I'm afraid to answer this because the monkey paw might curl and I'll be in an ICE concentration camp in Eswatini.

I have moved from the US to Spain. I have 0 regrets. I'm healthier, the people are more friendly and love life and their families. America is a shithole. Every day I get updates from my family about how awful things are, and i never regret moving.

Life feels so ....normal here. I have worries but its not a constant dread hanging over my head. Most of my life I have had GAD- Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I used to get frozen in thought loops of nonsensical dangers, like someone randomly shooting my husband or a car accident or something. Those episodes have almost completely stopped now. I rarely have panic attacks anymore.

Im healthier, have no more debt, I dont fear the people around me.... Its peaceful. I also visited the UK and it wasnt the same. It was too roudy, still friendlier than america by far , but very raucous.

Here in Spain its quiet, and slow. I prefer it so much.

Nordic countries or the Netherlands seem pretty cool. Although the winters would be a bit brutal being so far north.

Realistically I've thought about Australia since it has a nice climate, decent politics, and no language barrier.

Personally I would not leave the USA voluntarily since I mostly like the people I know here but if the fascists succeed in taking over then I might have to go somewhere else. Still hoping they can be beaten though.

Iceland. I love the culture and the weather. I had my honeymoon there many years ago, in the winter. It was amazing.

But my kids should be near their family, so even if I could go, I'd probably stay here in Texas. Plus the food here is much better.

Yes.

1. Iceland
2. New Zealand
3. Sweden
4. Scotland
5. Italy

Really, any others in the top-10 happy nations. I'm not fussy.

I like my country, but I would love another adventure ; mild adventure, as going to a happy nation is like "roughing it" in a 4-star.

Originally from China. It's probably quite hard to explain on a short post over the internet especially since there are way too many fucked up things where I'm from, but I absolutely wanted to and have been living outside for 11 years straight now, and I've been mostly happy wherever I've been (and I've been in some shittier cities). Although it is more of an "anywhere but China" attitude for me...

So yeah. I don't think I necessarily dreamed of living in any particular country, but just wanted to live anywhere else

New Zealander here. Wouldn’t leave if you paid me.

I’m an expat Brit and I’ve lived in Canada for many years. If I had to do it all again but pick a different country, I’d choose New Zealand. I’ve never been but it looks like a beautiful place and, well, the All Blacks? 😁

I did. Living in turkey sucks especially for a trans woman. Studying and staying in Berlin now

Hypothetically, yes, very much. I feel like I'd fit in much better culturally somewhere like Finland, or generally the more peaceful European countries. But as soon as I even begin to think about actually doing it..... No way in hell.

My family is here. All my friends are here. I've also got my mental health support system here and stuff like that, that would be incredibly hard to rebuild somewhere else.

There's also the obvious language barrier, which I think for me personally would be insurmountable.

There's a lot to dislike and hate about my home country of Israel. The weather is too hot and never changing in the summers. A large portion of the population is detestable in culture (and don't even get me started on politics). Public transportation is a bad joke. But despite all that... It's the best home I've got. Best thing to do is stay and try to make it better.

If everyone runs away whenever a place starts going to shit, it just goes to shit even faster. The non-shitty places will eventually run out.

Yes. Anywhere that actually isn't trying to persecute it's own people but actually make their lives better. So tired of this hellhole. (USA)

Lived in Norway most my life, and one day I woke up and decided to move to Estonia. Been living here for some years now, and life is quite similar, but with a lot of different nuances.

People are a bit more cold and generally untrusting towards strangers, but not in a bad way. People here are really warm once you befriend each other however, and they invite you to go mushrooming with them. I like mushrooms, and Estonia being a big swamp, there's a ton of them here! (my freezer is completely full of them now as the season draws to a close)

Before I moved here I had traveled a lot, and I've seen many people and cultures. With how easy it is to travel the world in this modern day and age, I really recommend people to go a bit outside their comfort zone, and experience life from a different angle. It truly helps get a more open mind and wider perspective on things. The language barrier that some people here mentioned isn't that much of a barrier anymore, since a majority of people under 40 know passable English these days, and there's always digital translation solutions.
Also, learning a new language is considered a very healthy thing for the mind!

Would and have. A few times.

I can say the grass is always greener on the other side, and people are mostly the same no matter where you are.

yes, France. Alas they are as afraid of me as the Australian government is afraid of the French

why ? As an Australian, France has way less Australians, so that's a huge bonus.

but more seriously, i'd be forced to learn another language and be open to exploring entire new ways of thinking and living.

As an Australian I don't have a problem with the metric system :) and both France and myself think our ex PM ScoMo is a complete fucking asshole, so we have lots in commin :)

currently I spend 8 months a year in SE Asia and 4 months in Australia.

I live in NZ.

