Has Moving to a Warm and Sunny Climate Made You Happier?

[MitchC]

I haven't read the thread but do it! It will improve your quality of life like nothing else. I should be way more miserable and unproductive where I moved to but I'm not, and its the weather. It is impossible not to be happy, excited about life and productive when the sun is shining and its hot, clear blue sky, driving in your car with the aircon on, you cannot not be positive and happy doing that. You feel like anything is possible and you are going somewhere. You do need to get used to it tho. The first few weeks I was stuck to the couch with the fan blowing, and it slowly got better from there. I will never move back home purely because of the weather here.

 

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[amp0193]

It seems self-evident to me, and I've lived all over, but when I got back to my hometown in the Midwest of 50k people, I realize they aren't the least bit interested in travelling. It's odd. I'm not sure if they aren't interested, or they feel like it's totally out of grasp and don't want to be disappointed.

You gotta see it to believe it.

Plus, why would I want to spend $1200 on plane tickets when I could get a new couch and tv?

 

[AgainstAllOdds]

I've been living in sunny places all year, and honestly, my productivity has dropped.

I left Chicago.

Chicago is a lot more depressing 5 months out of the year, but during those 5 months I get shit done. I stay indoors and work.

Now with access to beautiful beaches, rooftop bars, being able to afford any restaurant, massage everyday, and having a chance with almost any girl because I'm foreign and doing cool shit, my productivity has dropped a ton.

I'm still getting the most important things done and growing the business, but my efficiency is not as high as it used to be.

I'd say my efficiency in Chicago is at 85%. Abroad it's closer to 65%.

There are huge benefits to living somewhere cold and gloomy which are largely overlooked.

If you're ambitious, then sunny places might not be the best places to live. Of course that depends on personality, but for me, leaving the country has been a huge distraction financially. I'm getting a lot of experiences that I would never have, and growing tremendously as an individual, but business-wise, I'm not on the same level as I was. I'm getting "comfortable".

To summarize:

Sunny places will make you happier, but they'll also make you less ambitious. And it has nothing to do with how expensive the place is either. I feel the same way when I'm in Miami as I do when I'm in Vietnam.

You need to figure out what matters to you most right now in life and plan accordingly.

 

[Nomangee]

I believe it might also have something to do with your everyday routine. If you've had the same hobbies for years that you've been doing with the same people (and you enjoy it all a lot) it's harder to start a new life elsewhere than if you haven't had any such hobbies and didn't do anything special with your friends. If you don't have anything like that in your life, then I guess you're not very attached to the place.

What I currently try to do more and more, when you face more though decisions is, to imagine yourself as an old fellow in your 80s, who is looking back onto his life and thinks about the decision you are currently facing as you didn't pursue it. Would there be any feeling of regret? If yes, do it!

 

[Rawr]

Eh, I think people are taking it a bit personally and biased, who wants to admit living in the sun isn't all that?

MTF, I lived in cold weather for most of my life. Then I went to Florida for a year. Then I went back to Minnesota, and I remember how cold it was. So cold that everytime people would go to their cars after a gathering, most would mutter "this is my last winter here.." I remember putting my a$$ on the leather car seat and then propping myself up with my legs so I don't sit back down on it... yeah, it sucked.

Then I lived In Chicago, and I remember staying inside a lot, and pushing cars out of snow, and hating driving in the snow when you have no control. As soon as I made enough money to buy a ticket, I went to Florida once again. I stayed for 2 years.

Then I went to Spain, been here for 1.5 years now.

Here is what I'll say - it's pros and cons. In Spain there are 2 seasons - summer, and sometimes cool, fall. Imagine summer and fall, and each is 6 months long. Florida is 10/2 split. So it gets to you. Its the same thing, for months, and it doesn't seem to change. There is less feeling of passing of time like Andy said.

It's also much easier to be lazy - "its a good day? I should hit up the beach before work. It's a bad day? Damn, that sucks, no motivation!" I remember seeing a study that said people in cold climates had a better working brain. After living in the warm climate I tend to agree, everything melts under the sun, relaxing into the pleasant numbness.

I've also went without my friends or family. It matters, a lot. When you're with good friends, cold isn't a big deal. When you're lonely, the beach does help, but then you leave the beach..

