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Do You Enjoy the Place Where You Live?

RoadTrip

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Honestly I do not know where I would move if I could.

Anywhere would be fine as long as I can meet other conservative/entrepreneurs people. But I have moved so much already that I am exhausted. I just want to earn an income by myself then get a wife and a family.

Wow, sounds terrible. My wife always tells me she wants to visit Brussels. I told her I have zero interest in visiting Brussels and would prefer visiting Antwerp instead. Now I'm 100% certain Brussels is off the list.

Why don't you come to The Hague? We have plenty beautiful women, beaches, golf courts, nature and imported Belgian beers so you won't miss out on those either. You can learn golf surfing, kite surfing or join me on the golf course ;-)
 
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Itizn

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As for me, I lived in Colombia for two years and it ruined me. Talk about amazing opportunities to enjoy every facet of life. Can't wait to revisit Colombia, would love to live there again.
I've been living here the past 18 months.
It's been pretty damn sad how badly the pandemic has affected this country.
On top of that the protests from the past 5-6 weeks have also exacerbated the tension here.
That being said they are still on the verge of going to a full re-opening.
 
D

Deleted78083

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Wow, sounds terrible. My wife always tells me she wants to visit Brussels. I told her I have zero interest in visiting Brussels and would prefer visiting Antwerp instead. Now I'm 100% certain Brussels is off the list.

Why don't you come to The Hague? We have plenty beautiful women, beaches, golf courts, nature and imported Belgian beers so you won't miss out on those either. You can learn golf surfing, kite surfing or join me on the golf course ;-)

Brussels is a great destination if you want to be scared or desire to participate in a protest.

Skip it otherwise.

If you live in the Netherlands, Flanders won't be so different. Go to Wallonia. Just don't go to big cities, they're ugly and uninteresting. Stay in nature, it's amazing in Wallonia. Try out Spa, Remouchamps, Durbuy, Arlon, or Dinant. Look up kayaking, it's great!

If you like thermal baths, try Chaudfontaine, Grimbergen, or Boetsfort!

Many things to do and visit in Belgium, and the food is amazing.

Funny you live in The Hague, I have done my bachelor's in Rotterdam! I often went to Scheveningen to chill. The Hague is beautiful, I thought that it's an ideal city to raise a family, so nice, safe and peaceful.

I am in Brussels atm for economic reasons. I have a meat diet, and meat is cheap here. Also I can stay for free at my brother's.

As for the girls, roughly 95% of Dutch girls are taller than me lmao.

So my problem, once again, is money. Once I get my web design agency off the ground, I'll be able to go wherever I please.
 

MTF

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Loving all the responses! Keep them coming. It's fun and very educational to learn about different places and why people like/dislike them.

I grew up in the middle of nowhere in the country. I much prefer living in the city.

I've noticed that often people who grew up in the city want to move to the countryside. And vice versa.

Also wouldn't mind living somewhere warmer.

Ha that's often one of the biggest motivators I think.

I live in Washington State

Best place in the entire world in the summertime. America is nice. I've traveled and America just has everything. I like it here. Especially after seeing the inside of an Indian Hospital lol.

In the winter I absolutely hate it here and I try to travel someplace else to go enjoy the sun. I spent 2 months in Thailand a year and a half ago and loved it.

The weather here in the summer is great. It's 70-90, dry and sunny, but everything is green from all the winter rain. We have no tornados, tsunamis, snakes, lions, giant bugs, etc. It's just pretty and there's tons to do. It's expensive but make more money I guess.

I can relate to that. Most of Europe is unpleasant during the winter (except for the southernmost regions) but the summers can be incredibly nice. People also become much nicer during the summer because everyone is dead tired of winter by the time spring/summer comes and it's a huge relief when it's finally here.

I'm giving myself 6-7 years max, if I haven't gotten comfortable in that time I'd like to find a way to head over to the states and try and maybe start a different chapter, depending on how the US goes. I value a sense of freedom and ease that I don't think you can get here, society feels so rigid and traditional.

Why so many years?

I used to be very enthusiastic about the US. Right now, not really. I still enjoyed my trips there but I don't think I could live there. The sense of freedom and self-ownership is way more present than in Europe. But from a healthy lifestyle point of view, the US is way behind Europe. the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the US is sick, obese people.

Other than that I lived in a few countries (Spain, Uk, Poland, Portugal, Germany, now Ireland) and still think that Europe is missing something. You have to take here a big compromises (e. g. language barriers, having business or job from north and live on south... at least me as I like warm vibes too).
I like the idea that US is so huge and varied. And it is still one country, one language. I’m sad that it is so difficult to settle there if you are foreigner.

Americans often think of Europe as sort of a country. While traveling through Europe with open borders is a little bit like it, moving from one country to another is not like it at all. All countries are different, almost all have different languages, and while some things are familiar (like the same supermarket chains for example), it's still a huge lifestyle change.

I also like varied countries. As for huge, it depends. Huge usually means badly managed.

My other choice in Europe/Africa are Spanish Canary Islands (Tenerife, Fuerteventura or any other). They are like Hawaii of the Europe. It’s an awesome place but better arrive there with your own/remote job. Economy here isn’t good. But other then that, there are plenty activities to do around the Island and the weather is perfect all year round.

I've been both to Hawaii (Oahu) and the Canary Islands (Tenerife). The Canary Islands can still get chilly during the winter. Most homes don't have heating so you freeze inside. Beaches aren't as nice and water is cold compared to Hawaii. The biggest islands (Tenerife and Gran Canaria) are overdeveloped and overpopulated. Due to old political reasons, the local time zone is silly for the latitude (sunrise at 7 am in the summer and at 8 in the winter).

