HOW TO PICK A SECOND HOME

If you're looking to move next year - either overseas or to another part of the country - this thread will help.

1) Weather

This impacts everything: Your mood, what activities you can do, and even your level of sociability.

Put simply, there's no reason to live someplace where bad weather seals you inside your house for 3 - 6 months each year.

2) Social Scene

How fast can you make friends? And is it possible to climb the social ladder?

When it comes to social scenes, there doesn't seem to be much correlation between city size and ease of meeting new people.

There are large cities where making friends is easy (Saigon and Chicago are two of my personal examples).

And there are also massive cities where you're just another cog.

Likewise, moving to small towns is often a social disadvantage.

Why? The locals all grew up together and are incredibly cliquish.

Because of the huge variance, invest some time into whatever location you're curious about. I suggest staying there one month, minimum, to get a feel for things.

3) Outdoor Activities

Done right, you're never home. There's just too much stuff to enjoy, and you don't have time for Netflix or video games.

I was in coastal Mexico last month. Great weather, nice beaches, restaurants, gym, town dances on the weekend.

No time for boredom.

4) Cost Of Living Vs Opportunities For Fun

"Price is what you pay, value is what you get."

"3rd World" Saigon has a nicer, better, high-end scene than 15 - 20 US States. Not to mention more "mundane" benefits, like the walkability cafe culture.

There's nowhere else I can think of that's better for taking a walk, looking at cool buildings, seeing interesting nature (lizards, fruit trees, etc), and then stopping by a random cafe to grab a $0.50 iced coffee.

It's an expirience you couldn't replicate in the States.

Despite this, costs are insanely low.

How low?

You can rent an apartment (with maid service) for less than it would cost you to eat a Jimmy John's sandwich each day.

Even people who prefer small town or rural living would probably have more fun overseas.

There are a lot of places around the world with incredibly friendly people, great nature, and total freedom.

Driving a motorcycle around the countryside, stopping to climb mountains or explore your surroundings; it's like living in "Red Dead Redemption."

Mexico City has good infrastructure, safe streets, nice cafes, cool art deco buildings, awesome historical architecture, and fantastic parks.

And, the cost of living is almost half that of Duluth, Minnesota.

You can almost always live in a nice area abroad, that has everything you want to do, for a fraction of what it costs to settle for some low-cost area in the USA.

Keep this in mind as everything goes remote and you get more opportunities to go somewhere else.