Foreign Exchange for Individuals

CD: Where in America are you moving to?

Pat Sawyer: I intend to live Sarasota on the West coast of Florida. The business is actually in Bradenton, 9 miles north of Sarasota.

CD: Why have you decided to leave the UK?

Pat Sawyer: There are a number of reasons that have led to my decision. I have worked for the past 20 years as a freelance workshop facilitator working for various local authorities around the country. The job has involved a lot of travelling. One of the reasons for my wanting to change my work is that I am tired of sitting for hours in traffic jams in order to get to and from a venue. The other side of my work is in healing. I work with innovative approaches to healing and to change. After doing this for some 15 years, I am tired of the apathy that is so prevalent in the UK about such tools for change.

The bottom line is that I have done what I have done very successfully for the past 15 to 20 years, want a change and see no way of making that change in the UK.

CD: Why have you chosen America, and in particular Florida, to move to?

Pat Sawyer: Why America? I decided that I wanted to leave the UK about 4 years ago and started the search to find a place in which I would feel comfortable and at home. The intention was always to do this alone so I wanted to take that into consideration. I explored, either theoretically, or by visiting, a number of options around the world. While I was doing this, I continued to make regular visits to America for workshops and to visit various friends that I had made over the years.

I had initially dismissed America as a possibility because I thought it was impossible to get into but I realized that it was the only country to which I actually wanted to go. I have been visiting in various capacities for the past 10 years or so and always feel at home there. Once I made that realization, I began to focus on getting it to happen. At that point, I had an elderly mother and cat in my life and committed to do nothing while they were with me. My mother died three years ago and my cat died in January 2005.

Why Florida? In March of this year I went over to America for three months with the intention of travelling to various places that I liked to see if a) I saw it as somewhere to live AND b) that I could find a business there. My assumption was that I was going to end up in California at that point. I had friends and contacts in San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento so it seemed an obvious target. Having spent time in all three places, it just did not feel right for me to live there. Nothing fit the bill and then I saw Take One on the website and followed the trail to Bradenton, fell in love with the area, the business fit and so it all fit into place. This happened 10 days before my three month Visa ran out! I returned to the UK, finalized the purchase and took ownership of the business in September 2005.

Why do I like America? I like the openness, the ‘can do’ attitude. I like it that people are friendly and they talk to you. I like the expansiveness and the ‘childlike’ ways of America. When I say childlike I mean there is a sense of exploration and wonder about life and a generosity that I find touching and wonderful to be part of. However, I am not immune to the other side of these childlike ways; I see that too.

The main difference is in the attitude. Americans start with the default position of ‘can do’ and the English start with a default position of ‘can’t do’. America is a country of extremes and I really like that.

CD: What are your main worries about starting a new life in America?

Pat Sawyer: Good question. In terms of the business, I have a massive learning curve ahead of me. I am very familiar with a lot of life in America on a day to day basis but I know nothing of the more official way of life and will need to get used to that very quickly. The same applies to everything at first. Just going to the shops to buy something specific will be a major event in terms of finding out where to go. Everything will be familiar to me but it also very different.

I guess the main thing is dealing with the official aspect of getting to live in America. The immediate issue there is the Visa and the way that it is all set up. I need to complete the purchase of the business THEN apply for the Visa to stay and run it. In the meantime, I can only be officially in the country as a tourist. So, I could end up with a business and no Visa. Unlikely given the way I am doing it but it is possible. While I agree that people should fulfil certain criteria in order to live in another country, it does all seem a little back to front.

I am not anticipating an issue with meeting people and gaining a network of friends locally. I have already made contact with two people who know mutual friends who live in Sarasota and have two others coming to visit me. I am also confident that I will be able to earn a good living over there. Once the business is operating as I want it to and find my niche in the business, I can then develop some other projects that are already developing with other individuals and organizations.

CD: What would you recommend about Currencies Direct’s service?

Pat Sawyer: I have found my dealings so far to be great. Everyone has been extremely friendly and efficient, and very understanding and helpful when there was a slight hiccup with one of my payments. It’s such a relief to have the confidence in an organisation, especially in the midst of such upheaval and uncertainty.