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momomaurice

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@momomaurice, where did you live in Australia?

Thank you for sharing your experience, @Thomas Baptiste. I've been to the tropics and other places during the extremely humid season and realized that for me personally, the best climate is arid or semi-arid. I can't stand high humidity and can't imagine dealing with it all year round. High temperatures don't bother me as long as it's dry heat.

Hey, I lived in Perth. Great climate there. Winter time there was like an Irish summer.
 
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ALC

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Tbh, Sun is making more happier, i'm way better when it's sunny and warm outside. However i can't stand the heat too long, i just love the feeling of the sun and the vitamin i'm getting from it.

But the heat all day long is unbearable.
I guess i need to go live in Italy ;)
 

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Hey, I lived in Perth. Great climate there. Winter time there was like an Irish summer.

How about summers? I saw that temperatures are very high, but is it dry or humid heat?
 

ygtrhos

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I am from Turkey, from Ankara. Winters with heavy snow and summers burning above 40 degrees.

I have moved to Germany about 8 years ago and for the last 6 years, I had winter blues. I was always prone to depression but I believe the weather has a huge effect on me.

Besides, there is nothing more exciting than riding motorbike under sunny weather!
 
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Sanj Modha

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I live in SE Asia now and its just WOW.

The weather (there's no winter), the people and of course the food!

Great beaches, world class healthcare and SO much fun. I couldn't have picked a better place to live
 

Dan_Fastlane

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I live in SE Asia now and its just WOW.

The weather (there's no winter), the people and of course the food!

Great beaches, world class healthcare and SO much fun. I couldn't have picked a better place to live

what country/city do you live in or recommend?
 

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I live in SE Asia now and its just WOW.

The weather (there's no winter), the people and of course the food!

Great beaches, world class healthcare and SO much fun. I couldn't have picked a better place to live

That's funny. I met many people who love SE Asia and very, very few who dislike it like I do. I just don't see its allure.

Hate the local cuisine, don't appreciate the way foreigners are usually perceived there (impossible to blend in), don't feel safe and comfortable (the infrastructure of the third world + a general lack of safety standards; people just don't care) and don't like the weather that much (way too humid). Prices might be low, but they aren't that low, and the quality is often much worse than what you can get in a more developed country in a different part of the world.
 
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Dan_Fastlane

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That's funny. I met many people who love SE Asia and very, very few who dislike it like I do. I just don't see its allure.

Hate the local cuisine, don't appreciate the way foreigners are usually perceived there (impossible to blend in), don't feel safe and comfortable (the infrastructure of the third world + a general lack of safety standards; people just don't care) and don't like the weather that much (way too humid). Prices might be low, but they aren't that low, and the quality is often much worse than what you can get in a more developed country in a different part of the world.

hey where are u right now, did u find somethhing appealing? :
 

• nikita •

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I think the Canary Islands are a great candidate for a perfect place to live. Hot year round, no rainy reason, it's still Europe so high standards of living, and they speak Spanish (easy and common language). If i move, I'll probably move there.
 

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That's funny. I met many people who love SE Asia and very, very few who dislike it like I do. I just don't see its allure.

Hate the local cuisine, don't appreciate the way foreigners are usually perceived there (impossible to blend in), don't feel safe and comfortable (the infrastructure of the third world + a general lack of safety standards; people just don't care) and don't like the weather that much (way too humid). Prices might be low, but they aren't that low, and the quality is often much worse than what you can get in a more developed country in a different part of the world.

Going off of your points, I just wanted to throw in a quick overview for anyone that's interested in Southeast Asia.