It's still a pretty nice place but I always roll my eyes when people call it the Hawaii of Europe because it's nothing like it. It lacks the tropical atmosphere, time zone (6 am - 6 pm living) and scenery (most islands are very dry).

As for me, I lived in Colombia for two years and it ruined me. Talk about amazing opportunities to enjoy every facet of life. Can't wait to revisit Colombia, would love to live there again.

What about safety?

Lack of population

For some people that's a benefit :D

Cold winters (We had a -60C night this last winter.)

Damn. Do you have the right gear to be able to survive a single minute outside in such conditions? I assume that during the day it's still unbearably cold? I would be afraid to go grocery shopping lol.

Ultimately, I might just bail to Costa Rica.

Wow, that surprised me. Why Costa Rica? I've read a lot about it (never been there) and one thing that terrifies me is how shitty personal safety is. Almost everyone (even those who love it there) say that safety isn't great and you have to be careful (and most people still get robbed at least a few times).

I’m probably going to go to St. Croix or Puerto Rico for the majority of the year unless things get really messed up and I buy citizenship (by investment) in some other, nonUS Caribbean nation.

Thankfully the Caribbean isn’t just a refuge for me, it has also always been the dream. As I pull more and more of my time out of my businesses, and America continues to suck more and more, the easier this is becoming to justify.

There's something about the Caribbean that's deeply satisfying. It has its share of problems (one of which is lack of good local food on most islands) but it's one of the best places to live a slow, enjoyable life where you know everyone and everyone knows you (this can also be a drawback, though).

I l just outside New Orleans( followed the wife back home by her family)…I miss Texas.

Any plans to ever return there or split your time 50/50? Why is Texas better than New Orleans?

One of those houses is where I live half of the year, 10 minute drive from ski-resort, 40 minute drive from the capital, 2 hour drive from desert (with leopards and some other wild things), 4 hour drive from the beach (not big enough waves for surfing though). There is a mountain bike route on the mountain on the right side, 3000m+ mountains, several ukrainian, russian (mountain guides) and chinese neighbours (road engineers). Pretty multinational place, just need to bring a bitcoin as local currency and establish my own kingdom with zero taxes and zero subsidies.

Looks like a nice quiet area. And where do you live the other half of the year? Do you live there in the summer or in the winter?

What is the desert called? Iori Plateau?

Currently residing around the Valencia region in Spain. I like most things around here; food, the nature close by, the sea and the city itself. Coming from living in London, the overall quality of life is much better here.

I've been there and it's a pretty nice place for sure, particularly for cheap, quiet living in the countryside while still being close to urban centers.

In the future, I'd like to live in the mountains and have nature right on my door step. Bulgaria is also appealing and somewhere I'd like to check out, mainly for its nature, tax rates (10%) and cheap cost of living, which would be conducive to running a fully online business.

Are you considering Spain as well for living in the mountains?

Bulgaria can get pretty cold, unless you enjoy that.

I wouldn't even want to think about moving if we would have a better climate in the place where I live. Winters are grey, windy and boring in The Netherlands. Probably very similar to the UK.

I think that it's a common sentiment. The climate has a big impact on how enjoyable a place is. Because if six months each year are terrible for spending time outside, you're very limited as to what you can do.

Since I love this place so much during summer I'd like to escape only during winter season. Something like the Spanish coast where weather is good, food is great and cost of living is low.

The Spanish coast, even in the south, can get coldish during the winter and it definitely doesn't feel like summer. The sea/ocean is too cold and nights can get pretty cold, too. So it's sort of like maybe early spring or late fall. Definitely better than the Netherlands in the winter, though.

Great thread idea here. It's fun to read everyone's experiences and see where we all come from. Helps to have that perspective because it's easy to stay in a bubble and not explore other places that may suit one better.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this! I enjoyed reading your post.

Even my mother who loves the island would not go back for safety/economic concerns.

Wow, that's so sad.

Honestly sometimes I think I should go to the US. I spend my days speaking English, listen to US podcasts, hang out on US websites, watch US movies, read US books, listen to US music, and follow US news.... I suppose I'd go to Austin. Seems like it's where all the fun is happening.

I'm the same, except I don't care much about the news. Living in the US would definitely massively improve my speaking and writing skills and that would help my business tremendously. But on a personal level, it doesn't seem like the best choice. As for other English-speaking countries, I really enjoyed Australia. But looking at what they are doing there now, I doubt it's going to be a great place to live for people who don't like totalitarianism.

It's been pretty damn sad how badly the pandemic has affected this country.

Could you please elaborate?

So my problem, once again, is money. Once I get my web design agency off the ground, I'll be able to go wherever I please.

Surely there are cheaper countries in Europe where you could get your web design agency off the ground and that are way nicer than Brussels?

Living in a place you hate has an impact on your business since you can't be really 100% mentally if you absolutely despise the place where you live.
 
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Private Witt

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I've been living here the past 18 months.
It's been pretty damn sad how badly the pandemic has affected this country.
On top of that the protests from the past 5-6 weeks have also exacerbated the tension here.
That being said they are still on the verge of going to a full re-opening.

I hear its horrible there and such a shame as the country has a decent medical infrastructure.

Are you in Medellin?
 

Private Witt

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What about safety?

