How We Got Here
How to move from a small town in Oklahoma to a remote South Pacific Island in 21 easy steps:
1. Explore your natural curiosity for living overseas.
2. Convince your husband or wife that you are “just looking” and no commitments are being made.
3. Keep investigating overseas opportunities in U.S. territories to assure that English is being spoken and laws are loosely based on American law (if you are an attorney, hypothetically speaking, of course).
4. Repeat step 2.
5. Read blogs of people who have experienced living overseas in these areas to get a feel for the type of life you may lead (of course these folks are single, but the same rules apply, right??!!).
6. Repeat step 2.
7. Call local governments (at a whopping 5.99/minute with direct dial) on these islands for possible job openings, as they do not post them on many websites and submit an application.
8. Repeat step 2.
9. Complete interview over the phone, realizing that they are 10-14 hours ahead of you in time, so be sure you’re at your best at around 2 a.m.
10. Prepare to now convince your wife/husband/family that selling everything and moving halfway across the world is, in fact, and good idea.
11. Repeat step 10.
12. Repeat step 10.
13. Once step 10 is completed (are you sure it’s still completed? because it might change), accept the offer, put your house on the market and begin to sell everything you own at bargain prices.
14. Just to be sure, repeat step 10.
15. Prepare yourself and your children (if appropriate, again hypothetically speaking) for the extremely long plane ride–use all means necessary to keep your child entertained and/or asleep.
16. Repeat step 10.
17. Ensure your ride to the airport is secure and that your parents (I mean, driver) actually know how to get there.
18. Repeat step 10.
19. After the airport frisking and removal of anything larger than a thimble full of liquid, enjoy the 20+ hour airplane ride from Dallas to Houston to Hawaii to Guam to Yap to Palau.
20. Repeat step 10.
21. Enjoy!
Complete all 21 steps within a 3 month period for optimum results.
Here is our old place…finally sold after 10 long months!
Hello,
I really loved reading your Blog. Mike thanks for the 21 easy steps. I’m thinking of San Jose, Costa Rica. Susie and I just got back from a week in Cozumel Mexico. Which we really enjoied.
It looks like ya’ll are just on permanent vacation. I’ll try to check the blog often.
Mike Uber
Hi Uber,
It was actually Liz who wrote that, but thanks anyway. Costa Rica sounds great! it’s good to hear from you.
Talk to you later,
Michael Copeland
Hey Liz!! Stacy gave me this link to your blog! It sounds like you are having and exciting time in a tropical destination! I’m glad you are doing well and keeping out of trouble. Write me sometime at fasutherland@comcast.net. I would love to hear from you! Take care!!
Hey Liz – It was great to get a link to write you. Your Mom, Auntie and I were together last weekend to celebrate Gran’s 100th birthday and just “be”. I still can’t believe she’s not here, I know you really must be feeling that. Anyway, she taught us all to be independent and think for ourselves, you did and I know she’s so, so proud! Love you and have a great time with your Mom & Dad when they visit. Deb
hey all waht it up, i would love to get the kids visit u, but alas im poor..1