I'm leaving the US for good, anything I should do before I leave?

If you have the money to leave. Buy a couple people on the street loaves of bread or a sleeping bag or something.

- Imagine a collateral 😩

Get an FBI background check, and get it apostilled. Easy to do from your local post office in the US, difficult and expensive to do outside the us, and you will need it for many things you might want to do in other countries
- Why would you need an FBI background check outside of the US?
  
  you need it if you apply for citizenship in some countries. they'll ask for full criminal records of all the countries you've lived in.
  
  Actually the only time I've ever needed one is outside of the country. You need a police report from anywhere you lived for more than six months to apply for residencies, get teaching jobs, etc etc. the only authority in the US that can do this and provide a report acceptable outside the country is the FBI.
- This is a pretty important step!

Borrow a lot of money and then declare bankruptcy. If you're feeling generous, buy up people's medical debt for pennies on the dollar.

Buy some non US-based cloud storage and copy all your sensitive data to it, and delete said data from personal devices before leaving the country, so you can safely allow customs access to devices if required.
Retrieve data from the cloud when you arrive in the destination country.
- You don't go through US customs to leave the country.
  
  Yet
  
  This is true, however you can still be targeted for extra checks by both customs and immigration if they have a reason to suspect you, even when departing the US. Both CBP and ICE have access to departing passenger lists.
  For example you are required to declare larger sums of cash being carried out of the country (over $10k). You are supposed to go to customs and fill out a form, but many people do not know this, often legal immigrant workers taking cash back to their home countries. CBP uses dogs trained to smell cash and patrols departure lounges in airports, and if they pick you out, you can be searched, and any undeclared cash will simply be seized if found.
  It's easy to imagine with the current administration they could start targeting people based on social media posts or some kind of previously compiled political profile or "enemies" list or whatever, if they aren't already.
- Has anyone seen customs ever actually search an electronic device before? I travel internationally nearly every month and have never seen this before, even in China.
  
  According to CBP's own stats they conducted 42725 basic and 4322 advanced searches of electronic devices at US ports of entry last year (so before any new policies of the current administration took effect)
  "Under a basic search, a border agent physically inspects your phone and reviews what they can, while an advanced search means the agent can potentially download all of your files using an external device."
- or just encrypt it, in case you have the technical knowledge to do that reliably.
  
  Yes but you could be compelled to decrypt devices, and detained for failing to do so

Take sometime to learn about what you will do with your 401k if have one.

Yosemite
Grand Canyon
Yellowstone
Avenue of the Giants
Add to this list any national parks you were thinking about visiting. After this administration, they may not be around anymore.
- I'm just imagining them filling up Grand Canyon just because.

Take me with?

Pee on Kissinger's grave?
- So many graves to piss on, who has that kind of time.
  
  Or bladder volume...

Get a few public library cards. Then abroad you can use it to borrow ebooks and audiobooks for free.
- Those libraries won't be around much longer, unless heavily curated and basically useless.
  
  Mine are 95 percent county funded in a blue zone. State is already trying to lay down the law only to discover they don't give much in the way of funds. No bucks no leverage. Only law they passed got overturned.
- I have to renew mine in person every 3 years or so.
- Libraries are not a US only thing.
  
  Libraries with access to the enormous amount of English language content are usually only found in English speaking countries, though.
  Good luck finding more than a few books on niche topics in, say, Dutch (ask me how I know).
  I deeply regret not hanging onto my US library card.

consider keeping your US phone number until all banking stuff is done since many banks do 2fa and this can be a giant pain after moving. Try to switch to an app if possible. Many providers also disallow known VoIP numbers.
driving license was another one mentioned. Having it not expire before you can transfer it is preferable (assuming the target country allows transfer. Japan didn't until after two years after I got here and my license expired so I had to start from zero despite driving for 15+ years in the US). You may need to get notarized driving records which is also easier before you leave.
go through and change/cancel anything with an address on file -- can be much easier from within the US. I went through the past year's bank records to find anything sneaky that doesn't renew monthly. If you have things that only renew every N years, don't forget to cancel or update those (domain names, for instance).
Make sure all city, municipal, county, state, and federal tax stuff will be OK to do after leaving (sometimes, some prep is needed)
If you have any retirement plans like 401ks, IRAs, etc. see about rolling them over or whatever
maybe do something with social security with regard to your target country if an agreement is in place, particularly if you didn't work long enough to claim it. You can get US SS overseas in the vast majority of countries, but there are also certain provisions where you wouldn't or it would be reduced based on what you have in the target country.
Freeze credit reports at the agencies as others mentioned
- driving license was another one mentioned. Having it not expire before you can transfer it is preferable
  This is a giant, often overlooked issue. My home country of the Netherlands for example doesn't allow a simple transef and makes you take a test (because road safety is important to Dutch people!). In Germany it's even worse. There it depends on the state you obtained your US license in, since Germany has agreements with some states but not all...
  
