WWYD: If you had to move countries, where would you go?

[Mr. E. Monkey]

I'm pretty into fixin what we got here

Word.

If I were to ever move to a different country, it'd probably be to the Philippines. Not for the politics or anything, but I've spent some time there before, and enjoyed it.

[skelco]

I'm pretty into fixin what we got here

Word.

If I were to ever move to a different country, it'd probably be to the Philippines. Not for the politics or anything, but I've spent some time there before, and enjoyed it.

well someplace tropical would be nice, some place with good food!

[Ten Eight]

Chile. Good economy, they encourage foreign investment, English is taught mandatory in schools, etc. The government is pretty stable, and the things to do outdoors are endless.

[Hermit]

...
Where would you move if you could go anywhere in the world?
...

I've been researching expatriation for a little over a year now. Based on what I've read, Germany or Switzerland would be on my list (I also have some foreign language background that would make either of these preferable as well, bear in mind). However, I'd do some extensive research/reading/talking about the culture shock of living in another country. I don't know your background, so I might be "preaching to the choir" on this. It's just something that needs to be considered if it hasn't been already.

6 Reasons Your Plans to Move Abroad Might Not Work Out

[aus.templar]

Thanks all for the suggestions, I haven't calmed down from my rant and am now seriously considering moving countries. USA, Canada and New Zealand are all on the list. Not too keen on Europe or Asia and definately not Africa.

Family is from NZ and it's very close to Australia however from the outside doesn't seem struck with the same political idiocy that Australia does and even though their economy is slightly weak I'm seriously considering moving there.

What are some good states in the USA? By 'good' I mean a combination of friendly people, jobs and relaxed gun laws (I would love to CCW and think knife legislation is ridiculous)

Canada is the wildcard, I've heard it's culturally similar to Australia however it really caught my eye when the gun owners there refused to register their longarms. That was inspiring... Not sure that's exactly how it happened but that's how it was explained to me. So tell me a bit about Canada people who live there, where are the nice parts where there's work and close communities? What are the gun laws like there also? How about general citizen freedoms and rights? What's the political climate like?

[the_alias]

US states I would consider:
New Hampshire
Montana
Wyoming
Alaska
Oregon

[alptraum]

What are some good states in the USA? By 'good' I mean a combination of friendly people, jobs and relaxed gun laws (I would love to CCW and think knife legislation is ridiculous)

As far as gun laws go the NRA and some other places have reasonably up to date laws listed by state. The truly restrictive ones off the top of my head are mainly CA and MA. Some cities can be particularly restrictive as well like NYC and Chicago. Knife laws sort of follow gun laws, but not always. For instance in my state of Missouri the only thing keeping me from having a .50 heavy machine gun is budget as they are perfectly legal, though I can't legally possess an "automatic" knife the last time I checked.

Most people all over tend to generally be friendly. As in other countries I've been in sometimes people in large cities seem less friendly (it would be exhausting saying hello as you walk by people as you may pass a few people per second) and sometimes people in smaller more insular communities may take quite a while to warm up to strangers. But in general I've meet friendly and not friendly people in just about every part of the US.

As far as jobs go it really depends. In a general sense the most growth currently is in the southeast and west. But it really depends on how valuable your skills are and what the overall market for your industry is like. There are all sorts of resources out there to get more in depth info on cost of living and job market. Cost of living is definitely something to factor into your decision as it can vary by huge amounts. As an example I was offered a similar amount of money from two companies. One was in Des Moines Iowa and the other was in San Francisco California. While the money was about the same I could have lived like a king in Des Moines (but I'd be living in Des Moines, which is why I turned that one down) and the same amount would have gotten me a small small small place in SF. I've had friends that payed over $400,000 thousand for a house in silicon valley that would cost about $120,000 here, if that.

Also factor in how important weather is to you. In the US we have deserts and rain forests and just about everything in between.

