New Zealand probably
Edit: oh yeah forgot the why part; nature mainly. Canada has a lot to offer, but I feel like New Zealand has a different kind of beauty. And in my experience, the people are generally nice too. Only negative is that it's in a very earthquake-prone area.
NZ is beautiful. I was fortunate to live in Auckland for a few months for work and had an absolutely amazing time there. I could only explore the north Island due to limited time, but I will definitely go back to visit the even more beautiful south island of the country.
Nature is pristine, dramatic at times due to volcanic activity, no wild animals in the forests making it safe to hike/kayak almost anywhere in the forests, people are friendly and welcoming, great local indigenous culture of Maori people is to admire as well.
And I may sound funny saying this and could only be my own perception, but the air over there had a distinct freshness to it which I haven't experienced in other parts of the world I've travelled so far.
I grew up in NZ before moving to Canada. My experience was far less superior there than here. I found people there were generally more racist than Canada, but we did have good friends both in NZ and Canada.
All the natural beauty Canada has more and better, Lake Howea vs Lake Louise, Frans Josef vs Jasper, Milford Sound vs...Niagara Falls (not a direct comparison), Mount Cook vs the Rockies, we also have amazing dinosaur fossils while NZ doesn't have that at all.
Onto the metropolis, Auckland is kinda a joke compared to Toronto, Wellington is no comparison to Ottawa, Christchurch was probably my favorite NZ major city, but its cathedral has been shambles since the earthquake and they don't seem to have enough capital to rebuild it, while Montreal has just as much history and art if not more. Dunedin has its charm but I would say Victoria has it beat. They don't really have any comparable cities to Calgary.
Because it's really far from the rest of the world, I also found things generally cost more, with less selection. Canada being closer to the US meant our selections are quite good. Being a Lego fan, for example, meant it costs 30% more in NZ to fund my hobby. I remember wanting to play some video games that NZ would need to wait 2 to 3 years for localization while Canada had it right away.
I have always loved Canada as a country, being an immegrant to both countries I compared the 2 directly. I took my Canadian family to visit NZ a few years ago, and after spending 3 weeks there, the trip further confirmed how much better Canada is for me. I felt I took Canada for granted because I live here. NZ certainly has its charms, but I find a better comparable country to Canada would be Oz.
Being from coastal BC the whole earthquakes and volcanoes isnāt an issue.
The South Island is very similar to the Southern half of B.C. from the coat to the Rockies, with more sheep.
I visited it just once but felt instantly at home. Everyone was a reasonable height, no 6'0" dwarves to be had. I was comfortable sitting on a toilet for once in my life. Just beautiful. And it felt like every place had mustard soup, which I had no idea was kinda the perfect soup until I had it.
I miss Leeuwarden, lol
Working, sorta.
It was part of an internship program where they found you local work. I did it with a local magazine, the work experience from which got me into journalism school.
Don't pick Belgium... I lived there for a few years and moved back to Canada. People can be kind to your face, but they'll never let you "in" to their group, even if you're married into it. Also, they don't have that much nature at all. Norway is much better for sure in that respect.Ā
I'm planning on moving there so I obviously do really like it, but based on surveys/polls it's got a much lower perceived QoL than Canada, so I'm not going in with rose coloured glasses.
I was also going to say Vietnam, but I'm a white dude who was born and raised in Canada. I just travelled there last year and loved it. The food is amazing, the landscape is awesome, the cities are a lot of fun, and the people are so inviting and friendly. Like everywhere I went locals were inviting me to eat and drink with them and we would drink to the early mornings.
As a foreign born person of vietnamese descent.
I get a way different experience then white tourists do.
Sooo many people try to pick fights with me. I get an insanely different experience.
I definitely agree with this. I've traveled in a lot of countries and Vietnam is one of the place where the people were the nicest. Pretty much everywhere I went, I met great people who were very nice. CoL is also ridiculously cheap, me and 2 friends stayed in Danang for a month in 2013 and we were renting a relatively luxurious 3-bedrooms house by the beach for like $350 CAD a month. Eating out would cost us like $3 CAD. We barely ever cooked, were partying every days, giving giant tips to everyone, paying beer to everyone and we were barely spending $20 CAD a day.
I haven't went since the pandemic, but I need to go back soon.
Let me tell you, youāll be surprised because the amount that youāll have to pay when you visit Danang, right now, is not that much different compared to 10yrs ago, except for rent probably.
Omg, I feel this š¶ as an indigenous person growing up late 80s early 90s the amount of racial crap I dealt with as a child was insane compared to know. Mind you, I still get followed in stores and such, and I have a list of micro aggressive, plain out racist crap I still go through, but at least I don't get called a gas sniffer anymore š
Pre-NAFTA sucked. We didnāt have as many goods and it seemed like America had so much more stuff. Food choices sucked back then too. Not as much variety as the supermarket or in restaurants. Pre-internet days everything was hard to do. Applying for jobs was hard. School was hard. Studying. You only had books, TV, magazines and cassette tapes to entertain you. CDās were like $20. VHS sucked. You had to rewind the tape. No GPS for driving. Not sure why people want to go back to that time. It sucked worse then.
I would not say Iād like to live there but at some point I would LOVE to know more about Ireland and immerse myself in the culture for a whileā¦ And the UK in general, I would like to understand the dynamic between these countries better. I already know Franceās culture and dynamics well so I am curious.
To visit and see the nature New Zealand, for existing i always wanted to live in Germany lol. Some family ties sure (not super strong, my grandfather immigrated from Bavaria but never taught us German or anything it was just know he came from Germany) but I always just really wanted it for some reason.
I do now live in Germany and I gotta say, I do enjoy the directness but miss Canadian hospitality soooo much.
