In the wake of the 2024 election, a growing number of young Americans are abandoning the traditional pursuit of the American dream and seeking a life abroad.
Bianca Lynch, a 32-year-old digital nomad from North Carolina, is one of those who have made the decision to leave. “It wasn’t a dream, it was more of a fuzz,” she said of her previous life in a three-story townhome with a corporate job.
Lynch’s decision was influenced by the results of the election, which she believes has “poisoned the blood of our country.” She and others who share her views are concerned about the rise of conservative values and the influx of immigrants from other countries.
“It’s very hard for us to see ourselves coming back and being in this country having to be around that many people who felt that is someone who needs to be in power,” Lynch said.
This trend is not isolated. Google searches for digital nomad visas, how to move to Canada, and best countries to move to all spiked after the election.
Jen Barnett, founder of the website Expy, which helps Americans travel and move abroad, has seen a surge in traffic since the election. “Our site really first took off when Roe v. Wade was overturned,” she said.
According to Barnett, 72% of visitors to her website now cite the US being too conservative as their reason for wanting to leave, a 30% increase from before the election.
Some argue that it is important to stay and fight for change, but others believe that leaving is a more viable option.
“I would honestly just ask the question is it worth it to you to fight the fight do you have that fight in you because honestly I don’t have it,” Lynch said. “Instead of trying to change an entire country when I can simply remove myself and go somewhere else and by default be happier I’m choosing peace.”