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The Expatriate Writer
By Jens Porup
"Never have I seen my homeland and the true life of my homeland
so fully, so clearly, and at such close range, as I did in my
absence when I was far away from it."
--Henrik Ibsen
Ibsen was a self-imposed exile from his native Norway for nearly
thirty years, and wrote all of his most important plays from
abroad. The list of famous expatriate writers goes on and on:
Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Samuel Beckett, Tennessee
Williams, William S. Burroughs, and even that peripatetic and
quintessentially American author, Mark Twain.
Why did they leave to go abroad? Why would you even consider it?
First, poverty. Simply staying afloat these days in America can
keep you busy 24/7; where and when there's time for creative
inspiration is anyone's guess.
Me, I live and live well in South America on around $500/month.
I eat well, I have a nice, if not luxurious, apartment, and a
decent high-speed Internet connection. And most importantly? I
can focus my entire energy on my work.
Second, for a clearer view of the world. I myself have been an
expatriate for nearly eight years, and I must concur with Ibsen:
I never truly understood America until I left America.
Third, there's something to write about. Your daily routine of
office day job, dry cleaners, and fish fingers dinner ain't all
that exciting, people. Me? I live in Colombia. I love it. You
never know when a bomb might go off and tear off a limb or two.
Of course, Colombia is probably not for most people. But there
are many countries in the world where you can live quite cheaply
to give yourself the time to write. All of Latin America comes
to mind. South Africa, especially Cape Town, is hip right now.
Southeast Asia is a popular spot, and for the rock bottom
budget novelist with a trilogy on his to-do list, India heads
the pack as one of the cheapest places in the world to
be an expat.
There are practicalities to consider when moving abroad. Unless
you're planning to travel and write at the same time (which I
personally find difficult to do) you're going to want to settle
down somewhere, a place your laptop can call home.
Are you prepared to learn a foreign language, or will you only
live in an English-speaking country? Do you want to live among
ex-pats? Or do you prefer the challenge of living with the locals?
If recent rises in the cost of health insurance are scaring
you off freelancing, be aware that cash-up-front medical care
in most parts of the world is a tiny fraction of what it costs
in the U.S. I recently saw a doctor here in Cali who charged me
45,000 pesos ($20) for a 45-minute, unhurried consultation.
Need drugs? Laughably cheap. Surgery? Equal or better to
American health care, and for a fraction of the cost.
Moving abroad can also save you a great deal of money in taxes.
If you spend less than 30 days per year in the United States,
you receive a tax exemption on income up to $82,400. The only
downside is that, as a self-employed writer running a freelance
business, you are still required to pay the 15% self-employment
tax. The only way to avoid the 15% tax is if you establish tax
residency in a country that has a social security
("totalization") treaty with the U.S.
Here are some resources to get your started:
Escape From America Magazine
www.escapefromamerica.com
Bootsnall Travel Stories
www.bootsnall.com
Lonely Planet
www.lonelyplanet.com
IRS topics for overseas residents
www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international
Social Security (Self-Employment) Tax Treaty Information
www.ssa.gov/international
MediBroker offers expatriate health insurance
www.medibroker.com
Going abroad can save you heaps of money and give you time
to write. It will also most certainly make you a more
interesting person and give you something exciting to write
about.
BIO
Jens Porup (www.jensporup.com) is a freelance writer, playwright,
essayist, and short story writer. He recently co-authored Lonely
Planet's guidebook to Venezuela, and is currently at work on his
first novel. He lives in Cali, Colombia.
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