International CV editing is done.

Lesley Carhart :unverified: VOTED

International CV editing is done. Packages are off to the immigration lawyers.

Found an estate sale agent and consignment plan for any clothing and jewelry that's pretty decent. I've been slowly giving away and selling off stuff for a few months, but it feels like a drop in the bucket.

Looking at the feasibility of renting out my house rather than selling outright, but it doesn't look very practical. So much damn stuff that goes into becoming an expat, but I grit my teeth and remember real people do it all the time.

It would be easier if I worked for a big multinational corp that would handle things, but that would be a big multinational corp.

My dad is aware it's a 50/50 I leave for good now. I think he's finally accepted it. It all really sucks.

Lesley Carhart :unverified: VOTED

I keep going back and forth from my plans like, "a friendly province in Canada would be so so so so so much easier than losing everything and pretty much never seeing my family again", but I can't do this twice. It just does not sadly seem far enough, even though there are far less violent people with guns. But if the Bad comes to pass, I have to go now, otherwise I'll hit the age where it's no longer possible to get a working visa.

Ryan Lounsbury VOTED

@hacks4pancakes Damn this is sobering to read. I’m sorry it is even like this in the first place.

Lesley Carhart :unverified: VOTED

@rlounsbury Hey so real talk -

This election is heartrendingly close, and in especially violent, disturbing ways. You have one candidate who is pretty centrist and normal versus somebody who is obviously unwell and fascist and it's a slight breath to either result. That means there are a lot of angry, hate-filled, fascist people no matter which way you cut it.

If Harris wins, and gets at least one other governmental arm, there's at least a real chance to restore some guard rails for equitable democracy. I would stay and fight for that. If she loses.... things are going to get incredibly bad, really fast. The plans are a christian theocratic state with a party-loyal military. It's over. There will not be another fair national election in America. The checks and balances of the Supreme Court are already almost totally eroded, and the next nominees will be extremists.

Could I stay in Chicago and shut up and pass? Possibly, for a while. While my immigrant friends are rounded up, then my trans friends are forcibly imprisoned or committed. While my gay friends lose their adoption and marriage rights (same for me, but at least I am asexual). But eventually it would be my turn, and they have made it clear they want to take us back to a time where a woman could not make independent legal or financial decisions, much less medical decisions. It would be hellish, and in the meantime I would age out or lose my legal status for any possibility to move elsewhere.

So in the case, I will have to bite the bullet and go.