If you could have a home anywhere in the world...

[bluefury361]

Big Easy Mopars puts on the best mopar show on earth every March in New Orleans.

 

[crv]

Personally, I hate the heat and am moving from Australia (Adelaide) to New Zealand (Christchurch) next July to live with my partner - she also hates the heat.

Take a chance, if you can do it go for it once you're sure everything will work out as you hope.

Best wishes to you both.

Not looking forward to another heat wave here in SA...NZ is very nice. The weather is much better in Tasmania too.

 

[crv]

...I'd like to know where and why.

I've been doing a lot of long-range thinking lately. That means about 8 years from now. If cards fall correctly, work-commute won't be an issue. Everything from ideas I'd like to incorporate into a "dream house" to system of local government. I'm skipping the novel I wrote giving pros/cons of where I live now and simplify it to this:

I very much like the community I currently live in. I like living in the Detroit suburbs for many reasons, but I'll just say that cars and "car-culture" are some of them.

However, I have some concerns that the ranks of normal folk (who cut their lawns, fix their roofs) are shrinking while the ranks of illiterate morons (who shoot fireworks at 1 AM, put trash on their lawn days before actual trash day, paint their businesses lime green) continue to expand. This isn't drawn along any specific boundary line, in fact my area has bucked the trend pretty well. But I can see lions near the gate, if I squint. I think this phenomenon is occurring in every major population center, probably around the world. Maybe it's just because I saw an "I'm with her" bumper-sticker today and it scared me. :0

The easy answer is move to the country I suppose. But I don't know if I quite want to completely check-out... It's nice to live near expressways, hospitals, entertainment, festivals, cruise nights, multiple Home Depots, a major airport, etc.

Complicating this... As much as I love Michigan, I'm not a winter dude. I hate being cold. I love being hot. I get depressed without sunshine. My plan to deal with that has been owning a second home in a Phoenix, AZ suburb. I lived there from '99-'03 for a job assignment and I liked it so much I usually go back a couple times a year. Phoenix also has a car-culture, so that's something that puts it way ahead of just another warm-weather state.
View attachment 88572
*Not mine, but something I'd consider. Has RV Gate and huge rear yard for a shop...

I can actually deal with 120-degree days, but if I can manage both and be in MI when it's sunny and 85 in the summer, why not?

So this has been my goal/plan for some time now. Wife is on board. I have no family that would influence where I live. Her family travels, (and they aren't from MI anyway) so they'd probably spend some time with us.

But lately I have been questioning this plan.

I suppose I'm suffering from the same angst that many people feel about where this country will be in 10-years. States like Idaho, South Dakota, Montana, etc. are starting to have some appeal to me. But I know I'd freeze my *** off, and I'd miss seeing old Mopars just hanging out in traffic like I do now. Driving 150 miles back to the Home Depot because I purchased the wrong tile cement doesn't appeal either. When I watch old 70s movies, the south appeals to me... But I suspect it's not like that anymore. The good ol' boys are probably working the line at Hyundai and chasing Pokemon on the weekend.

So where do you like? Nothing east of Ohio has ever done much for me, but maybe I'm missing something? I don't want to pay $30 for a hamburger, so I think that rules out the NE which is cold anyway.

I might even consider another country. But considering the only reason I might leave is that I foresee less freedom, your suggestion should probably not be a place that has "more" government than the US by 2024. Mexico might be a good choice, but being kidnapped would be a negative. Maybe I'm full of crap on that and it's only the border towns? Argentina? Brazil? I read the posts of a guy on HAMB who lives in Ecuador and he makes it seem pretty nice. I've been to Germany and liked it, but that was 12-years ago and I suspect things are changin'. Still had more rules than the US, even then. Time to go back to Sicily? From what I read that sounds like a bad idea.

Share your thoughts. So far I can't beat my original plan, but I don't want to get tunnel vision.

If you're thinking South America, consider Uruguay. Friendly people, still a lot of US iron to be seen, good food, winters are mild (in comparison to Northern USA).

 

[patrick66]

I've wanted to relocate to Belize for 20 years, now. All you need is a verifiable retirement income of $2,040 USD per month. The drawback is that you can't start a business (you can work, however). I've never been there, but I've been to Panama, Columbia and a couple of other places. A former co-worker moved to Belize once his kids were out of the house and his divorce was final. Belize has English as the primary language and Spanish is secondary, since Belize was once British Honduras.

Reviving an eight-year-old thread!

 

[barnfind]

South America has its share of ex-pats / digital nomads for good reason. Good living, cheap eats, Mexico is getting more expensive by the year, going further south is the way to go.

Nomad List

Go nomad: Join a global community of remote workers living around the world

nomadlist.com

 

[Carmine]

Imagine my surprise seeing this 8-year-old thread I started being revived. Here's the thing, I am now months away from the ability to act on this and I realize the old comments which I went through and reread are still ringing true. There is virtually nothing different and the way I feel 8 years later, but I'm no more decided on a place either. About the only thing I can say is I'm more than ever would like to leave Michigan as I see this state just turning into another version of Illinois. Arizona has for sure been destroyed, at least around Phoenix. I was just out there a few weeks ago and I just got a Los Angeles vibe from the traffic, the density, the graffiti and of course home prices. Ironically I purchase property out there as a hedge on inflation, and that investment has done very very well. But I don't know how I could convince myself to live there now. Hopefully this thread will get going again and I'll get some good ideas.


I noticed that Uruguay was mentioned near the end. It's funny because a number of people have mentioned that to me. My conflict is I really do enjoy the old car Hobby. Improving, driving, overall enjoying these cars is truly my favorite recreational activity. On the other side of that coin I absolutely despise little s*** box cars, so I don't think a junkyard in Uruguay would be much fun for me.

 

[Dobalovr]

Great to see you @Carmine hope all is well with you and your family. Costa Rica has been looking better all the time for us Canucks....

 

[commando1]

Costa Rica has been looking better all the time for us Canucks....

One Cat 4 hurricane and you're without electricity and clean water for months.

 

[azblackhemi]

 

[Dobalovr]

One Cat 4 hurricane and you're without electricity and clean water for months.

Meh no worse than -50 below in January with a 70 mph wind and a highway full of dead electric cars.... but again I am here for your words of wisdom so Sebring here we come! Merry Christmas Stan!