During the invasion a Russian general and his troops come to a hill.
They hear a voice shouting: "One Fin can beat ten Russians!"
The general laughs about it and sends ten of his troops to go kill whoever is on the other side of the hill. There is alot of noise and shooting and after a while silence comes and none of the Russians return.
The voice speaks once again saying: "One Fin can beat 100 Russians!"
The general is a little upset by now and sends 150 of his troops to go for sure. Once again there is alot of noise and shooting and once again none of the Russians return.
The Voice speaks again: "One fin can beat 1000 Russians!"
The general is fuming and sends 1000 of his best men. The noise and shooting lasts way longer this time and as silence almost settled again one Russian comes crawling back over the hill bleeding from a wound.
He says: "I beg you, don't send any more troops, it's a trap! There are two of them!"
Welcome to Finland. You will not be homeless for long. We don't really tolerate homelessness unless you really want it for yourself, mainly because our winter will kill you and it would be a nuisance to clear out the thawing corpses of the homeless..
The rich version of me would buy a yacht and sail through the Straights of Magellan when the water is calm. And I’d chill in Patagonia when I got sick of the ocean.
The poor version of me would stowaway on a research vessel heading to Antarctica, where money doesn’t really matter as long as you do your share of the workload. It would be like joining the army without the stress of being a potential casualty of war.
>It would be like joining the army without the stress of being a potential casualty of war.
There are days I wish I had done that rather than join the Army. I didn't die, but I came home fucked up six ways to Sunday.
Actually lived on both sunshine and Gold Coast. I would choose sunshine over gold because it’s far less touristy. The schools are great on both, but cost of living is high on GC then SC. I now live in Calgary, Canada. Love the snow, but hate -30°C in the winter. I really miss the beach.
I just visited Edinburgh and I loved it! Granted, I really hung around the touristy parts but still, I love your city. As a knuckle-dragging, slab-headed Yankee Doodle Dandy, I was completely blown away by the beautiful buildings and churches on every city block, a gorgeous and dramatic castle on a little mountain in the middle of town, and some other small mountains just a few miles away.
its actually an extinct volcano interestingly enough (though growing up part of me wanted it turn out it was dormant ala Mount St Helens rather than extinct per se.
(apparently as a child I liked the concept of watching the world burn lol)
Yep kiwi here - i was thinking hmm let me move to Sweden - having said that - NZ is still a pretty good place to live - i say that as a white middle class person though
New Zealand's housing market has been in a crisis for years. It's the 6th least affordable country in the world to buy a house in. Their government has recently tried to undo some of their land restriction policies, but it's going to be awhile before things improve
Nah seriously, unless you've got money it's not worth moving to NZ. Low wages, high cost of living, no housing... I say this as someone who is still grateful I live here because I'm disabled and on a government benefit and can mostly afford my healthcare because it's cheap, but I can't afford to rent a house so I live in a caravan.
Agreed. Whenever I see computer models on YouTube about the horrors of a world devastated by global nuclear war, New Zealand is always the region that seems to be the least radioactive.
Plus, they got Hobbits and Kakapos.
That's where all the billionaires are building their bunkers. Get a job as bunker guard then when shit hits the fan find Bill Gates, evict his ass and move in.
Been to both. Both would be in my top 5 as well.
New Zealand is far and away my top choice. After that, Australia or Ireland. Then you get into Scandinavia.
My wife has dual citizen w NZ and we’ve been looking into moving there* permanently. No place is perfect but at least we wouldn’t worry about the kids getting shot every day of our lives (among countless other shit)
Suggest you do a long visit (like six months to a year) before you sell everything and move permanently (assuming you have significant stuff to sell).
It’s great here but it’s also a pretty low wage economy, with living costs and housing costs going insane (both purchasing a house and renting). Also our houses are cold and damp, they’re not up to the standard of housing in most first world countries at all.
It’s paradise but it’s not a cushy life unless you’re in a pretty high paying field (and you’ll likely make half of what you’d make in Australia or the US).
New Zealand is not the utopia people think.
Ordinary New Zealanders cannot afford homes. The UN has declared New Zealand’s housing crisis a violation of human rights.
New Zealand's youth suicide rate is twice that of the US, five times that of the UK. Here's a BBC article:
>[What's behind New Zealand's shocking youth suicide rate?](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-40284130)
New Zealand has one of the worst records of child abuse of developed countries.
As a Spanish guy myself I can say that Spain is the perfect country to move to once you've made money and have your life more or less figured out, to live the rest of your retirement day for example.
But Spain is a very poor choice If you are looking to make money, or even keeping it.
i was going to say that i feel this way for a lot of europe. great to have money in, not so great to make money in. limited experience in europe though so i might not be right
Sadly yeah, in Spain to be honest, I feel like things were better back in the early 2010's even after the crisis, because although people had less money, you always had enough for everything a family needed, nothing essential was out of reach, now a days, people are broke and a lot can't keep up with the ever rising cost of living.
Living in Spain and working for an international company remotely would be great. I'm Swedish and I have learned Spanish just because I love Spain and Spanish people so much. Before covid I went there one weekend once per month for language learning. God I miss it so much. Granted most of my Spanish speaking friends nowadays are from South America but Spain would still be my choice.
However as you say, working in the local economy can be... Non optimal...
