Transporting America - Celebrating Independence Day Abroad With Tears, Prayers, Beers, And Freedom

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Happy 4th of July from across the world! Today I'm celebrating freedom and independence with some very mixed emotions, so grab a beer and join me as I share some nearly sober thoughts and some bouts of clarity in these wild times

This is the first time being out of the US for Independence Day - and it feels very weird. It is just an ordinary day here in the Philippines. I have been caught in a state of mild sadness and slight confusion.

I haven't posted a lot on social media lately because I don't know what to make of my life right now - because I am both very happy and very sad. Many of my recent photos show me smiling and very happy - and in many ways that is true.

I have found a goldmine of freedom and independence here. But the cold hard truth is that I came here because I had to flee my home country - because if I didn't, I probably would have died, or currently be really close to dying right now.

But I'm alive and well. The medical procedures earlier this year were hugely successful and I'm feeling better than ever and getting into the best shape of my life! So I'm celebrating freedom and independence on a personal level. But I'm finding a cloud of sadness over my celebration because it is still confusing to me.

Our country is the only one that recognizes our God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - so why did I have to come to the Philippines to access them? There have been a lot of things that are not making sense.

Today is Independence Day in the US, yet I am living on the opposite side of the earth where I have ten times more independence and freedom.

I get treated as an equal human being with dignity and respect, rather than getting treated as an inferior burden by people who hide behind a mask of preaching tolerance, equality, and inclusion.

I'm finally feeling better now that I have doctors who actually care and take the time to listen to me after ten years of being gaslighted by doctor after doctor who always pushed medication rather than treat the root cause of the problem.

I feel much safer here even though it's been reported that China has recently pointed more than 50 supersonic missiles directly at and surrounding the town I'm living in I'd rather risk being instantly blown to smithereens any day over having to beg for help from people who either despise me for my ambition and skin color - or are too high to "care" about anything.

My quality of life is 90% better and the cost of care is 8% of what it costs in the US.

According to a survey from BankRate conducted this past May, it takes a household income of $186,000 to feel financially secure. That number easily doubles when you require caregivers or have other medical expenses. So life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are currently out of reach for me living in the US.

And having to live on the other side of the world comes with a hefty price. I'm 10,000 miles from everything I know and love today - picnics with family and friends, the fireworks, the concerts. I even missed out on saying goodbye to a good friend who died suddenly last week.

This is not some America-hating post - in fact, I love my country and the fact that I had to flee it to save my life absolutely breaks my heart each day. Then again, fleeing danger is in my blood. One set of grandparents fled the cancer of communist Russia while the other set survived and escaped the "national socialist" Holocaust in Germany.

America is currently on life support with both types of cancer. But I will still celebrate her birthday from afar, praying for her survival. The spirit of America cannot be destroyed. We can take it wherever we go - both in this world and the world to come. Because life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness come directly from God almighty <3