Want to live somewhere mild by the sea with a wonderful community. Where?

[Achingtomove]

Was just listening to a Ted Radio Hour conversation with the guy who researched Blue Zones. He talked about how he lives in Miami and has structured his day in this absolutely dreamy way.

I live in grey, muddy, London. I feel trapped and stuck and depressed. I don’t like where I live; but I can’t stand the winters in the uk and definitely get SAD so leaving London for elsewhere in England really won’t help me.

I can’t even begin to think where I’d live if I could go anywhere.

Where is by the sea? Sunny but not too humid? Strong community that is very welcoming? Somewhere that would be possible for an English person to live? (I have a very portable job - think teacher but not that - and equity in my London house as I’ve owned it for 20 years).

Where should I dream of going?

I can’t speak any other languages except English but would embrace learning - but I want to have a community so the language thing would be a barrier. Australia didn’t excite me when I went once, but it’s a big place and perhaps I didn’t see the spot that I would like there. (Found it a little racist - sorry. I know that’s reductive, but it was quite upsetting as a mixed race person myself.)

[Lizzieregina]

San Diego.

Beautiful climate on the pacific.Lovely landscape to the east. Expensive though.

[Achingtomove]

Gun culture (I have very young children) and politics really put me off America. Maybe I’m narrowing my choices a lot there though??

[WallaceinAnderland]

If you need a work visa, choose a country where you can speak the language.

[Lizzieregina]

@Achingtomove Yes not a fan of guns myself. Definitely a consideration.

[HappyBusman]

Wherever you decide (and you need to be completely hard-headed and think of visas and jobs), you need to learn the language to a fair degree of fluency first if you want to integrate into a community.

[Maireas]

think teacher but not that - well, what?
It won't be outing and you may get better advice.
How about Brazil, on the coast?

[IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads]

South of France
Good weather.
Lots of British people

No idea about visa requirements post Brexit

Malta ?
Gibraltar ?

[AnneElliott]

New Zealand? I plan to spend every winter there once I no longer work full time. The best holiday I ever had, left grey England in January to spend the time in their summer.

[JAPB79]

I preferred New Zealand to Australia - more understatedly friendly and laid back. Northern tip of the North island has mild weather year round and the warmest weather in general.
When I went travelling for a year through the US, South America, New Zealand, Australia and South East Asia, NZ was the place I most felt I could live in.

[Achingtomove]

@Maireas

think teacher but not that - well, what?
It won't be outing and you may get better advice.
How about Brazil, on the coast?

I see how oddly vague I sounded!

I’m a tutor, but a former teacher. I’m a specialist tutor and generally work with children with dyslexia. I have QTS and could get a teaching job abroad though. Probably only in an English school.

DH also works in a transferable profession and is amenable to move; although grew up in London and feels strong ties here, although hardly ever socialises. Whereas I am super social.

[Brandyginger]

Nelson, New Zealand.

[Waitingfordoggo]

Canada? I know lots of happy ex-pats there including some in British Columbia enjoying a very outdoorsy lifestyle and amazing beaches. It’s beautiful. Vancouver is very expensive now but I would think smaller towns or quieter bits of the coast would be a bit cheaper. I think it’s quite hard to get in but it can be done if you’ve got the right job/sponsorship/money in the bank!

[Achingtomove]

I do love Canada, to be honest! Wondered if the winters would be as grey and tough as here though. I’ve only been in the summer.

[Maireas]

It sounds as if both you and your husband have good transferable skills.
You could get a teaching job in all sorts of places - Singapore, Brunei, Mexico, Brazil.

[turkeyboots]

Vancouver winters are very grey and wet, and East Coast Canada is very dark and snowy in winter.
My sister is in Sydney and hates their summer and winter. One too cold and the other too hot.
Its very hard to find a nice winter spot in an English speaking, and relatively easy visa country. California is lovely, but visas are very very hard to get.
International schools in the tropics?

[Latewinter]

DH is from Vancouver, we used to live there together. I didn't find the winters worse than the UK, though I've lived in Yorkshire and Scotland all my life so YMMV. The air is quite clean which made winters easier and libraries, malls etc were nice places to spend time when weather was bad. At least you know there will be a summer. Wildfire smoke becoming an increasing problem though. Spring was late and cold, but summer lovely and autumn beautiful. & it's very diverse. We were back there lately and I was struck all over again by the quality of life, would like to go back there for a while with kids. Not without a decent salary though.

There's also Victoria, on Vancouver Island, or you could look into the Sunshine Coast, BC.

Bali, Singapore, have lots of English speakers. Possibly also Malta?

Closer to home I spent a winter in West Cork and it was much sunnier and warmer than UK, and very beautiful. Lots of artsy, literature and sailing stuff around the Bantry area and nice people and communities although I can't speak to how easy it would be to fit in there on a permanent basis. (I have citizenship and know other parts of Ireland better but they don't fit your weather criteria lol.)

Don't know if you'd consider Lausanne or Geneva. The lake is so big it's as good as the sea, and almost everyone seems to speak English. I was only there for a couple of weeks this summer but thought it was stunningly beautiful and good summer weather - probably colder but drier than the UK in winter too I think.

[Waitingfordoggo]

@Latewinter My parents had a chalet across the lake from Lausanne in the French bit. Absolutely gorgeous area and great for outdoor living. Skiing in the winter and lovely dry heat in the summer and some great beaches around the lake. So many excellent municipal pools in the French towns too.

[Spanglybangles]

I agree with the Western Canada suggestion. We are immigrating there this coming year. OH is there working already, albeit the BC interior rather than the coast and we will join him in a few months (still here due to one child in exam year). The climate seems just better even with the winters, he is home for Christmas and is complaining wildly about the Scottish weather right now and moaning about being cold. Their cold is dry and doesn’t seem to get into your bones the way it does here. I’m so looking forward to the move!

[middler]

International school job in Malaysia.

[rainydaysaway]

@Achingtomove have you got a link to the talk please, I am trying to design my life the same so would be interested to hear it

[Eyesopenwideawake]

Lots of international schools in Lisbon and the Algarve, mostly English speaking. With a job offer you could get a D7 visa (I think, check it out) and only a 2.5hr flight from the UK.

[WelshWannabe]

We moved to a beachside suburb in North Auckland, New Zealand and spent 8 amazing years there with the kids.

We've now been in QLD for a few years and I wouldn't recommend here at all.

We had plans to move back to the UK in April, but we've decided to go back to NZ instead.

I love our little community in Auckland but NZ is a beautiful country and most places would be fantastic to live.

My friend moved to the Kapiti Coast and loves it.

[mjf981]

East coast Vancouver Island.

Australia has some gems - maybe you just didn't find the right spot. North coast Tasmania (Wynyard area) is absolutely stunning. Or south coast NSW - Merimbula area.

[Dewdilly]

I love the Italian Riviera. Same coast as the French one but in Italy.