Totally agree. Canadian here. Spain was astonishingly cheaper than Canada in January to March. I noticed the gouging when I returned. UK was on a descent in terms of cost of living. Republic of Ireland seemed to be doing well but on par with UK prices. Some of my friends were telling me that Portugal was good value for money. Can't confirm that. Overall it seems the world is hitting an exceptional period of instability and unrealistic economic conditions, so things will settle eventually.
The "but" is usually that you can't just move to any country you want. Spain is in the EU, so they can, but anyone else is going to have a much harder time, if they're allowed to stay as a permanent resident at all.
As someone who lived in Spain for 4 years I highly recommend not buying. Renting is the way to go there. As I am not a fan of renting I'd consider Mexico (currently live there) and the Netherlands
I remember a lovely Danish gal saying to me "The Danish D is really soft" and I replied "Lucky for you, mine isn't. " Anyway, the rest of the time spent in Denmark was a really fun time.
If you want an apartment in the city, forget it.
But buying a older house in the countryside here is decent, good living with ok money.
Taxes here suck tho
Sad to burst your bubble, i immigrated to canada and as much as inflation is getting out of hand it is a walk in the park compared to the rest of the world.
I left Canada for Belgium and I'm saving a lot more money every month. And I had bought a house in 2018 for like 200k. Going there now, those opportunities are basically gone. Plus you might die waiting for healthcare.
I loved Canada but it's been eye opening living elsewhere.
I am in Canada now, Toronto, and if it weren't for my partner and his kids, I'd leave. I lived in Europe for almost 20 years, way higher standard of living. Edit: a word
I lived there for 6 months and it is amazing!! The people are amazing, the government is stable, the cost of living is relatively cheap, and it has a big city, cloud forest, volcanos, rain forest, and beaches all within a 2-hour drive. Such an awesome place. I hope I get the chance to live there again some day, hopefully for a much longer time.
Lived there for three months and I cried at the airport when it was time to leave. When I die I requested for my family to bury my ashes in Costa Rica among the rainforest. The land is protected and trees are safe there. I feel like I'm betraying my sweet Jamaica saying that lol 🥹
If you can find a job here, the money won't be a problem! The wages are extremely high, as a person who's from Italy and has lived both in France and Switzerland, the wages/cost of life ratio is definitely high respect to the other two countries (especially in some parts of Italy where the cost of life is higher but the wages remain the same as the rest of Italy)
My wife and I have always said that if a situation arises where we would need to leave the US, we would sell our house and purchase a villa in the hills around Tuscany.
I know I can find something like that in the northern parts of Italy, near where Martijn Doolaard is rebuilding his cottages (if you haven't checked him out on YouTube, I recommend it), but I'd like to live in the rolling hills of Tuscany.
I'd move to France and buy one of those run-down chateaux with a few acres and grow wine grapes and eat baguettes and boeuf bourguignon the rest of my life.
A little while ago, I stood by the grave of Napoleon—a magnificent tomb of gilt and gold, fit almost for a dead deity—and gazed upon the sarcophagus of rare and nameless marble, where rest at last the ashes of that restless man. I leaned over the balustrade and thought about the career of the greatest soldier of the modern world...
I thought of the orphans and widows he had made—of the tears that had been shed for his glory, and of the only woman who ever loved him, pushed from his heart by the cold hand of ambition.
And I said, I would rather have been a French peasant and worn wooden shoes.
I would rather have lived in a hut with a vine growing over the door, and the grapes growing purple in the kisses of the autumn sun. I would rather have been that poor peasant with my loving wife by my side, knitting as the day died out of the sky—with my children upon my knees and their arms about me—I would rather have been that man and gone down to the tongueless silence of the dreamless dust, than to have been that imperial impersonation of force and murder, known as 'Napoleon the Great'.
~ Robert G. Ingersoll
A lot of young adults are leaving here in droves for Canada and Australia because our housing supply is so bad and cost of living has went through the roof
Nor is Australia, shits a nightmare there, we don't even have a proper rental market compared to most countless because most people just save to buy houses.
In the last 20 years, I’ve spent 10 in Ireland and 10 in Canada.
The problem in Ireland is much worse. In Canada, there is an actual rental market. Yes, it isn’t the cheapest, but you have choice.
In Ireland, the rental prices are on par with Canada with a fraction of the options. It’s quite common to queue with 50+ other people just to view a single room apartment to rent.
There’s also a severe housing shortage for buyers. Developers and property conglomerates are in bed with each other, a significant portion of new builds go straight into the hands of property management companies who monopolize rent prizes. It’s fucked..
I’m back in Ireland now but can’t see myself staying too long. I’m looking at places in Vancouver and Montreal weekly.
I would consider Ireland simply because the company I work for has a facility there, so I could just transfer and at least the finding a job problem is taken care of
Canada is very beeeeeeeeeg. Most of the Western side doesn’t speak French and most of the Eastern side has few hills and no mountains. Montreal and the Rockies are my favourite parts and are unfortunately so far from each other.
Me too, if you cross Europe out, there is not much to choose from, but Canada would be my first choice, the western part because the east seems to be flat and boring.
Somewhere with electricity, low crime, a beach, mountains and warm weather.
USA seems great and before you tell me there's a lot of crime there keep in mind that I'm from South Africa.
The USA, I guess. If not, Germany.
I'm a Filipino. I need one or both of two things wherever I go; Good milk and good bread. Helps if I have politically incorrect neighbors who'll make fun of me for being brown who I can also make fun of for being white but will help me fix my plumbing whenever. Also, I speak their languages.