Cuisine:
  • Vietnam - there's like four dishes that I like. The rest I don't care for.
  • Thailand - not a big fan, a lot of Americans love it ... I can't see what they're into
  • Philippines - horrible. Other than barbecue, the local food is really bad.
  • Cambodia/Laos - don't care for it
  • Indonesia - Food is amazing. Some of the best in the world. Great mix between spice and taste
Blending in
  • Vietnam - Easier to blend in. Most Vietnamese have a "communist" attitude to them and ignore you.
  • Thailand - you're a tourist target most of the time
  • Philippines - depends where you are, but usually you're a target
  • Indonesia - you stand out, but not in a bad way
  • Bali - Maybe someone else can comment
Safety
  • Look up the stats on any of these countries. I'm from Chicago. Statistically, southeast Asia is a lot safer than Chicago; even Manila where every security guard has a shotgun, is safer than Chicago
Comfort
  • Where are you living in these third world countries?
  • There are parts of Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, and even Manila where only the rich people live, and your quality of life is 10x better than back home.
Weather
  • Humidity sucks.
Prices
  • A lot cheaper than the U.S., but you end up spending more after partying/exploring
 
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Longinus

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Going off of your points, I just wanted to throw in a quick overview for anyone that's interested in Southeast Asia.

Cuisine:
  • Vietnam - there's like four dishes that I like. The rest I don't care for.
  • Thailand - not a big fan, a lot of Americans love it ... I can't see what they're into
  • Philippines - horrible. Other than barbecue, the local food is really bad.
  • Cambodia/Laos - don't care for it
  • Indonesia - Food is amazing. Some of the best in the world. Great mix between spice and taste
Blending in
  • Vietnam - Easier to blend in. Most Vietnamese have a "communist" attitude to them and ignore you.
  • Thailand - you're a tourist target most of the time
  • Philippines - depends where you are, but usually you're a target
  • Indonesia - you stand out, but not in a bad way
  • Bali - Maybe someone else can comment
Safety
  • Look up the stats on any of these countries. I'm from Chicago. Statistically, southeast Asia is a lot safer than Chicago; even Manila where every security guard has a shotgun, is safer than Chicago
Comfort
  • Where are you living in these third world countries?
  • There are parts of Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, and even Manila where only the rich people live, and your quality of life is 10x better than back home.
Weather
  • Humidity sucks.
Prices
  • A lot cheaper than the U.S., but you end up spending more after partying/exploring

Great write-up man. Curious if you could do this with your favorite destinations.
 

Sanj Modha

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That's funny. I met many people who love SE Asia and very, very few who dislike it like I do. I just don't see its allure.

Hate the local cuisine, don't appreciate the way foreigners are usually perceived there (impossible to blend in), don't feel safe and comfortable (the infrastructure of the third world + a general lack of safety standards; people just don't care) and don't like the weather that much (way too humid). Prices might be low, but they aren't that low, and the quality is often much worse than what you can get in a more developed country in a different part of the world.

I live in Singapore which is amazing and I have friends in Thailand, Malayasia and Bali too.

I'm a foreigner and its fine. I also meet with expats and they tell me the same - Singapore isn't even that expensive compared to the rest of the world.

I'm from London and its cheaper here. I also know an Israeli girl who told me the supermarkets in Israel are much more expensive vs Singapore.
 

Sanj Modha

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There's no safety issues either. Not sure where that's come from and I've travelled the entire region.
 
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Sanj Modha

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what country/city do you live in or recommend?

I'm in Singapore but I equally love Bali, Bangkok, Chiang Mai etc. Singapore has the fastest Internet speeds that I know of.
 

Sanj Modha

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Going off of your points, I just wanted to throw in a quick overview for anyone that's interested in Southeast Asia.

Cuisine:
  • Vietnam - there's like four dishes that I like. The rest I don't care for.
  • Thailand - not a big fan, a lot of Americans love it ... I can't see what they're into
  • Philippines - horrible. Other than barbecue, the local food is really bad.
  • Cambodia/Laos - don't care for it
  • Indonesia - Food is amazing. Some of the best in the world. Great mix between spice and taste
Blending in
  • Vietnam - Easier to blend in. Most Vietnamese have a "communist" attitude to them and ignore you.
  • Thailand - you're a tourist target most of the time
  • Philippines - depends where you are, but usually you're a target
  • Indonesia - you stand out, but not in a bad way
  • Bali - Maybe someone else can comment
Safety
  • Look up the stats on any of these countries. I'm from Chicago. Statistically, southeast Asia is a lot safer than Chicago; even Manila where every security guard has a shotgun, is safer than Chicago
Comfort
  • Where are you living in these third world countries?
  • There are parts of Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, and even Manila where only the rich people live, and your quality of life is 10x better than back home.
Weather
  • Humidity sucks.
Prices
  • A lot cheaper than the U.S., but you end up spending more after partying/exploring

Bali is one of my favourite destinations in the world: great people, food, beaches and weather. Lots to see and do too (We met Jean Claude Van Damme at the elephant sanctuary!).

