Antonio Zavarce is preparing to leave his home in Shreveport, Louisiana for a long drive to Toronto, Canada with his husband, Taylor Stevens. Stevens, who is 35 years old, requires a knee injection following a motoring accident and the couple must travel to Canada annually to receive it. The U.S. doctors had offered Stevens either a joint replacement or ongoing medication, but the injection is the more preferable option. Zavarce, a real estate investor, and Stevens are among a growing number of individuals who are considering leaving the United States due to its polarized politics. Many Americans feel that the political climate in the U.S. has become toxic, leading them to seek a new life in other countries.
Zavarce and Stevens are planning to move to Italy, specifically to the city of Vicenza, where they have friends and where Zavarce has Italian roots. They feel that Italy is a place where they can truly feel at home and be accepted for who they are. In contrast, they have faced safety concerns and discrimination in the U.S., including incidents where motorists have tried to ram their electric vehicle off the road.
Benjamin Fields, a UC Berkeley student, has booked a trip to Cameroon during the upcoming presidential election period due to safety concerns in the U.S. He believes that political unrest and divisiveness in the country pose a risk to his well-being. Fields plans to eventually split his time between the U.S., Cameroon, and Europe, where his girlfriend lives.
Rachel Gallagher, who has been living in Seville, Spain for the past seven years, has no plans to return to the U.S. She finds the political system in the U.S. unstable and believes that her career prospects are better in Europe. Gallagher advises Americans considering moving abroad to research the local economy and housing market to avoid driving up prices for locals.
Overall, these individuals are part of a growing trend of Americans looking to start a new life in other countries due to their dissatisfaction with the political climate and social issues in the U.S.