Really, what would you do? As an American citizen, I had no idea that this type of assistance was available. If you find yourself stranded in another country, you might not be alone. The US has an Embassy in almost every country and all you have to do is look for the website. This assistance can literally save your butt in an emergency.
“I have noticed perks to holding an American passport.” – Me
Four months ago, I went to an Adele concert in Germany and got the travel bug. Upon returning, I was in a position to downsize and pack my life into a storage unit. The position that presented itself was a traditional one, the fork in the road; turn left, or turn right. Prior to Germany, I only left the U.S. for a tropical location with fruity drinks. Standing at the fork in the road, I chose to turn in a direction less traveled. What if I invest in myself and found another position while traveling abroad? This was not so far-fetched of an idea, so I did research and planned the initial track with pricing. No Waldorf’s, No Hilton’s, just a room in a nice apartment. No fancy dinners, No expensive clothes, just experience the native culture. Do inner searchable work and self-discovery, so naturally, all of this sounded like a good investment in myself.
I had a well laid-out plan that would have two and a half week stays at different apartments, in different cities in Brazil and Italy for two and a half months. This was cheaper than staying in my lease and living in the U.S.. My goal was to have an Under the Tuscan Sun type of moment (or multiples). I would be able to discover healthy eating in other countries and find my way around. All a plus in my eyes.
Fast forward to the end of Italy. After a third-round of interviews, I found myself still not having any luck in the new position arena. This was the fourth company that I went through the process and rounds of interviews in. This is when I knew that a different type of situation could present itself, run out of money. Prior to leaving, I had a savings account, and all my cards were at zero. I had every angle covered. But, this one.
For the last three months, I adopted the motto that “Each day is a new day with new possibilities. I woke up, I have health, and I am grateful and ready for the day!” It was not self-hype in the face of fear type of thing, it is hope that better will occur. Everyone wants to grow and flourish. But…. There comes a point where you do not want to hear another excuse or justification from anyone. It is time to accept the fait and deal with it.
Prior to departing the U.S., I knew of and was later provided with the US Embassy information in Brazil that could provide assistance to a stranded American. The assistance that I received was more than financial. During this process, I met another gay Brazilian man, the embassy officer. He was surprisingly able to give sound advice that broke through my scull. He obviously had a calming demeanor (as most Brazilians do) and was able to develop a plan of action that would get be on my way to the U.S. that evening. Once the plan was set into motion, he then laid down the law of advice and emotional support.
The embassy officer compassionately said, “It is time to let everything go and move forward. After speaking with the people, you listed, you need to cut ties and move on. Distance yourself, greatly.” And this had never rang as true as it did wiping the tears from my eyes on Brazilian soil. I spoke to this man off and on for about three days as I did my due diligence in options. He had asked many questions and had a great deal of facts.
The day came to commit to leaving the land that I had grown oh so fond of in the past two and a half months. As I went to the embassy, I remembered the mantra and decided to accept the situation and create multiple new plans that I will try and nurture. I met face to face with the embassy officer and was even nicer in person. The entire process was not painful or drawn-out. I left that evening on another international flight adventure.
Overall, the process is extremely helpful if you just run into bad luck while exploring the world. The honest truth is, this one day of events has changed the trajectory of my life. It brought peace and gratitude for chance encounters. If it was not for this one day, in the middle of my life, I could have been stuck in the past and a nightmare for a while. I truly did get my Under the Tuscan/Brazilian Sun life experience. To the Brazilian embassy officer, you are my Tuscan Katherine.