  In Germany it's even worse. There it depends on the state you obtained your US license in, since Germany has agreements with some states but not all...
  Wow, I did not expect that. Is it more with or without agreements?
- Cool you moved to Japan? How has it been?
  
  I've been happy most of the time. It's not for everyone, but I'm a decade in and don't plan on leaving anytime soon.

Open as many credit cards as you can and spend all the money and don't worry about paying it back it's all good
- I mean the banks most likely gonna carsh in a few years anyway.
  
  yeah I wonder why
  
  Years? Maybe for for all of them to fold but I wouldn’t be shocked for several to start shuttering this year

Take me with you!!

First, get a [removed by mod], make sure it's [removed by mod], then [removed by mod] right in the [removed by mod]
- Sir, this isn't reddit
  
  He self modded
- [(verb) redacted][(title of high-ranking office in the executive branch) redacted][(name of politician) redacted]

Make sure your last permanent address is where you wanna be voting. Absentee ballots will all be for whichever district you lived in last.
- Don't think they can vote if they're not a citizen, no?
  
  oh right missed that part. well, still relevant for other readers

Close the door firmly after you leave.
- So others can't get out? So others still can't come in? So we don't let out all the AC?
  Find out next time on: Puzzling Commentary!™
  this has been a Desilu presentation.
  
  I assumed for closure, to put it behind you after you leave.

Visit some national parks if you can (while they still exist).
- The Grand Canyon is amazing

Visit some of the National Parks, aka America's best idea.
Some amazing ones (they're all amazing, tbh) in no particular order:
Yosemite
Arches / Canyonlands (close to each other)
Yellowstone
Grand Tetons
Glacier
Denali
Olympic
- Grand canyon isn't even on here, I'm disappointed
  
  Bryce canyon is superior for a day trip. Grand Canyon isn't really that beautiful unless you can hike or ride down into it.
- Plenty of countries have national parks btw. Many of them had them before America. While the American ones are indeed geographically amazing, I am tired of thinUS exceptionalism that the US is the only country that has national parks.
  
  Perhaps I'm illiterate, but I saw nothing in their comment suggesting that the US is the only country with National Parks.
  I don't think they even implied that they're better than any other National Parks.
  They said it was our best idea... I don't think that implies we were first, just that it was a good idea for us to do it.
  
  While many (if not most) countries have national parks, the policies surrounding them are different. A simple thing like camping is often restricted in European parks, mixed land use is allowed so you are more removed from pure non human nature. As a result, the experience of visiting one may be vastly different - depending on what you are doing. American national parks are exceptional not because they are the only country that has them - which isnt true as you pointed out, they are exceptional because of the governing policies surrounding them.
  I'd surely visit one, before I left, because the experience isnt going to be the same in any other.
  
  Plenty of countries have national parks btw. Many of them had them before America.
  Well not really though ? Yellowstone established in 1872 is generally considered the first national park, in the modern sense of the term*, and inspired others to follow in the next couple of decades in Canada, New Zealand and Australia. It wasn't until the 1900s that the first national park was established in Europe.
  there are a couple of other places that also claim this distinction, depending on how exactly you define what a national park is, but not many
  Calling national parks "America's best idea" is a quote from historian and environmentalist Wallace Stegner - I think the point of it is not to toot some US exceptionalism horn - in context it's more of an acknowledgment that America deserves a lot of criticism - saying that national parks are America's best idea is actually putting a bit of shade on other American exceptionalism claims, especially during the Reagan "shining city upon a hill" era.

Turn the lights out

Yes. But im not allowed to say it. But you most definitely should
- Mario sees you
- Someone needs to

drop kick B Shapiro due north

Shoot a gun

Freeze your credit profiles
- This is what I mean:
  https://krebsonsecurity.com/tag/credit-freeze/
  https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/08/why-where-you-should-you-plant-your-flag/
  Basically put your electronic identify in a freezing unusable state so that in the off chance you must return, you don’t return to a nightmare. Just don’t forget your passwords and pins.
- What does this mean
  
  To freeze your credit means that you (or anyone inpersonating you) can do anything that requires your credit. Cant make large purchase, take out loans, etc. Its a good way to protect yourself from identity theft.
  To unfreeze it, you need to go through a process with the credit union before you can use it again. Its generally a good practice to freeze your credit always if you can plan ahead for large financial purchase
  
  I am WAY too lazy to type everything out, but there's 4 credit bureaus that effect/control your credit score. Setting a freeze prevents anyone from checking that score in the process of, say, opening a credit card, buying a car or home, and more.
  https://literature.cafe/post/17385059

Obviously this is entirely dependent on where you're moving to, but I struggled to find the following when living abroad:
good (American-style) pizza
good Mexican food
good BBQ
certain ice cream flavors (like cherries jubilee/cherry garcia)
wide open spaces completely devoid of people
large-group events of a boisterous and goofy nature
certain types of museums/educational facilities (such as good zoos/wildlife rehab open to the public and interactive science museums)
- If you learn to cook, you can have those foods anywhere you move.
  