[stimpy321972]

costa rica, most def.

[bigmattdaddywack]

I think I would just stay here.

[WY_Not]

I'm a bit partial to Wyoming.

[bigmattdaddywack]

Appalachia and the Ozarks would be cool except for having to walk up every damn hill and mountain.

[BullOnParade]

I'll act as the Canadian embassador to ZS for a bit :

Politics: we're fairly left compared to the states, even with our right most party in majority and America's left most party in majority.

Economy: we're on top of all G8 nations, jobs are available and more so all the time, especially for new post secondary school graduates.

Gun laws: no ccw, in fact, hand guns are only allowed to be fired at a federally approved range, as well as certain (black) rifles (specifically the AR).

Firearms license is easy enough to acquire, one weekend course covers you for both long guns and handguns.

The long gun registry was brought into existance in 1995 (I think), cost us billions, and lots of people didn't register their rifles. The current federal government is scrapping the registry in the new year, the province of Quebec (mostly French) seems to be considering a provincial registry.

If I'm missing something, please ask, I'm on my phone and it makes referencing difficult.

ETA: in terms of rights and freedoms, specifically self defense - our laws are ambiguous. Another goal of the current government is to clean up the language so it's easier to interpret. I haven't seen any changes yet though. If you check out the chapter 3 sub forum, I posted a link to a government source for our laws.

[TacAir]

US states I would consider:
New Hampshire
Montana
Wyoming
Alaska
Oregon

Take my advice, cross Alaska off of your list. High unemployment and climbing, high cost of living (gas is about a $1 a gallon more than just about anywhere in the L48).

Alcohol ravages the population and violence in endemic. The winters are long, cold and miserable. ALL food and mfg goods are imported to the State - 90+% through a single port.

Let's see - ya, the winters are long, bitterly cold and the dark seemly never ends.

Alaska would be a horrible choice...

[Rugger]

This is kind of funny. I have been seriously playing w the idea of moving to Austrailia for work. I have a good job in the petroleum industry right now. A family friend was telling me about the income possibilities of working there, in the same industry. I wouldnt want to necessarily change my citizenship, just go work over there for several years. I have a general understanding of the gun laws, but was curious as to what else had gotten you fired up. Since we can't get into the politics, could you shoot me a pm w a rundown of the issues?

And for what it's worth, I'd vote for my home state of Texas. Very lax gun laws.

[bigmattdaddywack]

Somalia?
Lax gun laws, low taxes, and you can be a pirate Arrrrrr.

[skelco]

US states I would consider:
New Hampshire
Montana
Wyoming
Alaska
Oregon

Beautiful states, but are they filled with opportunity for a foreign-born international business major? He's gonna need the big city for that, San Francisco, NYC, maybe Chicago or Dallas. Were it me, I'd be looking into companies with offices in Australia and elsewhere, then work on internships and transfers.

People love Aussies here, you'd have girls lining up just to hear you read the phone book.

[duodecima]

I liked Minnesota - it does have CC which seems to be a criteria. It's cold in the winter, but generally quite friendly. Also it has something vaguely resembling a health care system - if you're looking at moving here from AU, do check out that little difference. I liked WY too.

[mad scientist]

Texas would definitely be on the list of states to consider. It has an attractive blend of large cities (Houston, Dallas) with good jobs, as well as pro freedom laws (at least as concerns firearms). Most states would be an improvement over Austrailia in regards to gun restrictions though.

If you make it over to the states, I'd be happy to show you around South Louisiana. We've got lax laws, great music, beautiful women, and some of the best food you'll find anywhere in the world. And the bars don't close!

[Jeriah]

My advice would be to travel to and visit any country you're considering moving to. If you are/can be in school, studying abroad is a great way to get to know a place, since you're there for more like six months to a year, rather than six weeks, and renting an apartment and shopping for groceries gives you a more real sense of a place than living in a hotel and eating out every meal. Also remember that one city to another, and city vs. rural, vary widely even within the same country.

