Most people understand what the term expat means. It’s someone who lives outside of their country of citizenship, typically by choice; i.e., not particularly applicable to military or corporate employees stationed in another country. As military, I lived in Japan for five years and then France for two. It was a station, I was not an ‘expat.’ But now I am. An American living in Thailand. It’s because I prefer living here to America. Plus, the cost of living is from 5-10 times less here than US, depending on how frugally you wish to take it.

Sean was born in New Jersey and at the young age of 24 got himself assigned in a banking / trading role to London, where he lived for 10 years. Then it was onto Singapore, then Hong Kong. When he left the workaday banking world, he became an official expat when he, his wife, and their son moved to her country of origin, the Philippines. He writes and edits a financial-oriented newsletter, Rude Awakening, published daily by Paradigm Press.

Along the way, he became a hyper-expat when he renounced his US Citizenship and tossed his passport. He has dual citizenship now: Great Britain and Italy. Note: he didn’t renounce the US over bad blood or anything. Practical, financial decision. I let him tell the story.

We also chat about finance stuff, the Ruble, markets, Russia, Ukraine, etc. Those things, and plenty of personal anecdotes from both of us.