This is a huge issue for anyone who wants to travel for an extended period of time, car/RV rentals are a huge expense so everyone wants to know how to buy a local vehicle, especially for those who want to tour around the US in an RV.
Different countries have different rules surrounding buying local vehicles as a foreigner. In some countries, it is impossible unless you know a local and then you can bend the rules by "renting" from them. When we traveled through South America, Chile was the easiest place to buy and sell a vehicle for foreigners - not so much paperwork and restrictions. So a lot of overland travelers used that country to buy and sell their vehicles at the start and end of their trip.
There are overlanding websites like horizonsunlimited.com which have a classifieds sections where you can search for vehicles on sale to foreigners in different parts of the world. Mainly motorcycles.
Specifically what did you do for taxes and registration, were you able to drive on your US plates? I could see you getting away with that in some places but other not so sure.
Once you are out of your home country, you no longer have to pay taxes, registration, insurance, etc. So whatever paperwork you need to keep your vehicle roadworthy (stickers, emissions check, tax disc, etc) no longer applies.
You and your vehicle are now subject to the laws of the country you are driving through. We are nomadic in the strict sense of the word. In the last 3.5 years, we haven't stayed in one place for longer than 2 months. In most countries, residency laws only kick in around the 6-months to 1 year mark. This has made paperwork easy for us because for all intents and purposes, we're just tourists. So we only worry about temporary importation and tourist vehicle insurance which varies country-by-country.
In most countries, you are allowed to drive with your country's license plate. The number (as well as the VIN) is recorded simply for identification purposes when you temporarily import the vehicle. The only exception so far was Cuba, where we had to apply for a Cuban license plate.
In general there are 3 issues with being a perpetual traveler
1. You get tired of being on the road
2. Missing family
3. Healthcare
For trip-ending reasons, I'd also add:
4. Running out of money due to poor budgeting or unforeseen circumstances
5. Having to take care of family (as an adjunct of reason #2)
And finally is sometimes I get tired of being an expat, I want to be able to talk to my neighbors and people in the store. I love going home for that very reason. I mean nothing beats a meaningful conversation with the cashier at Wally Mart.
This is so true.
When you are nomadic, it's difficult to cultivate a deep relationship with the people you meet because there isn't time and you're just ships passing by in the night. Conversations always begin with "Where are you from" and you spend a lot of time establishing your identity. Other times there is too much of a cultural gap to build upon, even if you do speak the same language.
People always like to say, "We're all the same, we're all human beings", but in my experience, there are very well-defined regional differences in etiquette, behavior and responses that border on stereotypes. This is the basis for a lot of the culture shock that travelers and ex-pats experience when they leave home. Simple things like how close you stand next to someone, how blunt and direct you are when you state your opinion, the tone and volume of our voice... all these things throw your "interpersonal compass" off and you realize that communication is, for the most part, non-verbal.
I think if you're not quick to adapt to these regional differences, it can be very difficult to overcome culture shock.
Some interesting stories from both sides of the cultural divide.
- A lot of Europeans think North Americans are insincere. A common complaint is, "When they meet us, they always ask us 'How are you?' but they don't really care. Why bother asking us if you don't care?" :) Idioms!
- I've also noticed a lot of North Americans don't look each other in the eye when they talk. When you meet someone from another culture and they hold your gaze, it's very unsettling, but that adds to the insincerity factor mentioned above.
- Someone's speaking to you and you don't understand their language. No problem, they use the universal translation technique: raising their voice.
- There are few people we've met who know how to communicate across language barriers. They speak slowly and they use a lot of mimes and hand gestures. *BUT* we've come to realize that hand gestures are not universal. Especially when giving directions - which as travelers we are always asking for. In Western countries, you use your fingers to point when giving directions, "Go straight here (point finger ahead), turn right there (point again to the right). In *A LOT* of other countries, there is no pointing. There is only hand-waving. When you don't speak the language and you're looking at vague gesturing in the air, it really throws you off! And the funny part is that other locals understand this hand-waving! :)
This isn't to say that you're never going to get along with anyone from other parts of the world. We've met so many amazing people that have become very close friends over the last few years. If you can bridge that gap and be more understanding and tolerant of cultural differences, you're going to meet people that will show you such insights into who they are and where they come from, but also who *you* are and where *you* come from.
I don't think long-term, nomadic travel is for everyone, but you're not going to know it until you try it.