I'd try vacationing a lot during your cold months and see how much it helps. If you need more, you can look into moving for the winter. Plenty of people winter in Florida, it's a mini Canada at those times. And stay social in the winter months to keep everyone warm.

 

[Waspy]

It doesn't stop me from hating my day from the minute i wake up to the minute i go to bed

Honestly, it doesn't sound like the UK is your problem.

Your stress isn't a result of the country you live in, the stress is a result of your situation.

The sun isn't going to put money in your bank or food on your table.

On the other hand, Spain is much cheaper than the UK. Your wife is out of a job, you are location independent, the kids are young... perhaps now is the time to go? Lotta people out their who sold their lives in one country and started a fresh one for the better in a new place.

 

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[Jonathan Polley]

On the other hand, Spain is much cheaper than the UK. Your wife is out of a job, you are location independent, the kids are young... perhaps now is the time to go? Lotta people out their who sold their lives in one country and started a fresh one for the better in a new place.

This...

As I sit outside in Valencia right now, it's about 20c. Sure I am at my slowlane job. But it pays OK. Best of all it pays me well in time that I would never have in the UK. The pressures of work here are very different. I have spent the last hour doing things for my business.

But my wife is at home right now, not having to work a slowlane. Also working on the business. And we can afford for her not to work. Our rent for a four bedroom apartment with a shared swimming pool is 450 Euros a month. Bills/car/fuel are about 250 a month Food for a family of four is another 250 a month.

Leaving us with about another 900 Euros disposable income (or money to put into the business)

There is just no way we could do this in the UK. None at all.

 

[Vigilante]

I used to spend a lot of time in Hawaii. In 2014(?), we were there a few months straight, with a month on Maui and a month on Oahu. It was then I decided to buy the lifestyle full time.

It was unpractical to move to Hawaii for family reasons, but we knew we were done living in the snowbank of the Midwest winters which can last for up to seven months.

We packed a 27" foot uHaul (the first of a few trips, actually) with a tow behind trailer, and headed south.

We crossed Florida Georgia line and never looked back. I live now where people vacation.

 

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[AgainstAllOdds]

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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[Tiago]

It definitely has. Moving from Germany to Florianópolis, Brazil. It's an island in the south of Brazil with 42 beaches, great infrastructure, nightlife, safety and just general high quality of living.

 

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[ali.lari2x]

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?

My biggest mistake was moving to Canada from Abu Dhabi as someone with Arab ancestry. I thought I would enjoy the snow and cold but it dulls everything out really quickly.

Although I do enjoy the grittiness of the sunless, windy winters. Something about it puts me into grind mode, whereas Mediterranean-type climates make me very sanguine and calm. So pick your poison, I guess

 

[EmotionEngine]

For me it's not so much the cold but more the rainy gray dark days. It's been raining the past 2 weeks in the netherlands, constant. We get some daylight between 9-5 and then it's dark again. Today for the first time in a while the sun was out and the effect on my mood is incredible.

A friend of mine is spending 9 months in Valencia, spain. I'm going to do the same next year, be there from october-april and then get back to the netherlands when it gets to hot. I looked it up once and it is on of the places with the most sun hours in the world. (Or at least in the parts where i would consider living)

I was just in Spain in November. I took this picture while flying over Valencia to Palma de Mallorca. Weather was great.

 

[Eos]

I'm basically the same as you. I remember MJ mentioning in his book that his lambo dreams included palm trees and sunshine.

Is your current business / income location independent?

I'm toying between
a) Staying here in the dreary UK (it literally is) where I have all of the legal rights and ability to commit to a business, rationalising by thinking "hmm but if I move somewhere hot I won't want to spend time indoors working."
b) Emigrating somewhere where it is sunny most of the year such as Sydney or Cali. If I do this though I may to do basically do any job for several years until I become a citizen. This would set my fastlane dreams back a few years at least!

 

[TonyStark]

Traveling should be a great motivator for starting an online-passive income business.

 

[townhaus]

Yes. I can move wherever and whenever I want. The problem is that I can't take everyone with me, not that I can't do it myself.
...
The big question is what makes you happier. Weather alone or being close to your close friends, family, etc. That's the question I can't answer. I'm aware I can make new friends, but friends aren't a commodity you can replace easily like your car, house or whatever

Sound like you have a fear of leaving people behind. Who says anyone is being 'replaced'. You can still keep contact throught email/skype and returning home for a few months.

