northshore,
are you by any chance from the northshore of Chicago?
If so let me know - i did spend a year living in Europe (Prague to be exact) and have friends from all over the contintent. Feel free to email me at [email protected] and I can get you information on how to find housing when you finalize the countries you're going to.

Whoa. Maybe I totally misunderstood. I didn't think they meant fly back to the US and check in. I was thinking they meant call or contact an embassy to let them know where you all, that's all.
I guess I'm being naive in thinking that such a program would be a method of "watching out" for us. The statement that a person in trouble can always contact an embassy has a major flaw. If I've been kidnapped or murdered, how would I be contacting an embassy? I guess my idea was (and yes, I know this will never happen) that if I didn't "check in" after a certain period of time, they'd check on me. Wishful thinking, huh?

In any case, I only meant that being required to "contact" the government to let them know you are all right and haven't fled the country permanently, wouldn't be considered an invasion of my personal rights by me!

Ooops. I was busy composing while you posted, BTilke.

As I mentioned my scenario is how I'd like to THINK it would be. Unfortunately, your scenario is how I'm sure it WOULD BE.

Very interesting thread, and somewhat inspirational, too. Mr SB and I would love to travel as much and as far as budgets and health will allow, until one or the other (or both) gets in the way. I haven't quite resolved what I would do about missing my two adorable grandsons, though...

Back to the subject at hand. As a Brit expat, now US/dual citizen, I have a fuzzy recollection that there was some kind of regulation that could end your citizenship somehow if you lived overseas for some specific (long) period, without visiting US shores. Your trip wouldn't come close to that, Northshore, assuming there is still such a regulation, and since you won't be working, taxation issues probably won't arise either.

Did a rather fruitless Google search to see if I could find out any specifics on this -- but I did come across this from State Dept, which may have some useful links/info.
<http://www.firstgov.gov/Topics/Ameri...road.shtml>

For a "done that" perspective, you might read "Without Reservations" by Alice Steinbach. She took a 9-month sabbatical from her journalism job to travel France, England and Italy alone. I think we need to move towards Gap Years for grownups ;-) -- saw a TV series about people doing just that when we were in England in March.

Best of luck with your plans, and be sure to keep posting so we can vicariously share your trip!

The hostage situation finished on a sour note, too. My in-laws (mum-in-law first, then father-in-law a few weeks later) had a chance to get out before the American hostages were freed by leaving with the Canadians on their Canadian passport. Now, they knew they were supposed to travel on their American passports. To resolve the problem, one of the Canadian embassy officials contacted a high-up U.S. embassy official in Kuwait to see if it would be ok for them to fly on their Canadian passports in this instance. The U.S. embassy guy said, of course, if they can get out, they should go any way they can. All well and good. BUT in the period between their leaving the Gulf and getting back to the U.S., we got a call from an incredibly snotty low-level State Department flunky (probably an intern), insinuating that an investigation would be launched on why my in-laws didn't fly on their U.S. passports as they should have. I demanded to speak to her supervisor and gave him a pretty thorough ticking off. That was the last we heard from the State Department.

Anyway, NorthShore, your plan sounds wonderful and I hope you manage to do it! Please keep us updated--you will have a lot of Fodorites cheering you on.

Patrick, Quite honestly, and only since you asked direct, I couldn't care less. I do not mean this to sound harsh in your direction, because it was walkinaround with the dumb statements IMO... but I save my strong opinions for situations that are fact based. Since it turns out the U.S. does not, never did, require "check in" that's the end of my thoughts on the subject.


kindly, s.

suze, i really don't know who you are and nothing was directed at you. you must harbour some resentment for me as your aggressive post was completely out of proportion with my harmless observation...an observation that involved you in no way at all.

<i find it fascinating that so many people here accepted this premise without much thought... why did so many accept this as likely?>

walkinaround, i was involved only because I am one of the "many people here" you referred to, as I assume you meant the other posters.

<would send shivers up my spine. talk about an infringement on personal freedoms!... have liberties eroded so much in the US that people actually find that it would be plausable that the US government would restrict its citizens in such a major way?>

is hardly a "harmless observation" IMO.

