International Living?
Feb 27, 2009 10 Comments Okay, so for those wondering if we’re considering a possible permanent move out of the country, I’m going to say now, “Yes, we’re considering it.” We don’t know when or where or for how long. We may not do it at all, but it sure is fun to dream about. :)
We have realized a few things, however. We definitely do not want to be in Salt Lake City for another one of the winter air “inversions” – it’s like breathing poison, and we don’t like it at all. We’re also not big on cold and snow. Maybe we’ll stay in Salt Lake and just leave for the winter, or maybe we’ll make a permanent move. We don’t know.
The past few weeks in Panama, however, it’s been so refreshing to be in small towns rather than big cities. They seem much friendlier and laid back. Maybe we’re just relaxed because we’re on vacation, but we think the people and climate probably have something to do with it as well. It’s also been refreshing to experience a culture that doesn’t have so much of the clutter of materialism and busy-ness that seems to pervade much of the U.S.
Don’t misunderstand. We love Salt Lake. We love the people. We love our families and like living close to them. I love the great library system. We like how the Church has a big presence there. We feel safe there (in most places). The mountains are beautiful. All the comforts of life are readily available. And there are a lot of other things we like about it.
But when we have the option to live almost anywhere in the entire world, I feel like I’m not taking advantage of a fantastic opportunity for me and for my family, if I don’t at least explore what it’s like in other places.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
Jobs and schools are not a concern because I have a business that I can run from anywhere with an Internet connection. And we plan on home schooling our kids – a decision we recently came to that I’ll go over in another post.
But with so many places in the world, I feel like a kid in a candy store – how do you choose?! We’ve started to narrow down the choices a little. We like warm (sorry Mom, this rules out Washington), green, clean, safe, relaxed-pace, friendly people, and no more than 45 minutes from the nearest LDS Ward or Branch (http://maps.lds.org). So far we’re liking small town life, but not too small – it’s got to have at least a decent grocery store, high-speed Internet, kids our girls’ ages, and some basic activities or classes (such as musical theater or art). Low cost of living is a nice plus.
Okay, so that’s a pretty demanding list. Maybe no such place exists, but with a world this big, we think it does. If nothing else, we’re up for some adventures and trying new things. If we don’t like a place, we can always come back, right? :)
Do you know any places that might fit the bill?
Brandon Pearce
Brandon is a location independent entrepreneur, musician, worldschooling father, and the principal author of this blog. He's all about reaching his potential and enjoying life to the fullest in each moment.
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Utah will always feel like home. It is really fun to explore other possibilities though, and have new experiences together. There are good and bad sides to any place you go. Finding the best fit is a bit challenging, but hopefully well worth the effort.
So in this hypothetical move to anywhere, do I have the funds to live wherever I want? :) And the funds to travel regularly to visit family and friends?
@Allison – yes, let’s assume that money isn’t a concern.
Wow. That would be a wonderful experience. There are very few people in the world who are in a position where they CAN choose where they want to live. I would love to live somewhere other than Salt Lake, but I think the umbilical cord between Justin and his mother would have to be severed before we can do that ;)
Hm… I’ve never really thought about where I would choose to live. But I would have a lot of the same requirements as you- definitely needs to be warm, green, safe, clean, lots of outdoors stuff to explore, nearby beach (ocean or lake- preferably ocean)… Hawaii? Except I wouldn’t really want to live somewhere too touristy. Tahiti?? :)
[…] As I mentioned in a previous post, we are very heavily leaning toward home schooling our kids. We’ve grown increasingly […]
You know, all things considered I really love where I live now here in Alpine. We are close to family which is important to us. We are surrounded by beautiful mountains. I love America too much to live elsewhere.
That being said, knowing that you and I have different interests, one place I think you might want to check out in your various travels is Mossel Bay, South Africa. It is a small community in a beautiful area. I spent 7 months there on my mission.
Here are some of the benefits of Mossel Bay that meat your criteria:
– Moderate climate. It is warm year round with the most moderate temperatures in the world second only to Hawaii
– Beautiful beaches – there was a public beach which we never went to, but there was also a very nice beach surrounded by cliffs that we would hike down to on occasional p-days. We had this area to ourselves and would pull some interesting creatures out of the water. You could often see dolphins swimming around that area too.
– Technologies – There are some good sized shopping centers and internet access
– Church – the nearest branch was in George which is a half hour drive away.
Of course it was 10 years ago that I was there so I don’t know if/how things have changed.
If I were to live outside the US. Mossel Bay would be my first choice.
@Dustin – Funny you mention South Africa. I just read a post about that here: http://locationindependent.com/blog/2009/03/09/10-things-you-should-know-before-visiting-south-africa-as-a-location-independent-destination/ – although I don’t know how much of that applies to Mossel Bay.
Brandon and Jennifer –
Thanks so much for the thoughtful mother’s day remembrance. It was such a surprise and truly enjoyed. You know how I love sweets. I know you are having a great adventure with you family and am happy you can have the experience together. Take care and God bless you.
Love,
Nanette
Hi Brandon.
Did I miss it? What is your online business?
Would like some encouragement on how you got started etc.
@Nanette – Glad you enjoyed it and that it arrived okay.
@friend – My main on-line business is http://www.musicteachershelper.com. For help with starting your own business, check out the Entrepreneurship category of this blog. I’m also working on a book. Follow me on Twitter for updates.