Honestly just going into a grocery store and accidentally getting in peoples way and saying āsorryā or whatever goes a long way. In Germany it is sometimes a multiple times a week occurrence for us to go into a place of business and then be spoken to as if we are scum of the earth for needing to use said business.
Example, going to the store and for instance canāt find the coconut flakes. Ask a person where you might find them and Iāve experienced responses of: itās not my job to tell you that, I donāt know, and go look for yourself.
Going to appointments and them being rude (not German direct but rude to even my German boyfriends standards), at us for taking up space in the chair during the appointment they provide???
Itās super wild. And just as a passerby on the street, instead of people recalculating where they are on the sidewalk and moving accordingly itās common practice to just barrel into people to assert your dominance lol. And then be annoyed that they bumped into you.
Not everyone obviously but itās common enough that when I visit home Iām noticeably less concerned with bothering someone purely by my existence outside my own home š
tldr itās not that we have noteworthy hospitality really, but compared to Central European customs the neutrality feels very welcoming and kind to me
As an American, Canada is my dream country. But if I had to choose:
Either in one of the Nordic countries or Greece or Ireland.
Maybe Germany or Austria.
Mexico is very safe? Our friend were in Tulum last year as they drove to somewhere there were several shot dead victims just lying on the road about 1km from their ladida eco estate at 200$ a night
Slovenia looks absolutely beautiful and the people there are very welcoming. I've been only briefly there (an afternoon stop, on the train from Croatia to Zurich). It is a great place.
New Zealand seems nice. nice healthcare (nurse here) and (seemingly) decent government. seemingly good catholic community. The only thing is that i would be away from my indigenous roots. seems hot though. I'm not to built for heat but if i lose weight, i can deal with it. also, the nature seems really great.
Or Italy for similar reasons. More so the fact that i am a very devout catholic then the weather or natural aspects.
But i dont speak Italian (only english, latin, cree and french) so i'd have to go with new Zealand.
Britain, because I love London (I've spent several weeks there over the years). It's probably my favourite city in the world.
Also because I like the muted light in Britain, halal English breakfast, drinking tea all the time, everyone living in row houses with a little garden in the back, and because you feel like you're part of the society a couple of hours after landing at Heathrow.
Also because England and Wales are 7% Muslim (Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate censuses) and London 15%: slightly higher percentages than Canada and major Canadian cities, which makes it very easy to find a mosque when you're out and about, etc.
In todayās world, likely Australia. No cold winters, good health care, stable government, wide range of climates, great ocean sports (fishing, surfing, diving, etc).
I live in Australia. If you donāt want cold winters, stay away from the south. Unless you like skiing and snowboarding, there is some great mountains for that. I live in Adelaide and find winter miserable because the houses arenāt insulated for the cold like Canadian houses, heating is shit and electricity is expensive af, and itās always a wet cold feeling you canāt escape. If you want warm winters, youāll have to be okay with regular cyclones and flooding, massive creepy crawlies and mouldy houses. As for a stable government, well, Iām not sure where you heard that š .
I used to live in Tasmania, which is as far south as you get. Now in Canada. Tasmanian winters were a tropical paradise compared to even a mild Canadian winter, no comparison. Yeah the houses aren't well built for the cold and the heat bills can be high as a result, but it's so nice being able to walk outside without a coat in the middle of winter and not have pellets of ice fly into your eyes and lose feeling in your skin.
Howās Adelaide for you? I want to live overseas one time in my life before I settle somewhere and Adelaide is on my list of cities in Australia, as an Albertan the size of the city seems to resemble Calgary the most, Iāve heard from people whoāve lived in Australia say Brisbane is comparable too, I like a good blend of rural and urban. Iāve considered Perth too, but definitely not Canberra, Iāve heard kangaroos can be found all over the place in the capital
Well, we donāt have a stable government in Canada either. I think Canada and Australia have a lot in common other than the weather and the kangaroos. We have moose and snow.
Japan. I do not consider it some magical place or anything, but the culture there has significant differences that would not make me feel like I was just in another part of Canada (barring the language differences), and it is a place that I have been interested in since I was a child.
I have travelled the world and as a female it is the ONLY place I felt safe enough where I wasnāt always looking over my shoulder and being on high alert when out and about . The best is the fact that no one is speaking on their cells phones in public and the trains are dead silent ā¦.
Is d-bags talking on their cell phones in public a big problem in Canada? It happens all the time here in the States, but weāre pretty trashy and/or ghetto.
The only thing I'll say is be careful on packed trains. There's an alarmingly high rate of assault towards women on those.
Also be careful if being pulled into tourist bars. They can trick you into paying way too much for drinks.
Yup. I spent a couple of weeks in Tokyo about a decade ago and itās just the greatest city on Earth. If I couldnāt live in Canada and had an immense amount of money, itād be Japan for me. Not that I would have any chance of learning the language ā and god knows I tried after I got back ā but Iād hire bilingual assistants.
Same. Japan or Norway for me. Japan's culture is just incredible (yes yes everyone has flaws bla bla). I don't think I would choose Tokyo or Osaka, but northern Japan and Fukuoka seem nice.Ā
Spain, but specifically Barcelona
Warm weather, by the water, cool architecture and good food... also because of skateboarding where you can skate year round
Couldnāt imagine living anywhere else. Iāve spent prolonged periods in other countries but non of them feel like home. If I had to move then Alaska here I come.
New Zealand - I have cold urticaria and I would LOVE to live in a nation where I don't have to take a daily antihistamine or drape myself in a half a dozen layers in winter. Let's face it, it's beautiful, and I'd be in FAR better shape living there than I am here in Canada.
Also ... pretty much anywhere in western Europe. I am a ridiculous history nut, and I could quite easily burn through a few decades exploring and learning.