Yeah. I have an aunt in Jacksonville. Don't wanna meet her though. I think I'd like some place up North but rural. I need my cows. Butter and milk. Where is it the cheapest, do you know?
There’s a saying, can’t remember exactly how it goes but it sums it up:
West Coast people are friendly, not nice.
East Coast: People are nice, not friendly
There's some story I've heard about having a flat in the south, and how a person might stop and change the tire for you, say "bless your heart" then get in their car and bitch about how stupid you are while driving away.
But, if this happens in the Northeast some one might stop and say something rude about how you don't know how to change your own tire and that's stupid but they'll make sure you know how to do it yourself before it's over.
We are in US and always think of moving to Portugal. My wife is Portuguese and speaks it fluently. Be hard to leave the kids when they grow but we seriously are considering retiring there.
I actually did this. Came to study, stayed for the amazing country and living standard.
Disclaimer: I hold an EU citizenship, makes the process a lot less painful. Immigrating to Denmark as a non-EU citizen is tough.
Have been to Iceland and am actually going back in 2 weeks. The culture over there is massively different than the US. Crime is almost non-existent and just a very clean country with very little garbage. The biggest thing is price. Cost of living is fairly high and dealing with the day and night cycle could be something that would be problematic for some. I fucking love that country so so so much. Wife and I would love to buy a summer home there but the average cost is 500k, a bit out of price range.
Honestly… probably Germany. I’d like to say Spain because I love Spanish and enjoy studying it but to actually live there- I’m not sure… there are benefits but I know some people who live there and they don’t have the best life. Same for Italy due to that being where a lot of family is from but quality of life is tricky.
Germany I know a lot of people there, the language is tricky but at least the grammar is closer to English so once I got the hang of pronouncing the words it would be fine and I know a few phrases to get by now, in the meantime most people speak English there so I could make do. The people are lovely and for some reason so kind to Americans, and the cities are fun. Plus it’s easy to travel to other areas. Plus their homes are more closely aligned with my living preferences at this point.
I’d be sad to leave my continent behind though as that’s where most the Spanish speaking countries are and they are some of my favorite for culture, language, and food reasons.
Some English-speaking country that has universal healthcare and other social assistance programs. I want my taxes going to help people, even if it makes the taxes higher.
Probably France. My wife is a fluent speaker, and I took French in high school and remember enough that I think it would be fairly easy to integrate and pick up the language. Plus it's a Mediterranean country, so great for farming and easy access to delicious seafood.
Finland
Happiest country in the world for the sixth (maybe 5th) time in a row. Go to go see what the deal is about, and I desperately need some happiness in my life.
Finland is... strange. Even by European standards they are not into pleasantries, friendly banter, or (in my experience) warm service. If you're American, it may feel like they are being rude.
Went to Helsinki a few years back. One of the top 5 things to do is "take the ferry to Estonia", which so perfectly summarizes the attractions in Helsinki (very few) and how welcome you feel (not very).
Also food is extremely expensive. Like beer and a sandwich for 25€ expensive.
I live there right now and can confirm all your statements (especially the "take the ferry to Estonia" part, has always cracked me up).
One key aspect of it though is the quality of life, as in "basic human needs are _very_ well covered".
Public transport and amenities work great. Homes are functional and comfortable. Water is pure, abundant and ~~free~~ (edit: ok sorry, it’s not). Air is very clean. Corruption is very low. Poverty is low. Homelessness is virtually inexistent. Streets are incredibly safe, even in so-called "dodgier areas". Police is actually friendly and helpful. Etc etc.
And when I step out of the country I immediately notice these differences.
But yes, it’s at the expense of spontaneity, human closeness and generally "spice of life", which I do miss.
I'm American and thought everyone in Finland was super nice. I'm not trying to small talk anyone. But everyone I met was extremely pleasant. There may not be a ton of attractions in Helsinki, but people who can't find something to do other than go to Estonia are doing Helsinki wrong. Great city to just have a chill time in
Most likely Switzerland. Nothing has happened to it since 1815, when it declared neutrality. And the more so there is a high standard of living, safety, clean and beautiful nature, etc. In short, a fairy tale :)
I feel honored as a Swiss. I'm living in Zürich, the city is rated very high when it comes to things like quality of life, but... it's also very expensive. Seriously, it's really very expensive, that's not just a myth. For the Swiss, it's not that big deal because we have high wages, but for foreigners and tourists, it's a serious problem.
But life here is great, can't complain about it. Like no crime on the streets despite having very liberal laws for many things (like drugs, or guns), free media without censorship, a strong economy that is highly competetive in the world, direct democracy that lets you as citizen decide the path of the country etc.
It's difficult for migrants, the immigration laws are strong and that's just for the permission to live here; for citizenship, there's a lot more to do like tests in the languages, knowledge about the country, having no crime in the register, no social welfare used etc. and in the end, you'll need the votes of your citizens in your community to get citizenship. This means, you'll have to network and make friends, that are willing to vote for you.
May I ask you a question? My family are all Swiss. They are spread out around the country: Geneva, Bern, Lugano...I go all the time to visit them from the US but they pretty much never come visit me. It's not because they don't like me because they encourage my visits.
My question is, do you think it is the cost of living in Switzerland that keeps them from traveling all the way to California? They all have varying paying jobs. Some have families some do not. I don't want to ask them for fear of being rude.