There are a bunch of people saying that NZ is is a place they would like to go. It is really nice, slow pace of life in most places; however the cost of living here is way too high compared to incomes.

Politics is relatively stable compared to other nations; but we do have our own scoundrels who are complete fuckups.

There are quite a few drawbacks; talking with a German friend last night. We were talking about cites around the world, he said "Rome, oh yea I went there in high school when I was 17 for a week". That is just not really possible from here. Getting certain things here is just not worth it; the postage is more than the thing itself; or it just doesn't ship here at all. e.g. Jolla phone; but it isn't just niche Linux phones; a few years back I couldn't buy a laptop with a Ryzen processor, had to order it from Amazon in the US, everything available form a NZ retailer was Intel.

Public transport here is shit; outside of Wellington, it is 30 years behind where it should be. The CRL (city rail link) just opened in Auckland (our biggest city); this completes a loop that should have been built in the 90's. NZ is a very car dependent country; I can't catch a train from Taupō where I live in the middle of the North Island, at all, there is no rail line here.

Born in Russia, moved to Europe after graduating, then moved to Japan. I would never go back to any of the places I lived in. Of course, Japan is not perfect; no country is. But I realized it's about the compromises you're willing/can deal with. At least here, my family and I feel safe and as comfortable as we've never felt before.

Mexico. For their awesome woman president and their universal healthcare.

Auckland New Zealand for me. The climate there is great because it rarely goes below 40 and above 80. And it'd pretty 50/50 being sunny and cloudy. And it's far away from the US and that would be nice too.

FYI, on that tropical island in the header image:

Living there is not all it’s cracked up to be. It’s green hell, salt eats everything, pests never get culled from freezing, I could go on and on.

And unless you’re exactly on the equator, tropical cyclones are going to make your life difficult.

As a Michigander, I could see myself ending up in Canada. In theory, I already have Canadian citizenship waiting for me (since my grandfather was born there), and if I were to pursue getting that certified, it would definitely make immigrating easier. I think if the elections in the US seem to be compromised this year, I'll file that paperwork right away, just in case I need to move quickly later.

I recently spent several weeks in Iceland, I would live there.

I love the cold, I love the rain, I love their landscapes, and the food (I am a big fan of the plokkfiskur, absolutely worth trying). The people were incredibly nice, things were clean, the roads were generally well designed with good rules.

Aside from a sheep that I swear was saying rude things about my mother, it was wonderful.

If I had the choice, I would be quite happy living anywhere not in the south, maybe something north of Borgarnes.

Sometimes I'd like to try life in Europe somewhere, I'm lucky to live in Canada but I'd like to see life where we really have a robust social safety net and not just a nod to it.

Just for kicks, I looked into this years ago, pre-trump. Figured Scandinavia would be good and ultimately settled on Gothenburg, Sweden. Big city, relatively mild weather, close-ish to the rest of Europe.

Other options I've either daydreamed about or heard good things about over the years:

Vancouver, BC, Canada
Australia (East coast, have some extended family)
Spain
Baja California, Mexico

I'd pick Spain. But, there's no way I can do it now, I'm too old and poor.

Had I known what a shithole this country would become, I would have started out with that in mind and made it happen. I would have done many things differently, had I known. Hindsight is 20/20.

I've lived in two other countries than my own. Also lived in two other major cities in my own country. Never wanted to stay, was glad to come home. I like where I live a lot. When I was living other places I found them boring and I missed stuff from home that they didn't have.

Sad to say my own city though is rapidly becoming more and more boring because it's been taken over by rich douchebags and their creepy monoculture but I think that's true of any desirable place to live these days.

Australia

Currently living in Russia.

Would love to explore Scandinavia more, had mostly positive memories from visiting Finland (although, folks, don't forget smaller towns also need some colors! Imatra, for example, is depressing AF in the autumn).

China is also interesting to explore and live a bit in. An incredible mix of cultures and ways of life, all packed in unimaginable ways. Also, the nature of Far East is breathtaking.

Other than that, I'd love to settle somewhere very, very remote, away from the world's troubles and noise. New Zealand seems to be nice, or, if I'd want to go hardcore on a small civilized spot in the middle of nowhere, St. Helena is a great pick.

Switzerland. The entire country is gorgeous, and the people seem to have pretty solid human rights. Also, you're a train ride away from a lot of other cool places. And it seems like they make a lot of cool stuff there.

American here. I would love to live in New Zealand. I spent two weeks there for a work trip and it was beautiful. Otherwise Nordic countries and Australia as others have pointed out. I would also like Ireland as it’s super green. I’ve spent a good chunk of time in all of these locations already and they’ve been nicer than most of the USA. I do love Seattle but I daydream about a functioning federal government.

Born in Europe but my mother stupidly decided she wanted me to have the American dream with a picket fence and 2 dogs, so she brought me to Phoenix of all places.

