Leighann is a 28 year wife and mother of one,
homeschooler, WWOOFer, blogger, and world traveler. You can read more
about her crazy life at http://www.thenewsbase.com plus lots of stuff
about gardening, cooking and books. She never planned to travel the
world, but sometimes life throws us curves and she’s still learning to
roll with the punches. Someone must have given her the old Chinese
curse: “May your life be interesting”.
Where are you from and where do you live now?
I was born in St. Louis, Missouri in the USA, but I moved to Arkansas
when I was 8, and that’s my real roots. I will always be a Southern
girl, wherever I live. A lot of people misunderstand the South.
There is a lot of poverty, prejudice, and poor education. But the
South is also about being close to your family and friends, living off
the land, and being a rebel: not letting people tell you what to do,
making your own way. Right now, we are living in rural France, which
in many ways reminds me of Arkansas.
Where do you consider your home to be?
Home. That word is so full of meaning. It can mean the place you
live, the place you’re from, the place your family is, where you feel
the most comfortable, where you feel you belong. It conjures up
thoughts of warm hugs, Mom, and comfort food. It’s a nostalgic,
romantic word, especially for me. I’m quick to call a new place
“home”, even if we’re someplace for a week I say “let’s go home” when
we’re out shopping or something. But I don’t mean that deeper sense
of home. I guess in a way I’m still searching, although the Gulf
Islands in Canada feels like where I most belong. That may seem like
I’m contradicting my last answer about Arkansas being my roots. But
Arkansas is what I came out of. I love it, but I don’t have the same
political and religious beliefs that I grew up with, and in most of
Arkansas that makes you stick out like a sore thumb. Many people
would not accept me there. There are a lot of close-minded people,
and I don’t have time for that in my life.
How many addresses have you had?
Let’s see… not counting all the times I moved around within the US
(about 5 times, mostly within Arkansas), we’ve lived in Belize,
Germany, Canada, and now France. So that’s four different countries,
and counting. France is nice, but it’s not where we will stay
forever. The hardest thing about moving is that all the junk you
collect over the years, whether it’s sentimental, or just junk, builds
up. You try to sell it, but you end up just giving it away. And we
have things stashed all over the world, hoping we’ll be able to go
back and retrieve it at some point. When you fly, there’s only so
much you can take. And it’s hard to fit a lifetime into 6 suitcases.
Can you tell me about the different jobs/careers you’ve had?
I got married when I was 18, and I only did a semester of college
before I got pregnant. I was suposed to take a semester off, and then
go back, but it was so overwhelming, and I was helping my husband
start a business. We told ourselves we didn’t need to finish college.
We were already successful. And that’s worked out OK for the most
part, but I wish sometimes that one or the other of us had finished.
It makes thinks a lot easier for international paperwork, and of
course opens up career opportunities. I’ve worked for Taco Bell,
McDonald’s, Microplane as a factory worker, and Wal-mart. I have also
been an insurance agent for Aflac and a telemarketer for the Heritage
company. Most of these jobs were to help us out when our on-line
interests were struggling (we sold dial-up Internet access and web
hosting for a while, dabbled in the paid to click industry, sold stuff
on eBay). Then, when we moved to Canada, we discovered WWOOFing -
Willing Workers (or World Wide Opportunities) On Organic Farms
(http://www.wwoof.ca is the Canadian site, but there are WWOOF
organizations around the world.). It started out as a way to get free
rent, but we learned a lot about organic food and why it is so
important. WWOOFing really helps farms to stay organic and
sustainable. I wish we had discovered it years ago.
Can you describe the process behind deciding to travel?