I was there between 2009 - 2011 when violence from rebels and cartels was at an all time low and the country was in period of reemergence and great prosperity. I think it may have went downhill since than in some of those departments.

As for common street crime, scamming and other shit baggery they have a common saying, "No Dar Papaya". Which basically means dont show the fruit, so you have to down play everything, including hiding cameras, jewelry, watches, and the fact you are a gringo with means. I was in Bogota most of my time and I could pass as a local if I wore a hat, did not speak and avoid the biggest sign that you are a gringo and wearing shorts (not that hard as Bogota can get cold as heck, even in summer).
 
D

Deleted78083

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I'm the same, except I don't care much about the news. Living in the US would definitely massively improve my speaking and writing skills and that would help my business tremendously. But on a personal level, it doesn't seem like the best choice. As for other English-speaking countries, I really enjoyed Australia. But looking at what they are doing there now, I doubt it's going to be a great place to live for people who don't like totalitarianism.
I thought you were American lol

I lived for one year in Australia. Cool place but def too far away from anything else.
Surely there are cheaper countries in Europe where you could get your web design agency off the ground and that are way nicer than Brussels?

Living in a place you hate has an impact on your business since you can't be really 100% mentally if you absolutely despise the place where you live.

Yes that's for sure. I hope I can move somewhere else by the end of August.
 
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Brrr

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Why so many years?

I used to be very enthusiastic about the US. Right now, not really. I still enjoyed my trips there but I don't think I could live there. The sense of freedom and self-ownership is way more present than in Europe. But from a healthy lifestyle point of view, the US is way behind Europe. the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the US is sick, obese people.
6-7 years would put me at 17 years in the UK, so the same amount of time I spent in Italy. Also would mean that I've been in business for a decade, I feel like that gives me a realistic timeframe to grow my business into something substantial. Also, I feel like at 33/34 that's still an ok time to start somewhere fresh.

For the states, I've only been to Colorado as an adult, Denver seemed pretty whatever, but the mountains around were amazing and I got the impression people were much more healthy than average while still feeling like the US. Food is generally garbage in the US, sorry, but I think that the produce can be just as good due to the climate but just seemed to be much more expensive.
 

Tom H.

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Sounds super nice. And that's in Jaco, Costa Rica? How long have you been living there? Do you ever get tired of living in a small, slow-paced place?

My only concern about the slow pace is that I wonder if my son will just become a surfer bum. Overall, I think this is an amazing place to raise kids, but I think you need to make an effort to expose kids to success and ambition.
 

sanadly

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No I hate it.

Brussels is a dangerous, polluted, and extremely poor city inhabited by both poor and rich people telling you capitalism doesn't work. All the people you meet vote communist, and they're all making above 2000 euros a month.

You have Roms kids and their family begging everywhere in the street by day, watching Youtube videos on their iPhone by night.

There is a camp of beggars 200 meters away from the EU Commission. Every metro station has their own family, couple, or community of beggars.

The North Station is full of refugees waiting to know about their status. Some of them got cholera at some point so the Flemish bus service decided not to stop there anymore. If you go there after the sun disappeared, you're likely to get raped, stolen, then killed.

There are police and ambulance sirens all the time crossing the city for god knows what (they don't care if it's 4 in the morning).

It's the most traffic-jammed capital in Europe.

There is no identity in Brussels. 70% of people living there weren't born in Belgium, which makes it the second most cosmopolitan city in the world (after Dubai). No Belgian people live there. You have to be from a certain ethnicity to find an apartment or room. Turks, Moroccans, Polish, Portuguese, Romanians, Congolese...each have their own neighborhood. If you're the wrong skin color, you are not allowed to go there.

Women get harassed so much in the street that all of the girls left. It got so bad at some point that the government had to launch a campaign against street harassment (still ongoing).

I'd estimate the ratio girls/guys to be 40/60, which means it is very difficult to find a girlfriend as almost all girls already have a boyfriend. And the few that dare going out wear headphones to make sure no one talks to them.

I got yelled at by a drunk beggar yesterday telling me my mum was a whore. Nice. I was on my way back to Brussels by train and in the train, a group of "youngsters" were smoking and disturbing everyone by running and fighting. The controller was this small girl, so she couldn't do anything. And since they were from a group you don't want to mess with, everyone was scared to say anything. Needless to say, they didn't have tickets, and didn't get any fine either.

1/4 kid goes hungry at school in the morning. 25% live below poverty level. And unemployment is around the same level (20-25%).

The city is so "diverse" that rival groups of different ethnicities that don't like each other in their home country fight within the city (it's a bit like if the Israelo-Palestinian conflict was happening in Brussels, but with other countries since Brussels is too dangerous for Jews anyway). I think they made a movie about it but it never came out because they were afraid of riots if it did.

Everyone hates Brussels so much that no one wants to live there. Everyone lives outside of it. So RE is super expensive in the outskirts because the EU Commission employs 30 000 people they pay much higher than Belgian salary (5-10k per month).

In architecture, the term "Brusselization" means building ugly buildings in a random manner.

People that come to Brussels only do so for the money. As soon as they have the chance to, they leave, so it's impossible to have regular, long-lasting friends.

Honestly I do not know where I would move if I could. Probably Seville, Valencia, or Budapest.

Anywhere would be fine as long as I can meet other conservative/entrepreneurs people. But I have moved so much already that I am exhausted. I just want to earn an income by myself then get a wife and a family.

