Am I the only one thinking of places to go in case Trump wins?

For us Canada is the logical choice for many reasons, the most important of which being that we already have family there (my brother in law and his family). And career-wise there are some great MEd programs there that would make a lot of sense for me in terms of advancement

I feel silly for even thinking about it, even though if we stripped away the political stuff in America my plan would still make sense (closer to family, living in a place we like, attending a program that would help my career, the promise of better health care down the line)

But my historian spidey sense is screaming at me right now. Regardless of who wins in November Trumpism isn't going away anytime soon. The environment will continue to warm. The gun nuts will become even more unhinged. Politics will radicalize even more.

Four years ago I was like, "Hell yeah, hand me a molotov cocktail." But I'm almost 40. I have a small child to take care of. I want to teach and work and write and be happy. Can I continue to do these things in the US? Sure. But a year ago who would have thought we'd be here?

Which begs the question . . . what will it be like in another year? In five years? We're right up on the event horizon now and the timelines from here on out look increasingly dark.

I don't want to quit on my country. I'm an American, inside and out. But lately I've been wondering about my great-great grandmother Anna Schroeder, who crossed the Atlantic with a daughter Clementine's age to get to the U.S. What made her quit Germany and come here?

She could not have foreseen the disasters of WWI, the Wiemar Republic, WWII . . . plus her village was just five miles east of the East German border. But Germany in the 1880s was a newly unified nation and a rising global power. She didn't know it but she made the right choice

I guess part of me wants someone to tell me that I'm being stupid that that everything will be fine, but all the responses so far are "well, yeah, we're thinking the same thing." That's both reassuring and extremely disconcerting.

This coming year was going to be one of planning and seeking out new opportunities, or deciding in the end to double-down on what I'm already doing. But I think I'm going to add another branch to that decision tree.

Wish me luck.

And if you're thinking about the same thing . . . send me a DM. Let's chat and be silly and stupid or prescient and wise together. We don't need to think these weirdo thoughts alone.

/End thread