How long has it been since you lived out of your native country

[Presnock]

5 minutes ago, camper star said:

Sadly, I'd have to agree with you. Too much comfort in peoples daily lives ruined the "cherish every day one is alive " attitude these days there.

Totally agree.  I have relatives including a daughter living in the US.  And like you say, it is a different country from that in which I grew up MD E. Shore near between  large bay and the ocean and do miss the fishing and beach area much different than that here.  The weather patterns there are changing too and not in positive manner based  on the news clips I see daily and in chats with my daugher there and friends in other states.  No one seems happy there  anymore and worried about the future.  A shame but hopefully things will improve before too long.

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

Sorry.

To clarify, I meant that some countries will "stamp out" their citizens.

 

But, in the past, the USA never did this.

When you leave the USA, at least in the past, US citizens never were stamped OUT.

Whether or not they were stamped IN....I forget.

It's been a very, very long time.

 

First here in Thailand in 1971.

But then, returned to USA for uni.

Then back again to Asia.

Have not left Asia since....1979, except for a very brief interlude in Naples FLA.

That was a nice town....which is now....RUINED...judging from images and vids on the internet.

 

 

 

20 minutes ago, camper star said:

I visited Naples while stationed at Homestead AFB. Beautiful back then in the 70's

 

I liked that  whole area, Tampa down to Naples.  Use to visit Sarasota, 1981/82, when I worked for Altair @ EWR, and was a nice break, since having friends there and a place to stay for couple days.

 

Then lived on & off, at Clearwater a couple weeks a month.  Work a couple weeks, take a couple weeks off, having a friend w/bennies living there.  Think I lived  on Grouper sandwiches & Red Stripe, at Frenchy's, Clearwater Beach, that was 1990/91.   

 

That's when I seriously thought about retiring in FL, till I was there for a whole summer ... brutal.  So moved to TH instead ... F'g brillent ... 

 

Even flew to Tampa one day / night, to watch EC do a concert 

Damn I loved working for the airlines 😎

[FriscoKid]

10,718 days or 257,232 hours. 
 

Why leave Japan now @camper star ? Bob (Kobe) Smith loves it! 

[camper star]

7 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

 

 

I liked that  whole area, Tampa down to Naples.  Use to visit Sarasota, 1981/82, when I worked for Altair @ EWR, and was a nice break, since having friends there and a place to stay for couple days.

 

Then lived on & off, at Clearwater a couple weeks a month.  Work a couple weeks, take a couple weeks off, having a friend w/bennies living there.  Think I lived  on Grouper sandwiches & Red Stripe, at Frenchy's, Clearwater Beach, that was 1990/91.   

 

That's when I seriously thought about retiring in FL, till I was there for a whole summer ... brutal.  So moved to TH instead ... F'g brillent ... 

 

Even flew to Tampa one day / night, to watch EC do a concert 

Damn I loved working for the airlines 😎

I love your free style attitude. Actually that is me also. Think wisely, live within your income of freedom awaits one, no matter what country one is in.

[camper star]

2 minutes ago, FriscoKid said:

10,718 days or 257,232 hours. 
 

Why leave Japan now @camper star ? Bob (Kobe) Smith loves it! 

As the tide of change of life and togetherness drops like the falling leaves on a tree of life, one must face a new challenge in life. Life is full of risk, but I say so what at the age I'm at. 

[Andrew Dwyer]

4 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

 

 

I liked that  whole area, Tampa down to Naples.  Use to visit Sarasota, 1980/81, when I worked for Altair @ EWR, and was a nice break, since having friends there and a place to stay for couple days.

 

Then lived on & off, at Clearwater a couple weeks a month.  Work a couple weeks, take a couple weeks off, having a friend w/bennies living there.  Think I lived  on Grouper sandwiches & Red Stripe, at Frenchy's, Clearwater Beach, that was 1990/91.   

 

That's when I seriously thought about retiring in FL, till I was there for a whole summer ... brutal.  So moved to TH instead ... F'g brillent ... 

 

Even flew to Tampa one day / night, to watch EC do a concert 

Damn I loved working for the airlines 😎

Worked many times in Tampa in the late 90’s, McKinley Drive just down the road from Busch Gardens and 20 minutes to Clearwater Beach.

Stayed at a place called Quality Suites, a real holiday crowd, everyone in the pool.

We would come back from work sweaty and stinking of oil, straight into the free happy hour ( beer and snacks ) lying on loungers next to holiday makers.

Factory got shutdown and machinery went to Chippewa Falls for refurbishing then on to Milwaukee for installation, another couple of years work for me, great times.

