[Closed] If you could live anywhere in the world

Los Angeles.

Specifically the north of the city near the PCH, Pacific Palisades maybe.

From the first time I visited I immediately wanted it to be my home.

I hate the what the UK has become, so there are few places in the world I wouldn't consider.

This an interesting question - some answers depend on how long you have got to live.

Healthcare - free and high quality essential once your 60+
Lots of third world places seem nice to live in, like Thailand. But proper heathcare is very expensive. Even Europe may get expensive once we are out of it.

Climate - some places are just too extreme, but you do need to consider what will happen in the next couple of decades. Some Pacific Islands will no longer exist, even some of the southern Med will be too hot in the summer. I go to Corsica every year, in the summer its too hot right now. I also lived on an Island in the Pacific for a year, some of them were already flooded part of the time back then, so if its a tropical paraidise your after, make sure its hilly, then watch out for the refugees when the other islands are flooded.

Safety - law, corruption, refugee crisis, war - some places are likely to suffer considerably, even here in Europe.

Language / culture - how long will the locals tolerate you if you dont speak the language or are not one of them when things get difficult. I grew up in Zimbabwe when it was still called Rhodesia, that was a difficult / frighteing time as a non local to live there on a farm. Ive also worked in the Middle East where corruption is normal and the law is a law unto themselves.

Work - if you need to work can you do so there, would you want to ? In the US you have very poor rights (one weeks notice for example), very expensive medical costs. Other places all your likely to get is minimum wage as your the imigrant.

I watched an interesting documentary on climate change and the scientists interviewed were actually discussing where to move to and live in the next 10 years. The chap in NZ was relocating to the Lake District.

Given all that, my age (54), my French wife - it would either be here in the Cotswolds or mainland France in the mountains.

I've lived in the Netherlands for three and a half years now, and I can't see me living in Scotland again.
I reckon Schoorl could be a contender - good mountain biking, loads of restaurants and pubs, close enough to Bergen and Alkmaar for a change of scene or the train to Amsterdam, but not on the train line so cheaper to buy a house there.
I think I could live in Sweden pretty happily as well, specifically that strip of coastline between Gothenburg and the Norwegian border. Again, good mountain biking, good pubs and restaurants, friendly folk, easy enough access to Gothenburg by train, Denmark and Norway close enough by road or boat. Love that part of the world.

How's the Netherlands misteralz? I love the idea of living somewhere with a decent bicycle infrastructure as it's 95% of my mobility, but not sure about the lack of hills 🙂

It's brilliant. I think I'm happier here than I've been anywhere else in my life. The lack of hills is something that I worried about before we came here - I spent three days in Brabant a few years ago and was looking forward to leaving halfway through the second purely because of the size of the skies and the lack of ability to tell which way was north, but not all of it is depressingly flat. We're near Alkmaar, so we've got the dunes - much of which are forested and full of trails - really close by. Gelderland is also hillier than you'd expect, as is Utrecht. It's not Scotland, sure, but if you're craving it that badly it's only an overnight ferry and an hour's drive away.
I cycle everywhere here and it's rare I use the car. My mental health is much better for it.

If I had to work? Seattle.

If I didn't or could work remotely - New Zealand or a 100ft catamaran with automatic rigging.

Western Lake District, which is actually more or less where I'm from, but life in the UK (or specifically England) really doesn't appeal anymore.

If I could just shift the Chilterns away from London commutersville so I could afford a nice wee plot & small house and keep my family close by I'd be as happy as Larry 🤗

1 acre plot round the corner, not even in the Chilterns proper sold for £1m 😬

Can't see us wanting to move from our little estate here in continental Croatia any time soon..... It has given us the best life we have ever had in so many ways. We appreciate it all the more in the current situation.....

If anything we'd move to the southern Balkans, southern Bosnia or maybe Montenegro.... Somewhere closer to the Adriatic with a more relaxed attitude.

Life here, if you can cope with/work around the bureaucracy, is pretty idealic.

Los Angeles.

Specifically the north of the city near the PCH, Pacific Palisades maybe.

I hate the what the UK has become, so there are few places in the world I wouldn’t consider.

