expat does it meet the dream
expat does it meet the dream
Many on here are reaching an age where we are coming close to retirement or just suffering from winter blues and think leaving our fair land for a life in other countries. To those who have made (or thinking of) this move and there does seem to be a fair few in this site, has it met your expectations and where do you consider the best place to escape to is.Or is it a case of the grass is greener on the other side.
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expat does it meet the dream
I moved to Spain 5 years ago to the Northern Costa Blanca. I have had to come back to the uk for work. As soon as I have enough to retire, I am back there like a shot. A lot of expats complain about red tape and how the Spanish work and it's better in England for dealing with government, taxes, blah blah. If you take your time, so your research, it's no bother. 300+ days of sunshine is hard to beat. €2 pints, cheap wine, gorgeous food. It's hard not to love it.
- Philiptigerrice
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Re: expat does it meet the dream
Well, I left Yorkshire and moved to Lancashire a few years back - and its shite.
Greater Manchester
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Re: expat does it meet the dream
Our plan is to retire when we are 60 (13 years time) and move just south of Carcasanne in France.Rather than buy though we are going to rent our house out in England so if it goes tits up its not a big issue coming back.
Re: expat does it meet the dream
We spent 7 years working abroad and have been back in the UK for almost 2 now, its funny how often the conversation now turns to moving to one of the places we spent so much time in previously, especially after the last winter which has been shite !! We will give it another year here but are seriously looking at getting away.
- AlanHolt
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Re: expat does it meet the dream
We moved to Catalunya last year, and I have no regrets. It's hard, because you not only have to learn a new language, but you also have to adapt to a different culture. Where we are, everything is closed on sundays. Everything is closed for siesta between 1pm and 5pm for the other 6 days. But for me, the negative to moving here is other British expats. Not all, but there's a lot who survive here by stealing and dealing drugs. They drink from morning to night, drink and drive, like to gossip and cause trouble amongst the expats. It's easy to identify the good ones, they don't ask what you did, what you do, where you live, what you have, how you support yourselves, don't invite themselves to your property but always say hello when you see them. If you keep yourself to yourself, integrate with the locals and distance yourself from the expats for a while, until you work out for yourselves who is good and who isn't, you'll be OK.
Current bike is a Yamaha T7
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Re: expat does it meet the dream
left the uk 3-4 years ago and moved to the best country on the planet (officially yes!) norway.
im young, only 27, had no higher education, all i had was debt, and health problems, anyway, i lived here for 1 year and bought a house by the sea, best decision of my life leaving the uk. the taxes here suck, but everything else rocks, and then there is the added bonus of going back to the uk and doing all the touristy stuff that you wouldnt think of when you lived there!
learning a second (third and forth) language is not so easy, but not too difficult either, and most people understand english anyway, so thats not so much of a problem.
since living here i have come to realise just how bad the UK actually is, others will back me up here im sure, its little things that you dont notice when living there, yet you notice when you move....
im young, only 27, had no higher education, all i had was debt, and health problems, anyway, i lived here for 1 year and bought a house by the sea, best decision of my life leaving the uk. the taxes here suck, but everything else rocks, and then there is the added bonus of going back to the uk and doing all the touristy stuff that you wouldnt think of when you lived there!
learning a second (third and forth) language is not so easy, but not too difficult either, and most people understand english anyway, so thats not so much of a problem.
since living here i have come to realise just how bad the UK actually is, others will back me up here im sure, its little things that you dont notice when living there, yet you notice when you move....
Re: expat does it meet the dream
Obviously it is...i thought everybody knew that?Philiptigerrice wrote:Well, I left Yorkshire and moved to Lancashire a few years back - and its shite.
Mike
And the beast shall be huge and black, and the eyes thereof red with the blood of living creatures, and the whore of Babylon shall ride forth on a three-headed serpent, and throughout the lands, there'll be a great rubbing of parts
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Re: expat does it meet the dream
Never understood expat's leaving the country getting somewhere and then turning into little Britain. I'll go if I had enough money to get to a country where I would like to live. I.e. new Zealand, South Africa to name a few
cheers Spud
cheers Spud
Life... it's not a dress rehearsal
You don't waste time... you waste yourself
You don't waste time... you waste yourself
Re: expat does it meet the dream
if UK leaves EU, I would plan retiring to wales or devon. everywhere in EU you will be treated like any other non EU citizen, visiting their countries with greater mountains of red tape.
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