most of the old translations of Homer at the used book store are poems. I don't think anyone had translated Homer's epics into prose until the 20th century, but yes, I grabbed a prose version.

Strange: My concise Oxford dictionary has Odysseus, Hector and Achilles, but not Lincoln, Grant or Churchill.

"Strapped to the mast" sounds cool. I humbly call it "pulling an Odysseus" when I anticipate a future temptation and take action in the present to protect my future self. The classic example would be leaving the house without extra money in one's pocket so one can't spend the whole night in the tavern.

I would like to point out that broadening one's freedom/location by an official protocol (citizenship renouncement) should be enjoyable. Since
a) it follows what comes natural (wandering confirmed) and
b) if a state gets emotional /ie revengeful/ one was morally correct to find another land. If not, one was correct = they can return & enhanced freedom.
I traveled = so no pride for humanity or nation or any cultural craplink ...

I let my Australian PR expire in the same year 2011. Though I don't regret my family does.

Another change from Dad's days is that citizenship is no longer the highest honour in all the land. When Israel invaded southern Lebanon suddenly Canadians learned that tens of thousands of Canadian tourists all wanted to be evacuated. Such a crazy figure is explained by the fact that they weren't tourists: No, they were living in Lebanon with dual citizenship... Not being everyday Canadians, they did'n understand how hopeless the government would be at getting them out.

Nobody in Canada publicly called them prostitutes, to, the worst name was a member of parliament calling them "Canadians of convenience." Later a Lebanese wrote into the newspaper that it is OK to have two mothers, as in love two countries. The old ideal of leaving for a new country, like a wife moving in with her husband, was not part of Lebanese culture or modern world culture.

More disparaging of citizenship: I read in the Economist Magazine that Canada was the First country to sell citizenship: One could buy one's way in without having to reside in the country for years first. Later I read that five out of six people who bought their way into French speaking Quebec moved to an English speaking part of Canada.... No wonder a small house now costs a million dollars in the popular parts of Canada. And as best I recall, Canadians didn't protest the selling of citizenship.

I recall a judge not allowing an old Indian couple with dual citizenship to set foot in Canada only for medical reasons, and to then return to India. Which was what they wanted to do. He said it wasn't right. But he said nothing about sacred citizenship, so I suspected he meant it wasn't right to take the taxpayers money if you didn't want to live in Canada, an argument economic not moral.

I write all this not because I instantly agree with this new non patriotic morality—I don't—but because I am trying to became willing to agree with this new century, in a world where it is easier to write "serving the community" than "serving your country."

I miss my boyhood certainty that my neighbours were going to raise their children and their children's children in a new land without looking back.

Derek,
Did you ever cut off your "harvest" of friends because they didn't resonate with either your current or your desired vibration? It feels like the absolute scariest of ships to burn, your friends. There are very few that wouldn't go; 5 maybe... and distant. All the others are static and I thought of you. I also have moved a lot, and don't keep cookies or chips in the house, hahahaha!

I am hungry for my people.
I am responsible for my reality.
I am brave. I am scared. I am braved. I am scared. I am brave...

Viviana

Especially for Viviana, above, here are some not-so-random thoughts:

As a teenager I knew I would have to settle in a city, because of the statistical odds, not in a village, because I would have so much trouble finding friends.

I liked the city for, I thought, it's stimulation. Still later I realized I like a city for its mental stimulation, because I am an intellectual.

Still later, from writer Connie Willis, I realized how hard life was for Emily Dickinson being in a small town surrounded by mundanes, for she was artistic. I was in my late thirties before an aptitude test opened my eyes to who my peers could be.

Certainly none of the heroes in the books I read were artistic, as in creative, although many had a liberal arts education back in those days.

The old advice of COSMO magazine still holds true: best to find a weekly hobby where your sort hangs out. Best to experiment to find out what your sort is. Einstein said (I forget his actual words) a fish around tree climbers would feel foolish.

An engineer said, "There is nothing so practical as a good theory." I am still theorizing about the world and my place in it.

This has to be the craziest thing I ever heard. I say that because American people seem proud to be Americans and I read so many books where I felt this spirit. Also books about army that presented that notion as a part of identity. As a Romanian who always wanted to have a different citizenship to escape the lack of opportunities in this country, I can only be shocked when I read this. But I come here after reading about your "No" to the Foreword of "The Business of Expertise"....I do believe that a person that has the courage to say no to the most important piece of identity of his co-nationals, could have something very impactful to share with the world. Either that, or you are really against the norm and thats ok too. Have a great day!

I can't help but ask... are you still able to see your son?
Yes he lives with me — Derek

Derek,

Please take down that passport photo, ID theft is epidemic. I worked fraud for federal disaster loans.

Our entire family, while not considering giving up citizenship has considered living overseas. While I love America, there are days when I feel like the bridge is out but no one is stopping the train. I
Other than burning the passport bridge, I say you made a good call.

Drastic steps to detach yourself .
It might just increase your desire levels now and you will be reborn in the US of A again😉

Odd decision, for sure.

"It's usually best to keep options open" I think is the main takeaway, for me at least.

Come to Taiwan! See you soon.

After reading all comments, I decided to keep it short and hopefully get you here:)

do you have a new nationality now? or are you a stateless person? and is getting in any country to live in, without a nationality, an easy task?
New Zealand. — Derek

hm, you're the yin to my yang, as I on the other hand try to collect as many citizenships/passports and residency permits as I can. I have them from three continents thus far. I understand you did it for a NZ one. I suspect if you had to do it for a "third-tier" citizenship, you would have thought twice about it :) btw you can absolute return to the US anytime you want for tourism. A tourist is legally allowed for 180 days per annum in the USA, no issue.
all the best

> There’s a legend of a military leader with a hundred men in a few ships that landed on enemy shores. But waiting on land were a thousand enemy soldiers. So as soon as his men disembarked, the leader ordered them to burn the ships, to prevent retreat.

It's not just a legend. That was Hernán Cortés when he invaded the Aztecs.

Hi Derek,

Hope all is well.

It’s been a very long time since we last communicated. I retired from Yale University on 8/31/2023… last day in the office was 8/24/2023 with a lovely celebration amongst colleagues and administrators.

I just read the above article. I’m happy to hear that you have basically followed your heart and mind during your journey abroad.

I often think about what life would be like living in another country. Will I get homesick? Will I continue to make friends as easily as I’ve done in past years living in America? It remains to be seen.

Wishing you all the best Derek since CD Baby!! 🌞 Take care and have a very pleasant rest of the week!

Best,

Lisa Hopkins
5/27/2026

I forbid myself from anything too tempting or addicting. I keep no cookies in my home. To prevent myself from falling off the wagon, I strap myself to the mast.
and
whatever scares you, go do it.
---
That hits right at home. Honestly, I wrote almost the exact same thing on a scrap piece of paper a few years back: "Do difficult things always. No addictions.
And I absolutely hate notebooks. I only write on loose sheets of paper. It sounds crazy, but a bound notebook feels like a straightjacket to me—like the binding itself is trying to trap my freedom. Anyway, literally just yesterday I found out I’m not the only one wired like this. Turns out there’s a huge tech tycoon out there who operates life the exact same way.