Moving out of US. But where to move?? Experiences or guidence is much appreciated.?

Question

Alright everyone I am trying to move out of the US in a year or 2, I will leave with around 35k and no car and will be around 21-22 yrs old.

Like the topic says I am trying to get an opinion for a place to move, I want to move somewhere warm (currently in chicago), I was thinking....Hawaii, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Italy, Ireland, Peru, Jamaica, Virgin Islands, UK, Tokyo, Austria, Australia, Canada....

As you can see I am open to anything, and I just want to live a calmer life without the hassle of the things in the US. I would probably move back after a couple years just because the US is the best at everything.

So any suggestions on a place would be awsome, also if anyone can tell me the steps to moving. What I am required to do, etc. I am also favoring a place that speaks english since that is all I know. Or at least spoken in the country.

If anyone can share their experience with me, or any helpful info that would be great!!!! Thanks!!!

Answer 1

Go to the Philippines. Start in Puerto Galera. You can rent a house there for the equivalent of USD 150 per month, and food is cheap. Forget the car, you won't need one.

Take 5k out of the 35 and buy yourself some toys (like dive equip) and furniture for the house, and pay for your instructions to become a divemaster (this will take a few months and the fees alone might be 2k when all is said & done).

Put the other 30k in the bank - maybe 15k in USD, 15K in Peso time deposits, and draw money as you need it. That is probably enough to take you 2 - 3 years while you get established / find yourself.

After you are certified look for a place to work as divemaster, you can earn between USD600 - 1,000 / month (min wage here is about USD 150/month to put this in relation) but this is more than enough to live on down there, you can probably even save a few hundred bucks a month unless you end up becoming a complete drunk and/or get mixed up with the wrong bar girl.

If you get tired of Puerto Galera, there are literally dozens of other towns with similar opportunities here in the Philippines.

Sunshine 350 days a year here in the Philippines. The language is English (kind of). No college necessary.

My advice is to do it ASAP and not wait a year or two. If you have some money, whats stopping you? The longer you wait the more boring old people will tell you to "get a stable job with good benefits, etc." If you get tired of it, you can be back in Illinois for about USD 1,000 and you can always go back to school or something later. You will find though that the US is NOT the best at most things - that you will see once you are away.

Do it man, just do it! Good luck wherever you end up, but really try to get out of the US for a while. I left 15 years ago (when I was 20) and have never even thought of going back, and I even stopped visitng about 3 years ago because the place gets on my nerves with the snow, the police, silly drinking laws, silly driving laws, ....

Answer 2

My *strong* advice is that you take a trip overseas for a few months first. You are going to be suprised at the number of things you absolutely love, and the number of things that you absolutely hate about other countries. It's better to start to realize these things before you up and 'cash-out' on the US and find yourself stuck somewhere else. I've lived in about five different countries and I love and hate all of them, sometimes in the same week. The grass is not always greener (though it may look that way) and living as an 'expat' is somewhat difficult. Take a look at any expat messageboard on the net--despite people really wanting to live somewhere else, they always end up having some sort of problem while overseas (or missing something, or wishing they were somewhere else).

So, if you are serious, my advice is a) find out which countries you can go to and b) make a plan to have an extended visit to some of them. You can't just up and move to most countries "for a few years" without the requisite visas and entry permits to enter and stay. You can, as an American, generally visit most countries for between 90 and 180 days, but a longer stay is going to require a sponsor (generally) be it an educational institution or an employer (tough)

To rent an apartment, get a bank account, get a cell phone whereever you are going, you are going to need proof of residence. An ID or some other visa to make things easier.

Tokyo, Europe, Australia--you might find these pretty expensive. $35k won't last all that long when you rent can be $2000 a month for a studio.

So plan out a trip to a couple different places. If you haven't travelled overseas before, I'd recommend starting with the UK (it's a good way to 'ease' into foreign travel as the language difficulty isn't there). From the UK you could hit Ireland, Austria and few other places in the EU (think a 3 month vacation to see them all and get a better idea).

If the hustle and bustle of the US is driving you nuts, scratch Tokyo and Hong Kong (though I think HK is a blast). Still, if you are up for an Asian trip, visit Tokyo, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and some of the other SE Asian places like Thailand, etc.

If you travel light (think backpacker) your money can easily go 3 months.

Answer 3

I've been overseas and pretty much intend to do much the same thing.You shouldn't be that specific about your finances. Let's face it. The world isn't filled with good people. I take it your move is permanent. I can sympathize. I can share what I do know however it'd take a lot of space. E-mail me a conventional e - mail address and I'll give you mine. In the meantime, and don't get the wrong idea, I have little if any confidence in government generally but, the C.I.A. does put out on it's website how it rates countries with a marginal political description. Really, it's up to us as individuals to sort things out. The department of state does the same thing. I'll tell you in advance, warm climate countries, unless you've spent a year or two in them may afford an easier climate but there's usually a weather snag of some kind inherent to the place that takes up the slack of the easy weather you are getting. Hurricanes and the like. Too, warm climate places tend to have a higher incidence of corruption. Because many are underdeveloped there are a host of problems that are usually glossed over. I've been to the Caribbean, France, Holland, and passed through Belgium. I hope I can make a permanent move before I lose more hair. Hope this helps, at your service.

Answer 4

Unless you're at least somewhat semifluent in some other language, I suggest that you relocate to an English speaking nation.

Answer 5

first u hv to look for a country that will accept immigrant, otherwise how can u move to that particular country; or u hv to hv a job and get a work permit. don't think that u can move to anywhere in the world at your own free will. good luck

by the way, hawaii is part of u.s.

Answer 6

Switzerland would be nice, but you must find a nation that will allow you permanent residency.