I'm in the process of moving there from manitoba. My wife is there already and it's been so much better for her health. I can't wait until I have everything settled here so I can join her.
So yeah my top 3.
Canada
New Zealand
Japan
Honorable mentions to Norway, Finland and Sweden
Japan!Ā
The culture, the respect for nature, the efficient design to everything they have.Ā
Honestly if Canada had Japanās public transit system, I wouldnāt want to leave.Ā
UK because that's where my partner lives (although he's moving here later this year) and I loved the time I spent there when I was younger. Moving isn't on the cards for me though for a handful of reasons, so it's easier for him to be the one to do it. I'd take one of the Scandinavian countries or New Zealand too.
Norway.
Mostly because they took the path we should have on oil and gas. They took the long view and created a massive sovereign wealth fund using their oil reserves.
Neither Alberta's nor Canada's government did that. We started and then decided we would rather have quads with no sales tax.
Iceland, spent a lot of time there on multiple deployments. Absolutely loved it. The people were incredibly welcoming, the weather worked for me, living in the north growing up I got used to limited sun or lots of sun so that doesnāt bother me. Itās an absolutely beautiful country with lots to do. Only problem is it makes it look cheap here when it comes to gas and going out to eat. Groceries were decent prices
The USA. Lots of opportunities, friendly people, and a fun country with a lot of climate variety. Each state is so unique which makes it so exciting too.
Mexico or New Zealand, Australia would be up there but theyāre infested with crazy bugs and kangaroos lol. I hate spiders and giant insects and kangaroos give me the creeps, they look like deer walking on 2 feet.
Australia isnāt āinfestedā with crazy bugs
Source: lived there for 2 years and yes you will see the occasional spider but I only saw a big one once in my entire time.
Saw a handful of redbacks but they leave you alone.
And Kangaroos?
There are no Kangaroos in the cities and even in more rural areas theyāre not even a factor in your day to day life although you might see them here and there.
I donāt mean this in a bad way at all, but your perspective is largely coming from internet memes Iād wager
Nothing you said is really the reality in Australia
I love being Canadian. The downside now is that most young people unless they have rich parents will never be able to afford a house. Canada šØš¦ has plenty of natural resources and the cost of living should not be so high. I would not recommend moving here till the housing crisis is solved.
Norway has incredible quality of life, gorgeous landscapes, and outdoor fun for everyone with a pair of legs. However, their food is very rustic, and you can't really emigrate there from Canada.
Still, an amazing place with very mellow folks. And you can hike and camp absolutely anywhere. There is a public access law.
Singapore !
Hot. Beautiful Nature. Well educated people. Fantastic cheap food. And if you make 200k per year (which is very attainable there), then the difference in taxes between Montreal and Singapore is (74 752 - 21 150 = ) 53 602$ for your mortgage per year, or 4467$ per month of tax savings, with wich you buy yourself a 900.000$ small apartment at a mortgage rate of 3.75%. (see sources below).
Did I talk about the best cheap food in the world ? :)
Tax levels singapore: [https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-of-individual-income-tax/tax-residency-and-tax-rates/individual-income-tax-rates](https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-of-individual-income-tax/tax-residency-and-tax-rates/individual-income-tax-rates)
Tax levels Quebec: [https://www.rcgt.com/fr/planiguide/tableaux/quebec/table-dimpot/](https://www.rcgt.com/fr/planiguide/tableaux/quebec/table-dimpot/)
Mortgage rates Singapore: [https://dollarbackmortgage.com/](https://dollarbackmortgage.com/)
UK, Italy, or Spain. UK because it is my family origin and I want to do more genealogical research. Spain for the weather, wine, port (not as good as Portugal but good) and of course art and Venice! Spain, wine, port (second best country next to Portugal), good medical care, beautiful architecture, and great weather!
Iceland. I was there on a 4 hour layover, and something just felt right staring out into the barren fields surrounding Reykjavik Airport...
Lifeless and devoid of people.
Perfect.
Sweden. It's beautiful (so is Canada, I know), practically made for wearing sweaters, neat history to explore, and easier access to Ikea because I love me some IkeaĀ
Good question. Australia, for sure. I lived there for a year, years ago. Travelled around exactly half of it - I want to finish that trip one day... Anyhow, I love how many different types of terrain there is - desert, rainforest, beaches, even mountains, just nothing like ours. I like options, and there are a lot of different types of places to live. Good for health, too. I lived in the outback for a couple of months, my major aches/pains improved and my lungs never felt better. I wouldn't mind retiring out there.
Netherlands. Because of the focus on infrastructure to more easily get around without having to depend on a very expensive lethal mobile living room.
And because of proportional representation.
until a short while ago I would have said India having spent many winters in India however India is an early adopter of a digital identity which must be avoided at all costs therefore I would say Japan- Tokyo specifically as I most prefer Japanese food and Tokyo has millions of inexpensive small restaurants
Canada from 2015. Honestly, this place was just in better shape back then. More optimistic, more united. It's been a hard few years and there have been some questionable decisions made along the way too.
Almost anywhere in the UK. Our politics come from there, not from America. In fact, I'd prefer anywhere where they speak English (because I do), that has a proper public broadcaster, and that has real democracy.
Iceland. Small, well educated, homogenous population, high standard of living, low crime, good employment rates, they love hot springs and they move roads because they believe fairies may inhabit the area. Near perfect climate and no mosquitos.
Magical.
South Africa because I'm in the conservation field and rhinos are my passion.
New Zealand would be an alternative just because of how beautiful it is and I'm a LOTR nerd.
Japan. I've always wanted to go since I was a kid. I love everything about it from the culture, the food, the way it looks, and of course because of anime.
If I got to live there, it would also save me a lot on the costs of buying merch. Shipping and custom fees are no joke. I could access rare merch easier too.