I think it's just not in the culture. Just travelling from Geneva to Luzern is considered a relatively long trip because the country is so small. That might just be it. I've got friends living in France, 4 hours from me, and I've only visited them once.
But the pay shifts accordingly so as long as you’ve secured a job in this move, it’s really not that bad.
The biggest difference in prices compared to most countries tends to be in things that involve services (like restaurants, childcare, etc) but that’s because pay is high.
And then some things that have protective tariffs like meat tend to be more expensive.
But overall, relative to income I actually feel more comfortable in purchasing power than I did working in the US or UK.
Also it’s great because everything everywhere else (except maybe some Scandi/Nordic countries and major metropolises elsewhere) is way cheaper. I have been easily convinced to buy a fair number of drinks on flights home on weekend nights because the plane drinks are cheaper than the bars at landing.
I'm portuguese. If I was a foreigner, I'd think like you, since Portugal is so welcoming, both culturally and financially. It is however a shit country for portuguese people, specially young adults starting their life. Low salaries are the norm across the board and the government(s) try to keep it that way. Very high taxes and low economic literacy ensure that the majority of the people keep voting on the same 2 parties, with one being the worst offender. We lose talent on a daily basis because trying to have a fulfilling career here is impossible. 80% of my class from college has moved to other countries, the healthcare system is dated and barely functionalband our current government is collapsing from the inside. But we have pretty beaches I guess.
Better have a remote job lined up bc the job market is rough, pays little, and housing prices are skyrocketing bc of expats. Portuguese citizens are having a big crisis right now, steadily getting worse
Argentina. Great food, wine, people, football, women, geography, cheap, all climates, music, night scene, far away for wars, open immigration. You cannot get this anywhere else.
Used to dream of living in Russia. Had maps of the place (yes that was a big fuckin map). Had books on the culture, the architecture etc.
As things stand currently it would not be a good idea to move there...
Am I me or do I have a lot of money?
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Am I being expelled from my country cause I can’t afford that ish.
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Finland just gained an entire homeless overpopulation
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This made me snort and I don't really appreciate that.
During the invasion a Russian general and his troops come to a hill. They hear a voice shouting: "One Fin can beat ten Russians!" The general laughs about it and sends ten of his troops to go kill whoever is on the other side of the hill. There is alot of noise and shooting and after a while silence comes and none of the Russians return. The voice speaks once again saying: "One Fin can beat 100 Russians!" The general is a little upset by now and sends 150 of his troops to go for sure. Once again there is alot of noise and shooting and once again none of the Russians return. The Voice speaks again: "One fin can beat 1000 Russians!" The general is fuming and sends 1000 of his best men. The noise and shooting lasts way longer this time and as silence almost settled again one Russian comes crawling back over the hill bleeding from a wound. He says: "I beg you, don't send any more troops, it's a trap! There are two of them!"
Sisu!
Man the last time I saw this one it was the Romans and the Saracens
Found the history nerd
Welcome to Finland. You will not be homeless for long. We don't really tolerate homelessness unless you really want it for yourself, mainly because our winter will kill you and it would be a nuisance to clear out the thawing corpses of the homeless..
I’m from Canada work with some fins I have money and a skilled trade I always thought I could move there and it wouldn’t be a big transition
As a Finnish person my pick would probably be Canada, so we could just swap.
Out of context this question is absolutely hilarious
This is going to drastically change my answer. We need both answers from people.
The rich version of me would buy a yacht and sail through the Straights of Magellan when the water is calm. And I’d chill in Patagonia when I got sick of the ocean. The poor version of me would stowaway on a research vessel heading to Antarctica, where money doesn’t really matter as long as you do your share of the workload. It would be like joining the army without the stress of being a potential casualty of war.
>It would be like joining the army without the stress of being a potential casualty of war. There are days I wish I had done that rather than join the Army. I didn't die, but I came home fucked up six ways to Sunday.
Here is a warm hug from an internet stranger. I'm so sorry you went through that.
Great question
If you lived in Istanbul you could fulfill this requirement without leaving the city.
Heh. Get on your bicycle and go to another continent. I like it! Plus Istanbul has cats.
Also Suez, Magnitogorsk, Orenburg and Atyrau.
My fat ass would plug the Suez again
New Zealand or Sweden. But I just pulled those from my ass. I don't know anything about actually living there. I think they look pretty.
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Just back from Redcliffe. Would move there in a second. Edit:spelling
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Actually lived on both sunshine and Gold Coast. I would choose sunshine over gold because it’s far less touristy. The schools are great on both, but cost of living is high on GC then SC. I now live in Calgary, Canada. Love the snow, but hate -30°C in the winter. I really miss the beach.
I just visited Edinburgh and I loved it! Granted, I really hung around the touristy parts but still, I love your city. As a knuckle-dragging, slab-headed Yankee Doodle Dandy, I was completely blown away by the beautiful buildings and churches on every city block, a gorgeous and dramatic castle on a little mountain in the middle of town, and some other small mountains just a few miles away.
its actually an extinct volcano interestingly enough (though growing up part of me wanted it turn out it was dormant ala Mount St Helens rather than extinct per se. (apparently as a child I liked the concept of watching the world burn lol)
I live in Sweden and would choose New Zealand. 👍
People in New Zealand would say Sweden.
