Ctein Is Leaving the U.S. Permanently

As you might know, Ctein (it's his only name, and his legal name, and it's pronounced "kuh-TINE") for many years wrote a column for this site. Before that, he published many hundreds of articles in a variety of photography magazines over many years, and was well known as a photo-technical expert. Many of those columns are available in the "Ctein" category in the right-hand sidebar, or his columns (421 of them!) are archived on his website. He also printed, participated in, or administrated many of our Print Sales.

Ctein by Beth Zuckerman. Elmo
is about to become a migratory bird.

As he put it to me, "There's a whiff of 1932 Germany in the air. Probably, very probably, things will not get that bad. But the folks in Germany in 1932 who thought to themselves, 'Things can't get that bad,' well…for the most part they died or fled with the clothes on their back and little more." As you might not know, Ctein is of Jewish extraction, and he's an old-line hippie radical with a long history of civil disobedience, as well as a polyamorist. He and two of his partners, Paula, who I know, and Alaster, who I don't, are decamping to "somewhere East of the Atlantic." The move will be permanent; they're not coming back. The house at 42 Skyline Drive (the address might sound familiar to Douglas Adams fans) in Daly City, California, where he and Paula have lived for 40 years, is for sale.

When I told him I go back and forth as to how to feel about this, he said, "On the odd-numbered days, I think this is the best move I could make in my life and a fabulously good idea. On the even-numbered days, I am terrified and think this is an awful idea and I must be insane to even contemplate it." However, "Staying is more risk than we're willing to take. Everyone does their own risk assessment and acts accordingly."

Mike: So when are you leaving, do you think?

Ctein: We are planning to leave in October. That's about as fast as we can do the immense amount of stuff that needs to be done.

Mike: Where will you go?

Ctein: Probably either Ireland or Portugal.

Portugal because it's ridiculously easy to qualify for retirement visas, which are renewable indefinitely so long as you maintain residence there. It puts you into their national healthcare system as well, and lets you apply for citizenship after three years. The plusses are a great location with wonderful climate—even nicer than the San Francisco Bay Area (because that is what is really meant by "Mediterranean climate"). The minus (for me) is having to learn Portuguese, because while it is an extremely English-friendly country, if I really want to fit in I need to learn the native language, and if I want to apply for citizenship I have to be able to demonstrate that I can converse in Portuguese.

Ireland, because Paula is entitled to birthright citizenship there (her grandfather was born there), and that gets me in on a permanent visa as her "committed relationship" (that is what they quaintly call it) partner. That's our first choice, but if it weren't for that, Portugal would probably be No. 1. We're still evaluating both paths to decide which is going to work best in our tight timeframe.

Mike: Any message you'd like me to convey to TOP readers?

Ctein: Sure—if readers are located in either country, or have friends there who would be happy to advise us, we'd be grateful for any more first-hand information that we can get. Conversely, if any readers have been toying with the notion of maybe getting out, I'm happy to provide resource links. If readers don't feel comfortable posting their advice or questions publicly, they can email me at [email protected].

Mike: But we won't talk the politics in the comments.

Ctein: Right, let's not discuss the pros and cons of the current administration! Topic-adjacent, to be sure, but editorially declared to be off-topic.

So that's the news. Best of luck and Bon Voyage to Ctein, Paula, and Alaster. Part of me wants to congratulate them on a new adventure in life, part of me soberly feels it's a sensible response to current events, and yet another part of me wants to offer consolation at the imminent upheaval in their lives and the loss of their longtime home, community, habits, and friends.

But hey, didn't the ancestors of many of us get here by crossing the Atlantic? Mine did....

Mike

Original contents copyright 2025 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)

Featured Comments from:

Mike Chisholm: "Learn Portuguese? Uh oh.... Check out the names of the days of the week and how to count to 100, freak out, then book a flight to Ireland, and be forever thankful they won't make you learn Irish...."

