Triplethought wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:44 pm
If we really thought we could work anywhere there are some very inexpensive places to relocate. Alas I fear the US and Canada are among the "best horses in the glue factory". My criteria include English speaking (I'm unilingual), Good rule of law (ie UK, NZ, AUS and a few others), first world wealth and health (shit hole countries are not fun), educated population (ignorant neighbors aren't fun), weather (Hot or cold is of course individual choice). These issues trump cost of living in my case.
The US is slipping on "rule of law" - ie non-enforcement of immigration and vagrancy laws as well as non-enforcement of shoplifting and other laws. It May be time to learn German or Japanese. Maybe my buddy who moved to NZ had the right idea, despite their rather socialist leanings.
Again, it all comes down to perspective and false illusions. For example, several associates of ours live in Turkey, Greece, Ukraine, Bulgaria, etc. And they all state that if you make minor adjustments, it’s not a big deal. I can kind of attest to this as I have travelled to roughly 45 countries, and when I was a bit more adventurous, I even visited parts where MS 13 hangs out. Not sure I will repeat that adventure again.
I have been in Turkey; I spent over 3 months there and never ran into an issue. In Greece, I loved the island of Rhodes (Rhodos) and wanted to go to Ikaria but was short on time. Ikaria is a place that is famous for its centenarians.
Some simple steps these guys take are
1) Most of their funds are kept outside in US or Western-based banks. They use ATMs to withdraw money they need. If they need more, they maintain US or Euro accounts at the local institutions with small balances, wire the funds to these accounts and withdraw them immediately.
2) Turkey has some state-of-the-art hospitals, and so does Greece, its really only the poor that suffer as they have to go to the cheaper government-subsidized hospitals. Even the Philippines has hospitals that will put many of those in the US to shame. And the one great benefit is that in most of these countries, the Dr’s will actually listen to you instead of treating you like a kid.
3) Ukraine and Bulgaria lag a bit in terms of advanced medical care. So that is one downside. But if you are taking care of yourself well, then the only things you would need to worry about are getting hit by a truck or catching something like flu, pneumonia, or some other diseases they most likely are capable of handling.
4) One great place that most people don’t know about is VANUATU.
5) Most individuals don’t spend all the time in one country; they oscillate between 2 to 3 countries, and today’s tech makes it 10X easier than, say, 7 years ago. A small list of countries they oscillate between, Lithuania, Latvia, Ecuador (easy to set up as the USD is their local currency), Vietnam, Thailand, Slovakia, Poland,
Overall, the trend indicates that more and more individuals will embrace the digital nomad style, especially those who can work remotely. It is a trend in motion. All that is left is for this trend to gather momentum, and AI will most definitely ensure that this trend moves to the ballistic phase.
In the end, it comes down to personal preferences and choices. The more one travels, the more one broadens one’s horizons. However, going for a vacation where you sit in a sandbox and don’t explore the area does not count as visiting a new place. As we speak, several of our subscribers are making moves to embrace this lifestyle and 90% of them are from the US.