Honestly sometimes I think I should go to the US. I spend my days speaking English, listen to US podcasts, hang out on US websites, watch US movies, read US books, listen to US music, and follow US news.... I suppose I'd go to Austin. Seems like it's where all the fun is happening.
I didn't expect Brussels to be that bad
 
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Itizn

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I hear its horrible there and such a shame as the country has a decent medical infrastructure.

Are you in Medellin?

Can't say I'm terribly informed on how the country's medical infrastructure is, but they have been swamped basically the entire time. Not just one city, or region, virtually the entire country.

I'm in Bogota.

During the protests the metro system was heavily vandalized which has affected inner-city travel (that was already a nightmare to endure to begin with). Several destroyed stations are not going to be repaired/fully-operational till the end of the year. What you see when you pass by said stations is reminiscent of the 1980's NYC subway stations with the amount of political graffiti, broken glass, and exposed dangling electric wires. Certain major stations that aren't destroyed are still not completely operational as they shut them early to prevent any vandalism from congregations of people that occur quite often.
 
D

Deleted70138

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Looks like a nice quiet area. And where do you live the other half of the year? Do you live there in the summer or in the winter?
3 months in winter (I have a ski rental on a ski resort) and 3 months in summer (for rafting and other adventure tours). Other half in Tbilisi.
What is the desert called? Iori Plateau?
Yes, how did you know it? can't be just Google
 

socaldude

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Nope, don’t like it at all. The population, housing, cost of living, traffic, regulations and homeless is out of control.

I do enjoy surfing, scuba diving and riding my bike though.

Will probably move to Mexico(I’m a citizen) or Las Vegas.

Oh, and COVID still exists. You still have to wear a mask everywhere you go.
 
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Devilery

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I'm from Eastern Europe and I do not enjoy living there. The weather is great during the 3 summer months, but the winters are looong and cold. It's also raining often and it's overall a grey-ish and depressing place.

In the past 12 months, I've managed to live for longer and shorter term in Italy, Spain, quick trip to Canary Islands, 4 months in the capital of Latvia (my hometown in semi-rural), and I'm now in Turkey. I've also lived several years combined in all Scandinavian countries (beautiful but the weather sucks).

I get "bored" of every place I visit. I still haven't found the place where I would want to live for a year or longer, not even talking about 5+ years. In the nearby future, I want to live in a place that's warm year round, is an island (tropical), and has a low cost of living. Currently, I feel like South Asia could be "it", but I haven't been there yet (if it all works out, I should be there next month). Few thousand a month, and you're living on a tropical island, in a villa, next to the beach, with monkeys in your backyard, and possibilities to have all the daily tasks (cleaning, cooking) done for you while spending just a fraction of your income. Maybe.. Maybe I've fallen for the "freelancer Thailand/Bali dream", but I really feel like this is "it" for the next few years. After that, I have absolutely no idea.
 
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LeszekM

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That is a good topic. It is nice to hear people around the world, your experiences and feelings related to the place. @MTF thanks for that to be honest it is hard to speak with my friends / family about that and i am happy i can share with you.
@monfii wow! I have never heard such things about Brussels, my family lives in Hanover/Germany and the stories you told looks similar as she said.

I live in Gdansk / Poland, i love my city and the way how it is developing. We have sea and forest so you can't complain for places to do some activities. I love mountains and definitely i wish to live closer so i can take easily 1-2 days of for trekking but they are on the South around 700km away from here so it is always a big trip to go there.

Literally Poland from May to Sep/Oct is pretty nice place to live when this whole nature is waking up from winter. It is easier to wake up @5 o'clock just right now it is 7:30 and i am after 15km bike ride caused today sun shine was so amazing and i decided to go outside to feel better during the day. IMG_3541.JPG


I don't want to complain, maybe you don't hear that but Polish are know that we complain a lot :rofl:
All other months here in north is windy, cold, cloudy and rainy which is very depressing for me. Also winters are mostly without snow as it used to be in mine childhood, climate has changed.
I feel i lose so much energy and potential.
That is why i love & hate that place. During the autumn and winter i feel really bad caused i am conscious how i can feel when i receive sun shines! I am better husband, family member, i work with higher motivation, my body blessed me caused i am spending a lot of time outside on the fresh air. I also do all my gymnastics workouts outside. Couldn't be better to start a day with physical activity on the fresh air with amazing sunrise?

For me there is on exemption when i accept winter. Visit mountains!
View attachment IMG_5467.MOV

I know how much important for me it is to live in place when my body/mind feels good that is why my dream is to move out abroad. Still i am not sure the final place but i am looking for south of Europe Spain / Italy.
Unfortunately my wife is so scared of moving abroad, i try to understand her caused she needs family to be close. I know it is very important but i always believe if i can't be in harmony of myself i can't give other people positive energy.

We talk about it a lot and i think we find a perfect solution to live here from May-Oct and live in another country from rest of the year. That is why i am motivated to develop our Amazon FBA sales chanel to achieve this goal.

Wish you all perfect day with a lot of smile!
 
D

Deleted74338

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The only downside here is the weather, its almost always grey, but all around its a good place to live(NRW Germany). Its pretty safe, people are nice-ish, its in a developed country, so can't complain much.

I would still like to move to a sunnier place though. There so many beautiful places out there, that I dont want to spend the rest of my life here. In general beautiful nature + sunny weather puts me in a good mood, and that's what I want in life.

