Political climate toxic as fuck. Cost of living too high. American culture in general is just...blech. Dating scene is savage. LA is overcrowded. I heard ATL is overrated now...and overcrowded. NYC is expensive, overcrowded and musty. DC ain't so chocolate no more. If I left SoCal, only places I'd want to live are Colorado, NorCal and maybe Houston. Everywhere else? Meh.
I really don't want to pay taxes into this corrupt ass nation. Shit won't get better anytime soon. There's nothing really thing me here either. No wife, no kids, no felonies, only about 2k in debt. Don't plan on getting married/seeded up anytime soon either.
So yeah, any OKPs got experience with living abroad? Colombia looking kinda good right now...
------------------------------- If life is stupendous one cannot also demand that it should be easy. - Robert Musil
4. "Besides the weather, what's so dope about living in CA?" In response to Reply # 0
No snark. From over here on in the mid-Atlantic, I see it being:
1. Mad Traffic (with no real way to avoid it) 2. Mad Expensive 3. Mad Regulated
Weed used to be a good reason, but now we got that good work over here, and it's the level below legal (fully decriminalized in the city).
I do like how close CA is to the majority of the dope nature in the US (the Sierra Nevada, Rockies, Yellowstone, The Mojave desert & Death Valley, all that shit up along the coast, etc.
Also, CA seems like a motorcycling paradise. I ride almost year-round here, but it is rough with having to bundle up and worry about snow and ice in the winter.
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
8. "I'm strongly considering moving to New Zealand via my compay" In response to Reply # 0
I've already cleared it with management. But the "Cost of living in New Zealand is 13.75% higher than in United States (aggregate data for all cities, rent is not taken into account). Rent in New Zealand is 13.22% lower than in United States (average data for all cities)."
. .
"I cannot see how nature could have created itself. Only a supernatural force that is outside of space and time could have done that. ~ Francis Collins
16. "Already on it. Headed to Bali next month." In response to Reply # 0
Planning on staying in Bali for 4 months and then Thailand for 4 months.
After that, I'll go where the wind blows.
Maybe back to Bali....maybe somewhere else.
Def planning on being gone at least a year but could be indefinitely.
the key to happiness is not being rich; it's doing something arduous and creating something of value and then being able to reflect on the fruits of your labor
20. "not much more to it lol" In response to Reply # 19
i've wanted to go to Bali for 10+ years and decided this was the year to get it off the bucket list. i was originally only going for a couple of weeks for a TM retreat but decided to just travel for the year.
i work remotely so i have a lot of flexibility in where i live.
bali requires a visa that you can get for 30 days on entry and then extend it for another 30 days. folks who want to stay longer tend to hop to singapore for a day and come back to Bali to reset the visa status. so i will do that once and then go to chiang mai thailand.
both places are popular destinations for digital nomads like myself so that was definitely something i was looking for since i'll be traveling solo. i am also in a paid slack group with a bunch of digital nomads so i am able to talk with people who are living/have lived in bali & chiang mai to get guidance which has been invaluable.
and hell yeah i'm nervous as shit lol but it's one of those things you just gotta rip the bandaid off. i've always known i would live abroad. just never knew when.
if you have any specific questions def let me know and i'll answer.
the key to happiness is not being rich; it's doing something arduous and creating something of value and then being able to reflect on the fruits of your labor
the key to happiness is not being rich; it's doing something arduous and creating something of value and then being able to reflect on the fruits of your labor
22. "I'm going to spend a couple of months in Canada this summer" In response to Reply # 0
and see if any place sticks. If not, going to see what's up with Australia next year. I'm way too lazy and old to try to be fluent in another language.
Sounds like you got nothing to lose. Do your research and pick the country you think you vibe with the most. Ideally find a job there before moving or, if you're confident, go door-to-door jobhunting when you arrive. It's much easier than it sounds and gives you a much needed break from American society. Thousands of Americans are doing this.
The move is easy (especially if you got nothing holding you there) but the living abroad can be challenging. Each country comes with its own headaches and living abroad can be tough and not for everybody. If you're willing to face new challenges and find a culture that suits you it can be really rewarding adventure.
Becoming an expat is a huge commitment and decision that you don't need to make until living some years abroad in my experience. See if you like the experience and then go from there.
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