I decided in 2021 that if the election went to shit, I was moving to New Zealand. I even took a phone interview with a possible employer in Aukland. However, between 2021 and now, I ended up in a relationship with a refugee. She can’t move with me or she loses her protected status.

After the election happened, I spent a lot of time thinking carefully about what I would do. Ultimately, the risks (like getting tied to a shitty job with a bad boss and not being able to switch because they were sponsoring my green card or whatever, plus being sad and lonely without a support network) outweighed the benefit (not being attached to the USA’s shittier states). I remain stateside.