If you could afford to live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why?

[cass]

I will be in sweden for 3 months starting in about 2 weeks .. once I have some nice shots I can post them.

yes pls do ! eager on this

[merockstar]

Canary Islands

ooh. this just sounds like it might be a good one. gonna wikipedia it right now.

They do have coups on a regular basis. But most people just laugh about the government; it doesn't much affect the way they live their daily lives. Pot laws are strict and there are high profile prosecutions, but at the same time you see a lot of people lighting up, so go figure. Money talks; you can bribe your way out of many situations. Dirty cops can get you anywhere in the world. Some countries do not have the due process we enjoy in the good old US of A. But you make sacrifices wherever you live. Best to travel and see what you like...no sense making up your mind before you visit a place. Spend a couple of weeks there and see if you like it.

that makes a lot of sense. I'll definitely check it out (if I'm ever successful, I'm just living through other's descriptions right now)

[vlight]

Canary Islands

[donkeypong]

I'd endorse Thailand. Definitely not a conservative culture for the most part. I lived in South Korea for three years and NE Asia is much more conservative (not to mention all unpleasant hi/low temperatures and the smog in all those big urban areas of China, Korea, and Japan). I've also been in Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and Laos. Once you get out into the countryside of Thailand, it is virtually the same as much of Cambodia, Laos, or (I imagine) Vietnam. I would find a nice village in one of those countries, within traveling distance of a city that had more amenities, preferably on the coast or on one of the large lakes or rivers. (And unfortunately, I'd stay away from living in Phuket, though I enjoyed visiting it; it is exposed to an extremely active megathrust fault that extends north of Sumatra...sooner or later, there will be more tsunamis with very little warning).

Then again, a peaceful SE Asian village was my thought before I got married and had kids. Having a family does complicate things a bit...in a good way. I could see traveling to some nice second homes on a regular basis, though.

many people have suggested this. I hear you guys. Thailand shall be added to my list of places to visit.

maybe I'll fall in love. I don't want to approach it with a narrow mind, but I do have my doubts that Thailand would be a good fit for me.

I have a hard enough time fitting in when I blend, I can't imagine being in the minority. I would imagine such a different culture from my own would have a lot of idiosyncrasies to learn. Would I be able to get away with my near Asperger-syndrome level lack of tact?

Looking at the Wikipedia page, I see a recent coup, a coup 8 years ago, a curfew, government censored internet.

Would I be safe there long term, standing out the way I would without that much street sense? Is the government's censoring of the internet difficult to get around with a VPN or something? What are the pot laws like? Thai prison does not sound fun. From what I'm reading it sounds like any random cop can just piss test you walking down the street if he wants to, and a bribe may or may not get you off the hook. I would be travelling alone.

I hope I'm not coming off as too critical. Am I approaching it with too many preconceived notions? If I am, I'd love for you guys to change those notions.

Muay thai is amazing to watch (thank you tony jaa)- buddhism seems like the most sensible religious persuasion on the planet...

They do have coups on a regular basis. But most people just laugh about the government; it doesn't much affect the way they live their daily lives. Pot laws are strict and there are high profile prosecutions, but at the same time you see a lot of people lighting up, so go figure. Money talks; you can bribe your way out of many situations. Dirty cops can get you anywhere in the world. Some countries do not have the due process we enjoy in the good old US of A. But you make sacrifices wherever you live. Best to travel and see what you like...no sense making up your mind before you visit a place. Spend a couple of weeks there and see if you like it.

[merockstar]

I'd endorse Thailand. Definitely not a conservative culture for the most part. I lived in South Korea for three years and NE Asia is much more conservative (not to mention all unpleasant hi/low temperatures and the smog in all those big urban areas of China, Korea, and Japan). I've also been in Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and Laos. Once you get out into the countryside of Thailand, it is virtually the same as much of Cambodia, Laos, or (I imagine) Vietnam. I would find a nice village in one of those countries, within traveling distance of a city that had more amenities, preferably on the coast or on one of the large lakes or rivers. (And unfortunately, I'd stay away from living in Phuket, though I enjoyed visiting it; it is exposed to an extremely active megathrust fault that extends north of Sumatra...sooner or later, there will be more tsunamis with very little warning).

