I’ve decided to live a hotel-driven life. This lifestyle allows me to discover the unfolding chapters of my life while living an unconventional life.
Initially, I had decided to be an expat. Those few months of living as an expat in Georgia and my perspective as an immigrant changed the course of my view. That experience ignited a long-forgotten desire.
That is, to live a life without the constraints of everyday living. Let me explain.
First, let us unpack what changed my mind about being an expat. Initially, I was all gung-ho for it.
In 2017, I visited New Zealand and fell in love with Wellington, the capital. It was the ideal place to live, so I started exploring the opportunity to move there. However, because of my age, this was not possible. The New Zealandian Immigration System didn’t allow immigrants to come and stay long-term. You could only go there for a job.
Also, it is for persons 55 years or younger. I was approaching 55, and my chances were out.
My interest then switched to Portugal after visiting in 2018. The opportunity to migrate was more feasible.
There were systems and different types of visas available. The Portuguese culture is friendly, and although there is a language barrier, you can navigate the system. When needed, a translator could be hired to help with your documents.
I was excited and hired a Relocation Specialist to help me with Portugal’s visa requirements. I also opened an online bank account and hired a Company to secure my NIF(the Portuguese equivalent of a Tax ID).
I joined several Facebook Groups seeking information from persons planning to move or going through the process. I was trying to get ‘everything’ right.
I did my FBI background check. But as everything started to fall into place, there was a nagging question. ‘Am I doing the right thing’? I had this unsettling feeling. I will give up the life I want if I move to Portugal.
As a product of the Immigration system, I know you must make adjustments when you migrate. Further, in the case of Portugal, the visa is a two-step process.
In the initial interview, you submit your application to the Portuguese Consulate that services your State in the US.
If approved, the second interview will be conducted in Portugal. You will be approved for a Two-Year Residency Card if all goes well.
There are also some traveling restrictions. Although, you don’t have to adhere to the 90-day Schengen Rule. There is still the rule of how many days you could be out of Portugal without affecting the conditions of your Residency Card. This means, to an extent, your life is in limbo, and this was only initially for a year.
They extended the residency card for two years. Then you’re looking at the delay in processing applications since the COVID crisis. So even if you get through quickly in the US. The time frame for traveling in and out of Portugal without restrictions is up in the air.
One of the things I wanted to do was travel.
I will be in Portugal for a long time, and my travels will be restricted to Portugal. You could travel, but then you have a specific time; you can only be out of the country for a certain number of days within a particular period.
As I think about it, I must constantly note the number of days spent outside Portugal. I must be careful that my travels do not exceed the limit, which could seriously affect my residency.
I wanted a change of life, but not one with additional restrictions.
I’m not prepared to leave the US to go somewhere else to deal with restrictions.
Further, it would have been more costly for me to be in Portugal because of the USD to Euro exchange rate.
Then, the thing that really and truly put the final nail in the coffin was speaking with a Real Estate Agent. I asked about the one-year house rental agreement. This is part of the Visa application.
He asked if I had a Guarantor (someone to vouch for my credibility). I said no, which means I would have to make a larger deposit. The total will be around USD 11,000, an up-front, non-refundable amount. That also was one of my concerns.
Bear in mind that an approved visa is not guaranteed. However, the signed USD 11,000 Rental Agreement will be part of the visa application.
I am an immigrant who went through the visa process. I don’t care if you have all the T’s crossed. All the I’s dotted, and your paperwork lands on somebody’s desk. They decide to be vindictive, or they choose to push your paper around, or whatever the case might be.
They could! You have no way of knowing what they’re doing. You have no right to argue because, take it from me, whoever heads the department will not call you and say, “Oh Paula, I’m so sorry. Our officer processed your paper incorrectly. No! I know your final decision is not always based on what documents you submitted but on whoever your interviewing officer is.
So when I asked him, I said, “Well, okay. If I do not get the visa, what are my options?” He said, “Oh, well, you can’t get back any of the money.” He said, “Well, you just come here every 90 days.”
But then all my money would be tied up in another country I’m not sure about getting into, which would tie up my funds to travel elsewhere.
