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Time To Get Out Of Dodge? |
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Contributed by Mick Winter
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 Get Out Of Dodge?
With many people predicting a serious economic depression, and others
equally--or also--concerned about the approaching depletion of oil
production ("Peak Oil" - For full information, see Dry Dipstick at www.drydipstick.com"),
you might consider moving to a quieter, more sustainable, less
oil-dependent location.
Of course you might be fine living exactly where you are now. It's
certainly easier to stay where you are than to move. No one can
predict, certainly not with certainty, where the best places might be
to deal with the future. Many observers think that large cities are
definitely not the best location. Others suggest that any town
dependent on water and food that comes from a large distance may not be
ideal. They suggest a small town with adequate water and nearby farms.
When it comes down to it, no one really has the foggiest idea, so
you're on your own.
If you wish, you can run off into the hills, create a mountain
fortress, and be a dyed-in-the-wool, nobody-come-near-me loner. Others
believe that if a true survivalist is someone who wants to survive, the
best way to do that in the 21st century is in a community. (If you're
really into survivalism, we suggest you check out www.survivalist.com.)
The choice is yours. If you still have the time, we can suggest
resources for finding a place to live both in the United States and in
countries around the world.
Inside the United States
If you currently live in the United States, you might want to consider
simply moving to another state rather than going abroad. Things
generally get much cheaper when you move away from the coasts, and the
quality of life can be very good. Plus, they speak English there (more
or less) and you can usually get all the stuff you're probably used to.
(Assuming stuff is still available.)
There are a number of excellent web sites to help you in your search
for a place to move to. Moving.com's (www.moving.com) city profiles
provide information on hundreds of cities. The profiles include cost of
living, taxes, home costs, insurance costs and quality of life factors
such as population, crime, weather and education.
Moving.com can also help you find real estate and arrange for moving
logistics. You can even compare the profiles of two cities of your
choice.
BestPlaces (www.bestplaces.net) lets you
compare two cities from a list of over 3,000 places in the U.S. You'll
see a comparison of nearly 100 categories. BestPlaces offers
neighborhood profiles for every zip code in the U.S., in-depth profiles
on over 85,000 schools, a cost of living calculator that compares
cities and determines what salary you'd need at a new location to
maintain the same standard of living as you have now. Plus you'll find
crime rates for over 2,500 U.S. cities, most and least stressful
cities, and climate profiles for 2,000 cities worldwide.
You can even take a "Find Your Best Place" quiz to determine your own
recommended best places to live. BestPlaces also publishes the book
"Cities Ranked and Rated", with detailed information on over 400
metropolitan areas in the U.S. and Canada. You might also find the Most
Livable Communities website helpful (www.mostlivable.org).
Our favorite resource is FindYourSpot (www.findyourspot.com).
It offers a fun quiz (it'll take you less than 10 minutes) with great
questions, and it produces a list of two dozen cities that fit your
quiz answers. Results for each city include an attractive downloadable
four-page report with an insightful overview of the character of the
area and information on climate, arts and culture, recreation,
education, housing and cost of living, crime and safety, health care,
and earning a living. You'll also find links to currently available
jobs and housing, roommate services, recommended city-specific books,
and travel deals if you'd like to personally visit the city.
Outside the U.S.
Wondering where the best country is to move to? We suggest that there
is actually more than one "best country" for you. You find them by:
1) visiting every possible country and seeing which ones you like best,
or
2) researching every possible country, zeroing in on those you feel
most attracted to, and then visiting those countries. We suggest that
the best way to begin is to use the Web, particularly the sites we list
below.
Bottom line? Visit a country and spend some time there before making
the actual move. Most experienced expatriates suggest living at least
six months in your host country before permanently moving there. And
remember, you're not going to live in an entire country, just in one
specific place in a country. You don't have to love the entire country
to be able to find that one special place just for you. You're looking
for a region, a city, a town, even a neighborhood where you can find
the qualities you want in a new home.
Here are some websites that should help in your quest for a new country.
Boomers Abroad (www.boomersabroad.com)
A website devoted to giving you the best and most comprehensive
information available on the Web about beautiful (and affordable) warm
coastal countries, how to get there and how to live there. Whether
you're looking to be a retiree, a working expatriate, or simply a
visitor, Boomers Abroad is your place on the Web for Costa Rica, Cuba,
Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Uruguay.
Expat Communities (www.expatcommunities.com)
A directory of more than 110 countries with sizeable English-speaking
(and usually international as well) expatriate communities.
English-language websites, organizations, online forums, meetups, local
newspapers, and books of interest to current and potential expatriates.
These websites will give you, or link you to, all the information
you'll need to decide if a particular country might suit your needs and
deserves future exploration.
Expat Stuff (www.expatstuff.com)
Wherever you end up living as an expat, you'll need stuff. And
information. And services. This website is an excellent directory with
a focus on the endless variety of information, services and tools
you'll need to enjoy life and create your own income while living
abroad. You'll also find information on such things as communication,
health insurance, obtaining a passport, links to country information,
and general expatriate blogs and websites.
Mick Winter is the founder of Beyond Peak (www.beyondpeak.com)
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A guide to self-sufficiency and living sustainably with Peak Oil and
economic collapse.
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