We go at least 2/3 times a year since its a short flight from Singapore.
 

MTF

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hey where are u right now, did u find somethhing appealing? :

Back home, somewhere in Europe :) The weather here is okay during the spring and summer (particularly the last few years), it's just that it's not really that great nature-wise as I don't live near the coast or by the mountains and don't have any real wilderness close by (but to be clear, there's little real wilderness anywhere in Europe).

I think the Canary Islands are a great candidate for a perfect place to live. Hot year round, no rainy reason, it's still Europe so high standards of living, and they speak Spanish (easy and common language). If i move, I'll probably move there.

Yeah, they're a pretty good place and for me personally, it's great that they speak Spanish as I enjoy this language a lot, plus love the Spanish/Latin culture and genuine warmth of the people.

I'd say that Canary Islands are warm year round, but not exactly hot - which is both good and bad. Summers aren't as crazy hot as for example SE Asia where humidity is unbearable. Winters in certain places in the Canary Islands can be chilly, particularly if your place doesn't have heating. I have a friend who lives on Tenerife and she needs to wear a sweater and a scarf indoors during winter.

But yeah, overall, particularly for a person from Europe, Canary Islands are probably one of the best choices. It's one of the most likely candidates for a second home for me.

Safety
  • Look up the stats on any of these countries. I'm from Chicago. Statistically, southeast Asia is a lot safer than Chicago; even Manila where every security guard has a shotgun, is safer than Chicago
Comfort
  • Where are you living in these third world countries?
  • There are parts of Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, and even Manila where only the rich people live, and your quality of life is 10x better than back home.

When I referred to safety and comfort I meant a general feeling which is highly subjective.

Some people don't mind dirty, loud, crowded, and polluted big cities and don't mind being harassed like in some of the countries you described. I'm not a fan of that. For me, it doesn't matter where exactly you live in these cities because you're still exposed to air pollution, a lot of noise, crowds, etc. I spent a week or so in Bangkok in a nice neighborhood but it didn't really matter for me personally as Bangkok is a concrete jungle without any tranquil places to escape to (even Lumphini Park was crowded with people).

I don't feel comfortable in a place with a lot of beggars and/or homeless people and with unsafe or "creative" infrastructure. I refer to stuff like cracked sidewalks (if at all), the risk of falling into a manhole when walking an unlit street, horribly designed streets and junctions that are a death trap for pedestrians, etc.

A friend recently spent almost three weeks in Thailand and his general perception of safety was the same.

But just to reiterate: to each his own, and I by no means think that this part of the world is inferior or people who enjoy it are in the wrong. It's just my highly subjective opinion.

I understand why certain people would enjoy it there. I myself prefer a different vibe, and no, it's not just about the level of economic development, though I generally do feel better in a wealthy country, ideally with no visible disparities like in the US.

There's no safety issues either. Not sure where that's come from and I've travelled the entire region.

I mostly referred to other, poorer SE Asia countries. As for what I mean by safety, look above (this doesn't apply to Singapore, though).

I've been to Singapore and didn't enjoy it. I mean, it was fine, but nothing spectacular. I was glad I was there only for a stopover. I expected a futuristic country and in a lot of places I couldn't even pay with my card which was unbelievable for a place that claims to be so developed.

I liked how green it was and loved the nature reserves around the city. Couldn't imagine living in such a small place long-term, though.

Bali is one of my favourite destinations in the world: great people, food, beaches and weather. Lots to see and do too (We met Jean Claude Van Damme at the elephant sanctuary!).

We go at least 2/3 times a year since its a short flight from Singapore.

Did you read this thread?

AMA: Sold Everything - Moved to Bali

Curious what you think about Dennis' observations.
 
