Is it wiser to stay in the United States or move abroad?

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I am thinking about moving to Eastern Europe. Macedonia in particular. Here are the positives:
-cheap to live
-very beautiful environment
-friendly people
-cool countries nearby to visit
-inexpensive universities
-relatively undiscovered
-economy will boom once integrated into Eu
-probably easier to approach women


Bad parts:
-high unemployment
-family (mostly mom) is worried about my problems and being away from family
-imports are kind of hindered at the moment
-the economy is kind o depressed
-far away from family


So do you think that Macedonia, or other Eastern European, are a good place for a person with autism? I am thinking if I can build up some passive income, I could build wealth relatively easily, and live a lie of comfort. Any thoughts?

i know at least one WPer who lives in croatia, who says that general part of the world is the worst place for an aspie.

I've considered moving (if even temporarily) to Italy. Whether or not it's true, I've heard people say that life outside the US is just....slower. A better pace. That's what I'm looking for.

Maybe you could look into a vacation or temporary move, just to get a feel for the area you'd be living in? That's why I plan on studying abroad in college.

Have you considered other countries?

You can get a work visa for Switzerland. The unemployment rate there is 3.1% and a lot of people go to Switzerland for work.

Check out this article:

http://voices.yahoo.com/how-move-united ... 23522.html

I'm in Michigan finishing a college course and seriously thinking of expatriating to Canada.

Depending on where my job skills have demand I might look elsewhere in parts of Europe like Germany.

i would live in canada or the other commonwealth nations if i could.

Switzerland is a nice country, but I am thinking of getting the maximum bang or the buck. I have also heard that people from Macedonia are generally friendly, which always helps. I am not trying to get a "job", although I would consider doing some consultancy. I am thinking about maybe online marketing. So far I have done well for my success in my small amounts I have done. So I am thinking about maybe making some permanent streams and expanding. And since you can live on $400 a month, instead of 5,500 minimum in Switzerland. Also, I believe it is easier to move to non-EU countries, so that is another thing to consider. Plus I like that is kind of at a crossroad. Not to ar from Greece and Turkey, or Germany, Italy, or other such nations. The major selling point is the cost of living. Also, the universities, even the most prestigious ones, and comparable in costs to community colleges in the US. So if I can save $1000 + a month, a low tax rate, and a developing region, I may have opportunities for huge growth.


BTW, I am going to Canada in a few days lol. Also, where in Michigan are you from? I would considered moving to Canada (very beautiful nation), but the hate speech laws rub me the wrong way, and the political correctness is buggy. Also, the cost o living is kind of high. Cool place to visit though. (Going to Algonquin Park).

There's a poster I've noticed on WP from Macedonia. The name escapes me unfortunately.

I actually lived in a place called Macedonia while growing up (not the former Yugoslav republic nor the region of Greece) - however you don't want to move there.

Interesting.


Ah, close enough! lol. Actually where I am thinking about is not to far from the Grecian Macedonia. Bitola.

Well, actually Ontario and Michigan are kind of comparable (at least under Jennifer Granholm). First off, our former governor was from Canada, which can be seen in her policies overall. Also, they are industrial areas in general. Under Governor Snyder and a Republican House and Senate, things governmentally are improving,but the economy is still in the tank. It seems like there is more industry up and running in Canada than in Michigan, although I mostly spend time in a small town that is post industrial, so I don't know much about the (lower) West side of the state, but I know for the east side things are really crappy. Although Traverse City is doing rather well, even though I imagine they are still in some pain since a lot of their economy is tied to tourism. TC is a nice place anyways (I lived there for 7 years)


In regards to the EU. I know the EU is not hot right now, but the whole point is that it would break down the trade barriers that I believe is limiting the Macedonian economy (that is probably the major reason, since the government is market friendly, the constitution limits the government, and the taxes and regulatory system for the most part are easy to go through. The only thing I have heard about that is a major pain is the problems of importing) If they joined the Eu, they would need to reform it. I am not going to hold my breath though. I am thinking about living off online income, and eventually maybe dividend income once it is built up enough. So I am not depending on moving there for a job. Also, there may be opportunities that present themselves in the region, most notably Poland and the Czech Republic. There are a lot of skilled laborers that can be hired at low rates, plus with market friendly policies, I believe that the region in general will grow, and perhaps become tigers in much the same way that Lithuania, Latvia, and other countries have grown. I am not counting on these things, but if I have the resources that allow me to cash in on these opportunities, then this may be a great opportunity.


In regards to moving there, I am definitely going to visit before I move there. My family is positive about that. The problem I have with my family's advice is that, yes it is sound, but at what cost? In my town, there is absolutely nothing going on. When you try and post an event on facebook to form a group about "X", then nobody ever joins. You try and go to anything and everything that is going on, and even at that, there is still almost nada in this town. Maybe there are some things in the summer, but that is about it. About the only thing that is going for this town is the college, which is good, but I like to look ahead, and so I am thinking about either a plan or exit strategy, which depends on the situation. There are not a lot of jobs where I am for what I am going into, so while there is always a possibility I could stay here, I am long term probably not going to live here. In addition, the city seems to be anti-growth, which I hate. Even if I just work online, I would not be able to live off it here. If I were to live in Macedonia, I could live off it, and then some. How can I convince my family this is a good idea? My guess would be see how college goes here, and maybe try and convince her from there. Also, I can earn my Bachelors at an accredited in Macedonia for less than I could go here at a community college.

It certainly sounds as if you've done a good bit of relevant research. As you aren't depending on finding a job there, you are in a very strong position.

Persuading your Mum might be difficult - all you can do is show her that you are mature enough to manage. Make sure you are budgeting your own money, doing your own laundry and chores, cooking some of your own meals if that is appropriate in your family (in my family that is considered bad manners but we are odd, I think) and generally do everything to show her how mature and capable you are. Sometimes there is a bit of a time delay between a person becoming a capable adult and their parents realising that this is the case.

I'm assuming that language is no object, and that you speak, read and write Macedonian fluently. If you don't, then that is an enormous negative that needs to go on your list.

So let's look at a few measures:

An important measure of an economy is it's GDP by purchasing power parity. While a country like Macedonia might be a cheap place to live--its GDP by PPP is still only $10,366--less than a quarter that of the United States. Even if you can get work there--far from an assured prospect--you are still going to be stuck with a Macedonian income, which will only provide you with more limited purchasing power as a consumer.

On the Human Development Index, is a respectable .728, ranking "high" but still lagging behind better developed countries in the region like Greece and Croatia. But when income inequality is taken into consideration, the HDI drops to .609. That 16.9% drop is the largest drop in Europe (unless you count Turkey). This means that if you don't have money, you are significantly worse in Macedonia, and much worse off relative to the population with money than you would be than in any other country in Europe. By comparison, the US drop is 15.3%.

The Gini coeffecient is 44.2--even worse than Russia's 42.2 (though better than the USA's 45). The difference between "have" and "have not" in Macedonia is not significantly better than it is in the United States, and the have-nots are no better off than they are in the USA.

On The Economist's Democracy Index, Macedonia scores 6.16, just making it into the "flawed democracy" category, behind most other countries in the region.

I don't see that there's much of an analytical basis to conclude that you would be taking a step forward by going there. Unless there are significant "pull" factors, like the presence of a spouse, family or a guaranteed job, then I don't see it as a positive move.