TOP VIEW For most Americans, the idea of renouncing one’s citizenship is abhorrent. Yet impelled by financial, political or other reasons, a small number of Americans choose to become citizens of other countries each year. The U.S. government frowns upon expatriation, but it is legal. And while it may ultimately deliver some desired benefits, the decision to expatriate often comes with a substantial emotional price.

However, as he approached the border, he realized that he would be closing the door on his native country, one that might never freely open to him again. He pulled the car over, unable to proceed. “My friend said, ‘If you don’t cross this bridge, you’ll never go through with it. It’s now or never.’” William drove through the border crossing, flashed his U.S. passport to the Mexican immigration authorities, and five years later, after obtaining Dutch citizenship, surrendered the passport to a U.S. consular officer in the Caribbean. “To be honest, I felt like crying after handing it over,” he said. “It was one of the toughest things I’ve had to do.”

William’s life after expatriation, however, has been much less shadowy than that of Hill’s Perpetual Traveler. He first immigrated to a Dutch island that would give him a passport issued by the Netherlands, and beyond there, access to the European Union. “I figured if my business ever dried up, I could find a job in one of the EU member countries,” he says. “The last thing you want to do is be a stateless individual.” As a Dutch citizen, he can travel to the United States without a visa and stay up to 122 days a year.