I've wanted to leave for years, and only now have the opportunity to do so. I think I know where I want to go, but convincing my wife is another issue. I might just have to go by myself and hope that someone visits. (At the top of the list would be Canada, but unfortunately they won't give me a visa; I already tried.)

Anyway, if any of you feel this way, where would YOU go?

We've been eyeing Europe for a while as we speak the language. It wouldn't be permanent.

Germany or the UK for us though English and computer skills can land us in a number of other places.

Southern Norway, but visit my dad's birthplace in Molde.

Northern Italy is enticing but the language barrier would be a problem. Plus, no wombats. So it is still Bundanoon for me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundanoon,_New_South_Wales

Then I could help John and his fantastic crew :) If you need a smile check out their FB page.

https://www.wombatcarebundanoon.com.au/

From adolescence on (in other words: when I began to acquire some adult understanding of the realities of adult life), I've always been very consciously aware that I was (to my understanding) one of the extremely fortunate winners of the global sweepstakes: born in Los Angeles, and raised in the San Fernando Valley.

As an adult, I've been to a number of other places (Mexico and Canada, of course; also: the Netherlands, South Africa, the U.K., Colombia, Israel), and I continue to feel that I won the planetary jackpot. I am so grateful to live exactly where I do live, in the western San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, and in the truly wonderful state of California, U.S. of A.

That being said, it is comforting to know that, IRL, I always do have a back-up alternative. I can't imagine ever voluntarily making this particular decision, but if, for some reason, I had to make this kind of decision, it's nice to know there will always be a safe place, in Israel, open to me where I could land.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2021 03:54PM by Tevai.

I’m considering picking up and moving to one of the “guay”s.

You know, Uruguay, Paraguay or Oraleguay . . .

I've considered Miami.

I love this post so much.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/2021 03:32AM by gentlestrength.

I've lived in this house 35 years and I worked hard to hang onto it. I worked hard on the yard, too, and people love my yard and so do I. My dogs are buried out back, too.

So I plan on sticking around and leaving the house to my kids.

IF I went anywhere, I'll go stay with my daughter and her husband in Alaska during the summers when they are working up there if they have any kids so I can watch their kids while they work. I always wanted to go to Alaska and she went there to work. I've been there 4 times now. Not interested in the least in moving out of the country, though my boyfriend is spending the next 3 months in Canada where his daughter lives.

I plan to visit Montevideo in the next few years, with the intent of investigating it as a potential location for a few of my retirement years.

I'm always amused at celebrities who promise that "if So-and-So" is elected I'm moving to [Canada] or [fill in the blank.]

They never do. And they accuse politicians of breaking their promises!

caffiend Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm always amused at celebrities who promise that
> "if So-and-So" is elected I'm moving to or
>
> They never do. And they accuse politicians of
> breaking their promises!


I too was interested in what it'd take to move to Canada after those people said they'd go if so and so won the election.

Basically, Canada doesn't want you unless you bring money and can create jobs.

They don't want people that will take advantage of the medical and social programs without paying their fair share.

You hit the nail on the head Caffiened.

I have wanted to move to BC, Canada, for years (I have kinfolk there and some of my ancestors helped settle the place) but DH won't hear of it.

We both speak fluent Spanish, so one of the more civilized Hispanic countries would work, as well.

I love my native America. But that's not the same country as it has become.

I know quite a few ExMos who have moved to other countries, Belize, Panama, Equador and France, seem to be the top choices of ExMos I know.

I have researched Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, New Zealand and Canada. Yet things haven't worked out to make any of those plans real.

Prague. Where the architecture is intact during WWII and beer is cheaper than soda and bottled water.

Yup.

Prague is the prettiest city in Europe, for my penize, with the possible exception of Istanbul.

Concur on Prague, and that's saying something. There is plenty of competition for prettiest city in Europe.

We loved Budapest when we were there 15 years ago. The food and beer were delicious but the fascist current regime is a non starter.

Budapest is a great city, too, both on the castle side and the more urban side of the river. The triangle from Vienna to Prague to Budapest is unforgettable.

Agree also on the politics. We live in a nasty era.

cludgie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> (At the top of the list would
> be Canada, but unfortunately they won't give me a
> visa; I already tried.)

What the heck's the matter with them?

Can you try again? We can always use more good people.

I nearly retired to Canada, and could have gotten a visa, sponsored by Manitoba. I had an in-demand career, spoke English as a first language, and had lived in Manitoba for two years, and I knew 5 people in Canada who would be willing to sign off to be financially responsible for me the first year.

(One year of residence didn't count, but you got points for living there two years. The rationale was that the second year, you knew what a Manitoba winter was like, and came back anyway, so they had some assurance you would actually stay in Manitoba if they sponsored you. I'm not kidding).

