Escape the Fishbowl: Find Peace in a Life Overseas

Escape the Fishbowl: Find Peace in a Life Overseas.
Here in the US, it can feel like the tension, the noise, the edge is everywhere. But outside our fishbowl, the pace of life feels often more grounded, humane, and liveable.|©iStock/CreativaImages

When the news cycle feels nonstop—when stories blur together, and every new headline suggests instability or the breakdowns of norms—it can leave you feeling frozen. Not fearful exactly, but unsure whether now is really the moment to think about travel or stepping outside what’s familiar.

Here’s the thing, though: Living in the US right now, you’re effectively living inside a fishbowl.

The glass is close.

The water is constantly churning.

Every movement is magnified and reflected back at you.

When you’re inside the bowl, it’s easy to believe that what you’re seeing and feeling is universal—that the tension, the noise, the edge is everywhere.

But it isn’t.

One of the clearest patterns our editors and correspondents see from around the world is how steady everyday life feels once you jump outside that bowl.

People are focused on family, food, work, weather, community—not on the latest stream of alerts. The pace of life feels more grounded, humane, and livable.

Our Uruguay Correspondent, David Hammond, says of life in Montevideo...

“In Ciudad Vieja, I do most of my shopping on foot at nearby stores. Neighbors here watch out for each other. When I’ve accidentally left my coat, umbrella, or daypack at a store or restaurant, it’s always there for me when I go back to find it.

“Uruguayans value egalitarianism and civil discourse. You find less economic disparity in Uruguay than anywhere in the region. Strong protections for workers, a public healthcare system, and social programs for those in need help maintain the country’s high level of social stability.

“Most Uruguayans are descendants of immigrants, mainly from Europe but also from every corner of the world. They know their own family’s immigration story, and tend to be tolerant of newcomers who are respectful of the culture and seek to fit in.

“As an expat in Uruguay, I feel welcome, secure, and at peace with the country’s future trajectory.”

That sentiment captures something essential: In most other parts of the world, you don’t exist in a state of heightened worry.

You can live calmly, purposefully, and with a sense of safety that many of us don’t always associate with “going somewhere else.”

Wendy Justice reports from Hanoi...

“The fundamental reason for Vietnam’s safety lies in its culture of hospitality and community. It is not uncommon for people to invite a foreigner to join them for a meal or a drink, and youngsters might strike up conversations to practice their English. The Vietnamese people are kind, curious, and inclusive, and they look out for one another. Genuine hospitality is a source of national pride, which makes Vietnam one of the safest countries in the world.”

Alice Longhurst-Jones speaks warmly of life in Croatia...

“Family is at the heart of Croatian culture, and that sense of community extends to everyone. Friends with little ones tell me it’s a wonderfully welcoming and safe environment to raise kids. From the age of nine or ten, many children walk or take the bus by themselves to school or sports activities.

“Older people remain active and respected members of society, often playing chess by the beach or maintaining their gardens well into their 80s or 90s. People here look out for one another, and if you befriend them, they’ll look out for you, too. My neighbors often drop off fresh produce on my doorstep or check in when I’m sick.”

Look, the world isn’t perfect. Every place has its challenges.

But the point I want to make is simple: The global picture is far more varied—and often far more balanced—than the constant churn inside our fishbowl would have you imagine.

When you get outside it, even briefly, something shifts.

You remember that you have choices.

That there are places where life feels quieter and more orderly.

That uncertainty in one country does not mean uncertainty everywhere.

For many people, simply allowing themselves to look again—to plan a trip, to explore options, to imagine a life elsewhere—is enough to break the sense of paralysis. It restores a feeling of agency. Of possibility.

So if you’ve been feeling hesitant lately, I’d encourage you not to read that hesitation as a warning sign—but as a cue to widen your lens.

There is a big, welcoming world beyond the glass.

This September 5-7 in Tampa, FL we’ll be gathering our experts and expats from around the world to lay out for you in splendid detail this bigger, brighter, promise-filled world... to show you where the best opportunities are and to help you match the life you imagine in your mind’s eye with a real place on the ground where you can find it.

I hope you’ll join us there. Without question, our Ultimate Go Overseas Bootcamp is the smartest, most enjoyable, most efficient way for you to begin exploring your overseas options and putting a plan in place.

We’ve set aside for readers like you a block of seats at a deep, deep discount as we finalize the schedule and confirm all our speakers. Reserve now—before we open the doors to the general public—and you save big.

But be aware: Your fellow IL members are snatching these seats up quickly, and on February 22 (or once this block of seats is full—whichever comes first) the price goes up, and we’ll start marketing this program more widely.

So I encourage you to reserve your seat here now. There will not be a more affordable time to sign on.

Climb outside the fishbowl, and the constant noise fades faster than you might expect.

As our Greece Correspondent, Leena Horner, put it in her recent story comparing her decision to retire in Greece with her sister’s to retire in Ecuador:

“...moving abroad isn’t about finding perfection. It’s about finding the place where you feel most alive. For me, that place is Greece. For my sister, it’s Ecuador. And both of us discovered that home is not a fixed address—it’s where you finally live your dream.”

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