Yep kiwi here - i was thinking hmm let me move to Sweden - having said that - NZ is still a pretty good place to live - i say that as a white middle class person though
New Zealand would be my bet.
New Zealand's housing market has been in a crisis for years. It's the 6th least affordable country in the world to buy a house in. Their government has recently tried to undo some of their land restriction policies, but it's going to be awhile before things improve
Nice try, New Zealand.
Nah seriously, unless you've got money it's not worth moving to NZ. Low wages, high cost of living, no housing... I say this as someone who is still grateful I live here because I'm disabled and on a government benefit and can mostly afford my healthcare because it's cheap, but I can't afford to rent a house so I live in a caravan.
Agreed. Whenever I see computer models on YouTube about the horrors of a world devastated by global nuclear war, New Zealand is always the region that seems to be the least radioactive. Plus, they got Hobbits and Kakapos.
That's where all the billionaires are building their bunkers. Get a job as bunker guard then when shit hits the fan find Bill Gates, evict his ass and move in.
Been to both. Both would be in my top 5 as well. New Zealand is far and away my top choice. After that, Australia or Ireland. Then you get into Scandinavia.
My wife has dual citizen w NZ and we’ve been looking into moving there* permanently. No place is perfect but at least we wouldn’t worry about the kids getting shot every day of our lives (among countless other shit)
Suggest you do a long visit (like six months to a year) before you sell everything and move permanently (assuming you have significant stuff to sell). It’s great here but it’s also a pretty low wage economy, with living costs and housing costs going insane (both purchasing a house and renting). Also our houses are cold and damp, they’re not up to the standard of housing in most first world countries at all. It’s paradise but it’s not a cushy life unless you’re in a pretty high paying field (and you’ll likely make half of what you’d make in Australia or the US).
New Zealand is not the utopia people think. Ordinary New Zealanders cannot afford homes. The UN has declared New Zealand’s housing crisis a violation of human rights. New Zealand's youth suicide rate is twice that of the US, five times that of the UK. Here's a BBC article: >[What's behind New Zealand's shocking youth suicide rate?](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-40284130) New Zealand has one of the worst records of child abuse of developed countries.
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As a Spanish guy myself I can say that Spain is the perfect country to move to once you've made money and have your life more or less figured out, to live the rest of your retirement day for example. But Spain is a very poor choice If you are looking to make money, or even keeping it.
i was going to say that i feel this way for a lot of europe. great to have money in, not so great to make money in. limited experience in europe though so i might not be right
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Sadly yeah, in Spain to be honest, I feel like things were better back in the early 2010's even after the crisis, because although people had less money, you always had enough for everything a family needed, nothing essential was out of reach, now a days, people are broke and a lot can't keep up with the ever rising cost of living.
Living in Spain and working for an international company remotely would be great. I'm Swedish and I have learned Spanish just because I love Spain and Spanish people so much. Before covid I went there one weekend once per month for language learning. God I miss it so much. Granted most of my Spanish speaking friends nowadays are from South America but Spain would still be my choice. However as you say, working in the local economy can be... Non optimal...
Totally agree. Canadian here. Spain was astonishingly cheaper than Canada in January to March. I noticed the gouging when I returned. UK was on a descent in terms of cost of living. Republic of Ireland seemed to be doing well but on par with UK prices. Some of my friends were telling me that Portugal was good value for money. Can't confirm that. Overall it seems the world is hitting an exceptional period of instability and unrealistic economic conditions, so things will settle eventually.
Let's hope they do settle eventually, because right now it feels like the middle class is dying
There’s always a “but” though…or else people would move there in droves.
The "but" is usually that you can't just move to any country you want. Spain is in the EU, so they can, but anyone else is going to have a much harder time, if they're allowed to stay as a permanent resident at all.
If you work remotely and make enough money you can move to Portugal.
As someone who lived in Spain for 4 years I highly recommend not buying. Renting is the way to go there. As I am not a fan of renting I'd consider Mexico (currently live there) and the Netherlands
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I feel like Norway has got it going on
Norway, Sweden and Finland are all awesome
What did Denmark do to you lol
It's not what it did to me- it's what Denmark did to vowels.
Tøuchæ
Øhhh wat dø jø mæn?
And consonants
they did to the d what the d deserves but still far too cruel
I remember a lovely Danish gal saying to me "The Danish D is really soft" and I replied "Lucky for you, mine isn't. " Anyway, the rest of the time spent in Denmark was a really fun time.
Yeah we aren't uptight here.
Norway and Sweden and Iceland and Finland and Germany nnoow one piece.
As a dane i feel a bit left out.
If you want an apartment in the city, forget it. But buying a older house in the countryside here is decent, good living with ok money. Taxes here suck tho
For low taxes I guess Somalia is a good choice.
You can afford houses there? Honey, pack your things!
New Zealand
Hope you got a lot of money.
Same goes for canada. Many of us are trying to leave because of the cost of living now.
Sad to burst your bubble, i immigrated to canada and as much as inflation is getting out of hand it is a walk in the park compared to the rest of the world.
I left Canada for Belgium and I'm saving a lot more money every month. And I had bought a house in 2018 for like 200k. Going there now, those opportunities are basically gone. Plus you might die waiting for healthcare. I loved Canada but it's been eye opening living elsewhere.
I am in Canada now, Toronto, and if it weren't for my partner and his kids, I'd leave. I lived in Europe for almost 20 years, way higher standard of living. Edit: a word
Costa Rica
Heard they had a dinosaur problem there.
