You could be describing Australia, where I live, here. Everything you wrote is happening there, if on a somewhat smaller scale given the size of the continent and the relatively small population.
While reading your excellent article I experienced a dismaying sense of deja vu. I was born in eastern Canada (an early boomer baby) but I left the country in 1973 after a few quite dismal experiences with work (I was in media so quite less 'meaningless' than most hamsters have to put up with now to finance their existences) in Montreal and Toronto, where what you have so aptly described was even back then going on with a vengeance.
I moved first to New Mexico, at that time widely regarded as Hicksville by most Americans - and found life there to be not only meaningful, much less consumer-focused than almost all of the rest of the USA, but also enjoyable. People meant more to each other, they socialised more, they valued their relationships and expanded to area beyond the narrow confines of socialising largely with family members or old school friends, as I saw in Canada and still see in Melbourne.
Australian society like Canada's is basically suburban-focused and all those consumer-led values are given first priority in almost everyone's life.
From your article I've deduced you live in Alberta. I last visited (mostly Calgary but also a short stay in Edmonton) in 2019, just before Covid, and found that province so stultifying in every way that I had to escape to more culturally enriching places - first Vancouver, then New Brunswick, two places where I have old friends I wanted to revisit. Vancouver was not as I had found it in the early 1970s, but in most ways it isn't as culturally comatose as almost all the rest of the country. You would do well to consider relocating there, it's refreshingly free of a lot of cultural biases I found still thriving in every province.
New Brunswick wasn't immune from consumer mindlessness or redneck mentality - in the '70s it was a religious stronghold, two main churches dominated everything and you were forced to be a parishioner to fit into the 'churchy' mentality - anyone who doubts this should stay a weekend in Moncton for a mega-dose of negative culture-shock - but it was nothing like I found in Toronto or, sadly, Montreal where I was born and grew up until we moved to NB in the 1950s.
I'm no longer young and many of my memories are now part of the country's history - but I did leave Canada in early 2020 with the thought that, if one thing I found had changed for the better, it was that I could get decent coffee in places other than Quebec, and not the vile American-type slop most Canadians used to drink...
An excellent article. I will be looking up more of your writing, Jason. Good on you!!
Best from DANN in Australia (now in exile in Indonesia until the end of this year)
Thank you for the detailed comment. Interestingly, I lived in Melbourne for two years. Although you are right that there is a fairly big obsession there with consumerism, I didn't find it to be as bad as Canada. At the very least, it's easier to escape to wilder areas in Melbourne such as Royal Park downtown, the botanic gardens, and my favourite, the Yarra Bend Park. Larger canadian cities tend to have less nice parks, in my opinion with possibly the exception of Vancouver. And I think smaller cities in Australia have nicer things around comapred to smaller cities here which are basically just wastelands, except for the few that are quite expensive and affordable only to the rich.
That being said, if I moved to Australia again, I'd go some place smaller rather than Melbourne of course. Actually, my dream is to move back to Australia one day, just because the weather is nice and the birds are beautiful.
You lived a very interesting life and certainly you've moved around a lot. How did you find out about New Mexico?
I do live in Alberta as you correctly deduced. I agree with you that it's not a very healthy place. Previously it was Brazil, but it could be Brazil again in the future. Vancouver is a really nice place indeed, but I could absolutely never afford to live there. I make enough to live in cheaper places and that's about it. I am poor by choice though, because I'd rather have time to explore life rather than be a slave to a corporation or some soulless job. Living in Vancouver unfortunately is not compatible with that.
I am really fascinated by your nomadism though and experience. I always love to read real experiences by people who think, and you are obviously a person who thinks, which is rare to find. So, I really enjoyed reading your comment and I'd be curious to hear why you're in Indonesia as well if you care to share.
And also, if you could share how you made it to Australia, I would also love to hear any tips you may have :) :) I already applied to be nominated for a 189 Visa but that didn't work and is unlikely to work. I think really the only thing that can work is a digital nomad visa with a pathway to citizenship, but I'm not sure if Australia would ever do that. In any case, I'm not sure Canada is going to be a long-term thing, mainly because I hate the cold.
