How to Leave the U.S.A.

"They'd always thought about retiring overseas, Debi said, but they moved up their timeline last spring because of Donald Trump's flagrant disregard of court orders; precursors, Bane noted, of full-blown authoritarianism. After he took office for the second time, "things got real," Debi said. "At first, we were hopeful things would get better, or not worse." "But they didn't," Bane deadpanned."

"Debi is a forty-two-year-old project manager with an easy laugh and dark bangs that frame her heart-shaped face. "It hasn't hit me yet that we're here, to be honest," she said. Bane, thirty-seven, works as a freelance photographer and manages social media for an orthopedic surgeon. He enjoys heavy metal and complex tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons and lets his wife do most of the talking."

Following President Trump's reelection, rising numbers of aggrieved Americans are exploring emigration, with the Netherlands emerging as an accessible option. Organized relocation operators such as G.T.F.O. Tours run immersive orientation trips that connect prospective emigrants with local systems and expatriate resources. Travelers from multiple states visit Dutch cities like Haarlem, touring sites and attending informational dinners at venues such as Jopenkerk. Couples like Debi and Bane accelerated retirement and emigration plans after citing perceived disregard for court orders and fears of authoritarianism. Emotional responses range from tentative excitement to pragmatic urgency as relocation plans move forward.

Read at The New Yorker