I see many people moving to Southeast Asia, but personally I don't think I'd move there, it's too big of a change, there are also too many expats there already, the population density is crazy in some of the well known areas and besides, there are lots of beautiful and cheap places here in Europe as well, so no need to go to the other side of the planet.

Here are some places I am considering moving to one day:
- Island of Corsica, I think this is the perfect place for me, not many tourists, its extremely beautiful(mountains + beaches) and often overlooked. There are some issues with nationalism though.
- Sardinia, same as Corsica just with double the population density.
- Sarande / Ksamil, really cheap and very beautiful
- Some Greek Island, preferably in the Ionian Sea(most beautiful beaches I've ever seen), also very cheap.
- Some others are Madeira, Canary Islands, Occitania, Southern Portugal though these are more expensive.
No I hate it.

Brussels is a dangerous, polluted, and extremely poor city inhabited by both poor and rich people telling you capitalism doesn't work. All the people you meet vote communist, and they're all making above 2000 euros a month.

You have Roms kids and their family begging everywhere in the street by day, watching Youtube videos on their iPhone by night.

There is a camp of beggars 200 meters away from the EU Commission. Every metro station has their own family, couple, or community of beggars.

The North Station is full of refugees waiting to know about their status. Some of them got cholera at some point so the Flemish bus service decided not to stop there anymore. If you go there after the sun disappeared, you're likely to get raped, stolen, then killed.

There are police and ambulance sirens all the time crossing the city for god knows what (they don't care if it's 4 in the morning).

It's the most traffic-jammed capital in Europe.

There is no identity in Brussels. 70% of people living there weren't born in Belgium, which makes it the second most cosmopolitan city in the world (after Dubai). No Belgian people live there. You have to be from a certain ethnicity to find an apartment or room. Turks, Moroccans, Polish, Portuguese, Romanians, Congolese...each have their own neighborhood. If you're the wrong skin color, you are not allowed to go there.

Women get harassed so much in the street that all of the girls left. It got so bad at some point that the government had to launch a campaign against street harassment (still ongoing).

I'd estimate the ratio girls/guys to be 40/60, which means it is very difficult to find a girlfriend as almost all girls already have a boyfriend. And the few that dare going out wear headphones to make sure no one talks to them.

I got yelled at by a drunk beggar yesterday telling me my mum was a whore. Nice. I was on my way back to Brussels by train and in the train, a group of "youngsters" were smoking and disturbing everyone by running and fighting. The controller was this small girl, so she couldn't do anything. And since they were from a group you don't want to mess with, everyone was scared to say anything. Needless to say, they didn't have tickets, and didn't get any fine either.

1/4 kid goes hungry at school in the morning. 25% live below poverty level. And unemployment is around the same level (20-25%).

The city is so "diverse" that rival groups of different ethnicities that don't like each other in their home country fight within the city (it's a bit like if the Israelo-Palestinian conflict was happening in Brussels, but with other countries since Brussels is too dangerous for Jews anyway). I think they made a movie about it but it never came out because they were afraid of riots if it did.

Everyone hates Brussels so much that no one wants to live there. Everyone lives outside of it. So RE is super expensive in the outskirts because the EU Commission employs 30 000 people they pay much higher than Belgian salary (5-10k per month).

In architecture, the term "Brusselization" means building ugly buildings in a random manner.

People that come to Brussels only do so for the money. As soon as they have the chance to, they leave, so it's impossible to have regular, long-lasting friends.

Honestly I do not know where I would move if I could. Probably Seville, Valencia, or Budapest.

Anywhere would be fine as long as I can meet other conservative/entrepreneurs people. But I have moved so much already that I am exhausted. I just want to earn an income by myself then get a wife and a family.

Honestly sometimes I think I should go to the US. I spend my days speaking English, listen to US podcasts, hang out on US websites, watch US movies, read US books, listen to US music, and follow US news.... I suppose I'd go to Austin. Seems like it's where all the fun is happening.
I heard Molenbeek is an interesting place. Eifel is pretty cool, Robertville right now is amazing because of the weather.
 
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Deleted78083

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I heard Molenbeek is an interesting place.

Yeah it's awesome

Belgium’s Molenbeek home to 51 groups with terror links: report

Robertville

Yes, nature is really nice.

I live in Gdansk / Poland, i love my city and the way how it is developing.

Poland is such an awesome country! It's the future of Europe, everyone will start moving to Poland at some point.

I made the bet that in 50 years, financial transfers will inverse in Europe. Poland will be giving the West money.
 

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Poland is such an awesome country! It's the future of Europe, everyone will start moving to Poland at some point.

I made the bet that in 50 years, financial transfers will inverse in Europe. Poland will be giving the West money.
Wow! I have never heard such thesis until now. It is really nice to read this because usually opinions are not so pleasant. Can you please tell more why to think like that and why people will start moving to Poland at some point?
 
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Deleted78083

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Wow! I have never heard such thesis until now. It is really nice to read this because usually opinions are not so pleasant. Can you please tell more why to think like that and why people will start moving to Poland at some point?

- Competent, educated, hardworking and skilled workforce
- Smart people (Polish are in the top 20 smartest people in the world)
- Booming economy
- Many problems yet to solve (which means many business opportunities)
- Safe country
- People speak English in the big cities

The things I felt Poland needs to improve are infrastructure (particularly health, banking and transport), and corruption at the lower level (police, etc).

History was not kind to Poland. But I felt Polish people increasingly proud of their nations - and they should be!

An important issue in Poland is the brain drain. Many smart Polish leave to go get higher salaries in the UK, the US, and other countries.

