Do you feel trapped in your country and yearn to escape?
Are you seeking freedom and self-sovereignty but are unsure where to go or to whom to turn?
Relocating to another country can be easier than you think, and it may be the drastic escape from your life you need.
As a certified relocation travel coach, I help people transform into a freedom lifestyle by matching their personalities and goals to liberty-loving destinations.
In this article, written as a guest contribution by Charlotte Tweed from Liberty Travel Coach, we explore the impact of solo transformative travel and how it can shape confidence, resilience, and personal growth.
Thankfully, this is something we teach travel professionals in the Travel Coach Network.
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Would You Rather Be Someplace Else?
In my previous experience as a managing editor for an expat magazine, people would contact me and ask where to go to escape the chaos around them.
Where could they move to for protection of life, liberty, and property?
They saw their fundamental rights and freedoms slipping away.
For those whose core value is freedom, the past few years shook their foundations.
According to an article in the National Post, millions of Canadians would rather live elsewhere. Housing and food costs have skyrocketed. “The average Toronto renter was paying $1,370 per month in 2018, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. As of the latest count, that had risen to $1,830”. (Hopper, 2024)
It’s not unheard of for people to work seven days a week at more than one job to afford shelter and basic needs. These changes are not unique to Canada. Americans are feeling the pinch, too.
The median price for housing in the US in Q4 of 2024 is $419,200, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 2025)
Escaping internal political tension has never been stronger.
The world has become incredibly polarizing, and disagreeing with someone is seen as hate. Maintaining self-sovereignty and protection of personal belief systems is a right everyone should have. No one should be told what to do and who they should believe.
- Are you beginning to see a decline in your community?
- Are you asking yourself if you are safe in the country you are living in?
- Do you see an increase in petty and serious crimes in your neighbourhood?
- Has the standard of living visibly decreased in what used to be vibrant subdivisions?
- Have you noticed neglect in the care of your neighbour’s property?
Seeking warmer climates in the winter or cooler temperatures in the summer is a top complaint, particularly for those living in harsh climates.
Being Canadian, I can attest that the severe winters were one reason for leaving.
As I grew older, the harder winter was to stomach. Icy roads, sidewalks, blizzards, and Arctic temperatures for six months of the year were unbearable.
Enough was enough.
Now, I live in the best climate I have personally experienced in Mexico.
We have two seasons: rainy and dry.
The dry season is temperate with sun and extraordinarily little wind.
The rainy season cools off the hotter spring days while green leaves and multitudes of colourful flowers burst forth.
November to February are perfect for me at highs averaging 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) and lows at night and in the mornings averaging 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit)—it’s a glorious time of year.
How Finding Your Escape Persona Will Refresh You Both Mentally and Physically
The above pressures take their toll, and you feel like a bird trapped in a cage with no means of escape unless someone opens the door.
But does the bird know it can escape if it’s lived its whole life in that cage?
And does it recognize the chance for freedom when the door opens?
Do you share the paradigm of the caged bird?
Unlocking your Escape Persona through travel will help you disconnect from the demands and routines of everyday life. A whole new range of personal and motivational goals will present themselves once the bars of the cage are removed.
Key Motivations for Unlocking Your Escape Persona
Your understanding of travel as a temporary means of relief will shift, and you will begin to view countries in a different light. Perhaps you can stay longer than a vacation.
You will start realizing what to look for in a new country while you travel and if you could live there or not.
You will begin to understand just because you were born in a country doesn’t mean you have to spend your entire life there.
Once you spread your wings, you will begin to crave adventure and exploration.
Curiosity as to what kind of life another country can offer you will cause you to seek new experiences, cultures, and landscapes.
Living in a country and visiting are two entirely distinct levels of thought.
There are many things to determine, and defining the lifestyle you desire is the foundation of unlocking your Escape Persona leading to your success.
A change of scenery will help reduce stress levels and promote relaxation as you release the tensions you left back home.
It may take a few weeks to unwind—trust the process.
You’ve been through a lot, and we have all been affected by the last few turbulent years. Physical and mental rejuvenation will come.
You will be able to assess your current situation.
Exposure to new ideas, challenges, and perspectives will enhance personal development and spark new goals.
Travel is valuable education, breaking down stereotypes and barriers between cultures. Immersing yourself in new cultures will help you view yourself and the world with a fresh lens.
The transformative experience will broaden your horizons and foster cultural understanding.
The digital age has overwhelmed our senses, and the constant fast pace of life has numbed our empathy towards each other. Find a destination to disconnect and relish the beauty of nature.
Walk barefoot in the grass or on a sandy beach. Let your toes sink into the sand as the ocean waves sweep away your fears.
Hike a mountain path and gaze over volcanic craters now filled with blue and green lakes of solace.
Distance yourself from personal issues and challenges back home to gain perspective on the transformational life ahead.
What Can Be Influencing Your Choice of Destination(s)
When considering a place to visit and looking through the lens of your Escape Persona, take what others have to say with a grain of salt.