Adam Isler: "As the son of an English Jew who dodged the blitz as a boy in his siren suit, and wrote a novel about a Jew who waited too long to leave Berlin (The Prince of West End Avenue), I feel the same as Ctein. After returning from a two-year sojourn in England where I earned a photography MFA, just in time to vote, we are returning to England next month to suss out if it has the place for us. I hope my fears are alarmist, feverish imaginings but the risks feel too real to ignore."

Danny Roberts: "Great post, carefully worded. Best wishes to Ctein and partner(s)."

John Camp: "Ctein's a friend. I wrote a novel with him, and none of the science/engineering in it came from me (I contributed the necessary BS.) I have discussed this with him, and urged him to stay. We need people like him to stay here and resist. I think what we're going through is an aberration, and a more egalitarian, Europe-like America will emerge from it. In my humble opinion."

Jim Simmons: "My wife and I made a pros/cons chart of moving from the U.S. to New Zealand in 2004. We saw variations of what is occurring in the U.S. now even back then. We moved to N.Z. in 2005 and have been very happy with our decision. Friends and family have been asking us since the 2016 election how to navigate a similar move, but most of them are past the age limit for getting residency here. All empires have an expiration date, but a sensitive nose can smell the rot long before that date."

Stéphane Bosman (partial comment): "For a European, it is strange to see Americans considering a move from US to Europe. Europe is literally dying, both culturally and economically. We have lost our economic power, our military power, our freedoms, our values, and our way of life is crumbling. The population of all countries in the EU is growing poorer and poorer each year. A large part of our youth is looking to emigrate to other parts of the world because they know Europe has nothing to offer to young generations. Many today consider the US to be more attractive than Europe."

PieterK: "Following the news lately I can understand that people in America are not very happy any longer. Portugal is a beautiful country with beautiful cities. You can see that Portugal was once a very rich country. After Portugal and Spain joined the EC, Europe invested a lot of money in those countries. Good luck with learning the Portuguese language. That can be really tough! I have three friends who moved to Portugal, one from Holland and two from Sweden. Speaking Portuguese is really difficult for them, even after so many years."

Comments

[Craig]

Bon voyage and best of luck, Ctein. I would be tempted to do something similar myself, but I have professional and family commitments that will probably keep me in the US for several years yet.

[David Robinson]

Australian here looking in.
I don't know if this qualifies as political, but as long as I live I will never, ever, understand how the US could do you know what again.
What's happening in your country itself and its current "foreign policy" is truly mind boggling.
Goodluck to Ctein
If this is deleted I'll understand but know a lot of us are looking on in probably something like horror.

[Josh Hawkins]

All the best Ctein. Even if you’re an ocean away I hope you’re still able to support us if only on a spiritual/vibe level. We will be doing the same for you.

[Allan Ostling]

Ctein, why are you moving so far away? Are you aware that the perfect hideout is only a 17 minute drive south from your house? The community is called Montara, and it is lost in the perpetual summer fogs of the coast. Even better, it has the best taqueria you will ever find. Check it out, tomorrow!

[William Lewis]

I do not blame him.

This may be too political. I understand if you can't use it. See Andor Season 2 for a fictional treatment of "if this goes on".

As a US Army veteran, I have given much of myself, thankfully always in peacetime, yet it still left often needing a cane and ashamed to see my nation these last few weeks (Slava Ukraini!). The economy will be collapsing very soon and it will not be pretty for anyone. Coupled with the healthcare disaster that will follow behind it, the four horsemen are grinning in anticipation.

I will see my son, adopted from Vietnam, through his college education and then off to safety in either Canada or Germany (Oh, irony!) before hopefully finding myself an escape as a "socialist/artist/refugee" to either the UK or EU as well, though I doubt I will qualify.

After that it will remain to be seen if the 2026 elections are real or if they are reruns of the 1935 German Parliamentary elections instead, in which case all bets are off as the nation I once vowed to defend will no longer exist.