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Sanj Modha

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Back home, somewhere in Europe :) The weather here is okay during the spring and summer (particularly the last few years), it's just that it's not really that great nature-wise as I don't live near the coast or by the mountains and don't have any real wilderness close by (but to be clear, there's little real wilderness anywhere in Europe).



Yeah, they're a pretty good place and for me personally, it's great that they speak Spanish as I enjoy this language a lot, plus love the Spanish/Latin culture and genuine warmth of the people.

I'd say that Canary Islands are warm year round, but not exactly hot - which is both good and bad. Summers aren't as crazy hot as for example SE Asia where humidity is unbearable. Winters in certain places in the Canary Islands can be chilly, particularly if your place doesn't have heating. I have a friend who lives on Tenerife and she needs to wear a sweater and a scarf indoors during winter.

But yeah, overall, particularly for a person from Europe, Canary Islands are probably one of the best choices. It's one of the most likely candidates for a second home for me.


When I referred to safety and comfort I meant a general feeling which is highly subjective.

Some people don't mind dirty, loud, crowded, and polluted big cities and don't mind being harassed like in some of the countries you described. I'm not a fan of that. For me, it doesn't matter where exactly you live in these cities because you're still exposed to air pollution, a lot of noise, crowds, etc. I spent a week or so in Bangkok in a nice neighborhood but it didn't really matter for me personally as Bangkok is a concrete jungle without any tranquil places to escape to (even Lumphini Park was crowded with people).

I don't feel comfortable in a place with a lot of beggars and/or homeless people and with unsafe or "creative" infrastructure. I refer to stuff like cracked sidewalks (if at all), the risk of falling into a manhole when walking an unlit street, horribly designed streets and junctions that are a death trap for pedestrians, etc.

A friend recently spent almost three weeks in Thailand and his general perception of safety was the same.

But just to reiterate: to each his own, and I by no means think that this part of the world is inferior or people who enjoy it are in the wrong. It's just my highly subjective opinion.

I understand why certain people would enjoy it there. I myself prefer a different vibe, and no, it's not just about the level of economic development, though I generally do feel better in a wealthy country, ideally with no visible disparities like in the US.



I mostly referred to other, poorer SE Asia countries. As for what I mean by safety, look above (this doesn't apply to Singapore, though).

I've been to Singapore and didn't enjoy it. I mean, it was fine, but nothing spectacular. I was glad I was there only for a stopover. I expected a futuristic country and in a lot of places I couldn't even pay with my card which was unbelievable for a place that claims to be so developed.

I liked how green it was and loved the nature reserves around the city. Couldn't imagine living in such a small place long-term, though.



Did you read this thread?

AMA: Sold Everything - Moved to Bali

Curious what you think about Dennis' observations.

Every country has safety issues but I'll be 100% honest - I've never felt unsafe in SE Asia. People are curious and the middle classes are growing exponentially (the fastest growing cities/highest GDP countries are all coming from Asia).

I don't even use a card in Singapore: its either GrabPay, Apple Pay or AliPay. I pay friends with PayNow (I only need their phone number) so I rarely use cash.

I'm not sure if its 'futuristic' but its definitely modern. The UK feels like a developing nation to me now - everything is harder and the Internet is slower when I go back.
 

NVious

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Yes 100%.

I lived in Canada in the Toronto area for 20 years, horrendous place and although people everywhere have their issues, for a "developed" country, Canadians are completely overrated fakes.

Anyways, as far as the weather goes, I went from Canada to Bulgaria where we had ONE "Canadian type day" in terms of weather this winter, it was January 11th or 14th, it got down to -11 with crazy wind chill and I was like "ahhh memories" apart from that it was mostly 0 to -5 range as opposed to the Canadian, get up to 5, drop down to -20, get up to -2 and then chill at -15 with windchill.

In the future I will likely skip winters here too, but honestly as a whole I was very VERY happy with how mild it was relative to Canada, just a jacket and sweater and you're 100% fine, in Canada you need 2 shirts, a sweater, an extremely heavy jacket, a hat, sunglasses etc just to BEGIN to survive during winter, awful awful place.
 

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So I have had a good amount of experience here, lived in Andalusia 6 months a year for around 3 years and it really does depend on how you want to live you life.