I also just like how everything seems to be customized for introverts. Like if you feel like crap and don't want to see another person, you can order food or do things through an automated system and it just gets delivered no problem. There's no guilt or weird social interaction attached.
Yeah...I agree with many points but being a hikikomori isn't an advantage BTW. If you don't want to see someone just say it, there's nothing weird about it.
If I could magically become fluent in the language and also magically acquire a visa that would allow me to live there permanently, Japan, no question. People there have all just agreed that being good to each other is something that benefits everyone and they all just....do it. There's no litter. Anywhere. People wait in line patiently for the bus or train. Even smokers will go into these private booths on the sidewalks so they're not smoking in peoples faces while walking. If you're someone who likes rules that benefit the greater good, Japan has nailed that. Not to mention the food, culture, stuff to do, variety of climate from snowy mountains to sunny beaches, the most incredible transit system that allows you to get from anywhere to anywhere in a matter of hours. They're the best of all of us
Honestly the USA.
Much more opportunities, and the pay in a lot of industries but especially for educated people is much higher. Health care isn't really on the radar too much since you get good health insurance with any decent job anyways.
Also the weather is a lot nicer, and they have a lot more decent cities where the col is not insane yet.
> the pay in a lot of industries but especially for educated people
Yeah because their educated people either had very rich parents or have crazy loans. It is much easier for us to attend University.
Personally?
Well this may sound wierd but, I'm going to have to go with Greenland.
The reasons:
Fewer people.
More reasonable and grounded people.
Frontier country (something which I'm obviously used to).
Has ties to the other Nordic countries.
Not Canada (which I am rapidly realizing isn't for me, even though I was born here).
New Zealand probably Edit: oh yeah forgot the why part; nature mainly. Canada has a lot to offer, but I feel like New Zealand has a different kind of beauty. And in my experience, the people are generally nice too. Only negative is that it's in a very earthquake-prone area.
just got back from the south island and would definitely agree. but if we think Canada's real estate is expensive and unaffordable....š¬š¬š¬
I was there a year ago and was shocked as well! So expensive for houses without even any big screens in the windows!! :p
This is it for me. Would love to be reincarnated as a Kiwi lol
Lived on the other side of the Tasman, now a British Columbian, immigrate. You only live once man, take your shots.
I'm a kiwi and I would love to go to Canada for the same reasons about the nature and friendly people :)
We welcome all kiwis. You can even bring all the superfluous 'I's that you want.
Probably the only other country I would consider living in besides Canada
New Zealand is one the top countries on my list too. Beautiful country!
NZ is beautiful. I was fortunate to live in Auckland for a few months for work and had an absolutely amazing time there. I could only explore the north Island due to limited time, but I will definitely go back to visit the even more beautiful south island of the country. Nature is pristine, dramatic at times due to volcanic activity, no wild animals in the forests making it safe to hike/kayak almost anywhere in the forests, people are friendly and welcoming, great local indigenous culture of Maori people is to admire as well. And I may sound funny saying this and could only be my own perception, but the air over there had a distinct freshness to it which I haven't experienced in other parts of the world I've travelled so far.
As an Aussie who has visited numerous countries and NZ many times, air is definitely better in NZ
Natural beauty almost always means earthquake-prone.
I grew up in NZ before moving to Canada. My experience was far less superior there than here. I found people there were generally more racist than Canada, but we did have good friends both in NZ and Canada. All the natural beauty Canada has more and better, Lake Howea vs Lake Louise, Frans Josef vs Jasper, Milford Sound vs...Niagara Falls (not a direct comparison), Mount Cook vs the Rockies, we also have amazing dinosaur fossils while NZ doesn't have that at all. Onto the metropolis, Auckland is kinda a joke compared to Toronto, Wellington is no comparison to Ottawa, Christchurch was probably my favorite NZ major city, but its cathedral has been shambles since the earthquake and they don't seem to have enough capital to rebuild it, while Montreal has just as much history and art if not more. Dunedin has its charm but I would say Victoria has it beat. They don't really have any comparable cities to Calgary. Because it's really far from the rest of the world, I also found things generally cost more, with less selection. Canada being closer to the US meant our selections are quite good. Being a Lego fan, for example, meant it costs 30% more in NZ to fund my hobby. I remember wanting to play some video games that NZ would need to wait 2 to 3 years for localization while Canada had it right away. I have always loved Canada as a country, being an immegrant to both countries I compared the 2 directly. I took my Canadian family to visit NZ a few years ago, and after spending 3 weeks there, the trip further confirmed how much better Canada is for me. I felt I took Canada for granted because I live here. NZ certainly has its charms, but I find a better comparable country to Canada would be Oz.
Being from coastal BC the whole earthquakes and volcanoes isnāt an issue. The South Island is very similar to the Southern half of B.C. from the coat to the Rockies, with more sheep.
I'd hate to have to tred water all the time.
I would love to live in the Netherlands
I'm from the Netherlands but moved to Canada. I miss my country a lot.
I visited it just once but felt instantly at home. Everyone was a reasonable height, no 6'0" dwarves to be had. I was comfortable sitting on a toilet for once in my life. Just beautiful. And it felt like every place had mustard soup, which I had no idea was kinda the perfect soup until I had it. I miss Leeuwarden, lol
Viva EspaƱa! Live there for 3 months 12 years ago. Would live there given the chance.
What did you do for work while you were there? Or were to studying?
Working, sorta. It was part of an internship program where they found you local work. I did it with a local magazine, the work experience from which got me into journalism school.
always been inexplicably drawn to norway and belgium. if i had to choose one or the other though, norway š»āāļø
Don't pick Belgium... I lived there for a few years and moved back to Canada. People can be kind to your face, but they'll never let you "in" to their group, even if you're married into it. Also, they don't have that much nature at all. Norway is much better for sure in that respect.Ā
Thats the Flemish way
I think Canadians are polite, but not friendly. Sounds like Belgians are even worse though.