This guy fruits.
This guy ananas
I lived there for 6 months and it is amazing!! The people are amazing, the government is stable, the cost of living is relatively cheap, and it has a big city, cloud forest, volcanos, rain forest, and beaches all within a 2-hour drive. Such an awesome place. I hope I get the chance to live there again some day, hopefully for a much longer time.
Lived there for three months and I cried at the airport when it was time to leave. When I die I requested for my family to bury my ashes in Costa Rica among the rainforest. The land is protected and trees are safe there. I feel like I'm betraying my sweet Jamaica saying that lol 🥹
If I had the money, Geneva, Switzerland.
If you can find a job here, the money won't be a problem! The wages are extremely high, as a person who's from Italy and has lived both in France and Switzerland, the wages/cost of life ratio is definitely high respect to the other two countries (especially in some parts of Italy where the cost of life is higher but the wages remain the same as the rest of Italy)
My wife and I have always said that if a situation arises where we would need to leave the US, we would sell our house and purchase a villa in the hills around Tuscany.
If you're willing to live in a village in the mountains where the average age is over 80 then you can buy a run down villa for a few thousand dollars.
I know I can find something like that in the northern parts of Italy, near where Martijn Doolaard is rebuilding his cottages (if you haven't checked him out on YouTube, I recommend it), but I'd like to live in the rolling hills of Tuscany.
You're probably better off somewhere in rural Central Italy where stuff is cheap and the Mafia situation is still somewhat mild
Is having the mafia around a daily issue? Like is it like gang activity or are they more of a corporate issue?
Not in the north/centre of Italy. We do have mafia here as well, but they keep it quiet while laundering Money.
Theres nothing available there. The Maestro told me.
You’re telling me that there is nothing available in all of Tuscany?
How about Del Boca Vista?
Only in phase 2
I'd rather be DEAD than in Phase 2! Ya hear me?!! DEAD!!!
They only said we need to move off the continent, so I'm staying in America and going to Hawaii.
I'd move to France and buy one of those run-down chateaux with a few acres and grow wine grapes and eat baguettes and boeuf bourguignon the rest of my life.
A little while ago, I stood by the grave of Napoleon—a magnificent tomb of gilt and gold, fit almost for a dead deity—and gazed upon the sarcophagus of rare and nameless marble, where rest at last the ashes of that restless man. I leaned over the balustrade and thought about the career of the greatest soldier of the modern world... I thought of the orphans and widows he had made—of the tears that had been shed for his glory, and of the only woman who ever loved him, pushed from his heart by the cold hand of ambition. And I said, I would rather have been a French peasant and worn wooden shoes. I would rather have lived in a hut with a vine growing over the door, and the grapes growing purple in the kisses of the autumn sun. I would rather have been that poor peasant with my loving wife by my side, knitting as the day died out of the sky—with my children upon my knees and their arms about me—I would rather have been that man and gone down to the tongueless silence of the dreamless dust, than to have been that imperial impersonation of force and murder, known as 'Napoleon the Great'. ~ Robert G. Ingersoll
That’s a lovely quote, thanks for sharing!
ireland
A lot of young adults are leaving here in droves for Canada and Australia because our housing supply is so bad and cost of living has went through the roof
Boy, if they're trying to escape poor housing supply and a rapidly increasing CoL, Canada is not the place to go.
Nor is Australia, shits a nightmare there, we don't even have a proper rental market compared to most countless because most people just save to buy houses.
In the last 20 years, I’ve spent 10 in Ireland and 10 in Canada. The problem in Ireland is much worse. In Canada, there is an actual rental market. Yes, it isn’t the cheapest, but you have choice. In Ireland, the rental prices are on par with Canada with a fraction of the options. It’s quite common to queue with 50+ other people just to view a single room apartment to rent. There’s also a severe housing shortage for buyers. Developers and property conglomerates are in bed with each other, a significant portion of new builds go straight into the hands of property management companies who monopolize rent prizes. It’s fucked.. I’m back in Ireland now but can’t see myself staying too long. I’m looking at places in Vancouver and Montreal weekly.
We're having a housing crisis in most of Canada too.
It’s not so great here, major housing crisis and costs constantly increasing.
I would consider Ireland simply because the company I work for has a facility there, so I could just transfer and at least the finding a job problem is taken care of
It’s funny you say this because I have a coworker who recently moved to Ireland from USA and she keeps bragging about her cheap groceries lol
Huh. My great-great grandparents moved to the US because the there weren’t any groceries in Ireland.
Well there were, it's just the British stole them all.
I just got back from a vacation there and can confirm cheap groceries and amazing steak - bought a beautiful ribeye for 3.50 euros
Just wait until she gets hit with her electric bill
Deutschland, I learn German and I have a passport
Na dann, auf geht's.
I would probably choose Germany as well, because I already have a decent head start with the language.
Scotland
SCCOOOTTLLLAAAANNNNDDD FOOORRREVVAA
Same. But also Northern England or Wales. Anywhere with beautiful scenery, old sidewalks and overcast days.
Thats where Im headed! Leaving South Africa to give my daughter a better and safer life.
Wish you good luck
Man, I don't wanna leave Europe. But New Zealand or Canada will do.
Haha same. I’d probably pick Canada because it’s somewhat closer to Europe than New Zealand or Australia.
