I'm currently in the US for family/personal reasons and will be here for quite a long while.
I can honestly say that I've had more fun and adventures when it comes to glamorous living, beautiful foreign women, and one-of-a-kind experiences over the last decade than 99% of my friends who remained back in the US.
As a result, it's a little bit of an adjustment being back here -- although also a much-needed period of rest and recuperation for my body and mind.
The advantages of being back here have been:
1. Minimal expenses. I used to pay anywhere from $1000 to $2500 a month in rental expenses alone when I was living abroad. That's now dropped down to zero as I own my place property in the US.
2. Rest & Relaxation. Unfortunately, I no longer have an ever-changing, revolving line-up of exotic blondes and brunettes that I can choose to do on any given night of the week. On the other hand, I'm no longer punishing my liver with whiskey and I get 9 hours of sleep every night.
3. Fitness. The US has the best Mixed Martial Arts gyms in the world. I train 1-2 times a day in Western boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or MMA. There's something deeply satisfying about practicing combat as a man.
4. Hanging with the guys. The lonely aspect of ex-pat life is not always having a good group of friends to hang out with. Many of my friends have moved away from where I live, but I still have a few around who I've known all my life. However, I have noticed that overloading them with too many stories of life abroad causes "shell-shock" -- so I need to remind myself to keep the crazier stories to myself to avoid coming off as a braggart.
5. More time for business. I'm launching a web site in 1 week which already has customers waiting, and will be putting together an iPhone application to be released early next year. I've also been able to attend some face-to-face meetings and generally get more networking done relevant to my line of work.
The downsides of being back:
1. I have no desire to go to any US club or bar. American women are vastly overrated and it's painful watching women who would be "invisible" where I used to live get mobbed by men who kiss their ass like they possess the last vagina on earth.
2. The visual scenery of strip malls, gas stations, freeways, McDonalds, Dunkin' Doughnuts, Kentucky Fried Chicken, fat women, sloppy dressed men & women, repeated to infinity, is not good for my poetic soul.
3. I'm no longer "special." It was nice being "the foreign guy" where I used to live because it automatically increased my value in the eyes of local women, and allowed me to enjoy an identity that was unique and somewhat compelling. Back in the US, at first glance at least, I'm just one of countless guys hustling to get his nut.
I can honestly say that I've had more fun and adventures when it comes to glamorous living, beautiful foreign women, and one-of-a-kind experiences over the last decade than 99% of my friends who remained back in the US.
As a result, it's a little bit of an adjustment being back here -- although also a much-needed period of rest and recuperation for my body and mind.
The advantages of being back here have been:
1. Minimal expenses. I used to pay anywhere from $1000 to $2500 a month in rental expenses alone when I was living abroad. That's now dropped down to zero as I own my place property in the US.
2. Rest & Relaxation. Unfortunately, I no longer have an ever-changing, revolving line-up of exotic blondes and brunettes that I can choose to do on any given night of the week. On the other hand, I'm no longer punishing my liver with whiskey and I get 9 hours of sleep every night.
3. Fitness. The US has the best Mixed Martial Arts gyms in the world. I train 1-2 times a day in Western boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or MMA. There's something deeply satisfying about practicing combat as a man.
4. Hanging with the guys. The lonely aspect of ex-pat life is not always having a good group of friends to hang out with. Many of my friends have moved away from where I live, but I still have a few around who I've known all my life. However, I have noticed that overloading them with too many stories of life abroad causes "shell-shock" -- so I need to remind myself to keep the crazier stories to myself to avoid coming off as a braggart.
5. More time for business. I'm launching a web site in 1 week which already has customers waiting, and will be putting together an iPhone application to be released early next year. I've also been able to attend some face-to-face meetings and generally get more networking done relevant to my line of work.
The downsides of being back:
1. I have no desire to go to any US club or bar. American women are vastly overrated and it's painful watching women who would be "invisible" where I used to live get mobbed by men who kiss their ass like they possess the last vagina on earth.
2. The visual scenery of strip malls, gas stations, freeways, McDonalds, Dunkin' Doughnuts, Kentucky Fried Chicken, fat women, sloppy dressed men & women, repeated to infinity, is not good for my poetic soul.
3. I'm no longer "special." It was nice being "the foreign guy" where I used to live because it automatically increased my value in the eyes of local women, and allowed me to enjoy an identity that was unique and somewhat compelling. Back in the US, at first glance at least, I'm just one of countless guys hustling to get his nut.