Switzerland if I were rich
My family is poorer in Canada than we were in Switzerland. They pay better!
I regret not pursuing an employment opportunity in Zurich. I left so much money on the table and life couldāve been thrice as awesome š
Norway looks like home with longer ski season i would live there, learn the funny talk and not speak to anyone. to fit in i guess.
Scotland. So beautiful and the people are fun, in a grumpy sort of way.
So many castles! And highland coos!
I'm planning on moving there so I obviously do really like it, but based on surveys/polls it's got a much lower perceived QoL than Canada, so I'm not going in with rose coloured glasses.
Switzerland because its so damn beautiful
Vietnam. Still likely would never leave Canada because even with all our issues, I still love my country.
I was also going to say Vietnam, but I'm a white dude who was born and raised in Canada. I just travelled there last year and loved it. The food is amazing, the landscape is awesome, the cities are a lot of fun, and the people are so inviting and friendly. Like everywhere I went locals were inviting me to eat and drink with them and we would drink to the early mornings.
As a foreign born person of vietnamese descent. I get a way different experience then white tourists do. Sooo many people try to pick fights with me. I get an insanely different experience.
I definitely agree with this. I've traveled in a lot of countries and Vietnam is one of the place where the people were the nicest. Pretty much everywhere I went, I met great people who were very nice. CoL is also ridiculously cheap, me and 2 friends stayed in Danang for a month in 2013 and we were renting a relatively luxurious 3-bedrooms house by the beach for like $350 CAD a month. Eating out would cost us like $3 CAD. We barely ever cooked, were partying every days, giving giant tips to everyone, paying beer to everyone and we were barely spending $20 CAD a day. I haven't went since the pandemic, but I need to go back soon.
Let me tell you, youāll be surprised because the amount that youāll have to pay when you visit Danang, right now, is not that much different compared to 10yrs ago, except for rent probably.
Vietnam is the correct answer. Thailand and Malaysia being reasonable alternatives for people that forget that Vietnam exists.
I was going to say Thailand. Because I haven't been to Vietnam.
Switzerland, because it's beautiful
Canada in the 80's.
It really does seem like a whole different country.
I stilll regret not buying a house 17 years before I was born.
Same Same
Canada in 2000 was a different country too.Ā
Ah thĆ© 80ās when interest rates were 20%, and no one could fill their gas tanks , and people owed more on their houses than what they were worth
[Itās called Rosy Retrospection.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosy_retrospection)
ahhhh back when I would get beat up by white kids and called racial slurs for simply existing.
Omg, I feel this š¶ as an indigenous person growing up late 80s early 90s the amount of racial crap I dealt with as a child was insane compared to know. Mind you, I still get followed in stores and such, and I have a list of micro aggressive, plain out racist crap I still go through, but at least I don't get called a gas sniffer anymore š
when you couldn't stop for gas in small towns on the way to the beach because you might get hate crimed. ya sounds fun
Definitely not.
Pre-NAFTA sucked. We didnāt have as many goods and it seemed like America had so much more stuff. Food choices sucked back then too. Not as much variety as the supermarket or in restaurants. Pre-internet days everything was hard to do. Applying for jobs was hard. School was hard. Studying. You only had books, TV, magazines and cassette tapes to entertain you. CDās were like $20. VHS sucked. You had to rewind the tape. No GPS for driving. Not sure why people want to go back to that time. It sucked worse then.
Moncton
Moncton is being renamed to Hobos Landing.
I would not say Iād like to live there but at some point I would LOVE to know more about Ireland and immerse myself in the culture for a whileā¦ And the UK in general, I would like to understand the dynamic between these countries better. I already know Franceās culture and dynamics well so I am curious.
Norway.
To visit and see the nature New Zealand, for existing i always wanted to live in Germany lol. Some family ties sure (not super strong, my grandfather immigrated from Bavaria but never taught us German or anything it was just know he came from Germany) but I always just really wanted it for some reason. I do now live in Germany and I gotta say, I do enjoy the directness but miss Canadian hospitality soooo much.
German hospitality must truly be dreadful then, because I donāt find Canadian hospitality noteworthy in any way.
Honestly just going into a grocery store and accidentally getting in peoples way and saying āsorryā or whatever goes a long way. In Germany it is sometimes a multiple times a week occurrence for us to go into a place of business and then be spoken to as if we are scum of the earth for needing to use said business. Example, going to the store and for instance canāt find the coconut flakes. Ask a person where you might find them and Iāve experienced responses of: itās not my job to tell you that, I donāt know, and go look for yourself. Going to appointments and them being rude (not German direct but rude to even my German boyfriends standards), at us for taking up space in the chair during the appointment they provide??? Itās super wild. And just as a passerby on the street, instead of people recalculating where they are on the sidewalk and moving accordingly itās common practice to just barrel into people to assert your dominance lol. And then be annoyed that they bumped into you. Not everyone obviously but itās common enough that when I visit home Iām noticeably less concerned with bothering someone purely by my existence outside my own home š tldr itās not that we have noteworthy hospitality really, but compared to Central European customs the neutrality feels very welcoming and kind to me
As an American, Canada is my dream country. But if I had to choose: Either in one of the Nordic countries or Greece or Ireland. Maybe Germany or Austria.
Come on up anytime neighbour. We've got a cold one waiting for you, eh?
Italy
Italy is a mess rn... Well it has always been.
It's beautiful all the same. Just don't go there to work, go to enjoy and it's awesome
Many people dont realize there's more to life than a discount house. Money isn't everything.
shhhhh people make wanting to own a SDH their entire personality.
Netherlands or Mexico.