Well, I made it out in my twenties and have been living across Europe for the past 10 years. Out of the places I've lived (Germany, Portugal, Ukraine, and now the Netherlands), I would choose Ukraine if not for Putin and his fucking war.

I'm actually visiting America right now for the first time in 8 years and holy shit I do not feel comfortable here any more. I hate the Netherlands but I realize I prefer it 100x to America. I actually finished my work early, came to the least American part, Puerto Rico, and I'm going home 5 ahead of schedule. See ya America, hoping never to set foot here again.

Fucking yes. And any Nordic country. They're the best shit out there: perfect weather, (almost) perfect society, lots of opportunities and the cheaper houses of the world.

On the other side, Canada, Australia, USA, Spain and most countries are a huge NO for me, either because of they're fascists (USA, Russia, China, ehem), either because they're modern slavery centers (Japan, South Korea, USA, ehem), either because they're fucking teocracies (all of Latam excluding Paraguay and Uruguay, all of Africa, and again, USA, ehem), or either because they're banning freedom of speech, of thought and of action (Australia, Canada, Japan, USA, Spain, Russia, China, most of Latam, most of Africa, ehem).

I already do that 😊 I'm originally from Hungary, but have lived in Scotland for 15+ years now. I love the weather (no, seriously) - none of Hungary's oven-like summers and freezing winters, but mild temperatures and high humidity all year around, so mosses and some other plants that normally die in continental winters are flourishing year-round here. Sometimes it gets a bit too gloomy, but it's a worthy cost for the temperatures :)

Also it's a great country for the most part - don't want to get too much into political and economical details - but the people are friendly and helpful, I very rarely see the attitudes of neurosis and apathy that seems common in Hungary (for understandable reasons).

I live in Denmark and am studying French to move either there or to Spain (I already speak Spanish) although it would mean higher living costs.

I miss people with strong, possibly contrasting opinions. And crowds, damn I miss street crowds!

Svalbard. Fewer scary people and more insanely cool animals. The light changes alone are enough for me.

Swede here, if I had to pick another country to move to, there are a few on my list.

Finland is probably number one, similar climate and culture, some places even speak Swedish, though I would do my best to learn Finnish.

Greece, they have my favourite food, climate seems nice, it just seems nice.

Italy, they have my second favourite food, nice climate, and fast trains.

Australia, seems pretty close to Swedish culture, similar food, and something about the country just seems very appealing to me.

I've lived in 3 countries throughout my life- not entirely by choice. Silver lining is I know three languages now

I'm tired of endlessly stressing out about money, so I would say somewhere with a lower cost of living (but still relatively safe and healthy) and with nice friendly people. If I had to guess where that'd be, I'd say Thailand/Vietnam, Costa Rica, or South America. Maybe even Spain too, but outside of the major cities? I've heard that the north coast or Extramadura can be really nice too....

It's fun to dream about, but not something I think about seriously. All places have their pros and cons, all places have good and bad people. I would definitely love to at least travel there someday though!

I am American. There are many countries I could see myself living in. But the current job market in the US offers higher income than most other countries would offer my family.

American here who is currently awaiting approval of a visa for Australia. My wife got a job in Adelaide, so we’re just waiting for visa approval and will be moving us and the kid. Cannot wait! I look forward to a healthier lifestyle, assimilating to their culture, and just having a new/different outlook on life.

We only visited Sydney and Cairns a couple of years ago, but we loved everything about both places and wished we could stay.

(And yes, I am well aware that by "Tahiti" I really mean "France." Il y a une raison pour laquelle j'apprends le francais depuis quelques années.)

New Zealand seems pretty nice too.

I live in the Midwest part of America. I'd love to live in Canada or a European country. I have a friend in Canada so it'd be nice to hangout more often. As for Europe, only downside is their winters I'm pretty sure suck more than ours and I despise winter.

Other than mine? Probably France, Italy or Portugal. They are like cousins to me, I feel I could be at home in any of them. And the languages are similar enough to what I already speak that I'm sure I'd pick it up without too much trouble.

I'm a Brit and I moved to New Zealand in 2010 and haven't looked back. UK is a shit hole traumatised by Tory rule and Brexit. New Zealand is such a literal breath of fresh air. sure we also have similar social issues like right wing politics (Act, NZ1st, National), but we also had Jacinda and I'd vote for her again forever. you don't move to NZ to get rich, you move because you love the land, and the people are awesome and friendly. I'd never go to the US. ewwww

I've never been to Europe, but I hear I'd love the Netherlands and Germany

I would love to live in italy. I love the people, culture, food, wine, the dolomites, music... the list goes on...

I don't want to live in any country. I dream of a future world without states or borders.

But Ireland seems pretty cool I guess.

Switzerland.