You could be describing Australia, where I live, here. Everything you wrote is happening there, if on a somewhat smaller scale given the size of the continent and the relatively small population.
While reading your excellent article I experienced a dismaying sense of deja vu. I was born in eastern Canada (an early boomer baby) but I left the country in 1973 after a few quite dismal experiences with work (I was in media so quite less 'meaningless' than most hamsters have to put up with now to finance their existences) in Montreal and Toronto, where what you have so aptly described was even back then going on with a vengeance.
I moved first to New Mexico, at that time widely regarded as Hicksville by most Americans - and found life there to be not only meaningful, much less consumer-focused than almost all of the rest of the USA, but also enjoyable. People meant more to each other, they socialised more, they valued their relationships and expanded to area beyond the narrow confines of socialising largely with family members or old school friends, as I saw in Canada and still see in Melbourne.
Australian society like Canada's is basically suburban-focused and all those consumer-led values are given first priority in almost everyone's life.
From your article I've deduced you live in Alberta. I last visited (mostly Calgary but also a short stay in Edmonton) in 2019, just before Covid, and found that province so stultifying in every way that I had to escape to more culturally enriching places - first Vancouver, then New Brunswick, two places where I have old friends I wanted to revisit. Vancouver was not as I had found it in the early 1970s, but in most ways it isn't as culturally comatose as almost all the rest of the country. You would do well to consider relocating there, it's refreshingly free of a lot of cultural biases I found still thriving in every province.
New Brunswick wasn't immune from consumer mindlessness or redneck mentality - in the '70s it was a religious stronghold, two main churches dominated everything and you were forced to be a parishioner to fit into the 'churchy' mentality - anyone who doubts this should stay a weekend in Moncton for a mega-dose of negative culture-shock - but it was nothing like I found in Toronto or, sadly, Montreal where I was born and grew up until we moved to NB in the 1950s.
I'm no longer young and many of my memories are now part of the country's history - but I did leave Canada in early 2020 with the thought that, if one thing I found had changed for the better, it was that I could get decent coffee in places other than Quebec, and not the vile American-type slop most Canadians used to drink...
An excellent article. I will be looking up more of your writing, Jason. Good on you!!
Best from DANN in Australia (now in exile in Indonesia until the end of this year)
Thank you for the detailed comment. Interestingly, I lived in Melbourne for two years. Although you are right that there is a fairly big obsession there with consumerism, I didn't find it to be as bad as Canada. At the very least, it's easier to escape to wilder areas in Melbourne such as Royal Park downtown, the botanic gardens, and my favourite, the Yarra Bend Park. Larger canadian cities tend to have less nice parks, in my opinion with possibly the exception of Vancouver. And I think smaller cities in Australia have nicer things around comapred to smaller cities here which are basically just wastelands, except for the few that are quite expensive and affordable only to the rich.
That being said, if I moved to Australia again, I'd go some place smaller rather than Melbourne of course. Actually, my dream is to move back to Australia one day, just because the weather is nice and the birds are beautiful.
You lived a very interesting life and certainly you've moved around a lot. How did you find out about New Mexico?
I do live in Alberta as you correctly deduced. I agree with you that it's not a very healthy place. Previously it was Brazil, but it could be Brazil again in the future. Vancouver is a really nice place indeed, but I could absolutely never afford to live there. I make enough to live in cheaper places and that's about it. I am poor by choice though, because I'd rather have time to explore life rather than be a slave to a corporation or some soulless job. Living in Vancouver unfortunately is not compatible with that.
I am really fascinated by your nomadism though and experience. I always love to read real experiences by people who think, and you are obviously a person who thinks, which is rare to find. So, I really enjoyed reading your comment and I'd be curious to hear why you're in Indonesia as well if you care to share.
And also, if you could share how you made it to Australia, I would also love to hear any tips you may have :) :) I already applied to be nominated for a 189 Visa but that didn't work and is unlikely to work. I think really the only thing that can work is a digital nomad visa with a pathway to citizenship, but I'm not sure if Australia would ever do that. In any case, I'm not sure Canada is going to be a long-term thing, mainly because I hate the cold.