[Christer]

If we still lived in the US (moved out around 15 years ago) we'd be doing the same thing at this point. While signs point towards this being a more permanent shift in the world order and possibly the beginning of a long decline for the US I still hope that somehow things will get turned around and head in the right direction. But odds seem low.

Ctein: if Portugal is a likely destination, make sure to give serious consideration to Madeira!

[ugo]

Moving from America to the war-torn Europe? Not a bright idea; go to Asia instead!

[Bruce Hedge]

Hahaha, when I was inducted to the Officer's Mess in the RNZAF in 1967, we were told that there were three topics that were off limits. Politics, Religion, and SEX. Well, two of the three have been discussed in the last two posts. ( Interestingly, I might add!) I look forward to your next post, Mike.

[Mike Chisholm]

Learn Portuguese? Uh oh... Check out the names of the days of the week and how to count to 100, freak out, then book a flight to Ireland, and be forever thankful they won't make you learn Irish...

[Ken Monroe]

"Boa chance" to Ctein and company! Hopefully the occasional article/discussion will still appear. If I wasn't such an Olde Fartte I would be considering the same kind of move.

[Thomas Rink]

Could you have imagined such a post in 2015 - only ten years ago? And nowadays Ctein's decision even sounds realistic and reasonable ...

Welcome to the EU, Ctein! Portugal sounds like a good choice.

[Stéphane Bosman]

Well, firstly, Portugal is not on the Mediterranean sea. Portugal is on the Atlantic Ocean, with everything that that entails. The South of the country enjoys a climate that is close to Mediterranean, but not quite. The North of Portugal can give you periods of really miserable weather.

On the other hand, Ireland might look tempting now, but its economic condition is entirely dependant on two status-quos. The first being the new American administration remaining passive towards the US tax evasion that Ireland offers to American corporations. The second status quo Ireland needs is the EU tolerating that semi tax heaven status that gives Ireland a competitive advantage compared to other members of EU. Both are conditions of the prosperity Ireland has enjoyed in the recent years and neither is safe currently. But Ireland is beautiful, especially the West coast, where you're pretty much guaranteed to get sun and rain every day, in various proportions.

For a European, it is strange to see Americans considering a move from US to Europe. Europe is literally dying, both culturally and economically. We have lost our economic power, our military power, our freedoms, our values, and our way of life is crumbling. The population of all countries in the EU is growing poorer and poorer each year. A large part of our youth is looking to emigrate to other parts of the world because they know Europe has nothing to offer to young generations. Many today consider the US to be more attractive than Europe.

[Stéphane Bosman]

I forgot something. If Americans fear facism, consider this: thousands of people are *jailed* for mean tweets n UK and Germany. Thousands face steep fines for the same thing in France. In Germany citing official government statistics can be called "hate speech" and send you to jail. It has actually happened. And that is only one case of free speech restrictions. We are loosing our freedoms left and right and you might be in for a painful wake-up once you land in Europe.

[Andrew Lamb]

Is it really that bad over there? Comparisons to Germany in the 1930s sound alarming, to say the least. Really that bad? Is it because of who is in charge or more than that?

Mind you, both countries are terrific. I might be more tempted by Portugal because of the climate and the food. I know a few people who have moved over there. Have yet to hear of anyone changing their mind and coming back to the UK.

Good luck on your new adventure.

[Sam S]

TLDR (BLUF if you prefer): Portugal is great, go for it. Ireland is *not* great for Jews, maybe don’t go there. It’s probably fine, but so is California (all things considered).

I don’t know how much relevance I have to this board as an occasional eavesdropper at best, but the headline grabbed me and now I feel mildly provoked to chime in as someone who is 1) a left-leaning American living abroad as a digital nomad (currently EU adjacent); 2) an overeducated foreign affairs nerd (MAIR); 3) passively Jewish via 1 of 8 great grandparents on my mother’s side.

