What Kind of Expat Are You?

Republished with permission from Simon Black, sovereignman.com

People ask me this question all the time:

“Simon, I really want to leave the country, but where should I go?”

Quite literally, there is a world of possibilities out there, each full of richness and opportunity. But as you could imagine, it depends on what kind of person you are. What would be a great expat haven for some seems like a hellish nightmare to others.

Over the years I have seen thousands of expats roaming in and out of different countries around the world. In my opinion, most expats fall into seven categories… and chances are you probably fit one of the molds as well:

PIONEER: You are an opportunity-focused expatriate, and you are willing to relocate solely for the prospect of making a great deal of money and doing something interesting. You think nothing of charging in to an almost native, potentially dangerous environment and care nothing of dilapidated infrastructure, squalor.

You are willing to learn the local language and don’t care if anyone else speaks English there… you love the almost lawless, wild west persona and can literally smell the money everywhere.

EXPEDITIONER: You are a classical traveler in the mold of British merchants and explorers– you want to make the journey overseas, but you want your amenities too, complete with a triple mocha latte.

You want to storm the plains of the Serengeti… with an armed guide. You want to see India up close and personal… then go back to your five star hotel.

In short, you want the richness of the expat experience, but you want it to be easy and painless.

RETIREE: You have had a full career and are looking for a switch… it’s not about playing golf every day (though there will be plenty of that), it’s about finding a new direction in life, taking new steps, and getting energized again.

You are looking for something worthwhile to throw your time and effort into, and you want to be surrounded by like minded people who are in a similar position in life.  In a way, you want to turn back the clock and find a place that reminds you of home years ago– 1950s America, for example.

NOMAD: You are a permanent traveler. You roam the globe because there are simply too many amazing places to see, and abundant opportunities in each.  You perhaps have a ‘home base’ somewhere, but you don’t see it for months at a time.  You know people all over the world and enjoy making new connections and trying new things.

You count air miles as an asset and talk about ‘running down to Panama for a few days’ as if you were going down the street to pick up a quart of milk at the grocery store.

HERMIT: You shun contact with most of the world because they just don’t get it.  You are passionate about your beliefs and are looking for a place where you can execute an agenda– growing organic food, preparing for social chaos, etc.

You are possibly interested in setting up a small community with like-minded souls, preferably away from major civilization where you can live your life without bother or interference from governments or corrupt social institutions.

INTERNATIONALIST: You are a smart, educated, opportunistic professional that is a cross between the pioneer and expeditioner– you thrive on opportunity but need some basic structure to feel comfortable… probably because you have a family or some other obligations beyond yourself.

As long as basic needs are met– safety, schools, healthcare, etc., you are happy and can focus on building a life and a new business.

HEDONIST: You have been successful in life and simply want to enjoy the fruits of your efforts over the years– wine, women, whatever else seems interesting. You almost feel like a kid again, free to jump on a plane to follow your favorite team, see an old friend, or make new ones.

You pick a country because of its opportunities for pleasure, and are always willing to explore new ones.

… so there you have it. In all honesty, most people can find elements of several categories but are generally dominant in one.

The places that you will probably find appealing depend on which kind of expat you are.  We will explore these together in future letters, and I will use these categories as a reference point from now on when I write about cities and countries.

Think about which one you are and let me know what you think. Did I miss any?

Author Victoria Twead shown on terrace of new home in Spain

Why move to Spain? Why live in a tiny mountain village, with only six permanent residents, no shop and half an hour away from the nearest big town?

For my first blog post for Travelin4Health, I thought I’d shoot back in time, and explain how Joe and I ended up leaving England for the village of El Hoyo, tucked away in the Alpujarra mountains.

It was my fault, of course. Joe was about to retire and already dreaming of a tension-free life, lounging in his dressing-gown all day, writing his masterpiece and perhaps diverting himself with the odd mathematical problem.

But, no, I had other ideas. I had plenty of reasons, some vague, some more solid.

So one particularly cold, wet Bank Holiday, I broached the subject. I gabbled on about the weather, the cost of living being cheaper in Spain, the pace of life slower, etc, etc.

“Why don’t you write one of your famous lists?” Joe suggested, only half joking.

I’m well known for my lists and records, I can’t help myself. I make a note of the weather every day, the temperature, the first snowdrop, the day the ants fly, the exchange rate of the euro, everything. I make shopping lists, separate ones for each shop. I make To Do lists and ‘Joe, will you please’ lists. I even make lists of lists. My nickname at work used to be Schindler. (more…)

Good Health Care Available in Pattaya, Thailand

Date: March 8, 2010
Reporting From: Pattaya, Thailand

Republished with permission from Simon Black, sovereignman.com

I managed to pick up some nasty bug that has knocked me into next Tuesday… But while I feel completely miserable at the moment, this little bacterial bout has given me the opportunity to experience, first-hand, the joys of the Thai medical system.

First, doctors make house calls. When you’re as sick as I am, the last thing you want to do is get dressed, sit in the car, and go to the doctor’s office. Not a problem in Thailand… they come to you, all for about $30. And yes, they speak perfect English.

Second, if you’re a believer in medication, you can buy pretty much buy whatever you want over-the-counter– from antibiotics to codeine to Viagra. And everything costs a small fraction of what you would expect. You almost feel guilty, like you’re ripping off the pharmacy. (more…)

The lifestyle living in Discovery Bay, Hong Kong

Hong Kong is such a great place to live because it is so unique in so many different ways. Within 10 minutes radius you can be living amongst high rise buildings and trendy restaurants or by the beach in lovely house.

Discovery Bay is only a short 30 minute ferry ride away from Hong Kong Island, we are situated on the same island as the airport – Lantau Island. I truly believe we have the best of both worlds, we have the luxury of a holiday destination where the only mode of private transport is golf carts and bicycles. The area is also known as delivery bay by many people as the population of DB is generally full of children and their dogs.

This is such a unique place to live where everything is within walking distance which makes access to anything easy. We have many mountains that are definitely worth hiking and a very close nit community where most people know each other! Each area has it’s own community, whether you live on a boat at the Marina or in a townhouse on the golf course you feel part of a community within a community. (more…)