Those closest to you and those on TV often believe you live in the best country in the world. I used to think Canada was the greatest country until I began to travel. Travel helped me see how other cultures lived, and I liked what I saw.
Many destinations are painted as dangerous.
Take Mexico, for example.
I have lived here for three years and have had no dangerous incident or crime happen to me in the country.
I feel safer here than I did while living in Canada. Danger is a misconception about the welcoming country south of the US border.
Yes, there are areas you should avoid, just like any country. Keep your eyes and ears open, pay attention to what is happening around you, and you will be safe.
Family and friends do not want you to leave, so they may not support your new relocation goals.
They may think you are a kook or even a traitor for considering to leave the country.
It also means the place where you and they are currently living isn’t all that great, which is a hard pill for some people to swallow. They don’t see an out for themselves and cannot even fathom leaving, so how dare you consider it?
Determine What Escape You Need Before Exploring a New Destination
Ask yourself: What is it you seek?
Being honest with your fears will help you decide what to escape from. What do you want to get away from, or what is missing in your life now?
- Are you looking for a place where you will be left alone, or do you seek a thriving community with lots of social interaction?
- Do you want to live where there is an established expat community, or is that not important to you?
- There is a misconception about expat communities.
- Being close to an expat community gives a sense of familiarity and helps you settle in quickly.
- The community can be an essential support system as many of them have encountered issues you may come across in your journey.
- Many of these people have left their country for the same reasons as you, and a like-minded mentality builds strong bonds and creates a new family away from home.
- Do you want mountains or the ocean? How about both?
- Have you considered living on an island?
- Have you ever been on an island for an extended period?
- Will island fever rear its restless head? Perhaps sticking to the mainland suits your purposes better.
- How close should you be to an international airport to get back home if necessary?
- Will it bother you to be on the other side of the planet and in vastly different time zones than your family?
- What kind of climate is ideal for you? What might be a perfect climate for one person is undesirable for another.
- Do you want hot and humid or cool and comfortable? Would you like to live somewhere you don’t need air conditioning or heat to lower those soaring utility bills?
- Do you want a car, or are you happy getting around by foot or bicycle?
If you have never considered these questions or don’t have the answers yet, it’s time to unlock your Escape Persona and start exploring new countries, cities, and landscapes to find the perfect relocation destination for you.
Destinations Offering Escape
The world is vast, so where should you consider escaping from the inflated cost of living, chaos, internal political tension, and increasing crime?
Azores
If you want to get away from everything and be left alone, the Azores are a destination you should strongly consider. As we enter a new age, consider areas for privacy. From all my travels, there is one area in the world where I have never felt more private than my three-month stay on the island of São Miguel in the Azores.
For those who do not know where the “Green Island” of São Miguel is, it is the largest island in the autonomous Portuguese Azores archipelago. It is located 1,509 kilometres (938 miles) west of Portugal in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Being on the Azores is like being on another planet.
Do you want a home by the ocean charging you with the sheer energy from the waves? Or do you want a serene spot where you can gaze at mountains where the mere view of the lake at the bottom of the valley washes away the insane world?
The Azores offers both.
Island living is more expensive, but Portugal subsidizes the Azores resulting in 20 percent lower prices than on the mainland.
Furnas Valley, in the Azores. By Charlotte Tweed.
The Azores is an excellent choice for those seeking:
Nature. A trip along the coast of São Miguel will reveal an infinite ocean horizon. The landscape will become more rugged as you travel along the coast. Everchanging waves of the Atlantic Ocean crash into the north side of the island. Vibrant, green trees and grass stretch upwards along the hills in a patchwork quilt. Small towns are scattered along the roads all over the island. Whale watching is first-class and affordable in the Azores. Botanical gardens flourish year-round as do tea and pineapple plantations. Outdoor activities like mountain biking and paragliding over the calderas and hills deliver spectacular and surreal views with a taste of salty ocean mist.
Culinary delights like farm-to-table are plentiful and many restaurants serve locally sourced beef and vegetables, often from gardens behind the restaurant. The Azores also have a “happy cow milk program”. This ingenious program began a decade ago on the green island of São Miguel. The cows leisurely roam the island freely 365 days a year, grazing on fresh grass and breathing the pure ocean air. The results are delicious, creamy dairy products that are pure and fresh. The cheese and the butter are all made with local pride and the utmost quality, dating back centuries.
Do note: the Azores are cooler and rainy in the winter, but freezing temperatures are unlikely, and the islands are green year-round.
Portugal
Portugal is one of the most affordable countries in Europe. Of course, the cost of living is relative and varies between regions and cities. Lisbon and Cascais are two of the most expensive areas to live in, while towns like Nazaré and Porto offer reasonable real estate and entertainment prices. A great combination of value and quality of life makes Porto an excellent choice for those looking to relocate.