I don’t mean for any of this to be political, but merely risk analysis. I understand the unpredictability of Trump as highly hazardous, and while I think he can do plenty of damage, I don’t see anything equivalent to the holocaust/30s Germany happening in the U.S. Insofar as America First means anything, it certainly means Europe will be in a more difficult place facing its largest threats: namely Russian aggression and local crime fueled by an immigration crisis (still not political; EU immigration issues are different than ours).

You are voluntarily taking yourself and your family closer to those growing threats, compared to otherwise banal California. Leaving the climate/fires, prices, local policies, etc makes some sense; leaving NorCal due to yet-unknown *US* policies that likely wouldn’t physically land at your doorstep doesn’t math, as the kids say. Information travels easily, so it’s more likely that you will bring with you the sense of danger you feel in the U.S. that’s brought to you through information channels while actually moving physically closer to other more likely threats (still probably low in any case). This would be clearer if you had as much contact with EU problems as you do with the U.S.

So I do think this sounds alarmist, at least relative to the gesture of moving out of the country. And if things do get bad there, we will need people to take action, vote, protect vulnerable people etc, which would be harder if everyone left. If you want protection as a Jew, go to Israel, that’s literally why it exists; Ireland will offer little or perhaps slightly more antisemitism than Cali, depending on which school is closest to you. If you want to retire in a comfortable spot and let go of the burdens the Boomers have bestowed upon the rest of us (sorry that one is a little impolitic), I can’t recommend Portugal enough other than it’s getting more expensive and people are already responding to “outsiders” like us for raising their cost of living. So there’s that. All in all, the world is complicated; democracy is having a downswing, populism and authoritarianism are up GLOBALLY; antisemitism is even higher than its normal amount; there’s no one place to be to resolve this. Unless you can give up the internet.

[David Cope]

Good luck Ctein and others who are on the march.

No politics? In this time when global facsism is on the rise this is no time for polite equivalency or silence.

[Nico.]

Having watched the "events" in the Oval Office, last Friday, I’m not sure Europe is the safest place in the world. Not any more.
At least it all left me, literally, sleepless.

Nevertheless a wholehearted Welcome to Europe! Ctein, Paula & Alaster! Nico, Amsterdam.

[PJ Flanagan]

If the partner has Irish citizenship Ctein won't need to worry about a visa to settle in Portugal - free movement, including the right to reside, is one of the cherished benefits of being in the European Union. The only drawback I can see is he'll have to get used to well-meaning Europeans wanting to know what the hell happened to the US.

[Ken]

"a lot of us [in the US] are [also] looking on in probably something like horror"

A dual (US & Canadian) citizen and US Army (peacetime) veteran pushing 60 here. My wife is a US citizen and we're actively working on getting her the necessary permits for a permanent move north. We'll be watching closely what happens in the 2026 midterm elections, but I am not optimistic that things will start to turn around.

[Sal Santamaura]

As someone old, retired and eligible for Italian citizenship by descent, therefore having the entire EU plus Switzerland accessible, I though about leaving during our crap show V1.0, but didn't act. Now, with things even worse and deteriorating rapidly, I'd hesitate before relocating there. When WW III breaks out and the allied aggressors (the US, China, North Korea and the Russian Federation) inflict widespread carnage, Europe will once again be in flames. Were there a viable mechanism to do so, it's New Zealand where I'd head. Ctein ought consider that too.

[Dillan]

I'd normally recommend my country, Canada, but, well . . . .

[Kodachromeguy]

Bon voyage, Ctein, and I hope all goes well. An alternative destination: Greece. Summer on the mainland can be a bit brutal, but the people are fabulous, as is the cuisine.

[Stan B.]

Visited Ireland a good 30 yrs ago- would move there in a heartbeat if I could afford it (even w/o the politics)! Breathtakingly beautiful...

[Franz]

It's bizarre that liberal intellectuals worried about Russia conquering Europe... want to move to Europe. To escape supposed antisemitism from the most generous pro-Israel administration since LBJ/Truman.