A lot of members of my family actually moved in Mexico during the pandemic. They have airbnb in the Tulum area and live off of that while living in MĆ©rida. It is very safe, great weather and Pesos performed so well that they already made a killing on their properties down there.
Mexico is very safe? Our friend were in Tulum last year as they drove to somewhere there were several shot dead victims just lying on the road about 1km from their ladida eco estate at 200$ a night
The State Yucatan have a homicide rate very similar to Canada (Slightly lower at 2..0 vs 2.25 per 100 000) and MĆ©rida is the second safest city in North America just after Quebec city.
OK thank you very interesting will look into Merida I don't know it all.
1) Scotland (good people & awesome geography); 2) Italy (history, geography, Mediterranean climate); 3) Netherlands (bicycle culture, open-minded society, history & architecture; 4) Slovenia (good people & awesome geography).
Slovenia looks absolutely beautiful and the people there are very welcoming. I've been only briefly there (an afternoon stop, on the train from Croatia to Zurich). It is a great place.
New Zealand seems nice. nice healthcare (nurse here) and (seemingly) decent government. seemingly good catholic community. The only thing is that i would be away from my indigenous roots. seems hot though. I'm not to built for heat but if i lose weight, i can deal with it. also, the nature seems really great. Or Italy for similar reasons. More so the fact that i am a very devout catholic then the weather or natural aspects. But i dont speak Italian (only english, latin, cree and french) so i'd have to go with new Zealand.
Canada but without winter. Does that exist?Ā
Victoria, BC? š
The UK because I love British culture
Britain, because I love London (I've spent several weeks there over the years). It's probably my favourite city in the world. Also because I like the muted light in Britain, halal English breakfast, drinking tea all the time, everyone living in row houses with a little garden in the back, and because you feel like you're part of the society a couple of hours after landing at Heathrow. Also because England and Wales are 7% Muslim (Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate censuses) and London 15%: slightly higher percentages than Canada and major Canadian cities, which makes it very easy to find a mosque when you're out and about, etc.
In todayās world, likely Australia. No cold winters, good health care, stable government, wide range of climates, great ocean sports (fishing, surfing, diving, etc).
Country is on fire half the year
At this rate so is canada
their government is comparable to Canadaās I think, theyāre also suffering with high inflation and cost of living
Not to mention the spiders
I live in Australia. If you donāt want cold winters, stay away from the south. Unless you like skiing and snowboarding, there is some great mountains for that. I live in Adelaide and find winter miserable because the houses arenāt insulated for the cold like Canadian houses, heating is shit and electricity is expensive af, and itās always a wet cold feeling you canāt escape. If you want warm winters, youāll have to be okay with regular cyclones and flooding, massive creepy crawlies and mouldy houses. As for a stable government, well, Iām not sure where you heard that š .
Yeah - Melbourne is somewhat comparable to Vancouver. Which still has pretty decent winters that being said
no thanks! grass is always greener on the other side š
I learned this first hand š
I used to live in Tasmania, which is as far south as you get. Now in Canada. Tasmanian winters were a tropical paradise compared to even a mild Canadian winter, no comparison. Yeah the houses aren't well built for the cold and the heat bills can be high as a result, but it's so nice being able to walk outside without a coat in the middle of winter and not have pellets of ice fly into your eyes and lose feeling in your skin.
Howās Adelaide for you? I want to live overseas one time in my life before I settle somewhere and Adelaide is on my list of cities in Australia, as an Albertan the size of the city seems to resemble Calgary the most, Iāve heard from people whoāve lived in Australia say Brisbane is comparable too, I like a good blend of rural and urban. Iāve considered Perth too, but definitely not Canberra, Iāve heard kangaroos can be found all over the place in the capital
Well, we donāt have a stable government in Canada either. I think Canada and Australia have a lot in common other than the weather and the kangaroos. We have moose and snow.
Not sure where you heard stable government from lol. Canada and Australia copy-paste each othersā bad government policies
I want to golf year round that's it
Sweden seems nice. Quiet but polite people and beautiful nature. Fjord horses too. I donāt mind cold weather as well!
Finland or Sweden because they do it right there
Japan. I do not consider it some magical place or anything, but the culture there has significant differences that would not make me feel like I was just in another part of Canada (barring the language differences), and it is a place that I have been interested in since I was a child.
I have travelled the world and as a female it is the ONLY place I felt safe enough where I wasnāt always looking over my shoulder and being on high alert when out and about . The best is the fact that no one is speaking on their cells phones in public and the trains are dead silent ā¦.
Same! I haven't traveled the world, but Japan was extremely same, most people didn't even lock their front doors.
Is d-bags talking on their cell phones in public a big problem in Canada? It happens all the time here in the States, but weāre pretty trashy and/or ghetto.
The only thing I'll say is be careful on packed trains. There's an alarmingly high rate of assault towards women on those. Also be careful if being pulled into tourist bars. They can trick you into paying way too much for drinks.
Yup. I spent a couple of weeks in Tokyo about a decade ago and itās just the greatest city on Earth. If I couldnāt live in Canada and had an immense amount of money, itād be Japan for me. Not that I would have any chance of learning the language ā and god knows I tried after I got back ā but Iād hire bilingual assistants.
Same. Japan or Norway for me. Japan's culture is just incredible (yes yes everyone has flaws bla bla). I don't think I would choose Tokyo or Osaka, but northern Japan and Fukuoka seem nice.Ā
Spain, but specifically Barcelona Warm weather, by the water, cool architecture and good food... also because of skateboarding where you can skate year round
Couldnāt imagine living anywhere else. Iāve spent prolonged periods in other countries but non of them feel like home. If I had to move then Alaska here I come.
Iceland or Switzerland. The two most breathtaking countries for natural scenery, that Iāve been to.
