Where in the world have you moved to AND achieved a better standard of living?

[suebfg]

DH and I would love to move abroad for a while, have an adventure and a nicer way of life. Where have you achieved this?

Thanks and Merry Christmas to you all.

We have a great life in a suburban area of a large village/small town in Connecticut.

The weather is actually great, we've got a great community, large houses, the children can play on the streets and bike down the roads, which they couldn't do when were in the UK. We are actually quite close to New York, which is great because we can go and have fun easily, but have a relaxed life here. We have a basketball hoop in our front garden and DD1 and 2 play with their friends outside there to practice shooting or whatever they call it. It's green, and lovely. It's not as vibrant as London for instance, or as fast paced, but its perfect for a family due to being close to a big city etc;

Also have to say, Stockholm. We only moved to the UK to follow jobs (first Belfast, then St Albans) but we moved from Kiruna to Stockholm. I love Stockholm. We lived in an area called Liljeholmen, it was next to a giant park with a giant lake, a playground area, slopes to toboggan on. We lived in flats, but they were very large, well insulated and were amazingly good quality compared to the UK for instance with a giant communal garden thing which was great, with a playground, and we knew everyone in the block, there was a train station, and tram stop close by, it was quiet and friendly and not too snowy (although I say that as we moved from Kiruna, which is way up North, in fact I think roughly 150km past the Arctic Circle!) There was Gamla Stan nearby, and it was easy to get around. In fact, Gamla Stan (the Old City) was great- Christmas market, resteraunts, beautiful old shops, a great place. There were also loads of great museums to visit, and if you speak English as a first language (I don't, I'm Swedish, but DH does) then it's also easy to get around as so many people understand it.

I'd reccommend Connecticut or Stockholm. However, some parts of the Stockholm Archipelago (islands around Stockholm, from fifteen mins from Stockholm to a few hours, the best ones to live on I'd say are around thirty minutes from Stockholm, so not as close, but easy to get there too). A very nice community, beautiful landscape, loads of outdoor sports, especially kayaking, esay to get to the city, sometimes wonderful beaches, and from my experience a lot of people living there are very welcoming and lovely.

Am jealous of you FIfromN12 - i'd love to move to Cape Town. Whereabouts are you going? I love the South Africans, v friendly, and the weather is great. when we were there in april last year, the weatherforecast was 'cold' - at 16C! Not happy with the crime or poverty tho, or the way you have to drive everywhere. No-one walks. Are you going to a gated community?

Am jealous of everyone, actually. Really want to move away, but will have to wait 5-6 years until DC finish school/college.

@Captainmummy
I have lived there before (9 months) in the Southern Suburbs where hubby is from. We will go back in the same area and looking to buy a house (with a pool;). It?s not a gated area and I didn?t feel unsafe when he was out. We will have an alarm (I do have one here! As 2 breaks ins on my street last month- and we live in a leafy nice area) and high walls and a dog!. You do get used to it! But I agree its not for everyone as we are all different. Violence (sadly) happen in the Cape Flats and shacks mainly. But this is another conversation to have!! My hubby will keep his job working from home and I will either go back with the charity I worked for or find something else. I do want to work part-time which is very difficult here financially to do so ? I am full-time at the moment. I do have friends there already which helps. As for the driving everywhere I miss driving!! Try take the tube (London) with 2 kids;) I did walk to the shops while in CT (only during the day) and you do tend to see the weekend walkers quite often.

Its not as close to my family but I do love his family?

One thing I have learned is that the grass isn?t always greener and it?s what you make of it. But we believe we will be more secure financially and my little boys will be going to great schools. And its where hubby is from. Amongst the many reasons why we are moving.

Doing it now before my babies get too old to move them! And nothing is forever.

Thanks Fi - that sounds positive! Of course I only speak to the SAs over here - and they're here for varying reasons, crime and poverty being only part of it. I got stuck in Jo-berg during the Ash-cloud, and walked to the nearest shop (5mins) against the horrified advice ofthe house-maid. This was a nice residential suburb, but I saw very few people out even in midday.

Cape town is supposed to be safer, it certainly seemed to be to me. we even walkd at night round the V&A

Maybe I'll look again at SA?

@Captainmummy - I must say I think people have a misconception about it well at least for CT and I was one of them! I put my hands up! It all changed when I went to live there. I hear Jhb is another story and don't know much about it.
When I talk to SA's in London they are quite negative (mainly JHB) but I feel like they are justifying their move... and some do regret...many I know moved back to CT little by lilttle as London isn't all the paradise they thought it would be. But I of course understand those who leave as can't find work there.
I do think travelling opens your eyes to the different opportunities and gives you a different insight to the world no matter where you choose to live. (eck thats cheezy)

You're right it's the work thing, esp with AI. I'd love to go back even just to visit, it's so beautiful.

Good luck.

I lived in San Francisco , Quebec and SA, for quite considerable lengths of time, and I loved living in each country but I am glad we returned to the UK. There are so many different things to consider about the pros and cons of various countries I dont think. I could ever choose a 'best place' to live.

Although, if I had a magic wand to away the poverty and violence SA might get my vote. I lived in Joberg and found everyone really friendly. We never had any problems but we were careful.

What an interesting thread! I am in London and thinking of moving back to Australia but keep hearing how expensive Aus is now and so I really dont know what to do! We have no family here but sadly have got used to this and we do a lot of stuff always together.

My worry is that we woukd like another DC and I struggled with depression when DC1 was born and just cant think how I would cope next time.

If you had private health insurance you'd receive a great standard of care in Australia which might go some way to preventing pnd. However the birth is likely to be more medicalised in my experience in Australia

I have just read this thread with interest, comparing others situations to my own living in Oman.

Then I realised that I have no idea what my standard of living would be back in the UK. I have been living overseas off and on since 1984, the longest I have spent back in the UK in that time period was about 3 years, and that was over 12 years ago!

I am happy here, we do have a flat back in York which we stay at every summer. But I don't really know if my standard of living would be better if we lived there permenantly. I think not.