I was lucky enough to start building a fastlane business early on, by no means was it game changing money but it gave me the ability to quit my day job, and move to wherever I wanted.

So I wanted to give a warm climate a try.

Yes the weather, the women, the food, the lifestyle is beautiful... but it also comes with a small town mentality, not many people understanding your entrpreneurial persuits, and no real 'drive' to do much with the energy they have been given. People live to enjoy their lives which is great n all but I remember feeling incredibly guilty and selfish.

I remember looking at my hands, arms and legs while yet again sitting at a table about to indulge in another feast, feeling like my energy was being wasted sitting there. A young man in his late 20s who felt retired way too early. Also as great as the sun is, it can sap energy and put people into a perpetual state of laziness.

Also waking up at 3 am every night to the zzzzz sound of a mosquito you cant track down. You manage to track it down and eliminate it, eventually get to sleep and hear it again.

Pros and cons, of course the sun is amazing, but like anything once you get used to it, it becomes normal. Yes the UK can be depressing, but I find it conducive to productivity and making the most of the energy my creator has given me, at the moment anyway.
 
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zoeyallen6

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When we are living in a place for a long time then our bodies are set in that place. After that we go to some hot spot then the body takes time to adjust. Something similar happened to me. In the past, I lived in a hilly area there was cool, But I had to go to the plains to study. It was a hot place. I had to face a lot of difficulties getting adjusted here. Such changes make a great impact on our lives.
 

MTF

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Yes the weather, the women, the food, the lifestyle is beautiful... but it also comes with a small town mentality, not many people understanding your entrpreneurial persuits, and no real 'drive' to do much with the energy they have been given. People live to enjoy their lives which is great n all but I remember feeling incredibly guilty and selfish.

Can't speak for every single warm country in the world, and not even for the entire sunny and warm part of Spain, but I generally agree with your observation regarding the Spanish culture. The warmer a place in Spain is, the sleepier it feels. This is even more notable in the Canary Islands (despite being an international destination it also has in general a small town mentality). At the same time, they do know how to enjoy life.

Pros and cons, of course the sun is amazing, but like anything once you get used to it, it becomes normal. Yes the UK can be depressing, but I find it conducive to productivity and making the most of the energy my creator has given me, at the moment anyway.

Sunny warm weather is my own norm. When it's gone, I don't get used to the dark and cold weather, so it's definitely a personal preference. Personally, I excel (productivity-wise as well) when the skies are clear and the temperatures are high (but ideally it's not humid).
 

guero

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Generally speaking, I would definately say yes!

I grew up/ spent most of my years in Germany.. after school I started studying and moved to a town where it would rain most of the time...As most people already said, sun won't give you superpowers, but I think it really helps with the overall mood. Living in a town with lots of rain I always wanted to stay inside and have been very lazy. With lots of sun, I really have the desire to go out, get active and get a workout in etc. I think it really makes a difference.

I also lived in Mexico for half a year and now I lived in Barcelona for a year... Have to admit that I felt "happier" there.. You simply cannot be in a bad mood when the sun is shining bright at 7am... However, theres also a limit to it I would say.. Especially when it gets too hot ( like 35 plus degrees).. Unless you have AC, it can also be a pain in the a**... With almost anything in life, I got use to it really quickly though and somehow took it for granted.. Once you lose something, you realize how much you actually loved it..

At the end of the day its a mindset thing, but in my opinion it really contributes to feeling better. For anybody thinking about switching things up, JUST DO IT.. The time abroad has helped me in so many different ways and I am really thankful for it... Learned a lot along the way and would do it over and over again.. Going into the unknown and uncomfortable is the best thing one can do..
 
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Wolfman

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I live in a cold country and each year suffer for up to 6 months because of the low temperatures, lack of sunlight, short days, and people with permanent scowls on their faces. I'm starting to wonder if it wouldn't be better to leave everything I have here and move elsewhere where I wouldn't live with anxiety, frustration, and stress for a half of a year.

To anyone who has moved from a cold, dark or wet climate to a warm, sunny and dry climate - has it made you noticeably happier and greatly improved your quality of life?