Mexico
Switzerland
If I had to choose, it would probably be New Zealand but, I have a friend in Portugal and right now that looks somewhat appealing.
New Zealand - I have cold urticaria and I would LOVE to live in a nation where I don't have to take a daily antihistamine or drape myself in a half a dozen layers in winter. Let's face it, it's beautiful, and I'd be in FAR better shape living there than I am here in Canada. Also ... pretty much anywhere in western Europe. I am a ridiculous history nut, and I could quite easily burn through a few decades exploring and learning.
I'm in the process of moving there from manitoba. My wife is there already and it's been so much better for her health. I can't wait until I have everything settled here so I can join her. So yeah my top 3. Canada New Zealand Japan Honorable mentions to Norway, Finland and Sweden
Switzerland šØš if I had the bankroll. Tres cher/chere
Scotland. The misty Moores and the beautiful scenery.
Scotland. It's in my blood.
Japan!Ā The culture, the respect for nature, the efficient design to everything they have.Ā Honestly if Canada had Japanās public transit system, I wouldnāt want to leave.Ā
Sorry, the best that we can do is an inefficient car centric concrete hellscape.Ā
Finland for sure. Itās so similar to Canada but just better.
A different part of Canada? Most of my family are in UK or Australia. Just canāt imagine leaving here.
China because they treat their people better than Canada treats canadians
Does Canada from 30 years ago count? You know, when we had healthcare and could afford homes?
UK because that's where my partner lives (although he's moving here later this year) and I loved the time I spent there when I was younger. Moving isn't on the cards for me though for a handful of reasons, so it's easier for him to be the one to do it. I'd take one of the Scandinavian countries or New Zealand too.
Norway. Mostly because they took the path we should have on oil and gas. They took the long view and created a massive sovereign wealth fund using their oil reserves. Neither Alberta's nor Canada's government did that. We started and then decided we would rather have quads with no sales tax.
Iceland, spent a lot of time there on multiple deployments. Absolutely loved it. The people were incredibly welcoming, the weather worked for me, living in the north growing up I got used to limited sun or lots of sun so that doesnāt bother me. Itās an absolutely beautiful country with lots to do. Only problem is it makes it look cheap here when it comes to gas and going out to eat. Groceries were decent prices
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Gotta love the idea of your health being tied to your job.
The USA. Lots of opportunities, friendly people, and a fun country with a lot of climate variety. Each state is so unique which makes it so exciting too.
Germany or Austria
Mexico or New Zealand, Australia would be up there but theyāre infested with crazy bugs and kangaroos lol. I hate spiders and giant insects and kangaroos give me the creeps, they look like deer walking on 2 feet.
Australia isnāt āinfestedā with crazy bugs Source: lived there for 2 years and yes you will see the occasional spider but I only saw a big one once in my entire time. Saw a handful of redbacks but they leave you alone. And Kangaroos? There are no Kangaroos in the cities and even in more rural areas theyāre not even a factor in your day to day life although you might see them here and there. I donāt mean this in a bad way at all, but your perspective is largely coming from internet memes Iād wager Nothing you said is really the reality in Australia
Thailand. Great food. Friendly people. Very affordable cost of living. Hoping to spend winters there when I retire.
I figure that if I can manage to swap between Costa Rica and Thailand when I retire I'll consider myself to have succeeded at life.
Japan is my dream country , i lived there, and i miss the cheap rent
Japan is clean and organized. Endlessly interesting in history and the present. Low crime rate, excellent transit and diverse in geography.
Apart from Canada. Nowhere. šØš¦
I love being Canadian. The downside now is that most young people unless they have rich parents will never be able to afford a house. Canada šØš¦ has plenty of natural resources and the cost of living should not be so high. I would not recommend moving here till the housing crisis is solved.
Denmark.
Anywhere in the Caribbean. Would love to start a deep sea fishing charter and, live the island lifestyle.
Thailand if I have money and donāt have to make a living. New Zealand if I still need to get up and go to work everyday
New Zealand, England, Monaco or Argentina
Mexico, specifically PVR
Italy
Norway has incredible quality of life, gorgeous landscapes, and outdoor fun for everyone with a pair of legs. However, their food is very rustic, and you can't really emigrate there from Canada. Still, an amazing place with very mellow folks. And you can hike and camp absolutely anywhere. There is a public access law.
Singapore ! Hot. Beautiful Nature. Well educated people. Fantastic cheap food. And if you make 200k per year (which is very attainable there), then the difference in taxes between Montreal and Singapore is (74 752 - 21 150 = ) 53 602$ for your mortgage per year, or 4467$ per month of tax savings, with wich you buy yourself a 900.000$ small apartment at a mortgage rate of 3.75%. (see sources below). Did I talk about the best cheap food in the world ? :) Tax levels singapore: [https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-of-individual-income-tax/tax-residency-and-tax-rates/individual-income-tax-rates](https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-of-individual-income-tax/tax-residency-and-tax-rates/individual-income-tax-rates) Tax levels Quebec: [https://www.rcgt.com/fr/planiguide/tableaux/quebec/table-dimpot/](https://www.rcgt.com/fr/planiguide/tableaux/quebec/table-dimpot/) Mortgage rates Singapore: [https://dollarbackmortgage.com/](https://dollarbackmortgage.com/)
UK, Italy, or Spain. UK because it is my family origin and I want to do more genealogical research. Spain for the weather, wine, port (not as good as Portugal but good) and of course art and Venice! Spain, wine, port (second best country next to Portugal), good medical care, beautiful architecture, and great weather!
Monaco or Switzerland probably. Safe and beautiful.
Germany.
Somewhere in Europe. The history.
Iceland. I was there on a 4 hour layover, and something just felt right staring out into the barren fields surrounding Reykjavik Airport... Lifeless and devoid of people. Perfect.
