Alright now that I shared my awesome new job, I can finally share with you how moving abroad is going.
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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.
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@manfredzielinski @Gina Don’t underestimate Salamanca. Ancient university town with international vibes
@manfredzielinski @Gina They have a local airport and it’s not too far from Madrid. The Ávila ranges are awesome for nature hikes
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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.
@travisfw @Gina @elricofmelnibone @madalex theatres China Mievile book about that
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France still seems nice as well.
@Gina Málaga?
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@casparvdburgh fhe economic situation isn't great, unfortunately.
@Gina ah yes, that rings a bell.
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@Gina Possibly the only way to get a sub-€500k house with a garden.
@VincentTunru @Gina sofia (bulgaria)?
Hopefully you have less issues with “Spainish”, or “Italianese”. 