[connda]

6 hours ago, KhunLA said:

14 Sept 2000 .... Bye Bye USA

 

Got me beat by about seven years.  One of my last fond memories was of a very overweight, black TSA lady at LAX screaming - and I mean quite literally screaming - at people in line to move faster. She reminded me of the Navy Seals during Navy swim training in San Diego screaming at all the "polywogs" to, "MOVE MOVE MOVE! NUT TO BUTT, NUT TO BUTT! MOVE!."  I expected that in the military as it's a rite of passage. But by the freaking TSA?  Rude and unprofessional beyond belief. Total power trips . And I hear it has only gotten worse. But? I don't know, I haven't been back.
Anyway, It was a relief to be in the air on that particular LAX to BKK flight where they bumped me from economy to business class for free as I was dressed "business casual" as I usually do when I travel.  I guess you take the good with the bad.  It was good to leave.  Do I miss anything?  I miss skiing as one of the hats I wore in the past was as a Professional Ski Instructor. But at my age now? I would have been spending more time in the lodge and  less time on the slopes.  And I miss seeing family now and then, but air flights fly both ways. Not even one family member has expressed interest over the years to come visit even though there is an open invitation. Like we live in a valley surrounded by national and regional parks. We have a rai of land two house, one of which is a guest house. But no one is interested.  I find that sort sad as Thailand is "Life, Culture, and History in Technicolor" compared to the US. I think a lot of Americans are that way - they don't leave their home towns no less the state they live in, and never really get out and travel the world.  I've done a lifetime of traveling and at my age, it is time to settle in and enjoy "home."
So really, what's to miss?  My extended family made up of Thais with a couple of long-stay farang tossed in the mix is now in Thailand.  Family is where you put down roots. The roots are sunk here - This Is Home!

[FriscoKid]

1 minute ago, camper star said:

As the tide of change of life and togetherness drops like the falling leaves on a tree of life, one must face a new challenge in life. Life is full of risk, but I say so what at the age I'm at. 

 

For all its quirks, I love Japan. As an observer, like a fly on the wall, it’s fascinating to watch the worker bees buzzing around the hive, each one tracing familiar circles. And when the weather is kind, the clean, perfectly organized outdoor spaces are unmatched anywhere else in Asia. That said, I think living there would feel a bit too stifling for me. Thailand, for all its chaos and imperfections, is where I’d choose to stay any day over Japan. The variety, the unpredictability, the sheer range of opportunities in Thailand could never be overstated.

[Letseng]

6 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

15 years in Japan

25 years in Thailand.

I sure as hell won't be going back to the U.S. anytime soon. I haven't even visited in almost 15 years.

Who knows what's next?

Left home 60 yrs ago. Spread my time over 10 countries. Best time was in African countries & Cambodia. Yet the longest time I have been in Thailand.

[Thingamabob]

Left UK finally in 1980. I make that 45 years, spent mainly in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan.

[connda]

1 hour ago, FolkGuitar said:

The 'America' that I grew up in is gone.

Yep!   Pretty much unrecognizable from the post-WWII American I grew up in.  Then lets not even talk about post-WWII London where I first went to school.  For anyone wondering, yeah, I'm a Yank.

[save the frogs]

11 hours ago, connda said:

Yep!   Pretty much unrecognizable from the post-WWII American I grew up in.  Then lets not even talk about post-WWII London where I first went to school.  For anyone wondering, yeah, I'm a Yank.

unrecognizable is a common term used.

and then people jump to the conclusion that they would never want to go back to their home country because it has changed so much.

it's almost like going to a new country for the first time. if you "acclimate" yourself, you'll find a lot of things to like about it. and some things haven't changed, no matter where you're from. so there's also the sense of the familiar. 

I don't like living abroad perpetually. I like popping in and out. 

[GammaGlobulin]

4 hours ago, jaywalker2 said:

Japanese writing is difficult because of the three writing systems: kanji, hiragana and katakana. The spoken language is much easier to learn than Thai. No tones and grammar much less complex than English

 

Well, maybe I just have a mind for Thai.

And, maybe you just have a mind for Japanese.

 

Anyway, I was merely reporting that I found spoken Japanese super difficult, due to the grammar.

 

However, since I could already read Chinese, reading Japanese was made quite easy for me.

 

[GammaGlobulin]

4 hours ago, camper star said:

I visited Naples while stationed at Homestead AFB. Beautiful back then in the 70's

 

A gem, truly.

And, it was quite isolated from the rest of the Florida dump.

I recall the Homestead Hurricane.

I was not there, at the time, obviously.

 

[newnative]

2 years in Japan as a child.  4 years on Okinawa as a teenager.  Will be starting my 15th year here in June.  

[Kinnock]

18 years .... only head back to UK for important family events as I'm not keen on Islamic countries.