So, I decided I was not going to be an expat. I’m going to be traveling around. This is it now, in 2023. I decided to look for a central country that makes traveling to other regions easier and is budget-friendly.
I could use it as my base while I travel because jetlag drains my energy and is tiring when I travel and get back to the US. I was very, very tired for about one week.
Also, it is very, very expensive to get back to the USA. I walked away from my profession; I don’t have a home. Back in the USA, I’m just lingering around. After a few days, I will be planning my next trip. The chances of staying in one location for six to seven months are slim.
But I said, “Okay, I will get a base central.” I looked at two countries. I know for certain Albania and Georgia. Both countries I visited allow persons with a US passport to spend one year in that country without a visa.
You could go to school, work, or buy an apartment in Georgia, but not land. I’m not sure about Albania, but I chose Georgia over Albania.
Why? Albania had some horrible memories of dealing with Airbnb.
Secondly, Georgia’s infrastructure is far better than Albania’s.
Thirdly, Albania’s addresses are all mixed up. Finding places can be stressful because they can’t be located on Google Maps.
Things seem better in Georgia, and I had a better experience there. I didn’t realize it was better because I stayed in hotels in Georgia when I visited in 2022, while Albania was Airbnbs.
This is why I went to Georgia and Why I decided to Leave.
Well, I went to Georgia. It was fine. I spent a few weeks in a hotel, got an apartment to rent, and was excited and gong ho.
First, I’m feeling so good about moving into the place. I put my first cookbook on the countertop, and everything went great. All my suitcases are unpacked. Then you suddenly realize you need food storage containers.
I’m buying several different cleaning supplies because I can’t understand what they say. Many things are highly scented, such as those strong rose scents, which I do not like. I was searching for the proper cleaning agent, which was very annoying.
Sometimes, you buy something labeled unscented. It is not unscented but has a less rose scent. It is still heavily scented, so I’m buying different cleaning products.
Suddenly, I realized I needed a duvet for my bed, a blanket, a lamp, and all these things to get into this house. Oh, and I forgot an electric iron.
One of the things I realized very early is that things don’t happen promptly. People have their way of doing things. I experienced that when the elevator broke four days after I moved into the apartment. It took three months, and I constantly called my Landlord before it was repaired.
I didn’t leave America and go somewhere else, expecting everything and to be like America because then I would have stayed in America. But you realize that when you’re in a living situation, in a home or an apartment, you sign a lease, and you have internet, electricity, water bill, and all these things. It is pretty different from when you are visiting.
It’s even different from when you’re in an Airbnb and, for sure, in a hotel. So, things that you do not take note of suddenly became obvious. Things that never used to bother and irritate you suddenly start bothering and annoying you.
One of the things I realized very early in Georgia is that Georgia is dusty.
It is very, very, very, very dusty. You would observe if you visit there, you go into a store that always has somebody mopping and cleaning.
Initially, I thought it was because they might be so obsessive about keeping the place neat and clean, which part of it they clean, but they clean so much because of the dust.
I went to the dentist. The first thing you see as you enter is shoe guards. They look like giant shower caps.
Mind you, even with all of that, there’s still someone cleaning. The office maintenance staff is constantly cleaning.
Georgia is full of dust, and my apartment is lovely but very dusty. I had said to someone that if I could have moved the whole apartment and put it somewhere else, gladly, I would have done that.
However, several other construction sites are nearby, and dust is everywhere. When you come in, your shoes are always dirty. You also have to clean constantly. You can’t hire a cleaner to come in two or three times a week; the cleaner has to be full-time because I’m telling you this dust will roll up all over.
And then all these little things started to get to me.
When I left Atlanta, I got rid of every piece of item. I rented a storage unit, and within a year, I got rid of the storage unit. And I made a vow to myself that, for the rest of my life, I will never accumulate so much stuff again.
And then you go into this place and suddenly start buying this, and you’re buying that. And then you remember, I need olive oil; I must get this. The breaking point for me came in the morning. I suddenly got de ja vu when I realized I needed eggs. That is what exactly I was doing in Atlanta.
