I said those words in November 2016. So did a lot of other Americans: so many, in fact, that Canada's immigration website crashed because of increased traffic as votes were being tallied. No joke.
Full disclosure: Trump becoming president was not the only reason I left — it was also about being fed up with my corporate job, coupled with a strong desire to explore the world.
I was 37, single, with no children or pets, so I was free to quit my job, uproot myself, and take off. I did own a house at the time, which I sold a few months after I left.
Upon my departure, I didn't have much of a plan other than the intention to spend some time slowly exploring Asia and teaching English when I needed to make money. This no-plan thing was out of character for me, but I was comfortable with solo international travel, thanks to previous study-abroad experiences and 14 years of intensive overseas work-related travel.
Moore fell in love with the quality of life in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Sonya Moore
The move opened a new chapter in my life
As months unfolded, I discovered that when you leave space for it, life guides you to the places, people, and opportunities that are meant for you.
Seven years later, I'm still living happily outside the US. While my decision to leave opened up a horizon of experiences beyond my wildest dreams and led me to the man of my dreams, it hasn't all been a bed of roses.
The first year, I lived off savings while traveling slowly through Asia. I started my travels in India, where I spent 10 days at a silent meditation retreat, attended teachings by the Dalai Lama, and took a yoga teacher training. I promptly got hooked on teaching yoga.
After four months in India, I continued making my way through Asia for eight more months. I swam in the crystal-clear waters of the Maldives, visited healers in Bali, witnessed breathtaking sunrise views from mountaintops in Laos, went island-hopping through the Philippines, rode motorbikes around Thailand's islands, and checked out ancient pagodas in Myanmar.
The cost of living in much of Asia is so low that savings can stretch a long way. I have high standards for my accommodations, and while traveling, I usually spent about $20 to $25 a night on hotels. Lower-maintenance friends of mine found simpler places for $6 a night in India. Meals usually cost about $3. After six weeks in India, I considered a lunch bill of $5 to be expensive.
There have been times along the way when I've felt lost
Over the years, I learned that those periods of doubt and uncertainty would continue to surface. But I also learned to just keep trusting, and the way forward would eventually reveal itself.
People often ask me whether I was ever afraid while traveling alone through Asia. I never was — except a couple of times in India when riding on some precariously high Himalayan roads with no guardrails. But of people? I never had a reason to be.
After a year away, I found an opportunity to teach yoga in a small mountain town in Myanmar. Life there was quiet, simple, and beautiful. I lived there for nine months, and I was profoundly happy most of the time. But there were times I felt lonely.
The locals were sweet and kind, with love in their eyes and actions, but I missed friends who spoke my language fluently, with whom I could have deep conversations over a glass of wine. And the dating scene? Nonexistent.
Moore found a partner who loves global travel as much as she does.
Sonya Moore
I found love during my travels
Another yoga teaching opportunity took me to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Siem Reap is not a big city, but after my small-town Myanmar life, it felt like Manhattan. There were so many restaurants, bars, social events, friends, and even some attractive single men.
I fell in love with the town, the quality of life, and the locals. It was easy to get a tourist or work visa to live here long term, and it was almost as inexpensive as India and Myanmar.
I was living in Siem Reap when COVID-19 hit. By that time, I was in a long-distance relationship with a French man I met during my travels. After the closed borders of the pandemic kept us apart for seven months, I moved to France to be with him.
Our story was long and winding, but it felt like destiny. He loves global travel the way I do. We've been together for four years and are living together in Papua New Guinea. Our plan is to go back to a nomadic slow-travel lifestyle. My career has gradually evolved to encompass creative pursuits that light me up inside: retreats, writing, photography, and yoga.
I am deeply grateful to my former self for choosing to leave the US. I sometimes miss family and friends, but thanks to technology, our connection stays alive across the distance, and I go back to visit once a year.
I still love America and feel lucky to have been born and raised there. But there's a big world out there waiting to be discovered.
Do you have a personal essay about relocating to Asia that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor at akarplus@businessinsider.com.
November 11, 2024 — An earlier version of this story mentioned Trump becoming president was not the reason Moore left, it was not the only reason.