Then again, a peaceful SE Asian village was my thought before I got married and had kids. Having a family does complicate things a bit...in a good way. I could see traveling to some nice second homes on a regular basis, though.

many people have suggested this. I hear you guys. Thailand shall be added to my list of places to visit.

maybe I'll fall in love. I don't want to approach it with a narrow mind, but I do have my doubts that Thailand would be a good fit for me.

I have a hard enough time fitting in when I blend, I can't imagine being in the minority. I would imagine such a different culture from my own would have a lot of idiosyncrasies to learn. Would I be able to get away with my near Asperger-syndrome level lack of tact?

Looking at the Wikipedia page, I see a recent coup, a coup 8 years ago, a curfew, government censored internet.

Would I be safe there long term, standing out the way I would without that much street sense? Is the government's censoring of the internet difficult to get around with a VPN or something? What are the pot laws like? Thai prison does not sound fun. From what I'm reading it sounds like any random cop can just piss test you walking down the street if he wants to, and a bribe may or may not get you off the hook. I would be travelling alone.

I hope I'm not coming off as too critical. Am I approaching it with too many preconceived notions? If I am, I'd love for you guys to change those notions.

Muay thai is amazing to watch (thank you tony jaa)- buddhism seems like the most sensible religious persuasion on the planet...

[donkeypong]

I'd endorse Thailand. Definitely not a conservative culture for the most part. I lived in South Korea for three years and NE Asia is much more conservative (not to mention all unpleasant hi/low temperatures and the smog in all those big urban areas of China, Korea, and Japan). I've also been in Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and Laos. Once you get out into the countryside of Thailand, it is virtually the same as much of Cambodia, Laos, or (I imagine) Vietnam. I would find a nice village in one of those countries, within traveling distance of a city that had more amenities, preferably on the coast or on one of the large lakes or rivers. (And unfortunately, I'd stay away from living in Phuket, though I enjoyed visiting it; it is exposed to an extremely active megathrust fault that extends north of Sumatra...sooner or later, there will be more tsunamis with very little warning).

Then again, a peaceful SE Asian village was my thought before I got married and had kids. Having a family does complicate things a bit...in a good way. I could see traveling to some nice second homes on a regular basis, though.

[merockstar]

Well if you have unlimited funds, spend some time in each and see which one you like the most

Unless you're from the European Union though, getting a visa can be difficult, especially in Norway, so that's another thing to take into account. I suppose having lots of money helps with that kind of problem though..

i assure you I don't have alot of money-- otherwise i'd already be over there testing out new countries.

i'm just imagining what it'd be like and trying to draw generalizations from you.

[svk]

Well if you have unlimited funds, spend some time in each and see which one you like the most

Unless you're from the European Union though, getting a visa can be difficult, especially in Norway, so that's another thing to take into account. I suppose having lots of money helps with that kind of problem though..

[merockstar]

Alright Dani you talked me into it.

I think I'm going to have make a list of places and visit them before deciding on one.

Greece, Uruguay, and the Scandinavian countries that have been making a name for themselves as having a high standard of living are on this list so far.

An earlier poster mentioned Norway, I've heard about Finland from sources other than this forum, and a guy on reddit expatriated to Sweden and says he loves it. Can anybody generalize what the differences are between these countries?

I'm from Norway, the south-west coast more specifically. I think when most people think of Scandinavia and Vikings, what they're actually imagining is the western coast of Norway. It's a very beautiful place, with mountains everywhere, fjords large and narrow, islands everywhere and a very protected coastline that's great for boatlife.

