Tldr; I love my job, hate the Netherlands, want to move somewhere warmer but where and how?

[chris@myprivate.social]

@Gina I grew up in Seattle. Pretty much the same. Except for the food - some of the best anywhere.

[bobo_pk@chaos.social]

@Gina Spain. Good weather, fiber at home in 2 days, cheaper living conditions, healthcare is cheap or included and the people are also lovely.

[gina@fosstodon.org]

The US isn't an option for obvious reasons, Canada too cold, Latam too far, South Africa too murder-y, and Thailand doesn't seem convenient careerwise.

So that leaves Southern Europe.

The biggest issue is where and how. I have two cats to haul along. Do I buy a campervan and rent out my house? Where do I go?

Also, I love my work atm, can I keep doing that for as long as possible while figuring this out? And will I find a new role in the same field again?

7/n

[solardavy@climatejustice.social]

@Gina as a native Dutch person, I agree. If not for family tying (ageing parents) me down, I would also be looking for other places.

I think new Aotearoa is interesting, I'm not sure if it's because it's the literal other side of the world, or if they still have nature.

But every place I've looked at has either colonialism, racism, or woefully unprepared for the coming climate crisis.

So I'll be following your journey, as maybe we'll do the same somewhere soon.

[hadronized@fosstodon.org]

@Gina I’ve always thought The Netherlands wouod be a good place to live in. Probably a biased and blasé French point of view.

[max@toet.dnzm.nl]

@martijn @Gina This! There's plenty of pretty in .nl, but you won't find most of it in Amsterdam or even the Randstad. I moved north (from the Hague) some 25 years ago, lived in Drenthe, currently Fryslân, work in Groningen. You couldn't pay me to move back south.

And if you get bored here, you can easily make day trips to the wadden, or Germany maybe.

The "always gray and boring" doesn't match my experience, I do hope you can find some krenten in the pap somewhere. 😉

[haayman@todon.nl]

@Gina Slovenia seems a very nice country. Checks a lot of boxes

[tonanio@mastodon.social]

@Gina Depends on your "preferred" requirements and willingness to sacrifice I guess... Portugal has some expat program for digital nomads iirc, Spain is (maybe) cheaper, Italy has houses for 1€...

[angelomassaro@mastodon.social]

@Gina I suggest Croatia, where I’m currently based, though I haven’t lived here long enough to give a comprehensive feedback. Keep in mind that Istria is close to both Italy and Slovenia. There are plenty of beach options, mountains (if needed), and heritage sites. Food-wise, I mostly cook my own food, but you can also find high-quality restaurants. I’d recommend going on a trip to Pula or Rijeka to see in person if it is the right place for you.

[martijn@ieji.de]

@max Hmm krenten in the pap 🤤 @Gina

[dodo_sipping@cupoftea.social]

@Gina I am a boomer and don't work anymore. But there are lots of foreigners here meanwhile. Wages are lower and rents have incredibly increased, but you can still find available houses when you go away from the shore. Lisboa and Porto are overcrowded and expensive meanwhile. Also Algarve. If you can work remote, that would be great. But rather consider north than south for living. If you have questions I will try to help. @strght

[caffetino@social.pikaia.org]

@Gina what about Spain or Italy?

[not_a_label@toot.lgbt]

@Gina I can relate to all of this 😔 sadly my only options now due to Brexit and age are to win the lottery or marry someone, which is difficult when you're single 😂

If I hadn't been preoccupied with caring for eldlerly relatives I'd have grabbed Portugese residency before the dumb-ass Brexit calamity took effect.

[michelamarie@mastodon.social]

@Gina Vancouver and Victoria Canada actually aren’t cold, and it’s amazing here — fantastic cities surrounded by nature — mountains, rainforest, and the sea. It’s a diverse, tolerant place with one of the most educated workforces in the world and many career opportunities.

Canada is a beautiful, ambitious, and kind country, with intelligent and thoughtful leadership, and we are building an exciting, positive future.

[gina@fosstodon.org]

At this point I'm pretty convinced I need to buy a campervan and just travel around 😅 I've only seen a fraction of the continent.

I can't think of any scenario that doesn't come with a cost. Every scenario means digging into my savings.

8/n

[gina@fosstodon.org]

@angelomassaro isn't Croatia really expensive nowadays?

[michelamarie@mastodon.social]

@Gina

We are always happy to have more good, smart, compassionate people here in Canada to help us realize our vision, and to share in our bright future. I recommend including it in your consideration set. Feel free to ask me if you have any questions about living or working here. 🙂

[gina@fosstodon.org]

@michelamarie I'd like to buy a house with a garden, do you see that happening anywhere in Canada for under a million dollars?

[mjj@mstdn.dk]

@Gina Consider looking into Central Europe. The climate is better and a city like Budapest is old-world beautiful and modern art the same time.
If you had not been frustrated with the weather, I would have said Edinburgh, but not going to be a popular option with your preferences.

[michelamarie@mastodon.social]

@Gina Good question. It is possible, if you live farther away from Vancouver. Victoria is more affordable, so you could buy a house closer to the city there than you could do in Vancouver.

If you are happy to live in a townhouse, you could live closer to the cities still.