# You Decide You Have to Leave Your Country. Where Do You Go and Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 31, 2025, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-decide-you-have-to-leave-your-country-where-do-you-go-and-why/1016395 "2025-03-31T12:46:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-decide-you-have-to-leave-your-country-where-do-you-go-and-why/1016395/121 "2025-05-22T21:41:49Z")
I’m so sorry things are difficult for you. In spite of his cockiness, Tony was troubled-- he did, after all, take his own life. Being in this world can be very, very difficult. My issues aren’t the same as yours but I still struggle every day. I thought that by the time I got to be this old, I’d have figured out what the heck I’m doing here. No such luck. Big, warm fuzzy hugs to you. BTW, even though Texas is the land of Big Beef and hunting, I know lots of people around here who are vegetarians and even vegan. Anyone who is so clueless as to _notice_, let alone comment on your dietary choices deserves only the cold, death-ray stare. Returning now to our regularly scheduled program in progress… ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-decide-you-have-to-leave-your-country-where-do-you-go-and-why/1016395/122 "2025-05-22T22:10:11Z")
I’ll fix this later. But enough with the hijack. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-decide-you-have-to-leave-your-country-where-do-you-go-and-why/1016395/123 "2025-05-22T23:05:27Z")
This topic was automatically opened after 55 minutes. I hid all of the most off-topic stuff. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-decide-you-have-to-leave-your-country-where-do-you-go-and-why/1016395/124 "2025-05-23T00:01:35Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > This is what my brother did when he moved to Costa Rica. He’s been there over ten years now and still likes it. Well, he recently moved from nearly right on the beach on the Caribbean side to over the mountains to a more highland site closer to San Jose. It was just too hot for his wife at sea level, and it really aggravated some of her health issues. Although CR does provide universal health care – even for non-citizen permanent residents. I finally heard from my lawyer who is working on my paperwork. Once it’s completed, we’re going to build a house. My wife might live part of the year in the US until her parents die, but once I leave, I hope to never set foot in America again. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-decide-you-have-to-leave-your-country-where-do-you-go-and-why/1016395/125 "2025-05-23T01:49:38Z")
> [@Charlie\_Tan](#): > > Could someone explain the (I think American) affinity for Portugal. I mean it’s nice and all, but I can’t help but raise a few questions (even if this is a fantasy thread): Well, I have a friend who expects to get Portugese legal residency this summer, and he did it because it was the easiest European country to “buy” into. And also, he can maintain legal residency there without needing to move there full time. So he can stay where he is now until/unless he feels he needs to flee. (He has to visit a few days a year, I think. But not actually live there.) So that was one reason to do it. The visa program he used has been shut down, but they are continuing to process the people who were “in the works” before they closed it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-decide-you-have-to-leave-your-country-where-do-you-go-and-why/1016395.md?page=6)