  You might need a brick oven though (or at the very least, a pizza oven) if you want that pizza to compare to the good shit you can get pretty much anywhere in the Northeast US.
  
  Yup I do good (to our family’s taste anyway) pizza in about 40 minutes from scratch to eating with just:
  flour
  water
  yeast
  sugar (I pre feed the least in hot water for 5 minutes)
  salt
  olive oil
  homemade crust spices (salt, garlic powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, etc )
  maranara or pizza sauce (might be harder to find a good one abroad, not sure)
  cheeses (or not for my wife)
  basil leaves in season (we grow enough in mid summer, but buy it occasionally otherwise)
  Finding the cheese and toppings might be harder, but it’s often just frozen broccoli, bell peppers, onions and roni.
  
  Again, depending on where in the world you are, you may not have the equipment nor access to ingredients necessary to make these properly. You might be able to approximate, but it won't be as good, which is the entire point of my comment.
  American pizza requires a pizza oven or regular oven with a steel/stone (or dish for Detroit-style pizza), specific types of cheese, and depending on your preference, specific toppings; these may not be available abroad. In some countries, ovens are not considered standard kitchen equipment; good luck making decent pizza on the stovetop.
  Similarly, really good BBQ requires special equipment that even most American homes don't have, and requires a good deal of outdoor space (otherwise you risk smoking out yourself/your neighbors).
  Mexican food is more flexible in terms of equipment, but ingredients may be hard to source (especially spices).
  For ice cream you might struggle to find the right add-in ingredients depending on what flavor you're trying to make, but again, the biggest issue is equipment. You can make ice cream at home without an ice cream maker, but it seems like more hassle than it's worth and still requires some equipment and decent freezer space (fwiw I've never done it before; maybe it's easier than it sounds).
- You will not find good bbq. Take the L and move on…
  You will find the greatest cuisine ever witnessed on this planet depending on your taste.
  A clay pot in Morocco, a grandma’s house in Toledo, a random eel cooked up in Tunisia…
  Just as good as byob bbq in Austin TX.
  
  I think that's a myth. I've had the best BBQ in Houston and it's the same as a BBQ joint here in Calgary.
- Your first three sum up to:
  Italian food but worse
  Mexican food but worse
  Food that's probably better in most other places
  I think OP is set on those in the future, but otherwise good recommendations IG

Go to a country which is better than the US. So skip North Korea, Somalia, Palestine. Then you're good.
- just go to rUSsia. Won't even see the difference.
  
  Both the gulags and the front look nice this time of year.
- If you don't need food, then sure.

Currently in the same boat, though I'm a citizen
Figure out your car and drivers license stuff. Some countries have an agreement that lets you swap a US license for theirs.
Mail forwarding. Either forward your mail to someone you trust or pay for an international forwarding service. You're still gonna be getting mail afterwards, like credit card renewals.
You'll likely have to do the same for finances
Go through everything you own and trim down. Whatever you don't get rid of, you'll have to deal with customs.
And finally, get a lawyer. No seriously. I know they're expensive but you don't want to fuck around with emigrating on your own. You're gonna have pleeeenty of questions for them
- Cash travels, sell your non -heirloom stuff.
  Doesn't need to be a lawyer, relocation companies are amazing at this stuff. They can help with taxes, government registration, all of it

Vandalise something

Sorry it came to this. We sane few who remain will miss you; we will undoubtedly be worse for losing the diversity of thought (and snarky humor) expats like you bring.
The best advice in the thread so far was to freeze your credit. And I'd add: don't assume you'll never want to come back just because your current self doesn't forsee it. For your own sake, don't burn bridges out of spite.

- Statue of France**
- The price of copper is $4.44 per pound. Lady liberty is composed of 176,000 lbs of copper. Melting her down would be worth $781,440 which is less than it would cost to dismantle and melt her down. Basically she's not worth the trouble.
  
  It's not a cost issue, she's a DEI hire.
  
  You finally did it, you melted it, you maniacs!
  