It’s sort of a long story. And it’s hard for me to tell. We have
been judged so often, and lost friends and family over it. You see, I
married a German man. We were madly in love and wanted to stay
together. So we got married, both of us thinking marriage = quick
citizenship. Nothing could be further from the truth. We filed our
paperwork, and waited for the government to respond, assuming
everything was ok. We pretty much forgot about it, knowing that we
had done what we were supposed to do. We had our son in March 2001,
and we had our business to keep us busy. Things were actually going
quite well for us. Then September 11 happened. It didn’t seem to
affect us directly. We didn’t know anyone affected. But unknown to
us, the immigration system changed completely. Under the Bush
administration, the border patrol was given more checkpoints and
several organizations were joined together to make “Homeland Security”
My husband went to Texas to take pictures of property we owned there
to sell. On his way back home he was stopped at a checkpoint. He
told the agent the truth – he was married to a legal US citizen, had a
US citizen kid. He had filed his paperwork, but never got anything
back. He didn’t carry his passport with him because gosh, it had been
several years, and he considered himself almost American by now. They
found his file on the computer, but said too bad, you did everything
you were supposed to do, but we have to take you in anyway just to be
sure. They kept my husband locked up for almost a month. We finally
were able to get him out, but he had to go to hearings every month in
Memphis, a 4 hour drive away! It finally became too much for him. He
decided to leave the country. Not to Germany, which he hated, but to
Belize, a Central American country we had read a lot about. Beautiful
place with easy immigration. He left and told me he understood if I
didn’t come along. He was there about a month by himself, getting our
house ready (we had bought a house there over the Internet a year or
two ago as an investment- for $7000 US!), and he sent a letter to
Homeland Security/INS, telling them he had left the country, and they
could all be happy now. My son and I joined him and we ended up
living there for a year. There were some political disagreements (the
prime minister of Belize basically invested all the Social Security
money into a new phone company, which went bankrupt!) and the
historically peaceful Belizeans began rebelling. No one was killed,
but rocks were literally being thrown at cabinet members, threats and
bad feelings were in the air, and we were afraid of a full-on
revolution. We were at the point where we could try to go home, or we
could stay and pay for residency (we couldn’t afford both). We chose
to go home. I had a 3 year old. It turns out there was no
revolution. Belize voted Musa in again the next election. But we
weren’t sure.
During this time, and immigration lawyer told us we would be able to
come back to the US, with Dan coming in as a tourist, and just refile
our paperwork. We wouldn’t have any problems, and could start with a
clean slate. That’s what we decided to do.
We came back into the US with no problems. We assumed that meant
everything was OK and we could carry on. The plan was for him to go
to Canada or Mexico every 6 months to stay legal. But with our
finances, and living so far from the border, this wasn’t possible.
Still, we figured we were technically legal, and if we laid low we’d
be ok. However, that illusion was shattered when about 5 ICE -
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – cars and a local small town cop
showed up in our yard, and arrested him. It was a moment we had
dreaded, but didn’t think would really happen. It didn’t make any
sense, and still doesn’t. Once again they kept him locked up like a
criminal – a month and a half, but this time it was more serious. INS
claims they didn’t get his letter about leaving. According to their
records, he failed to show up at his last hearing, and was still in
the country as an overstay. It was a second offense, so there was no
hearing. He was being deported.
Thus started the second wave of ex-patriotism for us. He was sent
“home” to Germany, which he hadn’t been to in about 10 years. And he
was told he couldn’t come back to the US for 10 years. So we’re in
exile at the moment. But we’re still workin on the paperwork…there
are ways to get forgiven and return sooner. It’s the biggest mess
ever! I can’t believe that the US tears about families like that, and
forces Americans to leave the country. Especially when we tried to go
the legal route. We filed our paperwork, we married for love, we did
our best to follow the law. And this is the thanks we get for it. At
the same time, I see people who are living illegally in the US, with
no claim at all. And it just burns me up. The worst is when someone
calls my husband an “illegal”. Like my parents. They just didn’t
understand. They said if the government wanted to lock him up, he
must be a criminal, an illegal.
There is an upside to all of this, however. First of all, we get to
travel! We have been places I never dreamed of, and we have met
people that we would have never know. Since my husband is an EU
citizen, we have access to EU countries with no problems, which is a
big relief. We don’t like Germany, it is too restrictive.
Homeschooling is illegal, and there is too much bureaucracy. So we
chose France, which seems like a good fit. We’re not sure where the
road will take us next, but we’re enjoying the ride.
What do you enjoy most about where you live now?
France is a great country. I love that there is so much space.
Germany was too crowded, all the houses up in the town together, and
the countryside given over to wheat fields. France seems a lot
easier-going with things: fishing is not so restricted, homeschooling
is legal, you are encouraged to park on sidewalks. 
And the French
are rebels. They just don’t give a darn. Which reminds me of
Arkansas. Food here is amazing, and booze is dirt cheap. We’re
learning a lot of French, and I love new languages and cultures.
Is there anything you miss about ‘back home? If so what is it?
Yes. From Arkansas: Cheetos. Haha. 24-7 Wal-marts (or any other
24-7 stores. They roll the sidewalks up here at 7). Cheap peanut
butter (I’m so sick and tired of Nutella, and hazelnuts in everything,
I could scream!). Garage sales (although we do have a rather decent
second-hand store here called Emmaus).
From Canada: The delicious apples we got so used to last year, being
near the sea, the free stores (like second-hand stores, but everything
is free!), the amazing people on the Gulf Islands
From Belize: cheap fresh fruit, great, loud music, tacos from my Cayo
taco vendor, Marie Sharp’s habanero sauce on everything, hearing
Creole
From Germany: 99 cent German oomph bread. The chewy, substantial bread
Germans use for their open-faced breakfast and dinner sandwiches.