Germany, yeah SWITZERLAND PLEEEAAAASSSSEEWE TAKE MEEE!!!! PLEASE ANNEX US!

I’d like to live in France

Australians complain about the brutal housing prices.

Yes. But, it’s really difficult to figure out where is realistically ideal right now. Ultimately, I’d love a tropical climate or mountains.

That’s funny, I was thinking Denmark.

As someone who is from the US and lives in Denmark, yes, and I'd pick where you live cuz this place is fantastic!

We have talked about other places too. Now that we've done a move like this (with the intention of never returning to live in the US), it feels like a lower barrier for the "next one" if we so choose to

Probably, but u already have anxiety existing in places I know about, let alone a new place. So eh, maybe not.

American here, I'd happily live in another country. I don't even mind learning a new language. I already know english and have a solid grasp on spanish. Quality of life needs to meet or exceed mine here. (probably not difficult). I want acrage, fast fiber internet, no hoa, and amenities within 30min drive or so. I already live in wisconsin, so canada would be an easy transition. I like the cold. I've considered moving once the the wife and I are empty nesters and downsize the house. Other countries that I could make work: Australia, New Zealand. Spain, UK, Nordic regions, maybe even parts of Mexico.

I've only been to canada/mexico, so I'd want to visit first.

1. Japan
2. Costa Rica
3. Argentina
4. Thailand
5. Poland

I'm sure there are plenty of countries that I would rather live in, and I know for a fact there are other countries I definitely would NOT want to live in.

I'm not familiar enough with any of these places to know for sure.

I live in the US and while I don’t often dream about living in other countries, if I had to move elsewhere long term, I’d probably pick whichever of the following I was able to get a decent job in, comparing expected net pay to cost of living:

• Canada
• UK
• Australia
• New Zealand

I live in America so I would prefer a free country. Where might that be?

Maybe Iceland or New Zealand because there's more healthcare and leftists, but I'm french and I think I would be missing protests way too much to leave (but I'm disabled and it's harder and harder to live here...)

Pretty much anywhere, seem like it'd be fun.

I haven't been back to the country I was born in for some time now. Non-zero chance I'd get arrested stepping off the plane if I did. Geographically speaking. The country itself no longer existsm

I've lived in 5 developing countries for work, though 2 are really only developing outside of urban areas, and 5 places in the US. Spouse and I still can't even agree on a place to want to live, but our criteria is super picky.

It's worth also saying that to move from your home is very much a personal decision, and not everyone is into that. I value understanding a people and a place, not travel for the sake of IG posts. Without leaving the US, I got the hell out of the small town where I was raised because there were no opportunities to grow as a person. Not because I wanted to go to college in a place with a Starbucks.

Sometimes people need to step back and see if they're just stuck thinking the grass is always greener somewhere else. Humans love to compare things.

There's a time to appreciate where you are, a time to leave to improve yourself or your situation, and a time to fix where you are rather than leave.

No matter where you go you bring yourself.

Maybe. I don't know enough about what it actually is like in most other countries. I have a few ideas, but I'd have to visit them for a bit to know if I would actually want to live there permanently. Like the Netherlands or Japan. Only ever been to Mexico, Germany and Ireland. And I was only in Ireland for about 3 hours waiting for a change of planes on my way to Germany where I worked for about 2 and half weeks in Bremerhaven. I could probably live in Germany; but I sure as hell would want to be in a different city. Bremerhaven was a bit boring; not much to do there unless I was into strip clubs. They had a gnarly red light district.

Somewhere with good public transport. Ideally somewhere that doesn't prioritise cars over safety, transport efficiency, health, the environment, and the economy.

I've lived (stayed for more than a year) in six different countries. The longest I've lived in one country was the US, 16 years. I moved there as an adult already. Since then, I've been living in Ireland for the past 15 years.

I view countries like products. I move to the one that suits me best at the moment. I work, pay taxes, volunteer and otherwise contribute to society as a payment for the privilege to stay, and I live fairly comfortably, based on my stage of life. The US, for example, was great for higher education and saving up money. Ireland sucks for the young and old, but is perfect for the midfle aged middle class. Once I retire, I'll look somewhere else again.

I would rather live in ANY country than my own.

The Netherlands. I already understand some Dutch and I think the weather will be okay with climate change.

The only thing that would make me leave is if I could have the same quality of life I have here, but with less harsh winters. So I guess New Zealand maybe? But I have no idea. Maybe I just want an excuse to go and look at the cool endemic geckos and other animals.

I'm surprised I did not see any comments from latinamerica. I left Colombia looking for better quality of life. While in Colombia one could be better off if you are in the top part of the high inequality, you are also constantly reminded of such in many ways. And this also translates to violence and people taking advantage of others. I guess the more "community oriented" cultures are a better fit for me.

Did you not notice? That be the same island we made you the governor of on our last little trip.