After a couple of months hiatus to gather my thoughts and find some clarity, Paper Planes is back and better than ever.

And honestly? The break wasn't just about clarity—it was about making one of the biggest decisions of my life. I'm writing this from my sparsely furnished apartment in Vancouver, WA, surrounded by boxes and the weight of a decision I never thought I'd make. Three months ago, leaving felt impossible. Today? Staying feels harder. If you've ever felt trapped between the life you have and the one you dream about, this one's for you.

You’ll discover how to:

Americans considering leaving the U.S. hits record numbers – A February 2025 Harris Poll found that 40% of Americans have at least considered moving abroad¹ The Harris Poll Fast Company, with 49% citing cost of living as their primary reason. However, according to a 2024 HireAHelper survey, while 1 in 10 Americans thought about moving abroad, less than 0.5% actually made the move²

Philippines launches affordable investor visa for just $75k – The Philippines Investor Visa (FIV Program) was officially launched in August 2024, offering permanent residency through an investment of just $75,000, USD making it one of the cheapest golden visas available (New York PCG).

New platform alert – Contra is blowing up as the anti-LinkedIn for creatives. Freelancers are landing $5K+ projects without the corporate cringe. Worth checking out (Joworks).

Over the coming months, I'll be documenting everything:

If you've ever felt like you're working harder for less, like the goalposts keep moving, like there has to be a better way—you're not alone. And you're not crazy.

Your move: Hit reply and tell me—which of the 10 reasons for leaving the U.S. I listed above resonated most? Or am I completely off base?

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Thinking about packing up your life and starting fresh abroad—but second-guessing yourself at every turn? This piece walks you through one traveler’s real-world decision to move overseas and the mindset shifts that made it possible. Rather than glamorizing the leap, it digs into the fears, the planning, the “why” behind leaving comfort behind, and where hesitation usually comes from. You’ll also see how talking to others who’ve done it, doing your homework, and trusting the process can make a massive life change feel not only possible—but worth it. If you’ve ever wondered, “Could I actually pull this off?” this is your nudge to find out.

Notion – I know, I know, everyone talks about Notion. But hear me out.

I built an entire "Exit Planning Dashboard" that tracks:

It's the only thing keeping me sane right now. One dashboard, everything I need. Plus, I'm building Notion templates to sell as a side income stream. It’s very meta of me, right? 😆

My result: Reduced decision paralysis by 80% and actually have a clear action plan instead of anxiety spirals.

P.S. – If you're even 1% curious about building location-independent income, hit reply. I'm collecting questions for next week's deep dive on how I'm actually making this work financially. No BS, just real numbers and strategies.