When this will stop, I am sure Poland will be one of the nicest places to live in. You're already attracting the smart Ukrainians, Russians, and Belarussians, and Poland is growing as an IT outsource destination.

It means that very soon, Poland will become highly innovative, which will drive the salaries up, and attract more people to move there.

Edit: People in Poland are optimistic about the future because it will get better. As such, they work enthusiastically towards it.

People in the West are pessimistic, because it will get worst (it already is). As such, they think about leaving the boat before it sinks entirely.

Post-communist Europe is the future of Europe. Italy will end up bankrupt, France will end up in a civil war, infrastructures in Germany are crumbling and it's increasingly hard to do business. Spain and Portugal can't develop their economy beyond tourism, and Scandinavia is headed towards increased insecurity and a failure of its social care system.

Most innovation already comes from post-communist Europe. Czech Republic created the first hardware wallet, Estonia is leading in terms of online infrastructure, Lithuania is famous for making lasers, Latvia makes it easy to build companies, and Hungary....well, it's nothing short of the nicest country in the world.

Why would you stay in a decadent woke bankrupt pessimistic dangerous bureaucratic crowded expensive and highly-taxed Western country when you can go to Poland and marry a Polish girl and have a big family?

opinions are not so pleasant.

People don't know what they are talking about. The media says "Poland = bad" and so they just repeat.

Morons.
 
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LeszekM

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you can go to Poland and marry a Polish girl
Polish girls are good girls! :)

It is really amazing to read this. Yes there is so many IT companies here. From about 3 years there are many incoming Ukrainians, Russians, and Belarussians that is true.
I don't know if that is a good for us. As you said Western EU countries has many internal issues with emigrants i am worried about it here right now.
It is pretty safe here i can agree with that. I feel safe in my country.
The things I felt Poland needs to improve are infrastructure (particularly health, banking and transport), and corruption at the lower level (police, etc).
In my opinion our banking system is one of the most improved in EUROPE, there are many smart solution like mobile bank, wireless payments. I hear that they are not so much popular in UK or even US.
Corruption is everywhere!
Definitely we should improve tax regulations. As i know Poland and Hungary has one of the most complicated tax law in EU. For me as an entrepreneur it is easier to send VAT Return in online German system or UK rather than in my country and still my wife working as a financial controller is doing it for me.
Our TAX system is so difficult written by people which has never been carrying own businesses and also our government is not open for an entrepreneurs.

History was not kind to Poland. But I felt Polish people increasingly proud of their nations - and they should be!

An important issue in Poland is the brain drain. Many smart Polish leave to go get higher salaries in the UK, the US, and other countries.
I fully agree with that. Lot of smart Polish leaves to get higher salaries in western EU countries. And i understand them. If they can have better life standard at the same job why not?

Edit: People in Poland are optimistic about the future because it will get better. As such, they work enthusiastically towards it.
I can't agree with that at all. Still elder people remember post communism Poland and are very closed for any changes, has very strange habits and are with negative attitude to life.
Young generation is complaining about low salaries and high cost of life. Probably in every country all social groups tells the same but i can't experience in my closest relations that people are positively fix for present and future. Especially now after this compromising COVID politics movements/changes.
 

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Wow, just recorded 46 degrees celsius today. My body felt like it was in a furnace and I drank two liters in just 6 hours. Definitely not pleasant here in June. This makes me want to move to a colder place in summer.
 

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Yes, how did you know it? can't be just Google

Wikipedia :D

Technically it's not a true desert. It's a semi-arid area.

Will probably move to Mexico(I’m a citizen) or Las Vegas.

Where to in Mexico?

I get "bored" of every place I visit. I still haven't found the place where I would want to live for a year or longer, not even talking about 5+ years. In the nearby future, I want to live in a place that's warm year round, is an island (tropical), and has a low cost of living. Currently, I feel like South Asia could be "it", but I haven't been there yet (if it all works out, I should be there next month). Few thousand a month, and you're living on a tropical island, in a villa, next to the beach, with monkeys in your backyard, and possibilities to have all the daily tasks (cleaning, cooking) done for you while spending just a fraction of your income. Maybe.. Maybe I've fallen for the "freelancer Thailand/Bali dream", but I really feel like this is "it" for the next few years. After that, I have absolutely no idea.

Warm year round and an island are easy to find. But usually islands are expensive because so many things need to be imported, unless it's a big island in a big country.

Unfortunately my wife is so scared of moving abroad, i try to understand her caused she needs family to be close. I know it is very important but i always believe if i can't be in harmony of myself i can't give other people positive energy.

We talk about it a lot and i think we find a perfect solution to live here from May-Oct and live in another country from rest of the year.

If you could make it work, that would be the best of both worlds I guess. You could start by simply spending 2-3 weeks during the fall and 2-3 weeks during the winter abroad. Then maybe a full month during the fall (say, November), and another full month in the winter (say, February).

Here are some places I am considering moving to one day:
- Island of Corsica, I think this is the perfect place for me, not many tourists, its extremely beautiful(mountains + beaches) and often overlooked. There are some issues with nationalism though.
- Sardinia, same as Corsica just with double the population density.
- Sarande / Ksamil, really cheap and very beautiful
- Some Greek Island, preferably in the Ionian Sea(most beautiful beaches I've ever seen), also very cheap.
- Some others are Madeira, Canary Islands, Occitania, Southern Portugal though these are more expensive.

The problem with Corsica and Occitania is the crazy anti-rich French government lol.