[Bob Rosinsky]

A dear friend of mine is close to becoming a citizen of Ecuador. He lives in Cuenca, a beautiful city, elevation 8,000 feet. We text back and forth fairly often; the scenery is spectacular. Gotta say it looks like a tempting place to relocate to. I like high-elevation locales. There's a nice expat community there, cost of living is more affordable and health care is good. But I'm not ready to fly the coop just yet. My hope is that the current administration will implode.

[Ed Hawco]

Interesting move from Ctein, and I hope it goes well for him. Personally, I’m a big fan of Portugal, and I’ve been there a few times, most recently last Autumn. Lisbon is one of my favourite cities on Earth, and the beauty of the western and southern coasts is stunning. I’d go live there in a minute if I could pull it off. But be aware that it can get fiercely hot in summer, particularly in the south, and they have wildfires. (The wildfires last September almost derailed our trip.)

The climate in Ireland might be more agreeable for someone used to Bay Area foggy mornings. But the political climate is also worth considering. The far right is on the rise across Europe. I don’t know how much it has affected Portugal, but I suspect it might be a bit more distant in Ireland. Just my gut feeling.

[Nigel]

I think Ctein, needs to think again, and maybe spend some time reading the European press.

If he fears anti Semitism, then Europe is not the place for him right now, Europe is becoming increasingly unsafe for Jewish people, thanks to the affinity many have here with the Palestinian cause, due to political or religious belief.

Freedom of speech and thought in Europe is in a far worse state, than the USA. Orwell's 1984, is a textbook for many political activists and elected politicians here.

I understand that the USA has an "interesting" political situation right now. But things will get back to normal. They always do.

Above all it is not easy. Unless you speak the language, it is difficult to go about your daily life. Only a minority speak English in southern Europe. Bureaucracy can be very complicated in the EU- I speak as an Expat living in Italy.

[Andrew Lamb]

"If Americans fear facism, consider this: thousands of people are *jailed* for mean tweets n UK"

Sorry. That is nonsense.

[Paulo Bizarro]

As Portuguese, I recommend Portugal. Good luck to Ctein regardless of his choice.

[Niels]

The US majority made this choice sincerely thinking things would be different the second time around?

Really?

I doubt it. They knew the menu- and that is what makes it especially terrifying when seeing it from the outside.

Ctein is very wise not falling into the trap of expecting this to be something “just passing”.

[DB]

Ctein will undoubtedly do what’s right for him and his. He’s also usually ahead of the curve.

For now, I’m in John’s Camp.

[Ctein]

Dear Josh,

Since my involvement here is entirely via cyberspace, I don't think you'll see any difference, no matter which side of the Big Puddle I am on.

In fact, the only difference I perceive for any of my readers or clients is that I will no longer be able to offer free US shipping on orders below a certain (rather large) dollar amount — international postage rates are simply too high.

