Exit Strategy

A couple of posts down I had mentioned that I sure hoped you had your "exit strategy" ready, to which Astrosmith responded...

Exit strategy?

I keep seeing our favorite bloggers talk about expatriating, but just where does one go? Especially if, like me, you don't have a lot of extra money.

That got me seriously thinking about the whole thing, about a plan I've been halfway mulling over for some time.

I think that Fred Reed has done the best one can with limited assets. He now lives in Mexico near Guadalajara, having found burros preferable to bureaucrats. Says Fred:

My hobbies are wind surfing, scuba, listening to blues, swing-dancing in dirt bars, associating with colorful maniacs, weight-lifting, and people of the other sex.

I'm retired here in Texas and can't afford any of that. Fred sounds like he's doing OK, and we do live within running distance of our open border with Mexico.

Fred maintains his American citizenship and visits often, but he is indeed all set up... if the America we all know starts to truly vanish, if the Marxists of the world like Obama and Pelosi cannot be de-fanged.

If things got to the point that getting the hell out was our only option, I'd need several things prearranged:

-1) Valid passports all ready to go.

-2) Having an account with a bank that has branches in Mexico, and verify that my debit and credit cards would work there, at least as long as they were worth anything.

-3) Have a good knowledge of an area in Mexico where many retired Americans already live(English is still my first language), what's available for sale or rent, how long and how much gas it would take to get there. Have a route already chosen, where to stop, where to keep moving. It would need to be an area that one could mostly walk to whatever store for the supplies they needed, stores in which communictaion was not impossible, a place where us gringos already have a substantial presence, sort of like the Mexicans do in Los Angeles.

-4) Make contact with people in the target area and get as much advice as I can from them.

-5) How much stuff I could actually get across a border checkpoint headed south.

-6) Get fluent in Mexico's version of Spanish, which sure as hell ain't what they speak in Spain.

-7)Keep tabs on the money exchange rate, where I can get the most pesos for a dollar, and stay aware of which currency is more desired in the target community.

Lastly, find out where I could rent something like an RV to head south in, and live in for awhile if necessary. I presently own a Chevy Cavalier, definitely the wrong vehicle for this kind of thing.

On our honeymoon, we had a full-sized pickup with a small camper containing camping equipment, ice chest, storage spaces and a 4'x 8' four-inch-thick piece of foam as a mattress with pillows, blankets, etc. It Worked out fine. something like that would make much more sense than our Cavalier.

Beside valid passports, what else would I need? Auto Insurance good in Mexico. Perhaps a Mexican Drivers license?

Since I'm in the same boat as Astrosmith, heading south is my only available option, if something like a terrorist nuke hits Dallas... with the fallout thoroughly dusting my little acre.

Whether it be for a month or two, or much more permanent, most of of this could be easily handled in advance. The vehicle, what to take with us, the money/cash/bank situation would take more planning and preparation.

It would be like planning for a long vacation in Mexico, but ready to go in 48 hours... with the idea that it might become a long stay.

But... what none of us can tell... Is if skipping to Mexico would be any better than just digging in where we are, and just taking on the bastards that would see us - and our nation - go down in flames.