Albania is an interesting place, I may visit it this year.

Greece is one of my favorite countries for quick getaways. Super chill and people are incredibly nice.

I didn't like southern Portugal much. It felt sort of depressing and decrepit. It also feels like a British colony.
 
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Deleted85763

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I was talking with @Fox about our lifestyles and I started wondering about whether it's places that are boring or if it's people who can't find anything exciting to do in them.

I consider myself very familiarized with the area where I live. I've been to tons of places most people don't know about. I tried most things that I was interested in that were possible to do nearby. For me, that's mostly being outdoors in great weather (ideally by a body of water) and individual sports. I also enjoy going to good vegan restaurants but they are almost non-existent where I live. I'm not interested in cultural events (or any big events for that matter), night life, and stuff like that.

Because there are few activities that I can do here regularly that I enjoy (there's no surfing, no hiking, no diving, no mountains, no rock climbing, no real wilderness, and very few interesting outdoor activities), my lifestyle isn't particularly exciting. In fact, I joke with my girlfriend that we live like retirees. We go on walks to the same place (a local forest for which I AM very grateful). We ride bikes on the same trails (in the same forest). If it's summer, I swim in a lake (it's one of my favorite local activities and I'm very grateful that such a lake exists here). Rarely, if we convince some friends, we rent a kayak in the summer (and kayak down the same river as always because there are no other options). Other than that, very little happens. Sometimes the highlight of the day is shopping for some new interesting food to try lol.

The place is not like California where on the same day or two you can surf, ski, snowboard, go hiking, camp in the wilderness, etc. It's not like a Caribbean paradise where you can spend the entire day on the beach or on a boat and enjoy the day. It's not like New Zealand where you can find spectacular panoramas or go on a one-day or a multi-day adventure.

I'm not saying a place should have all these things at once, I'm just saying that certain places don't have any of those and feel, for a lack of a better word, "boring." I guess what I'm trying to say is that the place where I live is at best mediocre. So I can't say I truly enjoy where I live. I do like certain aspects of living here but compared to many places I visited, it's a boring place with nothing that makes it stand out (like Switzerland and beautiful mountains, or the Caribbean and beautiful beaches, or Indonesia and fantastic surfing, or Australia/Chile and various climates and landscapes, etc.).

Do you enjoy the area where you live? What makes it enjoyable? Do you enjoy it year-round or only during a specific season (like summer or winter)? If you didn't enjoy the place where you live but now you do, what changed?

If you don't enjoy the place where you live, why do you live there? What makes it unenjoyable? Do you have plans to move somewhere else, and if so, where to and why?
"whether it's places that are boring or if it's people who can't find anything exciting to do in them."

There's more to that question. I have found that some places have developed, intentionally or not, that cause me, and others, to act and feel in good in definite ways and vice-versa. Right now I'm living near family in a sweltering hot, humid and rainy environment with no sea for hundreds of miles and with mostly roads that lead through ugly fields of thick weeds full of mosquitos and small towns with closed minds. Totally unenjoyable to go out. It's not me. It's the environment. Where I used to live it was mild, no humidity sea air and I could go out 360 degrees where I lived and visit all kind of pristine farmland, small liberal towns and some major historic cities with the best of most everything. It's like being in a pinball game. The place I'm in now is hell and my old place is heaven.
 

LeszekM

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If you could make it work, that would be the best of both worlds I guess. You could start by simply spending 2-3 weeks during the fall and 2-3 weeks during the winter abroad. Then maybe a full month during the fall (say, November), and another full month in the winter (say, February).
That would be a perfect solution but I have never thought about it like that. It is pretty good idea try to check at the beginning 2-3 weeks during autumn and next 2-3 weeks during winter. First it should be easier to manage in short term and test how it works. Thank you.
 

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That is a good topic. It is nice to hear people around the world, your experiences and feelings related to the place. @MTF thanks for that to be honest it is hard to speak with my friends / family about that and i am happy i can share with you.
@monfii wow! I have never heard such things about Brussels, my family lives in Hanover/Germany and the stories you told looks similar as she said.

I live in Gdansk / Poland, i love my city and the way how it is developing. We have sea and forest so you can't complain for places to do some activities. I love mountains and definitely i wish to live closer so i can take easily 1-2 days of for trekking but they are on the South around 700km away from here so it is always a big trip to go there.

Literally Poland from May to Sep/Oct is pretty nice place to live when this whole nature is waking up from winter. It is easier to wake up @5 o'clock just right now it is 7:30 and i am after 15km bike ride caused today sun shine was so amazing and i decided to go outside to feel better during the day. View attachment 38355


I don't want to complain, maybe you don't hear that but Polish are know that we complain a lot :rofl:
All other months here in north is windy, cold, cloudy and rainy which is very depressing for me. Also winters are mostly without snow as it used to be in mine childhood, climate has changed.
I feel i lose so much energy and potential.
That is why i love & hate that place. During the autumn and winter i feel really bad caused i am conscious how i can feel when i receive sun shines! I am better husband, family member, i work with higher motivation, my body blessed me caused i am spending a lot of time outside on the fresh air. I also do all my gymnastics workouts outside. Couldn't be better to start a day with physical activity on the fresh air with amazing sunrise?

For me there is on exemption when i accept winter. Visit mountains!
View attachment 38354

I know how much important for me it is to live in place when my body/mind feels good that is why my dream is to move out abroad. Still i am not sure the final place but i am looking for south of Europe Spain / Italy.
Unfortunately my wife is so scared of moving abroad, i try to understand her caused she needs family to be close. I know it is very important but i always believe if i can't be in harmony of myself i can't give other people positive energy.

