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Time To Get Out Of Dodge? - Relocate Ahead Of The Collapse
By Mick Winter, Thu Dec 8th
Peak Oil? Economic Collapse? Maybe the universe is trying totell you something. Maybe it's Relocation, Relocation,Relocation. With many people predicting a serious economic depression, andothers equally--or also--concerned about the approachingdepletion of oil production ("Peak Oil" - For full information,see Dry Dipstick at www.drydipstick.com), youmight consider moving to a quieter, more sustainable, lessoil-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 onecan predict, certainly not with certainty, where the best placesmight be to deal with the future. Many observers think thatlarge cities are definitely not the best
location. Otherssuggest that any town dependent on water and food that comesfrom a large distance may not be ideal. They suggest a smalltown with adequate water and nearby farms. When it comes down toit, no one really has the foggiest idea, so you're on your own. (Article continued below)
If you wish, you can run off into the hills, create a mountainfortress, and be a dyed-in-the-wool, nobody-come-near-me loner.Others believe that if a true survivalist is someone who wantsto survive, the best way to do that in the 21st century is in acommunity. (If you're really into survivalism, we suggest youcheck out www.survivalist.com.) The choice is yours. If you still have the time, we can suggestresources for finding a place to live both in the United Statesand in countries around the world. Inside the United States If you currently live in the United States, you might want toconsider simply moving to another state rather than goingabroad. Things generally get much cheaper when you move awayfrom the coasts, and the quality of life can be very good. Plus,they speak English there (more or less) and you can usually getall the stuff you're probably used to. (Assuming stuff is stillavailable.) There are a number of excellent web sites to help you in yoursearch for a place to move to. Moving.com's (www.moving.com) city profilesprovide information on hundreds of cities. The profiles includecost of living, taxes, home costs, insurance costs and qualityof life factors such as population, crime, weather and education. Moving.com can also help you find real estate and arrange formoving logistics. You can even compare the profiles of twocities of your choice. BestPlaces (www.bestplaces.net) letsyou compare two cities from a list of over 3,000 places in theU.S. You'll see a comparison of nearly 100 categories.BestPlaces offers neighborhood profiles for every zip code inthe U.S., in-depth profiles on over 85,000 schools, a cost ofliving calculator that compares cities and determines whatsalary you'd need at a new location to maintain the samestandard of living as you have now. Plus you'll find crime ratesfor over 2,500 U.S. cities, most and least stressful cities, andclimate profiles for 2,000 cities worldwide. You can even take a "Find Your Best Place" quiz to determineyour own recommended best places to live. BestPlaces alsopublishes the book "Cities Ranked and Rated", with detailedinformation on over 400 metropolitan areas in the U.S. andCanada. You might also find the Most Livable Communities websitehelpful (www.mostlivable.org/). Our favorite resource is FindYourSpot (www.findyourspot.com). Itoffers a fun quiz (it'll take you less than 10 minutes) withgreat questions, and it produces a list of two dozen cities thatfit your quiz answers. Results for each city include anattractive downloadable four-page report with an insightfuloverview of the character of the area and information onclimate, arts and culture, recreation, education, housing andcost of living, crime and safety, health care, and earning aliving. You'll also find links to currently available jobs andhousing, roommate services, recommended city-specific books, andtravel 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 thatthere is actually more than one "best country" for you. You findthem by: 1) visiting every possible country and seeing which ones youlike best, or 2) researching every possible country, zeroing in on those youfeel most attracted to, and then visiting those countries. Wesuggest 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 beforemaking the actual move. Most experienced expatriates suggestliving at least six months in your host country beforepermanently moving there. And remember, you're not going to livein an entire country, just in one specific place in a country.You don't have to love the entire country to be able to findthat one special place just for you. You're looking for aregion, a city, a town, even a neighborhood where you can findthe qualities you want in a new home. Here are some websites that should help in your quest for a newcountry. Boomers Abroad (www.boomersabroad.com) A website devoted to giving you the best and most comprehensiveinformation available on the Web about beautiful (andaffordable) warm coastal countries, how to get there and how tolive there. Whether you're looking to be a retiree, a workingexpatriate, or simply a visitor, Boomers Abroad is your place onthe Web for Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, andUruguay. Expat Communities (www.expatcommunities.com) A directory of more than 110 countries with sizeableEnglish-speaking (and usually international as well) expatriatecommunities. English-language websites, organizations, onlineforums, meetups, local newspapers, and books of interest tocurrent and potential expatriates. These websites will give you,or link you to, all the information you'll need to decide if aparticular country might suit your needs and deserves futureexploration. Expat Stuff (www.expatstuff.com) Wherever you end up living as an expat, you'll need stuff. Andinformation. And services. This website is an excellentdirectory with a focus on the endless variety of information,services and tools you'll need to enjoy life and create your ownincome while living abroad. You'll also find information on suchthings as communication, health insurance, obtaining a passport,links to country information, and general expatriate blogs andwebsites. About the author:Mick Winter is the founder of Beyond Peak(http://www.beyondpeak.com) - A guide to self-sufficiency andliving sustainably with Peak Oil and economic collapse. | 