Have you ever traveled somewhere and absolutely fell in love with the place?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have Norwegian heritage? My mom calls this phenomenon salmon swimming upstream.

I love your mom’s saying. I have Norwegian and Swedish heritage, and always feel at home there when I visit my family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Interesting all the love Norway is getting…one of the whitest countries on the planet. Hmm…

Also one of the wealthiest. North Sea oil helps.

Diversity isn’t all it’s made out to be. Most people want to live near people who are like them. Places with the most satisfied citizens are usually the most homogeneous.

It’s the difference between a nation state and a country. This is a country and I far prefer our diversity and I am as white and Northern European as it gets.

Out of cities, Norway’s not an easy place if you don’t blend in. It’s not easy in the cities either. It’s probably better than it was, but you feel the lack of diversity on many levels.

The appeal is the natural beauty combined with basic comforts. For visitors the prices can knock you unconscious. For Norwegians, you can lead a middle class life in good health, surrounded by exquisite nature and a simple home with all creature comforts.

There’s health care for everyone, with the caveat that the “ambulance may not arrive so fast if you’re over 80.” The family farm is hard to hold onto and maintain, if you’re lucky enough to inherit one. Less skilled work makes for lower standard of living. It only seems that everyone goes to Spain in the winter. Taxes are high. The weather calls the shots.

When the snow glistens, the sun shines, the mountains embrace, kids ski between their parents when they can stand, crazy snow board boys knit, and you know you’ll be warm and have food at the end of the day, there’s a lot to like.

[Anonymous]

Australia. If it weren’t for climate change, I would move there.

[Anonymous]

Bali. Not to live but would love to be fortunate enough to spend more time there once our children are older/retirement.

[Anonymous]

Herndon

[Anonymous]

Venice. Been many times, mostly in December and January. It is the most beautiful place and I feel so happy there.

[Anonymous]

My brother's been an ex-pat for years in Belguim. I have spent some lovely long vacations there. I could see living there. A lot to like for many reasons.

[Anonymous]

Madrid because it's such an easy, great city in every way, great food, culture, walkable. And Utah because I never get tired of the landscapes, from deserts to mountains. I'd constantly be taking in-state road trips.

[Anonymous]

There are parts of Tuscany and the South Island of New Zealand that take my breath away. And when you are in the Serengeti surrounded by a few hundred thousand zebra and wildebeest it’s hard to not be in awe.

[Anonymous]

Thailand and Japan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love Germany. I would live there in old age. Everyone is highly educated and polite.

Ugh! They still hate Jewish people there.

Not just Jews. I’ve been to Germany 3x and I found the people very cold and unfriendly— particularly in Berlin. I’m Asian American. Spouse is actually German American and we both took German. They pretty much ignored us for a good 10 minutes at one bakery cafe. The butcher glowered at me when I asked a question about the sausages. And the airport personnel was probably the worst experience of more than 20 European airports I’ve visited. Not a huge fan. I do agree that Sweden and Norway are beautiful but as I have friends from both countries I’ve seen the down sides of living there and they are natives. If we were ever to live in Europe probably northern Spain or Portugal would be our top choices but only part time not full time particularly with global warming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Geneva. Not to be a tourist. To live there.

Interesting. I used to visit for work and really liked noshing at their plethora of restaurants on sunny spring days. That said, most UN and international org folks live in France, largely due to cost and perception that the Swiss are provincial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love Germany. I would live there in old age. Everyone is highly educated and polite.

Ugh! They still hate Jewish people there.

Not just Jews. I’ve been to Germany 3x and I found the people very cold and unfriendly— particularly in Berlin. I’m Asian American. Spouse is actually German American and we both took German. They pretty much ignored us for a good 10 minutes at one bakery cafe. The butcher glowered at me when I asked a question about the sausages. And the airport personnel was probably the worst experience of more than 20 European airports I’ve visited. Not a huge fan. I do agree that Sweden and Norway are beautiful but as I have friends from both countries I’ve seen the down sides of living there and they are natives. If we were ever to live in Europe probably northern Spain or Portugal would be our top choices but only part time not full time particularly with global warming.

PP, what do you see as the downsides?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The English countryside. Rolling green hills covered with flowers or sheep. Stone cottages. Quaint coastal villages. I must have lived there in a past life.

From what I can tell from Britbox, there are a lot of murders in some of the smaller cities and villages. From what I can tell, as many as 2-3 folks can be killed in Oxford over a weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The English countryside. Rolling green hills covered with flowers or sheep. Stone cottages. Quaint coastal villages. I must have lived there in a past life.

From what I can tell from Britbox, there are a lot of murders in some of the smaller cities and villages. From what I can tell, as many as 2-3 folks can be killed in Oxford over a weekend.

Yes, it's shocking!