To see if it really exists (would be my reason.) If that's the case I have to rethink though , would like to see and experience a lot of places and events. Not in the first place cities of course!
You should probably check out Australia. It's easy for Irish to get work visas or tourist visa and find work. Low unemployment in Oz these days, the economy there is booming, unlike the US. They even speak your language (sort of). Nice weather too. The hippies in Oz are scattered around, but shouldn't be too hard to find. Check out Nimbin... I once ran a restaurant in Queensland with an Irish lass... We made lotsa moolah! And the Aussie dollar is now stronger than the US dollar! Only prob for you is the cost to get there!
I lived in the usa it was the biggest mistake I ever made. usa is a country built on blood money. I am glad I no longer live there. If you offered to pay me a million dollars to live there I would say no. Here are some good educational videos you can watch on youtube: THE WAR ON DEMOCRACY 1/10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHj735t_knk Confessions of an Economic Hit Man 1 of 10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VlRirraaks John Stockwell - CIA's War on Humans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3ioJGMCr-Y&playnext=1&list=PL4DA4A49BBF4B3E0A US Govt. largest illegal drug dealer in world history https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIEUhpxeuP4 Also check out links below: Peru: Blood Flows In The Amazon http://www.countercurrents.org/petras170609.htm U. S. Imperialism, Hands Off Latin America http://www.anti-imperialist.org/Hands-Off-Latin-America_11-9-04.htm
yeah America kind of sucks. The country is absolutely beautiful (once you get out of the suburbs) and some of the cities are pretty awesome, but as far as our culture, government, infrastructure, health care system, amongst many, many other things, I can think of quite a few countries that are light years ahead of America. I've been trying to think of ways to move out of America for years. It blows my mind that people are still trying to get in here.
I came to the USA as an immigrant with my parents about 15 years ago. I'm a Catalan by birth born in Tarragona. I came to this country without any knowledge of the language, but being a child I quickly learned it. So you have a plus already knowing English. I am not sure of the costs and what not because I was so young so I can't help you with that. In answer to one of your questions I don't think the feds would come knocking down your door if you just stayed but you wouldn't be able to enjoy the benefits of being a citizen. You would be able to work but you'd have to be paid under the table, so to speak. I think your best option would be to attend a school in America and go on a students visa, and eventually attain full citizenship. That is expensive though, but there should be exchange programs as well. Of a lot of the countries to immigrate to I think America is one of the easiest, and I think that they have special quotas for certain parts of the world, but don't take my word on that. If you want to I would definitely go for it. What have you got to lose? America is a wonderful country, and I am very happy to be here. I've been back to Catalunya a few times, but I consider America my home. In my opinion the best thing about America is it's natural wilderness, and the diversity of the country. Hiking in some of the old growth forests, seeing the rocky mountains, and seeing the redwood trees in California. There's so much to see and experience. You can't beat it. America has it's dark side, but the country itself is wonderful. All the best and good luck in your travels!
I might go walkies around there to see if it suits me, but I've got my heart set on America. I've been across the pond to England quite a few times and I haven't liked what I've seen. English people (at least the ones I've met) are apathetic and unfriendly. They don't seem to care about anything beyond their next bill. Pink Floyd said it best: "Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way". It's just one big dreary slab of suburbia. I wouldn't go to Australia either. It's too warm and it's full of spiders. Which I am terrified of. As for New Zealand, it would be a great place to retire to, but it's too out of the way. It seems like the kind of place that you really need to be born in to be a part of. Plus I haven't got a clue about the place's history or politics or anything. To answer why I want to move to America, it's quite simple: 1. There are no hippies in N.I. 2. I if there is going to be any new hippie movement, it will happen there. 3. The scenery is beautiful. And everything is bigger. You can drive from one side of Northern Ireland to the other in 2 hours. 4. There is no music scene worth talking about in N.I. No, it's America for me. To everyone who complains about it; there is nothing wrong with America, it's the Americans who are the problem. And you should be doing your best to try to change that. Peace and love eace:
Hey Zoso_4, It's your buddy Kenny. Go here and check out what Stillcrazy says about his Somerset UK area. What he writes makes me want to travel there. It sounds kind of happening. I know of nothing in the U.S. that sounds like this. This could be worth the journey. For me, too. http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?p=6892418#post6892418&f=12 Look for the post by: Stillcrazy It could be a close by stop on your travels. Just a thought.
