On the walk home the other night, a Chilean woman who is in the program with me asked why Americans are leaving their country. "Not all Americans are leaving" I replied.
"Yes, but so many of you don't want to stay there. Why do you leave when American is such good country?"
I laughed a bit, and said, "Well, I'm happy to have come from where I did, but just because America is America doesn't mean that I can't go out an explore the world."
"Yes, I just don't understand. It is strange to me why anyone would ever want to leave such a place."
"Most of them don't...a very low percentage of Americans even have their passports. I know I'll go back there one day, it's where my family is from and it is where I want to settle, but for right now, there's nothing tying me down to my country. That and sometimes the American culture gets a little overwhelming, people have the wrong perspectives on a lot of things, not all, but many."
"Oh." And that was pretty much it.

Fast forward to the next day, I'm waiting for an observation to begin and I sit down next to Kelly. A late thirty/early forty something divorcee who dragged her daughter here for the year, claiming she had empty nest syndrome after her oldest son joined the military. So I sit next to her on the couch...she smiles and asks, "I've completely forgotten who you are. What's your name again?"
"My name is Annie, Kelly, it's Annie."
"Ohh, uh-huh, right, and you're here because?"
"Well, I just graduated from college, and I don't want to go to grad school or get a real job yet, so this was the most productive, fun thing I could come up with to fill that void. I'm pretty happy with my decision."
"Okay, and where did you go to school?"
"UVM, I had a blast."
"Oh winter is such a terrible season." (Strike number one.) "So what did you do between high school and college?"
"You mean the summer? Uh...I hung out with friends and family, worked a little..."
"Oh you mean you went straight from high school to college?"
"Yeah, I'm only 22."
"22?!?!?!?!?!? Wow, I mean, huh, I just thought you were, you know, one of the older students." (Strike number two.)
"Well, I don't wear make-up, so I guess I look older than I'm supposed to."
"Oh yeah, well sure, that and you're...I mean, uh, you're maturity level is high."
"Yeah, I'm the youngest of four, so...you know."
"And what do you want to do, for this 'grad school' or 'real job'?"
"Well, I'm thinking about becoming a translator, probaby French because then I could most likely find a job on the East Coast or maybe even in Vermont."
"OH YEAH. Well, my sister's stepdaughter's cousin has a real-estate firm in Delaware, and she knows sign, and she makes probably $250 grand a year, I'm telling the truth you know."
"Of course."
"Well, all I'm saying is, that when it comes right down to it, you can do what you love, and you can do what makes money, and really, you should do what makes money, because money buys freedom." (STEEEEEERRRIIIIIKKKKKKEEEEE THRRREEEEEE!!!!! You are SO out.)
"Well," I reply after throwing up a little in my mouth, "uhhhh, I don't really think that way. I mean, I'm not heading out in the world to make a lot of money. If I do, great, but if not, I'm not going to be wishing my life away wishing I had. If I do what I love, then I'll be happy, regardless of my salary."
"Well, the thing is, you choose money, and then you choose to do what you love with that money, you buy your freedom to do whatever you want."
"Um, I guess I just define freedom differently than you do. And probably the same goes for wealth..."
"Well, sure, that's quite the opinion you have there."

I walked away from that conversation fuming. You do NOT BUY your freedom. My freedom is seeing my family whenever I want to. Freedom is listening to songs I choose to listen to, reading books I choose to read, and moving to other ocuntries for experiences like this. In fact, I can choose whether or not I want to ever speak to that woman again, as opposed to saying false praises or some bullshit like that. So for the Chilean girl who didn't know why Americans would ever want to leave their country: we leave because we can.