You'll make new friends. Take a risk. Who says your new friendships won't live up to the old ones.

I wouldn't let my emotional attachments hold me back.

 

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[Vigilante]

I guess it's also a choice to make the best of it or not.

People that live in a mud hut in Haiti can make the best of it there also. Doesn't mean it's preferable. Just means you need mind games to make it tolerable.

Live where people vacation.

 

[Jonathan Polley]

I used to live in cold, wet rainy England.
I now live in warm, sunny Valencia, Spain.

Has it made me happier? Yes. But only indirectly because of the climate. Winter is pleasant, spring and autumn are gorgeous. But summer... man the summer it is brutal. The Spanish all have a siesta, I just can't. So pretty much my whole family sit around our apartment in Summer with the air con blasting. Us in nothing more than underpants. It's a sight to behold. If the wind starts blowing up from Africa it can hit 42ºC for a few days in a row. (This can happen between May to early October) Nights are never cooler than 25ºC

But what really makes Spain a nicer place to live is the people, they are are more laid back, things are open much later, amenities in public spaces are far superior. Which just makes the quality of life so much nicer. And all of that is related to the sunnier climes. But man... the summer!

 

[Paul David]

I fiddled around with my quantum physics machine and was able to see my life unfold as if I stayed in Chicago and did not move to a sunnier climate.

This is the only thing that it showed me...

Fortunately for Americans the USA is large enough to be able to move to a sunnier climate inside the same Country. I'm quite aware that the distances between the hot and cold parts can be quite large but surely it's easier relocating and not having to learn a new language, new government regulations, apply for visas etc. Unfortunately for those of us from the UK and other colder EU countries that's not possible.

I'm not saying that's a reason not to make the move however.

 

[Vigilante]

"It's hard for people to give a shit about global warming - when everyone hates bees and loves warm weather!!"

I am a huge fan of global warming

 

[• nikita •]

I've lived in the UK most of my life. I'm miserable most of the time, but only when it's cold. I think I have severe seasonal depression. On the rare July days that it's scorching hot and the sun comes out, you can tell the difference in everyone. People are actually smiling, are kinder to you, more optimistic. In my mind, all my problems are meaningless. I feel like how a person should feel. Unfortunately 99% of the time the weather in the UK is despicable. The word "hate" isn't strong enough. It's not just cold, it's character-less. The sky is completely white, like someone has placed the city on an endless sheet of paper.

Some people aren't affected by this. I was reading a study on how people from northern countries need less vitamin D to function well. I'm from southern Europe, where it can get up to 40 C. I'm definitely moving.

 

[Sanj Modha]

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

 

[Sanj Modha]

I left the UK four years ago and I haven't looked back.

I live in Singapore which has much better weather, great food, great people, incredible internet speeds (my 4G is faster than my parents' Virgin Media connection back in the UK!) and its so well connected - Changi is the world's number 1 airport.

I couldn't be happier. I leave near the sea, a big nature reserve, I'm exercising more, I swim more and I'm playing squash twice a week (when there's no lockdown).

My next goal is to get PR residency and buy a condo!

 

[Tiago]

Honestly, yes. I have been living in Florianópolis, Brazil, after having lived for 7 years in Germany.

The really long summers, coupled with fantastic beaches, lots of hikes and that still has a big city vibe with lots to do, have been a gamechanger.

I've traveled a ton around the world, but keep coming back to this place. It never ceases to amaze me, and I keep falling in love with it. No wonder its nickname is "The Magic Island".

Winter, dark days and wearing layers and layers of clothes drain my energy. So I guess everyone has to see what they really enjoy. I know people who dread the summer. Each to his own.

 

[MTF]

Has anyone tried splitting their time between two places? I live in Edmonton Alberta and I love the summers here but I'm disliking the winters more and more every year. Since I don't have a traditional job this might be a little easier for me but I'm wondering if anyone else has experience with this? ie Edmonton during the summers and California/Hawaii etc for the winters

I sort of did it last year. February-July in Barbados, August-October in Poland, October-December a road trip through Europe and spending a few weeks in southern Spain (spring/summer weather). It was much easier to survive winter in Poland later (though we planned to escape in February again so originally only wanted to stay for January).