  You tell that to a tweaker with a van.
- Take a picture of "The New Colossus" in particular. I doubt people in the future will believe it was really there.
  
  It's such a beautiful poem too.
  Brings a tear to my eye when I read it, but unfortunately not for the reasons Emma Lazarus may have hoped for when she penned it 😢

Honestly, if you have a chance go to Washington DC the museums are beautiful. If you’re leaving permanently, you probably will never see them again.
- Honestly, even if they're not leaving permanently, who knows how much longer the Smithsonian will last if things keep going the way they are.
  
  The Museum of African-American history is already on the chopping block for having content that does not paint the US in a good light.
  I wish I was fucking joking about that. The proper way to be remembered well is by doing good things, not by having orange hitler demand that the history of bad things be erased.

Eat some good barbeque.

shit on Donald's face.

Have a plan for investments and bank accounts.
Update correspondence information.
Sell or give everything you are not taking.

Wipe your feet on the way out.

This surely varies by state, but in Alaska, for example, I'm told Japanese vacationers LOVE to try out guns. So, if you can rent a gun on a range, shooting off weapons is the most American thing I can think to do before you leave.
- A firing range is a whole lot more fun than one would expect.

Take me with you.
- Unironically... I've basically hinted at everyone I know on ways to apply for EU-based science jobs if they are interested (surprisingly... a lot of ppl are not)
  I'm still being optimistic though, really hope the US can somehow pull out a miracle
  
  I'm interested in some of these hints
  
  Long slow slide is the best we can offer you.

Scheiß dem Trump vor's weiße Haus.

Were you just on H1-B status the entire time?
- I... don't quite feel comfortable sharing the full details, but F-1; I have submitted a green card application too but no way it's gonna pass now. I might find an opportunity to write about it a bit more in the future
  
  Oh no worries, I was just curious as someone who's familiar with the process. No need to elaborate further if you're not comfortable sharing. Good luck with your future endeavors!

My answer depends on whether the country you’re going to has an extradition treaty with the United States.

Set it on fire & dip. Jk... unless?
- It being the entire country?
  
  You decide
  
  California: "way ahead of you bro"

Go camp at a dark sky park for a weekend.
- Oh yeah, Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania is cool. Probably not "worth traveling there from some other state before leaving the country" cool, but cool. https://maps.app.goo.gl/SQp261ecxj7exAJy8
  
  It's one of my favorite places in the world. :) There are others, though.

Hard to come up with non-joke suggestions without knowing the locale. Seattle? Un Bien. Las Vegas? The Double Down Saloon. San Francisco? Smitten. Portland? Powell's books.
Generally? Grab a pebbled ice machine and turn the lights off on your way out.

OmegaMart if you’re near Vegas lawl
- I had not heard of this until reading your comment, and I've just started down the rabbit hole... This place looks fucking incredible
  
  Completely! I’ve heard about it from a few people and I want to go soooo badly.
- is it really all that? the ads promise existential horror, but I never thought it'd deliver.
  
  It’s an incredible art exhibit. Extremely inventive and fun. I have never been but I know people in America who have, and zero of them have been underwhelmed or disappointed. It’s my number one desire if I ever find myself near there.

Olympic national park is the crown jewel of your country

"Visit" some Tesla dealerships

leave an upperdecker in every tank toilet you can.
- Yeah, fucking over some wageslave by making them clean that up really sends a message to the country. TF, man.
  
  what's wrong with leaving your mark on the world?
  edit: cmon guys, it's a fucking joke.
- Please tell me this isn't what I think it is 👀
  
  This isn't what you think it is. (It is)

Turn the lights off.

Don't forget to have fun and be yourself.

Wish them good luck on your way out. They're gonna need it.

Sag zum Abschied leise "Servus".

If you are in Wisconsin or will be traveling through Wisconsin on your way out then you have to piss on McCarthy’s grave
- Wait, he's buried in Wisconsin?
  Well, my weekend plans are set now!
  
  His original grave is in Appleton, Wisconsin before the moved it to dc because locals kept pissing on it

Pinned for future reference, thank you!

Run.

Last dinner must be at five guys
- Alternatively you can just have your last dinner with five guys
  
  Why not both?
  Or hear me out
  Last lunch at five guys with five guys
  Spend the night having Wendy's at Wendy's (not the restaurant)
  
  Would probably cost the same
- I can't tell which way this comment is going, but Five Guys is the most I've spent for the worst French fries I've ever had in my life, and the burger is "meh" grade. Burger King does a better burger and fries faster and cheaper.
  
  I spent £17 on a burger and chips at five guys due to peer pressure. I still haven't mentally recovered.