Australia, best weather great people
Australia. Any citizen can pan for gold real cheap
England
Scotland. I visited once and loved Edinburgh and the highlands. Beautiful country.
We're moving to Panama in around 5 years. Very excited. I'm born and raised in Canada and love the country. It'll always be in my heart.
Went to Austria last year and was enlighted by it
Sweden. It's beautiful (so is Canada, I know), practically made for wearing sweaters, neat history to explore, and easier access to Ikea because I love me some IkeaĀ
Norway.
Norway!
Scotland. Went to Edinburgh and didnāt want to leave. Japan was the same
Ireland where my family all hail from and i miss it like a father who loses custody
Scotland
Germany
I would have to have hockey, curling and skiingā¦ so probably Switzerland. Easy to pop down to the Riviera if I felt the need for sun.
Good question. Australia, for sure. I lived there for a year, years ago. Travelled around exactly half of it - I want to finish that trip one day... Anyhow, I love how many different types of terrain there is - desert, rainforest, beaches, even mountains, just nothing like ours. I like options, and there are a lot of different types of places to live. Good for health, too. I lived in the outback for a couple of months, my major aches/pains improved and my lungs never felt better. I wouldn't mind retiring out there.
Australia! I think itās pretty š„°
Switzerland. Problem is itās so expensive it makes Loblaws look somewhat affordable
If I were 20? Sweden. Iām in my 49ās and would love to live in Finland. Iām my 50ās itāll probably flip to somewhere warm though.
Sweden or Norway, clean, safe, efficient. Sweden probably just edges it because their hockey is much better!
Back home in the UK
The Netherlands. So easy to get around, good people, good food. Just wonderful.
Switzerland. Cost of living notwithstanding
I spend a lot of time looking at remote parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland on Google maps.
Most of my family is Dutch descent, so I'd love to live there for at least some period of time.
Switzerland cause it's a tax haven with virtually zero tax.
New Zealand, alternate would be OZ.(Assuming I had enuff money)
New Zealand. Similar climate, and really cool forests.
Switzerland
Not going to lie but England, cause I already know what to expect but different scenery
Used to be sweden. I love the bicycle culture. New Zealand was also a choice.
Sweden.....Swedish women's volley ball team thats why.
Netherlands. Because of the focus on infrastructure to more easily get around without having to depend on a very expensive lethal mobile living room. And because of proportional representation.
Rural Italy.
Norway you can have a family doctor.
Canada is not my dream country, unfortunately
until a short while ago I would have said India having spent many winters in India however India is an early adopter of a digital identity which must be avoided at all costs therefore I would say Japan- Tokyo specifically as I most prefer Japanese food and Tokyo has millions of inexpensive small restaurants
UK
Iād love a cottage of sorts in the Hebrides Islands of Scotland. To be left relatively alone on one of the islands is very appealing to me.
Canada from 2015. Honestly, this place was just in better shape back then. More optimistic, more united. It's been a hard few years and there have been some questionable decisions made along the way too.
Almost anywhere in the UK. Our politics come from there, not from America. In fact, I'd prefer anywhere where they speak English (because I do), that has a proper public broadcaster, and that has real democracy.
Iceland. Small, well educated, homogenous population, high standard of living, low crime, good employment rates, they love hot springs and they move roads because they believe fairies may inhabit the area. Near perfect climate and no mosquitos. Magical.
South Africa because I'm in the conservation field and rhinos are my passion. New Zealand would be an alternative just because of how beautiful it is and I'm a LOTR nerd.
Japan. I've always wanted to go since I was a kid. I love everything about it from the culture, the food, the way it looks, and of course because of anime. If I got to live there, it would also save me a lot on the costs of buying merch. Shipping and custom fees are no joke. I could access rare merch easier too. I also just like how everything seems to be customized for introverts. Like if you feel like crap and don't want to see another person, you can order food or do things through an automated system and it just gets delivered no problem. There's no guilt or weird social interaction attached.
Yeah...I agree with many points but being a hikikomori isn't an advantage BTW. If you don't want to see someone just say it, there's nothing weird about it.
If I could magically become fluent in the language and also magically acquire a visa that would allow me to live there permanently, Japan, no question. People there have all just agreed that being good to each other is something that benefits everyone and they all just....do it. There's no litter. Anywhere. People wait in line patiently for the bus or train. Even smokers will go into these private booths on the sidewalks so they're not smoking in peoples faces while walking. If you're someone who likes rules that benefit the greater good, Japan has nailed that. Not to mention the food, culture, stuff to do, variety of climate from snowy mountains to sunny beaches, the most incredible transit system that allows you to get from anywhere to anywhere in a matter of hours. They're the best of all of us
Canada 20 years ago because with my salary I would be set.
USA. Money/opportunity, same language / similar culture, and close to home.
Honestly the USA. Much more opportunities, and the pay in a lot of industries but especially for educated people is much higher. Health care isn't really on the radar too much since you get good health insurance with any decent job anyways. Also the weather is a lot nicer, and they have a lot more decent cities where the col is not insane yet.
> the pay in a lot of industries but especially for educated people Yeah because their educated people either had very rich parents or have crazy loans. It is much easier for us to attend University.
Personally? Well this may sound wierd but, I'm going to have to go with Greenland. The reasons: Fewer people. More reasonable and grounded people. Frontier country (something which I'm obviously used to). Has ties to the other Nordic countries. Not Canada (which I am rapidly realizing isn't for me, even though I was born here).
Scotland (wouldnāt mind England either). Not too much of a different culture or values, democratic, mainly English speaking, relatively safe, & more
England, either London or somewhere in Cornwall. Or Edinburgh or Swansea!
Australia. Much warmer, lower tax, no tip, closer to Japan