The "Bug" Inside Me. Aren't Travel and Living Completely Different Things? | Nomads and Gray-Area Overseas Migration

Hello, this is Saru, living in Oaxaca.

Last time, I wrote about the "discomfort" I feel, which hides behind the saying "Go abroad while you're young." There is no such thing as too early or too late in life's timing.

This time, I wanted to think about something like the "entrance" to that.

I also wrote about points that cannot be ignored when considering the lifestyle of moving from Japan to live abroad.

I want you to understand that I am not saying it is wrong for anyone to do so.
It is just that, to me, that is how it appears.

Whether you are interested in travel or not, it depends on the person.

In the era of the pandemic, the illusion that "you can work anywhere" expanded all at once.
Following that, I feel that the phrase "you can live abroad too" is starting to be consumed casually.

I want to obtain work and a life as an extension of travel!
I can understand that feeling, but...

...Sorry. That's a lie.

I don't understand. lol

I have lived my life without any interest in traveling abroad or foreign countries.

The world is vast.
But I am not the type who wants to know a wide range of things I don't know; I am the type who digs deep into things I am interested in.

I got hooked on Mexico, visited many times, and my overseas travel experience before moving to Oaxaca was

a company trip to Guam (wait, was it Saipan? (mandatory attendance)) and
a trip to Cairns, Australia that I went on with my sister and a friend.

That's it! That's how it feels. lol

But, because I got to know Mexico,

I made Oaxaca my "base of life."

Therefore,

I properly handled the Mexican immigration procedures.
I follow the rules of the country I love! It's a matter of course, though.

I handled the visa procedures myself, started a business, and paid taxes.

My status changed from the FM3 work visa I had at the time to permanent residency in my fifth year.

Honestly, even now, I rarely travel from Oaxaca to neighboring countries.
I have also barely traveled within Mexico.

But, because my obsession is intense,
when my favorite pro-wrestler has a match in Mexico,
or when they have a match in the U.S., I have traveled to distant places.

However, even if there is a match in the U.S.,
I plan the itinerary around the match, so

I arrive the night before,
watch the match,
and return to Oaxaca late at night after the match or early the next morning.

Even though I went all the way to Las Vegas, I didn't even go sightseeing.

I spent the day at the hotel,
and I only have memories of going to a nearby Walmart to shop. lol

The word "nomad".

Since I have already experienced many things in life, please forgive me if my writing tends to come from a "grandparent's perspective."

Because I am someone who has no interest in travel or living abroad, I think this article is quite biased.

Please read this as just the "personal opinion" of someone who is a bit complicated. Haha.

The first time I heard the word "nomad" was probably...

When I was a child, in a Suzuki Escudo commercial from the 1990s with that "you can go anywhere" vibe. For some reason, in my memory, it's mixed up with a voice saying something like, "How are you doing?" *By the way, that seems to be a false memory.

Gray-area stays and the "shield" that protects you

After that article, I looked up the term "digital nomad" a bit and learned that many countries are currently running campaigns to attract "nomads." But I felt that the requirements for nomad visas are surprisingly strict.

Moreover, in many countries, the length of stay isn't that long. And while there were some countries that lead to permanent residency, if you have a strong Japanese passport as a Japanese citizen... you can visit a country as a tourist and live as a "nomad" while staying there. Don't many people think, "If I'm doing the same thing, why do I need a visa?" Especially in Mexico, you can stay for up to 180 days on a tourist visa. I have seen many people in the gray area until now. And I still feel a strong sense of discomfort toward people who enter on a tourist visa, implicitly work locally, and insist on calling it "migration." I believe that what one must never forget in life are "obligations" and "rights."

Visas, taxes, and conditions of stay. Living abroad may look free, but it's about establishing a proper foundation.

I believe that only after fulfilling your obligations does the "right to live in that place" become established, and if you follow the rules properly, it becomes a "shield" that protects you abroad. Recently, I've heard that if you enter and leave a country repeatedly for short periods on a tourist visa, you get flagged by immigration, and if you don't follow the rules, the country won't protect you either.

You can't keep a "festival" going every day

In the first place, aren't "travel" and "living" completely opposite things?

There is a sense of discomfort like a "bug" inside me regarding that.

The reason travel is fun is because it is an "extraordinary" experience that is different from daily life.

It's a "point" experience for enjoyment, where troublesome human relationships and work don't matter, right?

To slide that directly into "living (daily life)" is like having a festival from morning till night every single day, isn't it?

Even if that's fun for a few months, I think you'll eventually get tired of it.

Rather than getting tired, I think you might
find the stimulation and fun to be insufficient. As a feeling, that is scarier.