The rest of Scandinavia, including the eastern part of Norway, is more flat with lots of pine forests, but can still be quite beautiful, like the archipelago of Stockholm.

In terms of culture, you'll find minor differences between Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, but we're quite similar imo. The Finnish are a slightly different breed, and not technically part of Scandinavia. They've had a lot of influence from Sweden, but while they're nice people I think Norwegians at least consider the Finnish to be a bit strange They do love their saunas, that's for sure.

In all of those nordic countries the living standards are very high, especially in Norway thanks to the oil (it's very expensive there). If you have money, or the possibility of working in the country, they're all great countries to live in.

so how would a foreign expatriate wannabe decide which one to choose? lets assume unlimited funds (since we're feeding my daydreams here)

[svk]

Alright Dani you talked me into it.

I think I'm going to have make a list of places and visit them before deciding on one.

Greece, Uruguay, and the Scandinavian countries that have been making a name for themselves as having a high standard of living are on this list so far.

An earlier poster mentioned Norway, I've heard about Finland from sources other than this forum, and a guy on reddit expatriated to Sweden and says he loves it. Can anybody generalize what the differences are between these countries?

I'm from Norway, the south-west coast more specifically. I think when most people think of Scandinavia and Vikings, what they're actually imagining is the western coast of Norway. It's a very beautiful place, with mountains everywhere, fjords large and narrow, islands everywhere and a very protected coastline that's great for boatlife.

The rest of Scandinavia, including the eastern part of Norway, is more flat with lots of pine forests, but can still be quite beautiful, like the archipelago of Stockholm.

In terms of culture, you'll find minor differences between Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, but we're quite similar imo. The Finnish are a slightly different breed, and not technically part of Scandinavia. They've had a lot of influence from Sweden, but while they're nice people I think Norwegians at least consider the Finnish to be a bit strange They do love their saunas, that's for sure.

In all of those nordic countries the living standards are very high, especially in Norway thanks to the oil (it's very expensive there). If you have money, or the possibility of working in the country, they're all great countries to live in.

[liondani]

I will be in Sweden for 3 months starting in about 2 weeks .. once I have some nice shots I can post them.

I'm so jelly! please do post pics if you have the time.
I could maybe go for a walk and take some legit pics of Ohio, if there's any interest.

of course we are...

idea: everybody post some photos from the place he is right now! Not professional photos!

[merockstar]

I will be in sweden for 3 months starting in about 2 weeks .. once I have some nice shots I can post them.

I'm so jelly! please do post pics if you have the time.
I could maybe go for a walk and take some legit pics of Ohio, if there's any interest.

[xeroc]

I will be in sweden for 3 months starting in about 2 weeks .. once I have some nice shots I can post them.

[merockstar]

Alright Dani you talked me into it.

I think I'm going to have make a list of places and visit them before deciding on one.

Greece, Uruguay, and the Scandinavian countries that have been making a name for themselves as having a high standard of living are on this list so far.

An earlier poster mentioned Norway, I've heard about Finland from sources other than this forum, and a guy on reddit expatriated to Sweden and says he loves it. Can anybody generalize what the differences are between these countries?

[liondani]

how long have you lived in greece liondani?

how is the recovery from the recession coming along?

what is the best part about living in greece?

I live until now in Greece from 7 years old (I was born In Berlin Deutschland)
Because of Tourismus the recovery from recession it is smoother than expected...
The prices are very good right now, many oportunitys to make great vacations...
Excellent climate, natural diversity, extraordinary taste of Greek cuisine. The sun is her a 11 months per year. Very clean beaches and water. Nice people.Nice nightlife.So much different places to see...
If you see all Greece it's like you travelled all the world !!!
If you not believe see this:

http://youtu.be/YpKlUIDf4oY

http://youtu.be/VKU_mA7MQdg

http://youtu.be/ZAI0oT_xYug

http://youtu.be/EzfEHZ7JW5o