Alright now that I shared my awesome new job, I can finally share with you how moving abroad is going.
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@Gina Italy has been experiencing levels of emigration similar to the late 1800s and early 1900s waves (I am also an Italian emigrant), for at least a decade.
The press and politics seem to refuse to mention it, but... the Italians that can, go away (not all, but... many).
(my info/numbers might be old/wrong, willing to hear otherwise by anyone that is better informed. Anecdotally, I know serveral that moved abroad just in my circle of friends, unrelated to my job)
@renatoram the emigration part is worrying, since it's generally educated people that leave. Also rhe bureaucracy and right wing government aren't ideal. Other than that, Italy is a dream.
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@Gina Aside from the house prices, Switzerland (I was in Lausanne) ticks those boxes.
Across the lake is still lovely (Evian), but you mentioned France was out.@vickyjo Switzerland is insanely beautiful. Also a bit too expensive and hayfeverish 🥲
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@elricofmelnibone ooh lets go to one of the abandoned villages in Italy!
@Gina @elricofmelnibone I'm in
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Milton Keynes looking ever more attractive, I imagine.
MK……
- sunny and coastal -
️ sort of, lots of lakes, maybe not so much at the moment
- green nature -
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- access to outdoor sports -
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- a tech community around -
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- an expat community that is not retirees -
- generally educated populace around -
- indoor sports such as a bouldering hall, crossfit gym and yoga studio -
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- able to buy a house with a garden for max €500k. -
- within 1.5 hrs of an international airport -
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- mountains would be cool - quite a few nice hills -
@kattekrab both solid options, more Croatia than Portugal.
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@_elena @Gina @marcel I think the biggest problem is that the only tech communities in Italy are around the biggest cities. Milan doesn’t have a nice climate IMHO, but if you manage to move around Como you can be near the lake, 30min by train from Milan and 15min from Switzerland if necessary, with two international airports nearby. Liguria is very nice but I don’t think it has a tech community. I cannot say anything meaningful on Rome or Florence.
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@_elena @Gina @marcel I think the biggest problem is that the only tech communities in Italy are around the biggest cities. Milan doesn’t have a nice climate IMHO, but if you manage to move around Como you can be near the lake, 30min by train from Milan and 15min from Switzerland if necessary, with two international airports nearby. Liguria is very nice but I don’t think it has a tech community. I cannot say anything meaningful on Rome or Florence.
@invernomut0 @_elena @marcel this. I've been to a few beautiful places around lake Como and Liguria (Sestri Levante!). While they feel like great vacation spots, it might be a bit too quiet for me to live there? Not sure though.
Edit: I've hear good things about the tech community around Bolzano, but might be cold in winter.
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You know what else doesn't help? Italy
being beautiful, but every Italian expat in Amsterdam that I've ever met saying they hate it and that they would never recommend anyone to move there 🥲On the other hand, Spain
is awesome but has an insane housing crisis atm. Also unbearably hot in most places.@Gina there is a Spain but with a twist option:
Tenerife is the largest and most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an autonomous community of Spain, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwestern coast of Africa.
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@Gina there is a Spain but with a twist option:
Tenerife is the largest and most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an autonomous community of Spain, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwestern coast of Africa.
@sassdawe valid, but it's a little too far from mainland Europe 🥲
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@invernomut0 @_elena @marcel this. I've been to a few beautiful places around lake Como and Liguria (Sestri Levante!). While they feel like great vacation spots, it might be a bit too quiet for me to live there? Not sure though.
Edit: I've hear good things about the tech community around Bolzano, but might be cold in winter.
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@invernomut0 @Gina @marcel I'm from the Lake Como area (grew up there) and it's definitely too quiet (albeit gorgeous and perfect for vacations)
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@deach if Stockholm didn't have endless dark winters I'd move there in a heartbeat. In fact I almost moved there during my 2nd year of Uni in Amsterdam. Beautiful city.
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@oilyfish I'm considering visiting Northern Spain in September to check it out. But I'm leaving NL because I can't deal with the constant grey skies and rain, so I'm not sure if it'll be a good match.
I researched your "problem" about ten years ago, and I preferred Porto then. I stayed in NL for family reasons. Nonethless, this thread is very interesting.
Atm the rising sea temperatures in the western Mediterranean are a new factor. In case that is a factor, given your constraints, San Sebastian could be a better option than Girona.
Pontevedra is still on my bucket list for a future holiday

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@Nono both. It would take tens of thousands out of my pocket.
Then again, if you're able to buy a much cheaper house it might offset the cost.
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You know what else doesn't help? Italy
being beautiful, but every Italian expat in Amsterdam that I've ever met saying they hate it and that they would never recommend anyone to move there 🥲On the other hand, Spain
is awesome but has an insane housing crisis atm. Also unbearably hot in most places.@Gina How about Slovenia? Heard some good stories about it.
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A lot of this is contradictory as well.
I.e. wanting green nature around while having debilitating hay fever. Wanting a tech community around while not wanting to live in a big city. Able to buy a house with a garden for max €500k while close to an international airport

️Basically I want Bern without winter and hay fever, but it also has to be affordable. Sigh.
@Gina the Bern coastline is unbelievable
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@Gina Scotland's nice and, the way things are trending, likely to get nicer
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@Gina the Bern coastline is unbelievable
@revkarol lol
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@giantspacesquid @yngmar @Gina fits all the requirements, or at least can depending on where you decide to moor next.
consider Copenhagen 

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