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Letting go of the life I was expected to lead.

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December 29, 2018: The Paradox of Choice

Posted on 12/29/201806/11/2019 by margrad80
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

No, this isn’t a review of the book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, by Barry Schwartz. Though I would highly recommend reading it. Rather it is my paradox of choice. When I left Honolulu, I fled to the cheapest country I had on my list of places I wanted to visit. When I left Ecuador, I simply went to the next cheapest country on my list, Mexico. The rest of the countries I had planned on visiting, before my finances took a turn for the worst, are on the higher side.

I had all my plans to go to Ecuador finalized well before I left Hawaii, just as I had my plans to visit Mexico finalized sixty days before leaving Ecuador. Even though it is 74 days before I leave Guanajuato I am making my plans to head back to Honolulu now.

Leaving Mexico coincides with my yearly doctors appointments. I had considered finding new doctors in Houston, but I really like my old doctors, and I am missing Honolulu and all my friends there. Also, in the past I haven’t been satisfied with the doctors I have seen in Houston. I am starting planning my trip to Honolulu now, because I need to have the appointments I have already made confirmed, and make appointments with the other doctors, as close together as possible.

Once I have my appointments made, then I have to book flights and make sure I have a fallback arrangement in case I can’t stay with friends while I am there. So Honolulu is pretty well taken care of.

Now, here comes the paradox that makes my life even more inconvenient. I can go anywhere in the world that I can fly to for less than $2,000 round trip, and will cost me less than $1,800 a month to live on. You would think that it would narrow things down, wouldn’t you? Nope!

City,
Country
ProsCons
Mexico in GeneralI speak functional,
though not conversational Spanish
Easy flight to US
mainland
Doesn’t add another country
to my travel history
Mérida,
Mexico
Warmer than
Guanajuato
Actually quite hot and humid.
Might be better for winter.
Flight from Hono
under
$400USD
Flight is nearly 16 hours
Cost of living Under
$1,200 USD per
month.
Slow internet
Warsaw,
Poland
A high school friend
lives there
I don’t speak any Polish
Cost of living $1,700
USD per month
Round trip flight $1,337 USD
(from Houston) Flight from
Hono to Houston not priced yet.
Querétaro,
Mexico
A lovely colonial townWeather is about the same as
Guanajuato. It might be
better to save this one for summer.
Flight from Honolulu
$386 USD
AirBnb far too expensive, unless I get one with only a
microwave and fridge.
Cost of living $950
per month
Lviv,
Ukraine
Cost of living $925
USD per month
Cost of flight from
Houston $1,022 USD
Osijek, 
Croatia
Cost of Living $982
USD per month
Not easy to get there, Train from
Zagreb.
Cost of flight from
Houston to Zagreb $1,033 USD

The above are just the ones I had time to look at today. My head hurts!

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My Inconvenient Live

I am a retired American Merchant Mariner.  l was living a nomadic lifestyle somewhere between being a nomad and an expat, before Covid19. I moved from country to country as my visas ran out. This blog covered my travels and the random thoughts about life, technology, travel, and the Oxford comma. Now I am stuck waiting for the pandemic to pass. During this time my posts will have very little to do with traveling, and more to do with keeping myself entertained during lockdown.

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