Can we please stop this? because I was really enjoying the original thread about planning a long term adventure in Europe and hearing about NorthShore's plans and was upset that your little tirade got things off-topic.

>>>>
posted late at night on a holiday weekend. Not exactly fodor rush hour. Most people were either asleep or with their families/friends over the long weekend.
>>>>

this is an international board. therefore, we should never assume when people are asleep and what holidays we celebrate :-)

yes of course it is possible for anyone to deposit a foreign cheque. what i meant was that it probably wouldn't be accepted because the gov't office does not want to pay the charges nor do they want the hassles...just as a US court would not accept a speeding fine paid in euro.

"this is an international board. therefore, we should never assume when people are asleep and what holidays we celebrate "

walkinaround, I'm well aware that this is an international forum. But I can count hours on the clock and determine whether or not the target audience is likely to be available to respond. Can you?

You drew a sweeping conclusion that an entire US population doesn't care about the erosion of civil liberties because no one jumped all over AAFF's comment about the US State Dept reqmnt to "check in." He posted late at night on a holiday weekend. Much of the US was asleep or, better yet, on vacation and away from their blasted computers. By morning, AAFF had corrected his own error.

Patrick, you asked:

do you agree that IF the US government required its citizens to check in with them that you'd consider that a horrible violation of your personal rights?

No, certainly not as you subsequently described in later posts. In the past, I've held security clearances requiring permission to travel abroad and the need to report foreign contacts. I didn't mind.

I tried to post this last night but couldn't get a message to stick. Since there's another post about the politeness of responding I'm just closing the loop. I realize the confusion about "checking in" got cleared up.

BTilke's experience sounds horrible. A nightmare.

I'm done highjacking NorthShore's post now.

NorthShore, sounds like a fantastic trip! Can't wait to hear about plans as they evolve.

ttt

Northshore -

I just read a book called "Living Abroad in Italy" by John Moretti. It has a wealth of information about areas to live, costs, real estate websites etc. Its from Avalon publishers (www.travelmatters.com) but I think i got it from Amazon.

The book states you can get a short stay permit to extend your stay from 3 to 6 months in Italy. If you plan to stay longer, you can apply for a "permesso di soggiorno". This is after you get your visa.

Anyways - that book might be useful to you and I know they have others in the series on other countries besides It.

Have you narrowed down your 30 day stay cities? I have heard good things about Lyon.

Starsville
Did you say cottage? lavender? Provence???? can you give more details Pretty please?

I'm not on my computer where I have it saved on as a favorite. I have the printout at the other house, so I'll look up the weblink this weekend and forward it.

I will wait very patiently. :-)

Between this & the other post about year-long travel in Europe I've spent a lot of time thinking about it for me. I could rent my house and do this. But can I live out of a suitcase for a year? How would I get my prescriptions refilled?? What would I do with the fun "stuff" I bought along the way? Mail it back to my family, I guess. I've started a word doc with all these great ideas for if/when I really decide to do it. Has anyone done this alone?? I figure some of my girlfriends might want to meet up with me from time to time. I could bring a laptop for internet connection. Just thinking aloud here...

I'd love to hear from more people who have done this.
Cheers!
Cobbie

You are not alone. I have been researching and planning for a couple of years. I was planning to find an apartment in a small town somewhere in France or Spain. I would make that my base. I plan to apply for a long stay visa or resident visa (depending where I go). Hopefully it will not be such a complicated process, especially if you have guaranteed income and medical insurance. Of course, I may have to buy additional medical insurance. I am still researching this topic. I have been talking with my doctor and she agrees that it is certainly possible. She is willing to work with me and help me figure it all out.

I am vacillating on what to do with my house. I worry whether I want to rent my home or sell my home. I have heard bad stories when you rent your home and how it can be damaged. Decisions, decisions.

I am not afraid to be alone. I think I will enjoy taking my time and observing whatever I want to observe for as long as I want to do it. I have never done that before. I have so many friends that are just waiting for me to take the plunge so that they can join me while on vacation. Many are really afraid to do this on their own.

I am also here on the prowl, waiting for any precious bit of information that might help me. I live to read those trip reports. My family is beginning to worry about this addiction of mine.