For some people, it’s life’s mundane things; there is what you do. But for me, after a while, it started getting to me. You have to remember this. You have to do this. If the lights go off, you have to call Georgia Power. You have to check the internet. You got. And I’m thinking, Paula, you left Atlanta, Georgia, to come to Tbilisi, Georgia, and do the same thing.
And really and truly, even if you’re thinking about cost, there isn’t much difference in my cost of living between Atlanta and Tbilisi. I started to ask myself, what are you doing? I’m still traveling because this is one of the things that I want to do.
I realize I have an expensive storage unit because I wasn’t there. But it’s a place to keep your stuff, and you have to come back, and you have a responsibility. Even when traveling, I must remember my rent is due on the 19th. I have to start the transfer process by the 15th to ensure it reaches my Landlord on the 19th before my Landlord gets upset.
And you got all of that. I remember when this feeling of needing a change first started in 2014. It was hard to explain because nothing would make me want to change visually. I didn’t go through a divorce, have health problems, or have children problems. These are usually the catalysts for changes in someone’s life.
When I tried to explain it to people, they couldn’t understand, and even to me, it wasn’t easy. I couldn’t understand. Within a brief moment, I remembered that I wanted this change. I did not want to have a life with responsibility.
I know they have some things I am responsible for. I have to pay my phone bill or whatever the case might be. But I do not want this everyday mundane life. That is, doing the same things every Friday, every Tuesday, every Wednesday, or every Thursday.
When this whole memory returned, it was a bit scary because although I had changed in many different ways, I was still stuck in my old ways.
While on one of my trips, I started thinking about this: “The beauty about Georgia is that you could give the Landlord 30 days’ notice, or he could give you 30 days’ notice in which you will give up the apartment.” I read my lease, drafted the letter, and sent it to him. He texted asking where I was; I said I was out of the country.
I started to panic. Did I do the right thing? You’re able to pay your bills; your things are there. He isn’t a horrible landlord or whatever the case may be. The place is there with the construction, not the construction outside, the construction that’s going on in the apartment next to you, the drilling all hours.
It was a lot, but guess what the Holy Spirit did? When I return to Georgia.
REASON #1: change with the immigration process?
Let me tell you a bit about the airport. It’s small. I never saw two planes landing. Any time I’m there, it’s just this one. Whenever I go in, it’s the one flight leaving or landing.
But it is so set up that you arrive in the upstairs part of the terminal. That’s where the Custom Officers are located. You have to go downstairs to get your baggage. The minute you pass through customs, there is a whole corridor. Anyone downstairs, and if the door to the outside is open, people waiting to pick up guests might even be able to see you.
That’s how big the place is. There’s an escalator and an elevator to take you to the baggage pickup and the exit. The escalator is so short that I’m telling you, if it’s not working, even if you’ve got a heavy bag, two by two, you’ll be able to get downstairs.
About four officers are observing you come down those stairs. There’s one way in and one way out. They’re observing you. You come downstairs. I always have to go to carousel one because, as usual, only one plane is coming in. You go to your right, collect your bags, and exit. They’re watching to see who comes downstairs and who collects bags.
Why, when I exited the door, like going out to reach the taxi or the airport bus?
There was a man in uniform. I don’t know if he’s a regular police officer or a customs officer. He pushed his hand and said something. I knew he was asking for my passport, so I gave him mine.
He stood there and leafed through it, and then he pushed it back to me—just pushed it back to me. He didn’t even look in my direction, so he walked off. I said, “Okay, things could be changing.”
REASON # 2 ‘YANKEE GO HOME’
Two days later, I was going to see the dentist. I was sitting at the back of the taxi, still tired of everything. The minute I returned, I started breaking down the place, putting things away, sorting out laundry, and setting up my donation pile.
The taxi stopped at the traffic light, and I saw the sign. If you go to Georgia, there are always graffiti around the place. For a while, all the ugly words were directed at Russia and in defense of Ukraine: “Go home,” and all this sort of stuff. But for the first time, and the only time I saw it, there was this big graffiti on the wall: YANKEE, GO HOME.
I said, “Thank you, Father. “Sometimes, you just second-guess what you’re doing and don’t know if you’re doing the right thing. And you’re thinking, “Oh, I’ll just make one change, and I’ll spend so much money, and the year hasn’t ended, and all of this stuff. That is it.