The 2024 Global Peace Index (the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness) ranks Portugal seventh in the world. (Vision of Humanity, 2025) Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection ranks Portugal as the 11th safest country to visit in 2025. (Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, 2024) Portugal’s borders have remained the same since 1249, making it the oldest country in the world with unchanging borders. In 1386, Portugal established the Treaty of Windsor, the oldest diplomatic alliance still in effect today. The friendship between the British and Portuguese is well over 600 years old.
The climate in Portugal varies by region; however, the country is known for mild weather with warm summers and cool, rainy winters. Snow is rare in Portugal.
Jeronimos Monastrey, in Portugal. By Charlotte Tweed.
Portugal is an excellent choice for those seeking:
Adventure. The waves in some areas of Portugal are outstanding, boasting the highest waves on earth. International surfing events take place in Nazaré.
Portugal is the birthplace of discovery. Historical and architectural exploration can include heritage walks through historic neighbourhoods and old towns. The culinary scene in Portugal revolves around wine. When visiting a restaurant, ask for three bottles of wine at 14 percent to be delivered to your table at three price points: the lowest, mid-range, and most expensive. The wine mid-range wine will deliver the best choice, as advised by a local.
Culture and art seekers will find Fado is the musical expression of Lisbon and Portugal. The word “Fado” comes from “fatum” in Latin, which means destiny. The frustration and fatalism felt by the inhabitants of Lisbon’s humble fishing neighbourhoods, ports, and taverns are echoed in this melancholic and nostalgic music. Fado is the history and scarred soul of Portugal set to the poetry of song. People who do not consider themselves emotional find the music so moving tears begin rolling down their cheeks, even if they cannot understand the words. The songs are often about women or the sea, encompassing longing and nostalgia—remembrance of what was lost, the country that could have been.
Mexico
Mexican people are warm and welcoming. Resorts on the coasts are incredibly popular.
Step outside your comfort zone and stay outside a resort. Staying at a resort will not give you the accurate flavour of a country.
Meals are tailored to American tastes, and the surroundings cater to what a tourist would expect to see, not the reality or what a region can provide you regarding cultural immersion.
Puerto Vallarta, in Mexico. By Charlotte Tweed.
Mexico is an excellent choice for those seeking:
Cultural immersion. Mexico’s scene is packed with traditional festivals held year-round. Those seeking culinary experiences will have their senses awakened at food markets and restaurants. Theatre and performing arts are readily available and affordable. Christmas in Guadalajara offers decorated squares and parks, including live music and skating rinks. Street art is plentiful in urban neighbourhoods and small magical towns. Watch traditional dances during festivals and holidays or any time of the year. If there is a reason to celebrate, Mexicans will find it.
Where I live in Mexico, a couple can get by comfortably on US$2,500 a month.
This can be higher or lower depending on your lifestyle choices.
Imported goods are expensive, so eat local, buy the potato chips at the market, and enjoy an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables at prices a third of what you would pay in Canada or the United States.
Mexico has a sense of familiarity to Canadians and Americans making it an excellent choice for those who want to stay closer to home and fit into the expat lifestyle quicker and easier.
Ability To Maintain Personal Motivations and Goals by Unlocking Your Escape Persona
After completing your first Escape Persona getaway, you will return home feeling refreshed and energized.
As a relocation travel coach, I can help you set intentions for your escape and guide you through fear and doubt.
Tools, resources, and support will keep you motivated.
Goal setting, self-reflection, and a step-by-step plan will empower you to act on your relocation goals.
Immersing yourself in diverse cultures and landscapes will help you determine what is most important to you in a new country and help you define goals and set timelines for when and where you want to escape.
Motivation to achieve your desired lifestyle will become real instead of a fairytale.
Fear will give way to hope.
You can have the freedom you dream of in another country.
References
Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection. (2024, October 15). Safest Places to Travel. Retrieved from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection: https://www.bhtp.com/blog/safest-places-to-travel/
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. (2025, January 27). MSPUS. Retrieved from FRED: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MSPUS
Hopper, T. (2024, June 13). Opinion. Retrieved from National Post: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/millions-of-canadians-would-rather-be-somewhere-else
Vision of Humanity. (2025). Maps. Retrieved from Vision of Humanity: https://www.visionofhumanity.org/maps/#/
About the Author: Charlotte Tweed
Charlotte Tweed is a relocation travel coach dedicated to helping people not just visit new places – but truly live them.
As an internationally recognized Certified Travel Coach™ with a Travel and Tourism Honours diploma, she founded Liberty Travel Coach to guide individuals in relocating to unique liberty destinations.
Now based in Mexico, Charlotte helps others find homes where they can experience freedom and build community with like-minded people.
A published author and former managing editor of a libertarian international magazine focused on migration, alternative investments, and lifestyle, Charlotte brings deep expertise to the world of relocation travel.
She believes that with the right tools and mindset, anyone can achieve the freedom to live a fulfilling life in the country of their choice.
