Hi, I know this question may get asked a lot but I’m wondering; when you think about all the places and the experience you had there as a whole (scenery, people, laws, culture, etc) what takes the cake as the closest to perfect?
I know perfection isn’t a thing when it comes to being an expat, but I’m sure you’ve felt once before “if it had just this one thing it would be perfect”
I think mine would be Ikaria, Greece.
Edinburgh. It’s small, but has a lot of the conveniences of a bigger place. It’s walkable, has decent public transportation compared to other cities of its size, has nice nature in the city and really nice nature just outside the city. The student population keeps it young and vibrant, although they cause overcrowding in some areas. Much of the city is really beautiful, although some of the outskirts are neglected. It has a lot of the things I like (music, comedy, art) and the food options have vastly improved over the last 10 years. It’s probably my favourite place I’ve ever lived. Downsides are that it is really small and gets a lot of tourism, so some areas aren’t really so nice to be around. The drinking culture can be a bit of a turn off, but once you find some like-minded people you don’t have to rely on that anymore. The main reason I no longer live there is the darkness of winter (and the fact that the rents doubled over the last two years while we’ve been travelling). Also, as an expat, the costs and requirements associated with moving there are a bit much for what you get. But it will always hold a special place in my heart.