REASON #3: YOU CAN BE LOCKED OUT
The third concrete thing I did correctly was over Christmas in China.
I saw on Yahoo that they had all of this protesting in Georgia, and I don’t know if they were burning buildings or things out there. The first thing that crossed my mind was that I texted two other friends. I told them that if I still had my stuff there, I could not have enjoyed my vacation because someone would say, Oh, it’s just a little protest.
It could start as a small peaceful protest, and for any reason, that little protest—and I think they already had police out there—could escalate into something big.
If you’re out of the country, it might not reach where my apartment is, but you know what? The question running through my mind is, will I be able to return to the country?
Another thing is how bad this thing is going to be.
It would not be comforting if I could not return to my items. I could give away my things; that is easy. However, the thought of a stranger going through my items is unsettling.
In conclusion- I’ve CHOSEN A hotel-driven life
The reality of that situation confirmed that I’d made the right decision.
I don’t want to be in a position where? I’m coming out somewhere, and then I have to go back. And when I go back, it’s immigration. The immigration officer could deny me entry back into the country.
You have no rights. Who are you arguing with? Okay, they could say anything. I said, “Oh, I could travel back and forth for just a year.” I understand that every time you return, the visa-free year starts again.
Relationships with countries could change, and Immigration policies could change. You don’t know what’s happening because they did announce it.
While visiting Albania, I remember someone telling me that it was just after COVID or just before COVID, and sometime around there, the Albanian government made some decisions. It caused everybody to be confused, including the expats that were there.
It was scary because some expats had recently returned to Albania and signed apartment leases, and they were not aware of what their fate would be.
This is my current view of life. Is it possible for me to change my view? Yes! I don’t know how long I will be moving around, and I don’t know if I will find anywhere I want to live permanently. But for now, when I arrive at the airport, if, for some reason, they say, “Oh, we don’t want you,” you can’t come in, I would not be flustered.
My first concern would be that whatever they put in the system would affect my entrance to another country.
My next concern is how I am going to cancel my reservation there. Can I decide which country to travel to, or will the Immigration Officer decide?
Who would pay the fare for me to go to the other country? Would I have to book a hotel in another country? These are all of my concerns. I don’t have to bother if you don’t want me in your country.
Oh well! I go somewhere else. But if you go back into where you have this base that you create, and you have your things there,
If they decide they don’t want you in the country, it’s a different problem for you.
I’m 16 years old now. I have no intention of putting myself through that. For now, I will be living a HOTEL DRIVEN LIFE because I don’t have to see any palace, I don’t have to do anything, I don’t have to do that, the other. I find a nice hotel somewhere new. The price and points are correct, and I’ll go there. Because it’s a new place, in a different culture, I will always find something interesting to do, interact with, or observe, and that is what I’m doing.
I’ll advise anyone that traveling is like cooking. Some people dislike putting raisins in potato salad, which might prevent them from being invited to the cookout. I don’t mind raisins in potato salad because I like potato salad and raisins.
That is it with traveling. You can decide precisely how you want to travel. Most importantly, change even if you choose one way and don’t like it. It is not the end of the world.
And that’s what I did. I had planned to be an expat, but I realized it was not for me.
I wanted to establish a base and familiarize myself with this whole thing. When I left Georgia, there were bags of stuff I donated to Charity.
After my experience in Georgia, when I travel to another country, all my belongings will be in my suitcase, with my little ‘Georgie Bundle.’ If, while I’m there, I’m planning on spending 30 days, and for some reason, I see a shiny country somewhere else, I have to figure out a way of canceling that reservation, or whatever the case may be. The fare is correct, and I’ve gone to a new, shiny country. I must be able to do that.
When I come in with my Georgie Bundle and leave with it, I always have to ensure I don’t leave anything in the hotel safe. I don’t have to worry about anything.
A SEMI-PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
And a very, very important and personal question. Do you know where your passport is? Yes. Is your passport valid? How many blank pages are in your passport? Because those three things will determine whether or not you can explore somewhere else and learn something new.