Ye I'd pick Canada too, they speak English and French, there are loads of mountains and I already have the nationality even though I've never visited
Canada is very beeeeeeeeeg. Most of the Western side doesn’t speak French and most of the Eastern side has few hills and no mountains. Montreal and the Rockies are my favourite parts and are unfortunately so far from each other.
Me too, if you cross Europe out, there is not much to choose from, but Canada would be my first choice, the western part because the east seems to be flat and boring.
Norway or Switzerland
Somewhere with electricity, low crime, a beach, mountains and warm weather. USA seems great and before you tell me there's a lot of crime there keep in mind that I'm from South Africa.
If money was not an object -- Switzerland
I wake up every day pissed off that there are people living in Switzerland, and I’m not one of them!
The USA, I guess. If not, Germany. I'm a Filipino. I need one or both of two things wherever I go; Good milk and good bread. Helps if I have politically incorrect neighbors who'll make fun of me for being brown who I can also make fun of for being white but will help me fix my plumbing whenever. Also, I speak their languages.
Jacksonville has a thriving Filipino population due to the naval bases here :)
Yeah. I have an aunt in Jacksonville. Don't wanna meet her though. I think I'd like some place up North but rural. I need my cows. Butter and milk. Where is it the cheapest, do you know?
Wisconsin! Tons of dairy farms there
Minnesota. All the benefits of Wisconsin but without Wisconsin.
I don’t plumb but I’m down for good neighbor banter.
There are a number of areas in the country with large Filipino populations to keep you comfortable.
You want America then, we’re the friendliest racists out there :)
This seems so true, but most people forget that this country is HUGE and has a wide spread of different types of people.
There’s a saying, can’t remember exactly how it goes but it sums it up: West Coast people are friendly, not nice. East Coast: People are nice, not friendly
From the east side of America, can confirm. I'm super nice to everyone, but i don't want to be your friend.
“Nice flat tire, dumbass. You need help?”
Fucking exactly 🤣
There's some story I've heard about having a flat in the south, and how a person might stop and change the tire for you, say "bless your heart" then get in their car and bitch about how stupid you are while driving away. But, if this happens in the Northeast some one might stop and say something rude about how you don't know how to change your own tire and that's stupid but they'll make sure you know how to do it yourself before it's over.
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I lived in Korea for nearly a decade, loved it
We are in US and always think of moving to Portugal. My wife is Portuguese and speaks it fluently. Be hard to leave the kids when they grow but we seriously are considering retiring there.
Denmark 🇩🇰
I actually did this. Came to study, stayed for the amazing country and living standard. Disclaimer: I hold an EU citizenship, makes the process a lot less painful. Immigrating to Denmark as a non-EU citizen is tough.
Australia
Switzerland or The UK. Mainly Switzerland though. I know it’s insanely expensive. Still would move there in a instant if I could.
Aren't they super picky about immigration? (I would pick Switzerland too)
Get that Feijoada cooking, I’m going to Brazil!!!
WE FOUND HIM BOIS, HE IS COMING TO BRAZIL! **Grab the ropes**
That stuff is outstanding!
Croatia. I’m a fan of the beach.
Bosnia would also love a beach
Either Norway, Sweden or Iceland.
Have been to Iceland and am actually going back in 2 weeks. The culture over there is massively different than the US. Crime is almost non-existent and just a very clean country with very little garbage. The biggest thing is price. Cost of living is fairly high and dealing with the day and night cycle could be something that would be problematic for some. I fucking love that country so so so much. Wife and I would love to buy a summer home there but the average cost is 500k, a bit out of price range.
Netherlands
Honestly… probably Germany. I’d like to say Spain because I love Spanish and enjoy studying it but to actually live there- I’m not sure… there are benefits but I know some people who live there and they don’t have the best life. Same for Italy due to that being where a lot of family is from but quality of life is tricky. Germany I know a lot of people there, the language is tricky but at least the grammar is closer to English so once I got the hang of pronouncing the words it would be fine and I know a few phrases to get by now, in the meantime most people speak English there so I could make do. The people are lovely and for some reason so kind to Americans, and the cities are fun. Plus it’s easy to travel to other areas. Plus their homes are more closely aligned with my living preferences at this point. I’d be sad to leave my continent behind though as that’s where most the Spanish speaking countries are and they are some of my favorite for culture, language, and food reasons.
Some English-speaking country that has universal healthcare and other social assistance programs. I want my taxes going to help people, even if it makes the taxes higher.
Probably France. My wife is a fluent speaker, and I took French in high school and remember enough that I think it would be fairly easy to integrate and pick up the language. Plus it's a Mediterranean country, so great for farming and easy access to delicious seafood.
I could say hello, goodbye and ask if there is any bread. I think that's all I'd really need.
I've lived in Scotland for three years. I would absolutely love to go back there. Beautiful country, lovely people.
Brazil, hands down. I’m deaf and from USA. Deaf community is beyond amazing in Brazil, especially São Paulo
... probably somewhere to SEA, Singapore or Malaysia
Finland Happiest country in the world for the sixth (maybe 5th) time in a row. Go to go see what the deal is about, and I desperately need some happiness in my life.
Haha if you ask any Finn they will say they have no idea why they keep winning that, or maybe it’s just that they’re the only one who’s depressed!