[Gypsyblood]

I lived in Exmouth, Western Australia for five years; Naples, Italy for five years; and Wereham, England for eight years. Now that we’re back in the States, I miss being overseas. We wound up in Abilene, Texas, and I’ll have to agree with other posters about firearm freedoms and such. However, trying to find public land in Texas is a killer! In most of the other places I’ve been, I had plenty of freedom to walkabout out in the boonies for as far and long as I wanted. Not here though. In Texas, land is for land-owners and they charge premium rates for the use of that land. I would consider the very first opportunity to move away from Texas for that very reason.

I guess oppression is really a mindset; what oppresses one person may not bother another. I don’t mind the flat, desolate landscape around here. In fact, I quite like it. I don’t like just looking at it and not being able to walk on it. I feel like a captive in this town and I’d love to go anywhere where I might have better access to the land.

I always thought that if I left the U.S.A, it would be for Canada. I’ve never met a Canadian I didn’t like. I dig mountain-biking and hockey, and there seems to be a heck of a lot of unspoiled country up there.

[squinty]

Iceland, 'cause I'm a big fan of having lot's of geothermal energy on tap. Or Switzerland, 'cause ai loves me some chocolate lederhosen and cuckoo clocks. I'd be a freak though, carrying my leatherman in the land of the SAK....

[BullOnParade]

My advice would be to travel to and visit any country you're considering moving to. If you are/can be in school, studying abroad is a great way to get to know a place, since you're there for more like six months to a year, rather than six weeks, and renting an apartment and shopping for groceries gives you a more real sense of a place than living in a hotel and eating out every meal. Also remember that one city to another, and city vs. rural, vary widely even within the same country.

I just came back to point this out. I said earlier Canada was fairly left, however that swings greatly from coast to coast. However the majority of our freedoms you are questioning are set by the federal government, so you're entitled to the same rights regardless of what province you looked at.

[donjulio]

Have you ever looked into what you would have to do to move to a different country? Most of them don't just let you in and give you a new passport. If you wanted to move to Switzerland, besides having to know a different language, you really have to bring something to the table that they want. You have to prove that you really have something to offer their society or they will tell you to get lost.

On topic, Belize.

They speak english and spanish, so I'm good to go there. They have reef and fisheries conservation projects going on so I could probably find work.

[aus.templar]

This is kind of funny. I have been seriously playing w the idea of moving to Austrailia for work. I have a good job in the petroleum industry right now. A family friend was telling me about the income possibilities of working there, in the same industry. I wouldnt want to necessarily change my citizenship, just go work over there for several years. I have a general understanding of the gun laws, but was curious as to what else had gotten you fired up. Since we can't get into the politics, could you shoot me a pm w a rundown of the issues?

And for what it's worth, I'd vote for my home state of Texas. Very lax gun laws.

I don't think this is "political" because I'm not advocating one of our parties over another, they're all terrible. They've no understanding of reality, they discourage common sense and personal responsibility, and the thousand beauocratic organisations they've set up put in place "regulations" which act much like legislation however they're controlled internally and there's no public say on these regulations.
Not like the public gets a say, our elected oligarchy makes whatever promises it takes to get the hundred different minority voter groups on board then scraps it all and goes back to their wicked ways an hour after the election results are in and it seems like 95% of the people I know don't even give a shit about the fact that in 10years time you'll have the to have an authorised government contractor come to you to cut anything with their licensed and registered pair of serial numbered safety-scissors.
All in an effort to curb the violent crime that keeps going up and up in the suburbs, cities and popular holiday spots, a lot of which is done by the plague of refugees we welcome in, support with ridiculous amounts of tax dollars, then after they've committed a few violent crimes, rapes, etc we give them citizenship but because they're from a disadvantaged background we still pay for their house, give them welfare money etc etc when they refuse to get a job.