If you have family and close friends back in your cold state/country, do the benefits of living in a sunny and warm place still outweigh the cons of missing them and essentially having to build a new life from scratch?
Hi Vigilante, I move from Massacusetts to Sun City about 2 years ago. It is like a furnace here right now (108 degrees.) Obviously there are trade-offs re weather. I do miss friends/relatives. That too is a two-edged sword. Especially since my parents are getting (very) old... I've been blessed to meet nice friends/mentor due largely to this forum.
They have an acronym, SADD, seasonal affective disorder, in Mass. for the low effects of the weather. I never got it myself but it is good not to have it around me. My unsolicited advice--move here.
Wolfman
 

SD Entrepreneur

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Moved from the eastern coast of the U.S. with 4 seasons, cold winters, hot/humid summers and tons of grey days, moving to a warm and sunny climate (San Diego) has definitely made me more energetic and happy.

Been here 13 years and when it is cold/grey here I notice my energy level decrease, something about that sunshine that brings energy levels up! :palm:
 

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I was 22 back then, I was in a long distance relationship with a british girl and had enough of it. So I decided I'd move to Uk to make an experience, learn english (which as I realised later, is one of the most important skills one can have nowadays) and be with her.

OH and trust me, Italy can be more hopeless than Somalia sometimes.
Why is Italy hopeless? The 3rd world filth invasion?
 
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Edit: whoops, just realized that this thread was from 2016... oh well

I live in a cold country and each year suffer for up to 6 months because of the low temperatures, lack of sunlight, short days, and people with permanent scowls on their faces. I'm starting to wonder if it wouldn't be better to leave everything I have here and move elsewhere where I wouldn't live with anxiety, frustration, and stress for a half of a year.

To anyone who has moved from a cold, dark or wet climate to a warm, sunny and dry climate - has it made you noticeably happier and greatly improved your quality of life?

If you have family and close friends back in your cold state/country, do the benefits of living in a sunny and warm place still outweigh the cons of missing them and essentially having to build a new life from scratch?
No no no no no. @MTF, It's an illusion.


We instinctively believe that warm weather makes us happier. But is it true?

Yesterday's well-being statistics suggested the opposite. The happiest region of the whole UK is the most northerly - Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides. Some islands see only around 1,000 hours of sunshine a year compared to a UK average of 1,340 hours.

And when one reads those international lists of the happiest countries, top of the league tend to be places like Norway, Sweden, Canada, Denmark and Finland. There is no correlation between well-being and warm weather - if anything it looks like the opposite.

In 1998, psychologists David Shkade and Daniel Kahneman decided to test the theory that a sunny climate equates to a sunny disposition in a paper entitled Does Living in California Make People Happy?

The two professors had noticed what they described as "a stereotyped perception that people are happier in California… anchored in the perceived superiority of the California climate." So they compared the happiness of southern Californians with Midwesterners.

Two conclusions emerged from their research: firstly, Californians were no happier than people from the Midwest with its wind and rain; second, of all the factors that affected people's life satisfaction, weather was listed at the bottom. Midwesterners moaned about the weather more than Californians, but that didn't appear to make much difference to their overall contentment.

The scientists ended their paper with a homily. "It is not unlikely that some people might actually move to California in the mistaken belief that this would make them happier," they wrote. "Our research suggests a moral, and a warning: Nothing that you focus on will make as much difference as you think."

During the last few decades a significant amount of research has been conducted into the relationship between mood and weather, scientists looking for a link between atmospheric condition and personal disposition. Do high temperatures make people passionate? Does precipitation dampen enthusiasm? Are people happier in summer than in winter?

Analysis in the 70s and 80s variously suggested that high pressure, high temperature and low humidity were associated with positive emotions - basically, nice weather seemed to put people in a good mood. More recent research, however, has challenged this assertion with a number of studies suggesting the link is either very small or non-existent.
 

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@ChrisV, it's incredibly hard to research and quantify happiness. Besides, I know how I feel during the summer and how I feel during the winter.

Perhaps generally speaking, weather doesn't influence people that much. I know that a lot of people don't care about it that much because they spend almost entire days indoors anyway.

