Let’s play a word association game. Ready? Okay… EXPAT. For most of my life, I would have smashed that red gameshow button and shouted, “Pirate with a surfboard!” A lawless scallywag set adrift by society, living off coconut meat and massive quantities of Vitamin D. But as America gears up for another cortisol-inducing election, the prospect of moving to another country is becoming more attractive to non-pirates, too. And the next time you play this word association game, answers may range from a douchy tech founder with Starlink to the wayward son staring back at you in the mirror. I spent the past few weeks in Costa Rica and sat down with a fascinating expat who relocated to Santa Teresa out of high school and never looked back. Eric Smiley is a talented tattoo artist, surfer, and uniquely curious cat. In this episode, we talked about the history of tattoos, banana plantations, Howler monkeys, and buying a one-way ticket out of Old Glory. If you’re in Santa Teresa, check out Good Life Tattoo. Tell ‘em Kyle sent ya.

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#358 Leave the Country & Start a Tattoo Shop - Eric Smiley