I’m a World Citizen
I lived and born in Spain for almost 37 years, but I never was a ‘patriotic’ person that defends my country in all senses. I enjoyed seeing some sports represented by Spain in the World Cup for example, but talking in general, I consider myself a citizen of the world… and what’s that exactly?
One of my passions is travel as much as I can, especially around Europe and United States of America, I want to expand my visited territories into Australia, Nordic countries, Asia and so on, trying to learn what’s the differences between cultures and met new people from this countries to see what they’re doing and how, also I enjoy a lot trying new food (one of my hobbies).
The plan of getting all countries inside Europe being together and break the frontiers was the best idea ever created, also the citizen’s liberty to move around each one using only an ID card instead of a passport, with the possibility to create a new life everywhere you want, looking for a job, live there, cooperate with the country and also it helps a lot the cheaper flights thanks to companies like Ryanair and Easyjet.
Actually, I never lived abroad more than a month but I have friends that are doing right now in London and Dublin, they choosed to leave our country and start over, I always wanted to do that as well but maybe not in Europe, but in USA, a never easy task. I’m travelling there almost one time every year for 2–3 weeks, trying to understand how that country works and how maybe I can get there not only for vacations.
That’s the main difference right now between two continents: luck of liberty between first world countries to move as freely as we do in Europe, we’re opening even more frontiers but at same time, in USA they luck experienced people in some jobs (like computing or medics), you need a company to sponsor you to try to obtain a work visa, also you must have a high degree in some university, something that is never necessary in Europe when you’re working with computers (using some language codes), like my case.
It’s really strange seeing that USA is hiring a lot of people from India and China to live there, hiring all kind of engineers for Facebook, Microsoft, Google, AirBnb etc, but they’re always forgetting european people, something that could have a solution in the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) between USA and Europe, but as always, it will be used in some bad way, so the main investors can gain more money and enter new products that usually can’t enter Europe because of the sanitary controls in food, so they’re talking about trading products, but nothing related to open markets for professionals to work in USA or Europe.
Being a world citizen means you want all countries to have same oportunities for people, not matter age, sex, condition or race, something we did between Europeans (except Switzerland), they did also between international companies (British Airways with American Airlines for example), creating some joint ventures, it’s always about business but not relating professionals, only selling products, why not change that so north american people and europeans can enjoy the same privileges creating more jobs and learning together instead of creating things separate trying to compete for example with China or Japan?
Also another question is related to Latin American countries, it’s really curious that a lof of them are already living in USA (much closer to Europe in some cases), I know some IT companies that created their business in Colombia and Paraguay (also in Argentina and Brazil), then move people from there to USA… why not to do the same thing in other countries? I had a really bad experience in Boston some years ago, when you realice it’s almost impossible to work there without a high degree, in Europe we care more about all the time you’re working using that technology, no one will ask about your studies in IT if you’re working more than 10 years inside that sector, but not in USA… even when IT companies are having problems to fill all the positions they need… more offers than demand.
I really love USA and that’s why I’m going there every single year, it’s a fascinanting country for me and I never get tired of it, at my age it’s not time to get a high degree so maybe invest in some company will be the solution? Maybe in some other story I will write about how a lot of people in Spain and Europe are working in IT without ever been inside an university, something that gives you a future but not in all countries, and that’s really sad.
Like Diogenes said in one of his quotes: “when asked from what country he came, replied: ‘I am a citizen of the world’”.
Are North American people also interested to live the european experience? Leave me comments about your opinion if you read it