I believe living is the continuation of a "line" built up by daily life. The original nomads (pastoralists) didn't just move freely; they moved for the seasons or their livestock, based on the

rationality of life. It wasn't that they

sought freedom, but rather it was an optimization for surviving in that land.

When I thought about it that way, what crossed my mind wasn't the Japanese digital nomad crowd, but the retired wealthy Westerners. They were people who lived in Oaxaca for half a year to escape the cold and returned to their own countries when it got warm.

People who use the places they visit as "accessories"

Until now, I have felt a tremendous sense of discomfort and rejection toward "travel influencers" and the "nomad scene."

So, this time, when I counted on my fingers, "Well, specifically who am I uncomfortable with?", I could only think of about five people at most.

Let me say this so there is no misunderstanding.
I don't mean just travelers, I mean influencers.

I was making the subject too broad.
I'm seriously sorry about that.

While I couldn't understand the flashy types,
a follower once told me, "That's just entertainment."

I see.

However, from my perspective of being deeply in love with Mexico,
there are two types that I can't just laugh off as entertainment.

The type that labels Mexico as a dangerous country and
earns income by telling heroic tales of their travels.
Is this just for ratings?
What they are doing is the same as old media.

The other one is,

the "flashy me" type who features Oaxaca or local artisans in their videos and photos
and uses them as content.The "flashy me" type.

It's transparent that their respect for the land is thin.

Am I the protagonist,
or is the land the protagonist?

You can tell just by looking.

But in my case, it's not just a "vibe," sometimes I perceive it as a "strong stench."

After all, the revenue from the posts goes into the influencer's pocket, and doesn't a single peso go to the artisans used as content or the local people in the photos?
I can't help but think, "Isn't that just exploitation?"

I feel like I'm a difficult person myself.

To them, the places I love are nothing more than

"photogenic backgrounds"or"content"to make themselves shine.When local culture and craftsmanship are consumed by the creator's "flashy desire for approval + profit and follower acquisition," I feel strongly that "that's just not right."

Perhaps it's the difference between me, whose lens is pointed outward, and influencers, whose lens is pointed inward.

I have been living in Oaxaca for a long time,
making a living through craftsmanship,
getting involved in tourism,
and chasing the fleeting dynamism of Lucha Libre,
and the festivals and traditions of the villages.

To live here,
I sell things made by artisans together with them,
and earn income by guiding people around the area.

When selling,
rather than my own flashy selfies (I'm sure no one is interested in those, haha) or some minor sob story to elicit sympathy,

I consider it my top priority to focus genuinely on the artisans
and convey the quality of their work.

It's serious and low-key.

I spent time building human relationships until the local people accepted me, and that is how I am here today.

Travel that "consumes" a land and
living that "accumulates" in a land
are completely different.

Travel influencers who "cherry-pick the best parts"
and fly off to the next country.

Freedom is fine, but.
No matter how far they go, they look like "guests from abroad."

Does freedom come with a cost?

The freedom of "being able to work anywhere" and "not being tied down" is attractive, but
I think for many people, that is"a temporary state."Life while traveling. What comes after that?

I think some people can plan their own future, so it's none of my business. Haha.

But if they everreturn to Japanese societyin the future, I feel the gap might be surprisingly large for them.

There was a time when it was said that overseas experience would help your career, but
it's not that simple anymore.

I've seen several people who returned to Japan after long periods of wandering abroad and struggled to fit in.

In my heart, I've started calling it"overseas aftereffects."

"Freedom" and "employment"
"Travel" and "living" feel like complete opposites.

In a sense, isn't that a part that is difficult to control?

The ambiguity of the term "overseas migration"

I feel like "overseas migration" used to be a heavier term in the past.

Employment, visas, taxes, and a foundation for life.

These were the words that only held meaning once all those pieces were in place.

But now,

• nomadism

• dual-base living

• long-term stays

• tourist visa extensions

Everything is sometimes called "migration".

As a result, I feel like the term "overseas migration" itself has become quite vague and lightweight.

Even so, living in the present is a form of freedom, and

although I've written a lot here, I do think that enjoying travel and living as a nomad are both valid choices.

However, how long that freedom will last and
what you will leave behind in its wake are
problems you will inevitably have to face at some point.

The misalignment might quietly take its toll.

"Hey, are you really okay?"

I've seen many people here to whom I felt like saying exactly that.
That is also the reason why I decided to write this article.

Finally,
to all nomads and travelers,
buen viaje.

And this story will continue. Haha

▼What I saw after getting hooked on Mexico and moving there

▼If you're going to live in Mexico, Spanish is more important than English