The deadline is today

May 15, 2012
Santiago, Chile

Over the weekend, I had the privilege of breaking bread with our workers at the farm in celebration of the phenomenal harvest season we’ve had.

Some of the workers during the grape harvest

And a celebration it was– everything from the blueberry harvest in December all the way up to the wine grape harvest that just ended, this season shattered previous production records.

Moreover, in keeping pace with (and even surpassing) the rate of inflation, the prices we’ve been able to contract from wholesale buyers are also higher than ever before.

The celebration was also partly a going away party– today is my last day in Chile, and the workers wanted to send me off with a full stomach and nasty hangover before resuming my ‘normal’ nomadic lifestyle.

While I’m definitely going to miss the farm, and Chile, I’m looking forward to getting back on the road for a while; I’m heading to the US for a few weeks, then Europe for the summer, then Africa, then Asia, and finally back to south America.

Over the last several years, this journey as a financial explorer has taken me to over 100-countries and provided countless stories, lessons, and opportunities. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout all of that experience, it’s this:

The world is full of amazing places and incredible opportunities that absolutely anyone can take advantage of.

Whenever I see people stuck in a bad situation, I just want to grab them and say “It doesn’t have to be this way, just leave! There are some really amazing things out there waiting for you.”

If you feel uninspired by your current prospects, whether in your personal life, your job, business, healthcare needs, retirement, investments, etc., you’ll find a whole new universe of options when you expand your thinking internationally.

Every single country has something to offer… a competitive advantage. It might be top quality medical care, safer banks, cheap outsourcing, flexible asset protection vehicles, low-tax business structures, cheaper gold premiums, lower cost of living… or even something like great food, or a better gender ratio for singles.

The concept is simple: when you change your geography, you change your odds.

Chile is one place that really has a lot to offer just about every category of individual– from entrepreneur to retiree to skilled professional to young student.

The job market here is booming, and foreigners can easily obtain work permits. It’s gorgeous. A high standard of living can be had at a very reasonable cost. Business, investment, and entrepreneurial opportunities abound. Plus Chile is the leading incubation and venture capital hub in Latin America.

But Chile is not alone in the universe of great places to be; there are dozens of other locations around the world that are also exciting, from Qatar to Kosovo to Azerbaijan to Abu Dhabi to Paraguay to Kurdistan.

In Latin America, I also highly recommend Colombia and Brazil; both are already becoming thriving economies full of compelling employment and financial prospects.

In Asia, it’s hard to go wrong anywhere… except maybe Brunei.

Singapore may be one of the easiest places in the world for talented professionals (especially with families) to find a job and relocate. Hong Kong also has a very strong job market, and many companies in mainland China are hiring foreigners too.

For entrepreneurs and investors, Indonesia and Vietnam are both enormous markets with rapidly growing per capita wealth. Mongolia is set to become the richest nation in the world by the end of the decade. Burma is just waiting to explode.

In any of these places, there are strong possibilities to create value, achieve financial success, do something meaningful, and live a freer life. It certainly beats waiting around for your government to go bankrupt.

As a final note, I just wanted to remind you that today is the application deadline for our 2012 summer Liberty and Entrepreneurship Camp.

This one is shaping up to be the most international we’ve ever had. So far we’ve heard from students from over 50-countries– South Korea, Poland, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, France, Brazil, the US, Israel, Nepal, Macedonia, Tajikistan, Australia, India, the Philippines, Canada, Nigeria, and dozens more.

If you’re young, driven, global and prone to libertarian, entrepreneurial tendencies, you won’t want to miss it. And, as always, there is no charge to attend our camp.

Check out BlacksmithCamp.com for information on how to apply. Don’t delay, the deadline is today.