So I have a confession to make, 

I am a mild prepper. 

Why’s this a confession? Well because people think preppers are super weird doomsday people who just dig a hole in the ground, call it a bunker, and prepare for the end of the world.

I guess this is why I say “mild” prepper because the above description certainly does not describe me.

Actually, I am a really upbeat and happy guy. I had dinner with some clients last night and we were all laughing and joking around, I would even go so far as to say I am optimistic about the future.

I think there have been enough people who woke up from the Matrix and see what is happening in the world, that we will win this fight.

For me being prepared just comes along with my values of freedom and liberty; I look to myself, my family & friends and my community for help, I believe we have a better shot at solving problems than some stranger in Washington. 

Personal responsibility is one of my core tenets.

For me prepping means if there is a natural disaster like a hurricane or an earthquake or some type of civil unrest that we have supplies on hand to see my family through.

That I have a plan in place, even a basic one, on how to deal with the situation.

Maybe it’s why in 21 years of continual travel around the world I have never had any major problems and everything has always worked out.

For example, in the first two weeks of 2020, we started hearing about this thing called the Coronavirus. 

My wife is from mainland China so we had friends messaging us on WeChat about what was happening. This was long before the world media had caught on.

By the second and third week of January, we were already at Pricesmart (Panama version of Costco) loading up on additional food to add to our stores.

In early February I had a trip planned to Mexico and was the only person on the aircraft wearing a mask.

Remember, at this point, most of the world had not even heard of this and had no idea what was happening.

About a month and a half later the world was locked down, it was tough to get toilet paper or basic necessities. 

But we had already been stockpiling medical supplies, water treatment equipment, gas for our cooktop, and canned foods, piece by piece, since we first got to this country a year earlier.

While the rest of the world was scrambling around trying to figure out what was happening, we were already in an excellent position.

And as a side note, by March, we had already taken our masks off having come to the realization that the real danger was what was being done to society and the economy.  

That’s the virus you need to watch out for.

My best prep through all of this though was my ability to speak Spanish.

Think, if you cannot communicate with people in your neighbourhood, the hospital staff if you get sick, or understand the laws that are being enforced on you by the government. 

How are you going to be able to protect yourself as an expat?

Being prepared means doing these things BEFORE you need them, and in this case, before you even move overseas.

Speaking the local language falls right in line with personal responsibility.

My friend Olly Richards Uncovered Courses are on sale right now for Black Friday.

This is the best program I have found for learning a new language.

But the deal goes away tonight, this is your last chance to scoop these up, you can learn more here: https://expatmoneyshow.com/black-friday-massive-language-sale

Speak soon,

Mikkel