Don't like the UK but the USA is ideal?

Does not compute.

Tasmania for me based on my own experiences. Friendly and relaxed people, fantastic countryside, perfect capital city, lots of variety packed into an accessible sized area.

Netherlands does have much going for it in many ways - but I find them insufferably smug and very conformist. Quality of life is good tho thats for sure.

Netherlands; too flat, too densely populated.

Dont laugh but love it here in Littleborough. Had my time again Banff Canada.

That as well scotroutes but they do have so much right socially. I think the smugness would get to me.

Moved to rural scotland after a few years nomading all over. I wonder how easy it will be to move abroad in future with the whole pandemic thing.

I work online so you would think it would be easy to live anywhere, but it turns out it's a pain in the ass to settle long term, in a lot of places, if your work is domiciled in UK.

California would be nice, it has everything, if you can pay for it.

I'm sure I could pass some time in Chamonix or similar, if I put my mind to it. Catalonia is great.

I lived in the Dominican Republic for a few years and loved it. The Samaná peninsula is fantastic and would be a great place to live. But there is the issue of earning a living and watching my parents grow old here I am not sure that would be so easy there so the DR wouldn't be for keeps. But I loved the climate, people, sea kayaking and riding.

Gower is a great place to live in many ways. I have been so glad to live here during lockdown as I have loads of great riding and walking right on the doorstep.

I must say though that Scotland is very appealing. Loads of riding, sea kayaking, hills, superb access rights, better politics than further south, nice people, clear water and white sand... hmmmm.

The problem is that of you are stuck with having 'roots' its hard to move away and not get some kind of imposter syndrome where ever you end up.

California would be nice,

I was watching Rick Stein in California earlier. He drove down the Pacific Highway and I must say it looked bloody awful. Loads of RVs lined up along the dual carriageway and people surfing on a long and featureless beach. I have never been there but when ever I see it on TV the coast looks blighted by that road. Is it really like that?

Queenstown is annoying as it's full of tourists and backpackers, and all the places around it really don't like anyone who isn't local.

lovely place, ruined by people.

Don’t like the UK but the USA is ideal?

California is not Trump's America.

have never been there but when ever I see it on TV the coast looks blighted by that road. Is it really like that?

No.

California is best thought of as a unique country. It's not quite UK or USA.

There is loads of counter culture too so you can likely find your tribe. From hippies to techies and everything in between.

The climate is really good. Food is Amazing. Landscape varied and top notch. It attracts interesting people.

And of course it has the polar extremes of those things too. Inequality is rife.

I like this thread.

When I was living in Thailand there was a guy at the next beach who worked for Microsoft. He used to spend three months in Seattle, then three months on Ko Phangan. I always thought that seemed pretty cool - though I've never been to Seattle, it might be a dump.

Lebanon - it must be awesome if people fight over it so much.

I'm happy here in North Northumberland.

Climate can be a little tough, but we do have a lot less rain than most of the UK. Just wish the sea was a little warmer.

I have traveled all over the World and still think it's one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the World.

I did enjoy Victoria on Vancouver Island. Amazing place but a lot of rain and the sea is colder than here!

I quite like it where I am, tbh.

This is tricky.

My wife's family is from Barbados and as much as I'd dream of sipping on a rum and coke watching the sun go down, you really have to have some dosh to be in that position without a job, which would be low paid and therefore change the experience - plus the islands got terribly busy and a little run down before the recent political change.

Que the old Brit perspective then of similar but nearer, selling up for a 3 bedroom Villa in Menorca is a possibility.

But then, 3 years ago we spend a week in Vancouver and as awesome as that was - definitely one of my favourite places - we were very lucky with a heatwave in April which added to the experience, but was removed from the reality so were were told by locals.

My aspiration is pretty much being able to sit and enjoy a decent rum in the evening peacefully somewhere in the world, mortgage free and comfortable.

Already living the dream just outside Paisley...

Ladner, BC

A great little spot with lovely people.

@gowerboy whereabouts on the Gower are you? I spent a blissful year living in a wee cottage opposite the golf club in Southgate, loved just being able to wander down to Three Cliffs Bay of an evening.