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My husband and I are in the unique position of being able to choose just about any place in the world to live due to his type of work. Our constraints though have always been that we have family in Texas. Oh, and we love Texas.
That being said, as much as we love Texas, we have both traveled enough to realize that there are some awesome places all over this big world.
Personally, if I had no constraints and could just choose anywhere in the world to live, I'd choose either rural England or Yorktown, Virginia. But, thankfully, I have lots of family to consider and they mean more to me than anything else. I hope I always have to take family into consideration.
Honestly, if I weren't tied down, I think I would probably just float off up into the stratosphere where the lack of air pressure would cause my helium to leak out and I would come crashing back to earth into a tangled wreckage of old tires and hub-caps.
I'd do everything in my power to take a job in Japan. I know I'd end up back here at some point (happily), but I have a love for Japan and its people and I would love an opportunity to spend an extended period of time over there.
Ideally, I'd like to get into transit planning over there, work a few years, and come back here as a consultant. Realistically, I'd take what I can get over there and apply that experience to whatever I could get back here.
*edit*
Preferably Sapporo, but I'd also be very happy in Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka.
Preferably Sapporo, but I'd also be very happy in Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka.
I've been going to Japan lately and their PT is amazing, but it's an alienating experience tbh to live there full round. I love when I return to Miami, I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be there permanently. However for weeks at a time, I love it. Been to 3 of those (never Sapporo, quite far north).
I've been going to Japan lately and their PT is amazing, but it's an alienating experience tbh to live there full round. I love when I return to Miami, I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be there permanently. However for weeks at a time, I love it. Been to 3 of those (never Sapporo, quite far north).
I spent three weeks there total (two trips over the past two years) and you touched on my biggest concern. I have some acquaintances who have echoed the sentiment as well. Even Tokyo - as large and cosmopolitan as it is - is fairly homogeneous. Far more so than any major (or even medium) American city. Japanese are culturally adverse to openly welcoming outsiders as well (it's impossible to assimilate and be considered a local). I'm sure it would eventually wear on me which is why I never imagined it being "forever," but I'd still love to give it a shot if the chance ever arose.
I have a somewhat unique situation and wanted to get your opinion.
I currently telecommute out of my house in Pensacola, FL to a job out near Los Angeles, CA. Love the job and have no plans on jumping ship anytime soon. My soon-to-be-wife is a teacher.
Besides my family nothing is really holding us in Pensacola. While I LOVE the beaches around here and our cute downtown, this is a VERY military town. Since I telecommute I have a pretty hard time meeting new people. However difficult I still make it happen only to have them be deployed or transferred months later. In addition the teacher pay is among the lowest in the state.
This all got me thinking. If we did move we pretty much have free reign to go wherever we want and rent out our current house - with the only restriction being budget (which is around $325,000) – good schools – and decent internet (silly I know).
Both of us are in our thirties so while we don’t need some crazy nightlife, a more vibrant city would be great. Because we have large dogs, we would opt more for a single family home rather than a condo as well. Since my job is fairly specialized, being close to larger city or tech hub would provide extra security.
Anyway, enough about me. The 3 cities I am leaning toward are Chicago, Atlanta, and Austin.
We have some family in Chicago and LOVE to visit. It checks all my boxes but from what I can see it’s not recovered as well/quickly as most other cities in this recession. Teacher pay in Illinois is very solid.
Atlanta is currently our closest major hub. Travelling to family would be a quick hop. Its tech market is growing as well. Teacher pay in Georgia is also very good.
Austin is my blind pick. I have never been there but only here good things. We plan on visiting later this year regardless. While the smallest of the choices, it’s a growing tech hub and has a younger feel overall. Teacher pay is still better than our current location.
I am also open to other ideas and locations. This has been stewing in my head for a while.
I spent three weeks there total (two trips over the past two years) and you touched on my biggest concern. I have some acquaintances who have echoed the sentiment as well. Even Tokyo - as large and cosmopolitan as it is - is fairly homogeneous. Far more so than any major (or even medium) American city. Japanese are culturally adverse to openly welcoming outsiders as well (it's impossible to assimilate and be considered a local). I'm sure it would eventually wear on me which is why I never imagined it being "forever," but I'd still love to give it a shot if the chance ever arose.
I found the Japanese to be very polite, and on more than a few select cases welcoming. When I speak to 'alienating' I meant forming friendships. Even when the Japanese wanted to be my friend, I felt we had nothing in common to form traction that social interaction became more of a exercise in politeness (and therefore a chore) than honest fun. And I'm a very social guy. Part of this is the very present language barrier, but that's not exactly it either.
On the flip side, I come for a couple weeks and go. Then I come back. I'm not a permanent resident, just a businessman. For doing business, Japan is excellent. The Japanese have a system of honor where it's below them to try and cheat you to make a profit for themselves. Business agreements are mutual contracts for bettering both parties, and not one trying to con the other to just benefit himself. I do recognize in Japan the thing other people bring up, for example we go to spas/onsen a lot. And a lot of onsen ban foreigners/non Japanese. That would never be politically possible here in the USA.
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