And good liverwurst.
How has traveling/ becoming an expat changed you as a person?
It has really broadened my horizons. I used to have a lot of black and
white in my life. A lot of pre-conceived notions. When you learn for
yourself how people in other countries live, it tears those walls
down. I’ve become much more adaptable. In Belize we had an outhouse
and an outdoor shower, only cold water, and no washing machine. For a
while we didn’t even have a refrigerator! I learned to wash clothes by
hand and I learned to appreciate all the great things we have in
developed countries: washing machines, dish washers, hot water, indoor
plumbing, electricity. We take all this for granted, but so many
don’t have them!
In Canada we learned about WWOOFing, organic food, vegetarianism,
recycling, and a lot of other “green” things that we had never really
caught on to. They’ve always seemed like a way for companies to make
a lot of money. But we see them as very important now.
Unfortunately, our situation is a bit different now, so we’re not able
to live up to all things we learned, but we’re trying. I also learned
to love gardening in Canada!
How has traveling changed your lifestyle?
We have had to learn not to accumulate so much. Well, we’re learning.
It still adds up, but we have to really cut down. We feel we’re
living a very temporary existence. Tomorrow everything could change,
and we would have to start over someplace else. If so, what are we
going to take in our 6 suitcases? How can we get rid of or sell our
excess stuff? We’ve also quit having pets. They’re just too much
trouble to take along.
I also learned to appreciate true friends more. I had a bunch of loser
friends in Arkansas that I thought cared about me, but they were just
fair weather friends. I used to be very trusting of most people, and
I became paranoid, anti-social, and closed off for a while. I can’t
reveal my true self without revealing my travels and the reason for
them, and I hate being judged. My real friends have stuck with me
through thick and thin, and are always there when I need help. That
is absolutely priceless. When your own parents turn your back on you,
it helps to know that someone is still out there, backing you up, even
if that person is in another country. I’ve also learned to never put
friends before family. Most of our friends now are family friends,
people who are older than us and have traveled.
Everywhere we go, I pick up a few recipes and food ideas. Which
inevitably leads to cravings for things when we leave a country.
Some, like beans and cornbread, are relatively easy to duplicate. But
a fresh soursop or dragonfruit from Belize is almost impossible to
find elsewhere and rarely ripe. We’re building up likings for creme
de cassis (current liqueur), chestnuts and real French nougat which
I’m afraid will be hard to duplicate in another country.
Did you travel with your family?
Yes. I have had to go separately from my husband a couple times
because of immigration issues, but we always end up together.
How has traveling changed your family life?
Being separated is so hard, especially when it is not what we choose.
It ends up bringing us so much closer together. We’ve been through so
much together, and we all know there is nothing more important than
family. Many people envy us for our travels, many people judge us for
our past, but not many can really understand us. We are around each
other 24-7, especially now that we’re living in the downstairs of an
old gîte. Our beds are in the living room all together, and we work
together, do homeschool, etc. Sometimes it gets on my nerves, but I
love being close to my family and not getting all caught up in the
drama of the outside world.
How does your little one adjust to the changes?
He is always excited to meet new kids, especially if they’re in/from a
different country. He has his own little friends all over the world,
and some fantastic memories that will be with him forever. He’s never
been scared of anything, but he’s always so ready to jump into a new
friendship and talk to people. It’s hard for him to move, but every
time we do, I tell him, “Remember last time, when you were so sad to
leave (insert kid’s name) and then we went to (insert country name)
and you met (new kid’s name). Now if we hadn’t gone through that hard
time of missing someone, you would have never met your new friend!
Wouldn’t that be sad?”
I’m so glad that he can be exposed to so many cultures and kinds of
people. There is so much prejudice in Arkansas, but he has figured
out on his own that people are people anywhere in the world. Some are
good, some are bad, some are stupid, some made good friends. You
never know what you’ll find.
I’m very interested to see where he decides to settle down some day.
Or if he does settle. He enjoys traveling as much as I do.
Any last words…..?
I think everyone (in the States, at least) should be required to take
a year or longer trip to another country. There’s no better way to
broaden your horizons and discover who you are. The world would be a
much better place if we took the time to try to understand each other.
Thanks for this interview!
Thank You for taking the time Leighann, you have an interesting and touching story. Our reasons for traveling can be so varied, yet what we ‘get out of it’ is so rich.
Read More about Leighann at TheNewsBase.com
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Mike CJ