Hey Zoso and Kenny, here is a link to Glastonbury Somerset UK.: http://www.isleofavalon.co.uk/ If you scroll through the info, you will see that they estimate that "alternative types" make up 30% of the population. And I'm female, Kenny! And you should definately visit here, also Totnes in Devon. The UK tends to have these hippie "enclaves" if you know where to look.
Go to the American embassy and ask them about the official procedures. Don't rely on informal information you might get from a website like this. Well, I don't mean to discourage you, but that's a problem, if you intend to stay here permanently. Just as it would be anywhere, I might add. Most countries on Earth take a rather dim view of young people coming to their shores with little to contribute, little possibility of getting a productive job, and with a great likelihood of requiring some sort of assistance. That's just how countries think. Bad, bad idea. Do you want to the spend the rest of your life, or years anyway, living in constant fear that you'll get caught? That's no way to live. As to what would happen ... oh, you could probably get away with it for quite a while, but like you say, you couldn't get a proper job. You'd have to do the lowest-level garbage work to support yourself, working someplace where they were willing to pay you in cash, because it would be very difficult or impossible to open a bank account. And since you couldn't get a Social Security number, your employer couldn't withhold taxes. If nothing else, sooner or later you'd get nailed for that. Believe me, the IRS has a long reach. It's entirely possible they'd catch you before the Immigration people did. You couldn't go to school. You couldn't get a loan for a house or car. You couldn't get any kind of federal assistance for anything. Bad, bad idea. Well, I don't know the answer to that. But my first thought when I saw your post was ... why not just come over for six months or a year, and see what you think of it? Maybe you'll love it, maybe you'll hate it, but it's something you need to see for yourself. You'd be in a much better position at that point to make a decision about staying permanently. As you've seen from the responses to your thread, there are lots of widely different opinions about the United States, even from the people who were born and raised here. But what you need at this point are facts, not opinions. Besides, the only opinion that really matters is yours. Good luck to you
*waves* A good portion of people that lead an alternative lifestyle over here (truckers, gypsies, ferals, travellers, freaks etc) come from overseas and end up either getting residence, overstaying or coming back. Its really easy to fall into the 'trap' here. Some of the most beautiful bush/forests, no crazy predators, nicest people, many coummunes, festivals and a varied climate. Gourgeous in summer and not too cold in winter. Australia is also a beautiful place. Byron Bay, Bellingen etc are great places to live, especially if you dont want hot all the time. North QLD is lush (Kuranda, Daintree Rainforest) although can be nice and hot all year round. From all the time Ive spent living in Australia Ive never had a problem with spiders or snakes. Apart from the Death Adder (which is actually deaf) most of the crawly things just wanna stay out of your way. If your heart/inutition is set on America then I could recommend Hawaii. Great scene of healers/comunities/light workers, although the climate is rather hot!! Good luck
“Country of immigrants”? That really sounds alot like an American politician debating the immigration issue. Really? Come to America and try to change it? Wanna do something really noble? Try to help your fellow countrymen set right all the wrongs in your own country first. NEWS FLASH: America is full of AMERICANS – and we’re almost ALWAYS complaining! And, everyone wants some sort of change. We just can’t agree on what or how. Seriously, the U.S. is the worst place on earth to live, except all the others. When you’re of legal age, if you still want to move here, first, please try to learn how to do something that will allow you to support yourself – the U.S. is also full of aspiring musicians and entertainers – we even have a system for manufacturing them. Good luck.
I didn't mean it like that, but to answer: the main struggle of my country is a religious one, and one which I am completely disaffected with. That's called democracy. I'd rather live an a country where there is a big difference in opinions rather that one in which everyone has the same (wrong) opinion. Take marijuana legalization for example. America is a lot closer to it than the U.K. is. A couple of years ago our government's main advisor on drug policy recommended marijuana resrictions and punishments should be lessened. The government responded by moving it from a Class C to a Class B drug. When the advisors complained, they were sacked. At least there is a healthy debate going on in America. I know it won't be a walk in the park, but I've got my mind set on it. I'm getting there one way or another. Just have to figure out how. Peace and Love eace:
I'm quite sure that you are actually affected by the troubles -- you mentioned the issue in a previous post -- in some way you are affected. I know what it's called -- it's not "democracy". In any case music and marijuana are two very wrong reasons to immigrate to the U.S. Those government advisors on drug policy were probably overpaid anyway. Again, good luck.
