Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

If you could choose anywhere in the world to live

AlliFlowers

AlliFlowers

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jan 1, 2011
4,543
15,758
L.A. (Lower Alabama)
Where would you go if you were not tied down by a job or family. I'd like somewhere with a temperate climate, access to good healthcare, politically stable (IOW, no matter how much I love Côte d'Ivoire, its constant state of civil war leaves it from my short list), and affordable.

Is there such a place?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huntn
I'd probably choose somewhere in Scandinavia. I've never liked hot weather, but I like scenery. They have good quality of living there too, always scoring well on the human development index, and happiness surveys. The next best thing would be where I live now, Scotland, if it was independent. The U.K. Government is getting more and more totalitarian.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Paulk, MrAverigeUser, Simche and 1 other person
Northern Italy - in a perfect world - would be one of mine. Love the culture, history, civilisation, cuisine, antiquity….and the fact that even the mundane is superb.

Perhaps southern France, too.

Scandinavia (but only in summer). I love their political, economic, social, cultural (HDI) stats, but - as someone born in a sun deprived, charcoal leaden skies corner of north western Europe, that climate (however good for political and economic development) is soul-destroying in winter.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Simche, Huntn and AlliFlowers
puma1552 said:
Japan, the southern/western part where it's more temperate.
Click to expand...

I wonder how long it would take me to learn to speak Japanese....

rbrian said:
I'd probably choose somewhere in Scandinavia.
Click to expand...

I've considered that in the past, but never anything specific.

A.Goldberg said:
I'm not sure I could live in a place without really having seasons though.
Click to expand...

I live in a season-less area now. It took me a few years to get used to it.

The thing I wouldn't want to live away from is the water. I don't care if it's the ocean, or just a large lake. But it's what I love.
 
  • Like
Reactions: A.Goldberg
AlliFlowers said:
The thing I wouldn't want to live away from is the water. I don't care if it's the ocean, or just a large lake. But it's what I love.
Click to expand...

It's my dream to live on the water. Unfortunately the cost is a bit ridiculous almost everywhere these days.
 
puma1552 said:
Japan, the southern/western part where it's more temperate.

Fantastic national healthcare, politically apathetic society, and more affordable to live than you'd think.
Click to expand...

But for a non-Japanese national i.e. not having paid into their healthcare system, wouldn't it be shockingly expensive to take out permanent private healthcare insurance.
I say this because here in France (I'm a UK citizen) I'm covered for 70% of healthcare costs only because I paid into the UK system for many years, plus there is a reciprocal agreement between the 2 governments. For the remaining 30% coverage I take out private insurance. Anyone coming here from outside the European Union without healthcare coverage wouldn't get 'free' cover in France.
This healthcare issue (or the lack of it) is so often overlooked by those looking for 'the perfect place to live'.
[doublepost=1456170678][/doublepost]
puma1552 said:
Plan on 10+ years of solid study to be great at it.
Click to expand...

Maybe, maybe not. Learning a new language is very much age dependent. For a young child, they'd master the basics within 2-3 years, including the new alphabet! For those 30 years or over it could easily take 10 years or even more. For those in their 50's they'd probably learn enough to get by, but imho would never become fluent.
 
Your 2nd language takes a while. Subsequent languages are easier. Even though I'm almost out of my 50's, it would be my 4th language, so I'd expect to get there a lot faster.

puma1552 said:
Plan on 10+ years of solid study to be great at it.
Click to expand...

CooperBox said:
Maybe, maybe not. Learning a new language is very much age dependent. For a young child, they'd master the basics within 2-3 years, including the new alphabet! For those 30 years or over it could easily take 10 years or even more. For those in their 50's they'd probably learn enough to get by, but imho would never become fluent.
Click to expand...
 
I moved to the exact place I wanted to be. Not much has changed except that I plan on moving further out of the suburb I am in and towards the country with a bit more land. If I could live anywhere and not think about work and such, it would likely be on an island somewhere. Not too sure where.
 
Somewhere in Scandinavia for the reasons already mentioned. I live in Minnesota so the weather wouldn't be too much different.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Paulk
bob marley mountain

grandfather.JPG
 
1. Frankfurt, germany (center of europe, aviation)
2. Naples, Florida (small town close to Miami and Tampa)
 
AlliFlowers said:
Where would you go if you were not tied down by a job or family. I'd like somewhere with a temperate climate, access to good healthcare, politically stable (IOW, no matter how much I love Côte d'Ivoire, its constant state of civil war leaves it from my short list), and affordable.

Is there such a place?
Click to expand...

Iceland in a heartbeat. Wonderful people and great landscapes for exploring....
 
  • Like
Reactions: rbrian and AlliFlowers
CooperBox said:
But for a non-Japanese national i.e. not having paid into their healthcare system, wouldn't it be shockingly expensive to take out permanent private healthcare insurance.
I say this because here in France (I'm a UK citizen) I'm covered for 70% of healthcare costs only because I paid into the UK system for many years, plus there is a reciprocal agreement between the 2 governments. For the remaining 30% coverage I take out private insurance. Anyone coming here from outside the European Union without healthcare coverage wouldn't get 'free' cover in France.
This healthcare issue (or the lack of it) is so often overlooked by those looking for 'the perfect place to live'.
[doublepost=1456170678][/doublepost]

Maybe, maybe not. Learning a new language is very much age dependent. For a young child, they'd master the basics within 2-3 years, including the new alphabet! For those 30 years or over it could easily take 10 years or even more. For those in their 50's they'd probably learn enough to get by, but imho would never become fluent.
Click to expand...

there are two kinds of national health care, public sector and private sector i believe were the two types if i recall - ive had both as i worked in both sectors. the public sector one was free to me as a foreigner, the private sector one was not free, but it was reasonable. and if i paid into either for 26 years, id retire with a full pension. to my knowledge there is no private insurance at all (not 100% sure but i think if youre unemployed or whatever you are still covered under one of the two kinds, just in a different way).

as for the language, do you just want to speak it, or also read it, and even more difficult, write it? japanese students continue learning it in school all the way to high school graduation, so it takes them nearly 20 years as native speakers being born there to really master it (and at that there are 2000 common everyday kanji but really there are over 50000, and most japanese people know maybe 5000, some people maybe 10000 but rarely more than fhat). 10 years was likely generous on my part, to be honest.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back