"I figured I'd start traveling abroad. My company was kind enough to let me take a sabbatical while I sorted out my world. It turned out to be a mistake for them, because I decided I wasn't coming back. Over the last several years, Sheahan, now divorced, has traveled to nearly 50 countries, including Laos, Portugal, Madagascar, Turkey, and Vietnam."
"I feel like I outgrew a lot of people and places in the US. Don't get me wrong - I desperately miss my friends and family, especially my kids. But they're all able to travel, and they'd much rather visit me somewhere fun than grab a drink at a bar in Denver."
"Census Bureau data shows that net international migration - essentially, arrivals minus departures - hit a high of 2.7 million in 2024. By July 2025, that number had dropped to 1.3 million, and if the current trajectory holds, the Bureau forecasts it could fall again to about 321,000 in 2026."
Cindy Sheahan, 64, left the US after a personal crisis prompted her to prioritize her own wellbeing. She took a sabbatical from her company to travel and eventually decided not to return, instead settling in Palermo, Sicily. Over several years, she has visited nearly 50 countries and now lives abroad permanently. Census data reveals a significant shift in US migration patterns: net international migration fell from 2.7 million in 2024 to 1.3 million by July 2025, with forecasts suggesting it could drop to 321,000 in 2026. This decline results from fewer immigrants arriving and more Americans departing to live internationally, potentially marking the first net negative migration in over 50 years.
#american-expatriates #migration-trends #international-relocation #us-demographic-shifts #life-abroad
Read at Business Insider
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