[lavender19]

30 years

[radiochaser]

15 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

Arrived at New York in February, 1957 on the SS United States. 68 years ago.

SS United States is a retired American ocean liner that was built during 1950 and 1951 for United States Lines. 

Address: Pier 82, Philadelphia, PA 19148

 

If you go to Ikea in Philadelphia and eat in their restaurant, you can see the ship from there. 

 

 

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

2 hours ago, radiochaser said:

SS United States is a retired American ocean liner that was built during 1950 and 1951 for United States Lines. 

Address: Pier 82, Philadelphia, PA 19148

 

If you go to Ikea in Philadelphia and eat in their restaurant, you can see the ship from there. 

 

 

 

 

She's no longer in Philadelphia. She's been towed to Alabama awaiting scuttling to make an artificial reef.

[EVENKEEL]

22 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

15 years in Japan

25 years in Thailand.

I sure as hell won't be going back to the U.S. anytime soon. I haven't even visited in almost 15 years.

Who knows what's next?

My 5 week visit in USA is coming to an end. Traveled all over. It's pricey for sure.

[Lacessit]

I will only go back to Australia for medical care I can't get here, or if it's cheaper to fly there than have surgery here.

 

I have a better quality of life here than I do in Australia.

 

15 years here.

[The Fugitive]

12 hours ago, Kinnock said:

18 years .... only head back to UK for important family events as I'm not keen on Islamic countries.

Irish are worse (IMHO).

[FolkGuitar]

1 hour ago, EVENKEEL said:

My 5 week visit in USA is coming to an end. Traveled all over. It's pricey for sure.

Because of its size, the diversity found in the US is simply amazing; from rainforests to glaciers, Mega-cities to hobo camps, it's all there for people to enjoy.

 

It's just a shame that the natural beauty of its National Parks is about to be raped and ravaged by Timber and Oil companies, with pipelines laying down over aquifers, logging roads blocking migration routes, and its wetlands and rivers soon to be devoid of wildlife because of industrial run-off now being unchecked.
See it now before it's destroyed.

 

"See the USA in your Chevrolet!" Oh wait... Aren't Chevys made in Mexico these days?

[FolkGuitar]

 

12 hours ago, Kinnock said:

18 years .... only head back to UK for important family events as I'm not keen on Islamic countries.

 

At first, when I read this, it bothered me a bit.  'Islamic countries.' (Yes, I realized it was stated with tongue-in-cheek bias. ) Isn't that being bigoted?

 

But then I realized that I, too, have my own prejudices.  I don't enjoy visiting Roman Catholic countries. Don't care for the Philippines, Mexico, Guam, Spain, etc. Beautiful places with lovely people, but...

And it's NOT the 'religion.' I don't care to which God a person prays, or why. But there is something about the Roman Catholic 'culture' that just doesn't suit me.

[Maejo Man]

23 hours ago, oxo1947 said:

53 years

 

 

Left the UK when I was 24 and will be 82 (hopefully) in 5 months,so that makes around 58 years

[radiochaser]

2 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

 

 

She's no longer in Philadelphia. She's been towed to Alabama awaiting scuttling to make an artificial reef.

NNNNnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!  

Oh well. 

[Tom89]

18 hours ago, connda said:

Got me beat by about seven years.  One of my last fond memories was of a very overweight, black TSA lady at LAX screaming - and I mean quite literally screaming - at people in line to move faster. She reminded me of the Navy Seals during Navy swim training in San Diego screaming at all the "polywogs" to, "MOVE MOVE MOVE! NUT TO BUTT, NUT TO BUTT! MOVE!."  I expected that in the military as it's a rite of passage. But by the freaking TSA?  Rude and unprofessional beyond belief. Total power trips . And I hear it has only gotten worse. But? I don't know, I haven't been back.

I've experienced similar in Chicago and NY. There are absolutely no manners in the US any more. I prefer Asia by a long shot.

[Digitalbanana]

When we only got 15 days visa exempt, 7 days extensions and thought nothing of 100THB/d overstays. Not my first visit, but the older passport was stolen before scanners became a thing.

 

[Freddy42OZ]

Coming up on 56 years in Asia, 17+ of which have been in Thailand.

 

[FolkGuitar]

There is always one...

No matter what I post, there is always ONE person who is confused.
I could post "Today is Friday" and I believe that person would still be confused.

 

I posted this a day or two ago. Several people either agreed, liked, or appreciated.  And of course, one person was confused.

---------------------------

"15 years in Japan

25 years in Thailand.

I sure as hell won't be going back to the U.S. anytime soon. I haven't even visited in almost 15 years.

Who knows what's next?

-------------------------------

... and this confused someone.

Hey, if you send me a private message each time I confuse you, I'll be happy to explain. It seems to happen to you often.