On the Internet, no one can tell that you're a dog… Or where your kennel is!

~~~~

Dear Allan,

Oh, yes, I know, Montara. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve! One of my favorite local locales.

Taqueria? I frequent Gherkin's Sandwich Shop, which is marveloso, but... not Mexican! Currently we frequent (and love) Guerrero's Taqueria in Pacifica, right next door to Gorilla BBQ (which we also love). Pacifica has a surprising amount of good food. Our favorite pizza place is Luigi's Italian restaurant. The regular menu items are pedestrian, but the pizza is outstanding! (Sad to report that Luigi died a couple of weeks back—he was in his mid-90s. The restaurant will continue.)

So, which taqueria are you recommending? IMWTK!

(please excuse any word-salad. Apple Dictate's fault)
pax / Ctein
==========================================
-- Ctein's Online Gallery http://ctein.com
-- Digital Restorations http://photo-repair.com
==========================================

[Ctein]

Dear Folks,

To avoid going too far down the rabbit hole, I feel I should clarify something. The reference to 1932 Germany and pointing out that I'm of Jewish extraction created the misimpression that antisemitism is our only fear. I didn't notice that until after the comments started coming in, so my bad. Anyways, it is not. It may not even be the biggest, as Trump et.al. have painted targets on my and Alaster's backs in several way.

No, I'm not going to go into details. If you care enough to email me privately, I'll be happy to reveal more, but it's not really germane. Only that we feel under threat in more than one way.

Hopefully, this will put an end to further discussion of who is more antisemitic than who.

(As for Israel... the three of us wouldn't move there for any amount of money. Let's just leave it at that, okay?)

Thanks!

(please excuse any word-salad. Apple Dictate's fault)
pax / Ctein
==========================================
-- Ctein's Online Gallery http://ctein.com
-- Digital Restorations http://photo-repair.com
==========================================

[Ctein]

Dear Folks,

For the record, the three of us think it very unlikely that the US will go full-metal fascist. But we think it is sufficiently possible that we aren't willing to risk our lives on the gamble.

To make a comparison, a lot of you took considerable effort to avoid getting Covid. I'm sure some of you still are. But at its worst, you only ran a one in 50 chance of dying and now, with vaccination, the odds are more like one in 500.

Still, a lot of us (including me) are being very careful and trying to avoid it. It's all about risk assessment and mitigation – how much trouble you're willing to go to to reduce a difficult–to-quantify risk.

Those of you who think things won't go seriously south here? We'd agree with you! We're just not enough convinced of that that we're willing to stick around to find out that we thunk wrong.

Everyone will do their own math, and all your mileages will differ!

pax / Ctein

[David Lee]

I undestand Ctein perfectly. I am not american, but in two years I will retire and I am not going back to my country. I will go to Spain, most probably the south and spend my time driving around with my camera, going to bullfights and not worrying about anything anymore. I will not even read the news.

[Allan Ostling]

Ctein, according to my trip diary I stayed at Montara's lone airbnb on 6 August 2024. The taqueria was in adjacent Moss Beach. It's called El Gran Amigo Taqueria.

[Richard G]

There is a sense that we all live in a bubble, or bubbles. The UK is in terrible trouble, and now Ireland too. You will have heard of the country Germany and its social cohesion, energy and manufacturing problems. A southern European destination is logical for the strength of the family, with Italy currently having much less of one mad social experiment pursued and foisted on the English speaking countries. Ms Meloni the prime prime minister of Italy, for instance, talks sense. Here in Australia we have the growing social cohesion and disastrous energy policies of the UK. I have a brother in the US. I still say never bet against America. November 5 was a fascinating step in the great unfinished experiment of the United States of America. I think too many of us just prefer different injustices.

[Ben Rosengart]

I hate to be negative on this largely positive blog, but without getting specific, I detect a number of obvious errors in these responses. People are giving advice who do not understand history or politics, and given the gravity of the situation, it’s a little bit like amateur oncology. I’m particularly looking at those who consider friendliness to Israel as the opposite of antisemitism. Crack a book, friends.

However, I can unreservedly co-sign Alan’s endorsement of El Gran Amigo.

[John Boeckeler]

A few years ago I drafted my obituary, not because I thought death was imminent, but to have the last word about myself and spare my survivors the task. From time to time I make minor changes to the obituary. One of the recent changes was to add this as the penultimate paragraph:

"He loved his family dearly and served his country willingly. He understood what a privilege it is to be an American and to live in one of the greatest nations on earth."

I'm 85 and have seen a lot of changes. I've served my country in war and peace, as did my brothers.
We've had our ups and downs, but I love my country and my feelings about it do not change based on the winds of politics. I'm not going to change that paragraph in my obituary.

[Ian]

Ctein, I think is more likely Uncle Sam will come help you in Ireland if the Ru$$ians come rolling into Western Europe. The US political classes seem to value their Irish ancestry. Having said that you do know how much it rains there don't you.