We talk about it a lot and i think we find a perfect solution to live here from May-Oct and live in another country from rest of the year. That is why i am motivated to develop our Amazon FBA sales chanel to achieve this goal.

Wish you all perfect day with a lot of smile!

Hey let's meet up! I live in Sopot. Ill send you a DM.
 
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Are you considering Spain as well for living in the mountains?

Bulgaria can get pretty cold, unless you enjoy that.
Absolutely--the mountains here are decent.

As for the cold, I'm great with it. Some time ago, in my adventurous early 20's, I lived in the Canadian Rockies for a couple of years and loved it; mountains with snow are breath-taking, not to mention the winter sports...

This is an extremely readable thread--awesome to hear about the experiences/dreams of people. Geopolitics make a huge difference in day to day life and business. Thanks!
 

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Not really. After ten years enjoying the cultural life of bigger cities I moved back to my hometown where I grew up at the edge of the Westerwald area in germany. On the upside I have woods and hills around the town, where I can go hiking, bicycling or running. And the prices for RE are low.
On the other side there is no cultural life here and even for visiting a decent restaurant we have to spend too much time in the car. No cinema, no shopping centers, nothing. And the place is running down with ever more stores closing forever. Where once was my beloved Provence specialty shop is now an elderly care service.
We have plans for moving but due to family reasons this is difficult at this moment. If I could choose (inside germany) I would move to the city of Cologne, where I lived ten years ago within walking distance to the Rhine river and a collection of great pubs, restaurants and indie cinemas. The other option for us will be Lake Constance with a somewhat lower cultural scene than Cologne but great leisure possibilities. We hope to be more free in a couple of years.
What's really bad here in Germany are the long winter months with mostly grey clouds that hide the sun for weeks without end. When son moves out someday we will move to the Mediterranean. Italy or Spain. Or at least spend the winter there.
 
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I was talking with @Fox about our lifestyles and I started wondering about whether it's places that are boring or if it's people who can't find anything exciting to do in them.

I consider myself very familiarized with the area where I live. I've been to tons of places most people don't know about. I tried most things that I was interested in that were possible to do nearby. For me, that's mostly being outdoors in great weather (ideally by a body of water) and individual sports. I also enjoy going to good vegan restaurants but they are almost non-existent where I live. I'm not interested in cultural events (or any big events for that matter), night life, and stuff like that.

Because there are few activities that I can do here regularly that I enjoy (there's no surfing, no hiking, no diving, no mountains, no rock climbing, no real wilderness, and very few interesting outdoor activities), my lifestyle isn't particularly exciting. In fact, I joke with my girlfriend that we live like retirees. We go on walks to the same place (a local forest for which I AM very grateful). We ride bikes on the same trails (in the same forest). If it's summer, I swim in a lake (it's one of my favorite local activities and I'm very grateful that such a lake exists here). Rarely, if we convince some friends, we rent a kayak in the summer (and kayak down the same river as always because there are no other options). Other than that, very little happens. Sometimes the highlight of the day is shopping for some new interesting food to try lol.

The place is not like California where on the same day or two you can surf, ski, snowboard, go hiking, camp in the wilderness, etc. It's not like a Caribbean paradise where you can spend the entire day on the beach or on a boat and enjoy the day. It's not like New Zealand where you can find spectacular panoramas or go on a one-day or a multi-day adventure.

I'm not saying a place should have all these things at once, I'm just saying that certain places don't have any of those and feel, for a lack of a better word, "boring." I guess what I'm trying to say is that the place where I live is at best mediocre. So I can't say I truly enjoy where I live. I do like certain aspects of living here but compared to many places I visited, it's a boring place with nothing that makes it stand out (like Switzerland and beautiful mountains, or the Caribbean and beautiful beaches, or Indonesia and fantastic surfing, or Australia/Chile and various climates and landscapes, etc.).

Do you enjoy the area where you live? What makes it enjoyable? Do you enjoy it year-round or only during a specific season (like summer or winter)? If you didn't enjoy the place where you live but now you do, what changed?

If you don't enjoy the place where you live, why do you live there? What makes it unenjoyable? Do you have plans to move somewhere else, and if so, where to and why?
I don't dislike it, but I wouldn't be here if I had a real choice. I'm UK based. From London originally and now in the north of England. I don't hate England, and there are some things about it I think are great. But if I had a choice I'd have left years ago. If I could move, I'd go to Estonia probably. Or maybe somewhere in South America. I liked Ecuador when I was there. I like Ireland too, the Cork coastline is stunning. Nearly moved there a few years ago post-Brexit but husband changed his mind.
 

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I love where we live. It’s absolutely the best place. Lifestyle is amazing, people are great (Canadians!), 885234C8-5536-4943-9521-4EA64EA6DBD3.jpegwhats not to like? We have water, mountains. Trails like the pic walking distance from my home. Ski, bike, boat, climb, or enjoy a downtown Vancouver dining! International city means a lot of choices for food. The weather is moderate in the winter and stunning in the summer.
Yes, is also one of the most expensive places on earth.
69EC3F1E-FC13-49B1-BE7E-EF86272FA5A1.jpegBB031D69-4AC0-4AE7-9652-5BCF0CD75BF6.jpegF186A7ED-60E7-40F7-9F8E-984704DCB873.jpeg
 

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