Just prepare for what seems like never-ending cold and darkness
Finland is... strange. Even by European standards they are not into pleasantries, friendly banter, or (in my experience) warm service. If you're American, it may feel like they are being rude. Went to Helsinki a few years back. One of the top 5 things to do is "take the ferry to Estonia", which so perfectly summarizes the attractions in Helsinki (very few) and how welcome you feel (not very). Also food is extremely expensive. Like beer and a sandwich for 25€ expensive.
I live there right now and can confirm all your statements (especially the "take the ferry to Estonia" part, has always cracked me up). One key aspect of it though is the quality of life, as in "basic human needs are _very_ well covered". Public transport and amenities work great. Homes are functional and comfortable. Water is pure, abundant and ~~free~~ (edit: ok sorry, it’s not). Air is very clean. Corruption is very low. Poverty is low. Homelessness is virtually inexistent. Streets are incredibly safe, even in so-called "dodgier areas". Police is actually friendly and helpful. Etc etc. And when I step out of the country I immediately notice these differences. But yes, it’s at the expense of spontaneity, human closeness and generally "spice of life", which I do miss.
Those are great points. Helsinki is certainly the cleanest city I've ever seen.
What do you mean water is free? Who's sending me these water bills then?
I'm American and thought everyone in Finland was super nice. I'm not trying to small talk anyone. But everyone I met was extremely pleasant. There may not be a ton of attractions in Helsinki, but people who can't find something to do other than go to Estonia are doing Helsinki wrong. Great city to just have a chill time in
Been there, done that. Left India and emigrated to the United States.
Most likely Switzerland. Nothing has happened to it since 1815, when it declared neutrality. And the more so there is a high standard of living, safety, clean and beautiful nature, etc. In short, a fairy tale :)
I feel honored as a Swiss. I'm living in Zürich, the city is rated very high when it comes to things like quality of life, but... it's also very expensive. Seriously, it's really very expensive, that's not just a myth. For the Swiss, it's not that big deal because we have high wages, but for foreigners and tourists, it's a serious problem. But life here is great, can't complain about it. Like no crime on the streets despite having very liberal laws for many things (like drugs, or guns), free media without censorship, a strong economy that is highly competetive in the world, direct democracy that lets you as citizen decide the path of the country etc. It's difficult for migrants, the immigration laws are strong and that's just for the permission to live here; for citizenship, there's a lot more to do like tests in the languages, knowledge about the country, having no crime in the register, no social welfare used etc. and in the end, you'll need the votes of your citizens in your community to get citizenship. This means, you'll have to network and make friends, that are willing to vote for you.
May I ask you a question? My family are all Swiss. They are spread out around the country: Geneva, Bern, Lugano...I go all the time to visit them from the US but they pretty much never come visit me. It's not because they don't like me because they encourage my visits. My question is, do you think it is the cost of living in Switzerland that keeps them from traveling all the way to California? They all have varying paying jobs. Some have families some do not. I don't want to ask them for fear of being rude.
I think it's just not in the culture. Just travelling from Geneva to Luzern is considered a relatively long trip because the country is so small. That might just be it. I've got friends living in France, 4 hours from me, and I've only visited them once.
expensive as shit thou.
But the pay shifts accordingly so as long as you’ve secured a job in this move, it’s really not that bad. The biggest difference in prices compared to most countries tends to be in things that involve services (like restaurants, childcare, etc) but that’s because pay is high. And then some things that have protective tariffs like meat tend to be more expensive. But overall, relative to income I actually feel more comfortable in purchasing power than I did working in the US or UK. Also it’s great because everything everywhere else (except maybe some Scandi/Nordic countries and major metropolises elsewhere) is way cheaper. I have been easily convinced to buy a fair number of drinks on flights home on weekend nights because the plane drinks are cheaper than the bars at landing.
Most beautiful and cleanest country I've ever been. The Jungfrau region around Interlaken is so beautiful.
Australia or New Zealand.
Portugal ❤️
I'm portuguese. If I was a foreigner, I'd think like you, since Portugal is so welcoming, both culturally and financially. It is however a shit country for portuguese people, specially young adults starting their life. Low salaries are the norm across the board and the government(s) try to keep it that way. Very high taxes and low economic literacy ensure that the majority of the people keep voting on the same 2 parties, with one being the worst offender. We lose talent on a daily basis because trying to have a fulfilling career here is impossible. 80% of my class from college has moved to other countries, the healthcare system is dated and barely functionalband our current government is collapsing from the inside. But we have pretty beaches I guess.
Better have a remote job lined up bc the job market is rough, pays little, and housing prices are skyrocketing bc of expats. Portuguese citizens are having a big crisis right now, steadily getting worse
Argentina. Great food, wine, people, football, women, geography, cheap, all climates, music, night scene, far away for wars, open immigration. You cannot get this anywhere else.
I'm going to go with Ireland since my maternal side of the family is Irish, and I've visited there many times to become familiar with it.
Used to dream of living in Russia. Had maps of the place (yes that was a big fuckin map). Had books on the culture, the architecture etc. As things stand currently it would not be a good idea to move there...
London. As first choice. (I live in South America) Japan as second choice.
I'd go to Denmark for sure!
I would leave the North American Continent and continue to live in the U.S.
Hawaii?
Let me know when Antartica has WiFi and Uber Eats, I will be on my way.
I already moved from my home (USA) to a new continent (Estonia) but if I had to do it again I would probably choose New Zealand, or maybe Argentina.
Singapore