Manitoba had more lenient immigration regulations because getting people to move there is a tough sell. Even other Canadians think it is too damn cold. Now that I am well beyond retirement age, I doubt I would qualify for a "provincial nominee" visa now.

My father's career took him all over the world. I was the youngest, so I got to go with him and my mother. Still, I was old enough to know what was going on. I lived for 9 months in a Spanish-speaking country, under a dictatorship, was there for the militant beginnings of a revolution, and evacuated with all the Americans.

I lived a year under Socialism, in a country that many think is ideal. Girls much more intelligent and gifted than I could never even dream of living in a house like mine, having a career and lifestyle like mine. Housing was government-controlled, and came with the job. While I lived there, this country was #1 in the world for suicides.

Because of these experiences, and from traveling on our own (not a tour, not a mission) with my parents, through Europe, Scandanavia, and touching on South America--I'm a loyal American. I appreciate what we have! Even at its "worst," it's pretty good.

People need to understand that no matter wherever people choose to stay or relocate to--we all have to breathe Earth-air, and consume Earth food and water.

I left ten years ago. Now in Scandinavia. Couldn't be happier and have no plans on moving back to the States.

No.

I already live somewhere.

But, anyway, on that visa...
Have you considered Mastercard?
Southern Canada/ Washington/ Oregon?

Roadtrip?

I'd say the list is very short because most of the world has an attitude of living off of someone else (socialism) mexico has too many poor people waiting for the hand out from the non indian, its a racist place. yes theve got free Healthcare but the hospitals don't even have air conditioning and it's like 120 in the shade! Canada sucks as well most of the population a tiny lives within 50 miles of the US, they basically just sponge off us. Europe equally sucks France has like 60% income tax to pay for all the handouts (socialism) so does Germany another suck country, and everyone's lazy in the Mediterranean areas.

Much of the world hate us because we spend so much on a military and drop bombs on terrorists, we don't mind our own business like the sissy swiss, but hey, someone's got to be the boss!

The right place has Swiss, promote less government and more personal responsibility, the list is very short.

And how many of those nasty places have you ever visited?

"Pay for all the handouts"

What an odd choice of words...

"Mexico. . . is a racist place!"

--macaRomney, who recently declared that it was time for the Anglo-Saxon race to resume the use of violence against other peoples.

I'm intrigued. How do Canadians sponge off the US? Not sure where Canada ranks but as a percentage of GDP there are countries more generous than the US.

Simple: Canada doesn't sponge off the US. Maca is just spouting off propaganda and being an example of why I, an American, sometimes think about immigrating to Canada or Australia. Because I'd take the spiders over jingoists.

Even worse, maca seems to have no understanding of what socialism is. It was first used as a political insult in the 1896 campaign, so it has been the go-to insult for a century and a quarter now.

Canada actually has a larger middle class than the US, by a comfortable margin. Also longer lifespan, half the covid death rate, among other positive statistics. They approved same sex marriage and guaranteed other LGBTQ rights about a decade before the US, and the government has been know to actually apologize when they screw somebody over and recognize the fact (like that Canadian guy the US shipped to Syria to be tortured. They apologized in Parliament, and to him directly, and I believe paid him $10M for his trouble. The US has not apologized, and still has him on their no-fly list, so he is not allowed to enter US air space).

Brother Of Jerry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Canada actually has a larger middle class than the
> US, by a comfortable margin. Also longer lifespan,
> half the covid death rate, among other positive
> statistics. They approved same sex marriage and
> guaranteed other LGBTQ rights about a decade
> before the US, and the government has been know to
> actually apologize when they screw somebody over
> and recognize the fact (like that Canadian guy the
> US shipped to Syria to be tortured. They
> apologized in Parliament, and to him directly, and
> I believe paid him $10M for his trouble. The US
> has not apologized, and still has him on their
> no-fly list, so he is not allowed to enter US air
> space).

That's most of why I consider Canada an option to immigrate to. That and it's closer than Australia.

ookami Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Brother Of Jerry Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Canada actually has a larger middle class than
> the
> > US, by a comfortable margin. Also longer
> lifespan,
> > half the covid death rate, among other positive
> > statistics. They approved same sex marriage and
> > guaranteed other LGBTQ rights about a decade
> > before the US, and the government has been know
> to
> > actually apologize when they screw somebody
> over
> > and recognize the fact (like that Canadian guy
> the
> > US shipped to Syria to be tortured. They
> > apologized in Parliament, and to him directly,
> and
> > I believe paid him $10M for his trouble. The US
> > has not apologized, and still has him on their
> > no-fly list, so he is not allowed to enter US
> air
> > space).
>
> That's most of why I consider Canada an option to
> immigrate to. That and it's closer than Australia.

