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 I'd go exactly the opposite way because of the climate
If I didn't have family (and the Brexit) holding me back I would move to Ireland, Scotland or Scandinavia because the summers in the Netherlands are total ass these days.
@aerique I agree, NL is not build for hot summers
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@wronglang @Gina @Tarnport @Nono
I do not find I pay less taxes in the US than in France (but I had a postdoc income in France :P).
And yes Krysztof is right the climate is not going to improve ...
@defuneste @Gina @Tarnport not trying to be an ass with the environment comment but just for context initially I heard about these kinds of fires early in climate change when Indonesia (I think?) had fires for years in... early 2ks maybe... W Canada had mass forest die offs starting 2000s-2010s that are feeding the current fires (which the jet stream now sucks in to smoke out Eastern US). So both from scientific background and watching, we're talking about a decades long process
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@defuneste @Gina @Tarnport not trying to be an ass with the environment comment but just for context initially I heard about these kinds of fires early in climate change when Indonesia (I think?) had fires for years in... early 2ks maybe... W Canada had mass forest die offs starting 2000s-2010s that are feeding the current fires (which the jet stream now sucks in to smoke out Eastern US). So both from scientific background and watching, we're talking about a decades long process
@wronglang @defuneste @Gina @Tarnport
Please leave me out of the discussion. I was just curious why France got bailed out for @Gina next home country. -
Alright now that I shared my awesome new job, I can finally share with you how moving abroad is going.
Currently I'm at "OH GOD OH NO WHERE SHOULD I MOVE TO AND WHAT IF I CHOOSE WRONG AAAH"
Also it's nice having an empty house.
#moveabroad@Gina I lived in Sicily in the 1980s. I loved the place and the people. The food was magnificent. The base I worked at in Comiso is now an airport. There are also airports in Palermo and Catania. They have mountains, beaches and wonderful scenery. I have no idea what tech community is there now. It seemed like the pace was slower there than on the mainland. Also, you're on an island. Island fever is a thing.
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France still seems nice as well.
@Gina as long as it isn't of fire.
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It doesn't help that I'm a snobby little Goldilocks that is searching for a place that feels "just right" based on:
- sunny and coastal
- green nature
- access to outdoor sports
- a tech community around
- an expat community that is not retirees
- generally educated populace around
- indoor sports such as a bouldering hall, crossfit gym and yoga studio
- able to buy a house with a garden for max €500k.
- within 1.5 hrs of an international airport
- mountains would be cool@Gina
Now, all that is screaming "Australia", but then you mentioned time difference being a thing. Ah well, you're stuck with Europe. I have some sympathy. I had planned to follow some of my in-laws to Australia when I left the Navy. Then life got in the way. -
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 there is a house for sale 3 numbers from ours. In your budget, small garden, 15 min from Paris by train, big forest a few kilometers away. And nowadays Paris is sunny?
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It doesn't help that I'm a snobby little Goldilocks that is searching for a place that feels "just right" based on:
- sunny and coastal
- green nature
- access to outdoor sports
- a tech community around
- an expat community that is not retirees
- generally educated populace around
- indoor sports such as a bouldering hall, crossfit gym and yoga studio
- able to buy a house with a garden for max €500k.
- within 1.5 hrs of an international airport
- mountains would be cool@Gina Croatia: Zagreb or Split (or Pula , Rijeka, Zadar)
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Okay so, I'm still not 100% sure whether I'm making the right choice. I always thought I'd end up in a nice farm house in France, but because of tax reasons France is not an option. And because of weather reasons the whole of Northern Europe isn't an option
So it basically comes down to Spain
or Italy. 
Edit: I'm staying in Europe to minimise timezone differences. #moveabroad
@Gina Portugal fits a lot of this too
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@manfredzielinski @Gina Don’t underestimate Salamanca. Ancient university town with international vibes
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@Gina @elricofmelnibone @madalex @becha if I may dare to dream, I have always¹ wanted to co-found a floating intentional community on the water in the Mediterranean like a *Free City* perhaps with Italy or Spain as a host, but with less libertarianism than the broader movement.
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It doesn't help that I'm a snobby little Goldilocks that is searching for a place that feels "just right" based on:
- sunny and coastal
- green nature
- access to outdoor sports
- a tech community around
- an expat community that is not retirees
- generally educated populace around
- indoor sports such as a bouldering hall, crossfit gym and yoga studio
- able to buy a house with a garden for max €500k.
- within 1.5 hrs of an international airport
- mountains would be cool@Gina that sounds like an interesting optimization problem
I would use a map and a drawing compass instead of a spreadsheet to make it fun
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@itorres I have two cats to haul around 🥲 So I kind of just want to find the place and move once.
@Gina A bit off-topic, but I just have to point out what a brilliant picture that is!
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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 any city will be without winter if you wait long enough... *checks the temperature outside and cries*
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It doesn't help that I'm a snobby little Goldilocks that is searching for a place that feels "just right" based on:
- sunny and coastal
- green nature
- access to outdoor sports
- a tech community around
- an expat community that is not retirees
- generally educated populace around
- indoor sports such as a bouldering hall, crossfit gym and yoga studio
- able to buy a house with a garden for max €500k.
- within 1.5 hrs of an international airport
- mountains would be cool@Gina we'd both choose very differently but it's so fun to see a friend with this exciting choice/adventure in front of them
🫶 -
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 why do Italians hate Italy for living?
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@Gina we'd both choose very differently but it's so fun to see a friend with this exciting choice/adventure in front of them
🫶@Gina from the cities I have visited, (and actually could see myself in), Lisbon is what comes to mind for your outline of needs/wants
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@Gina why do Italians hate Italy for living?
@casparvdburgh fhe economic situation isn't great, unfortunately.
Hopefully you have less issues with “Spainish”, or “Italianese”. 
