I've started my relocation plans for 2015.
Plan A:
Go to the Middle East, make good money, and get behind the veil, so to speak, of being a woman in the country I select.
A caveat: I ruled out the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To me, that'd be like being black and going to live in South Africa during apartheid. Why would I do that? Well, I wouldn't.
Plan B:
The front-runner for today is Mexico. Here's why:
- Six-month tourist visa that I can renew for another six months by a visa run to Guatemala.
- Climate of my choice.
- I speak a little Spanish already.
- Reliable, fast internet so I can continue to teach English online.
- Affordable cost of living.
- Diverse cultures, history, language, and geography.
- The relocation cost isn't bad.
Plan C:
Still wide open, but with these criteria:
- Mild climate
- Sun
- Affordable cost of living
- Reliable/fast internet
- Visa situation is such that I can spend a year in place, with low-hassle visa run(s) in that year
About visas, I found this website that provides all of the basic visa requirements in every country, depending on your citizenship. I emphasize the word basic because it doesn't include information about visa renewals.
It's February now. So this time next year, I wonder where I'll be?
Hey I did the same a few years back. Well payed and gave it all up. Figured I was saving for a future that was becoming less probable (wife,kids,mortgage). Had travelled a lot so I thought why not just go back to my life "away".
ReplyDeleteThat's my bit of sharing.
People always ask me about what are my concerns and they are surprised that the visa is prime. I like to stay 3 months. There's a better chance of sinking into a place and not being like that herd of wildebeests or migrating salmon doing 2 week leave tourism. "open season" indeed!
Would you detail your budgets considerations? I spend a lot of time working on discovering the savings that the tourists never see when the visit "dirt-cheap" countries.
Instead of purging them from your memory folders when you eject from a country you might leave them recorded here for us to mull over!
cheers, and I'll keep reading.
A three-month stay conforms with the visa limits of many countries, so I can understand that choice. When possible I like to do an entire year because then I can experience the complete cycle of seasons, traditions, agricultural activity. It also gives me more time to establish and enjoy friendships in-country.
ReplyDeleteGenerally, I don't compare my travel-style choices with others because mine aren't necessarily any better than anyone else's. We all have different constraints that guide our choices (time, financial, familial, comfort-level) and different tastes.
I'll give some more thought on my budget details. I am overdue for explaining the cost of relo from New Mexico to Louisiana.