You can't cURL a Border

6 months ago

The author discusses the complexities of international travel, including visa requirements, passport validity, and tax residency rules.
They highlight the lack of transparency in government systems that track travel history and the challenges of ensuring compliance with various rules.
A personal spreadsheet evolved into a more sophisticated app called 'Residency' that helps track and simulate travel impacts on legal and tax statuses.
The app processes travel data locally to avoid privacy issues and provides warnings about potential compliance problems before booking trips.
Examples include specific rules like the UK's tax year starting on April 6th and Morocco's timezone changes during Ramadan.
The author emphasizes the importance of accurate, versioned data to handle changes in rules and timezones without rewriting history.
The app is designed to be user-configurable, allowing travelers to set their own tracking goals based on personal needs.
The author shares a personal anecdote about using the app to safely book an error fare to Iceland without violating any travel or tax rules.

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