But on an individual level, it does influence me a lot because that's how I'm personally wired. If there are certain things you absolutely love that make you happy and you can't do them, you'll be less happy. For people who love high temperatures, sun, spending time outdoors, practicing sports, etc., the difference is immense when the weather is good.
 

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Yesterday's well-being statistics suggested the opposite. The happiest region of the whole UK is the most northerly - Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides. Some islands see only around 1,000 hours of sunshine a year compared to a UK average of 1,340 hours.

I am going to start read all your posts, I think. You always bring a lot of good examples.

Like @MTF above said it's probably more to happiness than weather. When you look at Europe you could say it's the opposite, like in your example. Southern Spain, Portugal, South of Italy, Greece. These are some of the poorest regions in whole of Europe. Doesn't mean they aren't happy...

Maybe harsh weather creates stress and we become more productive (e.g. you need to work in summer because when winter comes, you will starve). So it's also about planning and thinking long-term. And when you have had food growing all year in an arms reach then you might become lazy...

Btw I always envy those who live in the US. You can just take your stuff and move from a place with horrible weather and drive several hours to settle somewhere sunny (like many here have done). And you are still in the same currency zone, similar culture and economy. This is why the US is still one of the best places to live for people that are entrepreneurial.

I am writing this from a 'nomad' or 'traveller' perspective as I have always been looking for new places. In Europe you have several languages and probably couple of hundreds of dialects. This is the main barrier. But also bureaucracy in Ireland and UK is minimal and a nightmare in the rest of Europe. Especially for aspiring entrepreneurs.

After 5 years of moving from Poland to Ireland, my happiness level is so much higher but not because of the weather.

The weather is actually great in Ireland. We have a saying here. There is no bad weather, just bad gear. It changes a lot but there is a lot of sun, the air is clean, water is clean. People are too laid back even.

Moving somewhere because of the weather is the worst idea you could make. It is important but as MJ outlined in his book, we should use a matrix and put the most important factors in it and then assess. Weather being just one of 5-10.

Health: If you are sick the weather won't help you heal much. Diet and sleep will keep you in good health. Good and affordable hospitals will. Also knowledge.

Freedom: As I wrote above "No bad weather, just bad gear". Don't let weather affect your live goals.

Family and Friends: This is my reason number one to change environment - if your family or friends aren't aligned with your goals - leave. F* weather.

Business: I visited Malaga, Spain a couple of months ago. There is almost no rain there. Winters are 17C a day / 7C at night, for me it's like summer :). Summers are tougher but manageable because of the influence of the Mediterranean Sea (winters too). I immediately noticed that 90% of cars are covered with dust and have slightly or heavily decayed paintwork (degraded?). So they won't probably fancy car washing businesses as the cars will be covered by dust in no time. But paintwork protection service on the otherhand! Worth researching.

In my opinion, weather is important, but stands at probably 5th or farther place in terms of importance and happiness. First is possibilities to follow my dreams and develop/grow (supportive environment) which is not affected by weather, but family, friends, local economy (natural resources available in the area), bureaucracy etc...
 
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Update: I got into winter swimming and cold water surfing. So far, this has helped me handle the cold season better, but it's obviously still no substitute. It does help me stay more active outdoors, though.

You can't really swim in 4 degrees Celsius/39 Fahrenheit water, it's more just about immersing your body for up to 10 minutes, perhaps very light swimming without putting your face underwater. I really miss regular open water swimming.

As for cold water surfing, the conditions where I live (actually, it's two hours by car to the nearest surf spot) are usually subpar when it comes to waves, but temperature-wise, with a proper wetsuit, thermal comfort is okay. Can't compare it to surfing in boardshorts only in a tropical paradise, but it's still better than nothing and I get to train regularly to be ready for possible surf trips overseas.
 
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people who love cold weather, they remind me of the people who live in small towns in the Midwest, and say it's better than cali, and new york it's cheap here, and no crims lol .... warm weather is definitely better i lived in both, and soon will be out of the mid west. right now it's cold outside, and no sun. even the summer time sucks here, very hot , and windy you can't even enjoy it if it wasn't windy you might enjoy it. but it's always windy in the flat mid west. they also hate california here ( they never been there lol)
 

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