This fall we plan to leave again, come back for Christmas, and then hopefully leave after Christmas again. I can't stand Polish winters no matter how much I try.

I think it may be the best of both worlds. Summer in temperate climates can be pretty nice, while summer in hot places is sometimes too hot (and often crowded with tourists).

 

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[MTF]

We have both. Ocean is 2.5 hrs away and mountains with elevation and forests are about 1.5. I spend a lot of time at the beach in my motor home.

Haha you Americans and your definition of distance. 2.5 hours away is far away, not nearby. 1.5 hours is also a long drive, definitely not for daily or even weekly driving.

For me nearby is a 30 minute drive at most.

 

[JordanK]

It was 29° F this morning. By the time we started pickleball it was 35°.

I had 3 layers, but was in a long sleeve shirt by the second game. The difference with some cold places is that it is still sunny and dry and you can still do everything outdoors.

I feel like in these areas even though the temp is cold, the sun rays are still stronger and heat you up quick. People were in shorts and tshirts by 11am.

View attachment 53469

I love sunny cold places.

Ireland is damp rainy cold. It makes it a miserable experience but having grown up in it its like a superpower in that anywhere else I end up on the planet feels better hahah

 

[Jamie T]

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?

Yes! I moved from Upstate New York (ranked #4 in US for snowfall and cloudiness). Very tough time up there for most of the year.

I went to college in Louisiana (loved it). Then, went back to NY (hated it). Then, moved to Florida (loved it). Then, moved to Arizona (best decision I've made in a while).

Going back and forth. I can definitely say that I've been much happier whenever I've lived in areas where it's warm and sunny most of the year.

I recommend it for sure.

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?

This is something to consider. I personally would rather live where I'm happier.

Good luck!

 

[Nomangee]

I'm already thinking about the same for a long time, but never was in a position to make the move. Now my current goal is to become a nomad in March.

The first thing I would do is making a table of the Pros and Cons and really write them down in much detail. It's completely different writing it down and seeing it in front of you, then going through them in your mind.

I'm a more logical thinker and less emotional , so I educated myself quite a bit about the biological and also emotional effects of sun deprivation, which are huge and can't be easily supplemented with Vitamin D as the sun creates all life on earth and a simple Vitamin can never have the same effect.

From an evolutionary standpoint we are meant to be around warm and sunny weather, it's our natural habitat. For example look at the suicide rates in the north of Finland, where you have often no sun light for a long time in the winter. I also know now, that a few small health problems I have, were completely gone this summer, when I went a lot outside, so that's another big point for me.

Also a few years back, I read a lot of stories here on the forum about people moving to warm countries/states and all said that everything got so much better, be it productivity, happiness etc and most didn't even realize, that it was maybe only the weather change, which not only effects themselves, but also all the people around them.

For me it's for now a no-brainer with the only downside of leaving family/friends behind, but I think everything that is worthwhile in life has also a downside. My big Pro's are the weather, paying no freaking taxes, experiencing new cultures.

I leave this reply with a quote of my friend "Augustine of Hippo"
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."

 

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[MidwestLandlord]

True, the US is huge and we can move to many different climates without crossing a single border. No permission required, no passport, no problem. The amazing thing is how many of my fellow Americans just don't do so. You don't have to look hard to find people whining about their lame home town with its dead economy an nothing but nothing going on. In the Northeast I know people who are born, live and will die in a 50 mile radius with maybe a trip to Disney thrown into the mix.

I'm not sure than my observation really adds value to the conversation, but your post brought the thought to the front of my mind. It's a shame and a waste to live in such a self limiting way, but I see quite a bit of it.

It's the same in the midwest. I'll often just randomly talk to people and they'll tell me their life story.

"I was born here, never really wanted to go anywhere else"

You can almost hear Mellencamp's "Small Town" playing in the background haha.

The world is so big and you want to spend your entire life in a town of 30,000 people???

 

[Sanj Modha]

The weather makes a HUGE difference. I was born and grew up in the UK where it's pretty bad. India is the polar opposite. I don't get many 'bad' days but when I do - just sitting outside helps me to feel better. You need to keep on top of Vitamin D3 and B12 - it's a silent killer.

 

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