But Australia has better weather although I'm sitting here in 30C and it's not far off midnight. Mercury hit 40C today but down to mid 20's by the weekend.

Australia has wimpier weather. Forty below discourages the morally inferior. ;)

We left the States for Germany in 2014. My husband works for the Army and they seem to enjoy having us here. So here we are, and at this point, we don't know when we'll be back. He's been talking about buying a place in Spain or Italy for when he's ready to be done with the Army. That's fine with me...

However... I also think I'd love to live in Slovenia. We were there last month and it is breathtakingly beautiful. So is Croatia.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/2021 02:06AM by knotheadusc.

World traveler with cat is in Slovenia now. The scenes are
breathtaking. See YouTube channel 1bike1world. He and cat have
also visited Croatia. Look for those, too.

While you're in YouTube check out the high school performance of
Offenbach - Orpheus in the Underworld Overture. Corporate
sponsorship, yes, but the look and sound good.

BcE

So, what a great thread for Ex-Mormon.org

I defer to the great poet warrior scientist musician Buckaroo Banzai

“No matter where you go, there you are”

I do not have an answer, although as a well-travelled man, I used to have answers. Prague, Sydney, Buenos Aires, maybe Montreal, but really, escapism. Former Mormons—those of us with a pedigree do have our genetics and they are American, nay even, American West. “You call someplace paradise, you can kiss it good-bye”

I think for me the most honest answer I would like to live in the USA as it is idealized and I guess I am in the process of working towards making it better. The issue seems to be what is my better is most likely not your better.

No doubt—we will run out of time.

Not American but have lived in the US for more than 50 years. Before coming to the US we lived in Toronto and Montreal Canada. We have visited Victoria in British Columbia several times and we both agree that if we had gone there first we likely would still be there. It will never happen bu I haver a soft spot for Brightstone on the Isle of Wight, England, where much of my paternal ancestry is from.

"EOD wants to move to the Isle of Man so all the questions stop."

--Dame Margaret Hodge, Member of Parliament

Gladys Lot is more than likely going to wind up back in The Valley of The Dolls.

How did I get dragged into this discussion?

Anyway, if the Manx Immigration Service slips up and you obtain a visa I hope you'll take the opportunity to visit me in Goat Fell, where I've just opened the best Mexican restaurant south of Sgurr Alasdair.

On second thought, perhaps you would feel more comfortable living among the Sgurrilous at Alisdair?

The Haggas is to die for!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/2021 04:27PM by Lot's Wife.

Santorini Greece is where I want to retire, that or the San Juan Islands in the Salish Sea.

yes but my ticket on the Annunaki space ship expired before I was aware and so I am stuck here

The wife refuses to leave the states as long as our children are here. But I would love to leave. I would like a more temperate climate with a Democratic Socialist majority government. Unfortunately, no such place exists. So I would settle for Belize, Caicos, New Zealand, some spots in Mexico, Spain or Portugal.

If things continue to deteriorate in the US between the Far right and everyone else, I am outta here. I do think a civil war is likely in the US within the next 20 years. Enough is enough.

HH =)

Civil war? Too many sides!

Frequent and deadly civil unrest? Oh, yeah.

Ha! Americans are too lazy to have a civil war. They are excellent complainers and Twitter fighters though.

I would like to replace everyone in the US who wants to leave with a person from Hong Kong who wants to come here. That would be a great trade.

Rubicon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ha! Americans are too lazy to have a civil war.

Ah yes, but are they courageous enough to protect their democracy from those who prefer tyranny?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/2021 11:49PM by anybody.

Who said Sweden?

theyhavepodcapsules

I've travelled to 13 European countries, and I can get by in the local language in eight of them. I would very much love to live in Europe permanently.

Tyson

The world is all such a mess that "The Grass is Greener" syndrome
has kicked into high gear. I feel it strongly but I fear our moves are equivalent to a game of Musical Chairs. I've never said I would leave the country if such and such happened, but I've felt the feeling.


I worked to be fluent in Italian in order to at least stay for an extended period in Liguria and eventually perhaps remain. Doubtful now, and certainly not in the near future either, as I don't even want to see the inside of an airport again ever.

Too many cooks spoil the broth. Too many people spoil the planet. There are no edens left. We just pick the lesser of a thousand evils.

But D&D, the grass IS greener. Wombat poop is wonderful fertilizer :)

I spent part of my youth in Hong Kong. I wouldn’t want to be there now. I lived in Singapore for awhile. Very expensive and you have to live in an apartment. Lived in Auckland New Zealand. It’s ok but far from the paradise people think it is.

I just learned the grass is rarely greener on the other side. The whole world has problems.

Move somewhere else?

I’d be happy just to stay home for the day.

kathleen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Move somewhere else?
>
> I’d be happy just to stay home for the day.

:D