Where in the world would you want to raise your family?

[pioneermama]

Hello all,

I've been wondering, if finances and/or work were not an issue, where in the would would you choose to raise your family and why? Just curious...

Blessings,

Pioneermama

[ozmummy]

Perth, Western Australia!

I am an Australian that moved with my family to America when I was a child. My heart still remains Down Under and I hope to return home with my new family someday.

Beautiful white sand beaches, excellent weather, wonderful people, delicious food, and a huge extended family. No place better. :love

[pioneermama]

sounds marvelous ozmummy - "Beautiful white sand beaches, excellent weather, wonderful people, delicious food, and a huge extended family", indeed, what could be better!

Blessings,

Pioneermama

[AmandasMom]

Defiately positively without a doubt in a heartbeat i'd be back in Australia. I lived there for 2 years, and I left my heart and soul there when I had to leave. I will always consider it my home. If it wasn't for their crappy immigration laws, I'd still be there!

[Aster]

Australia--but i havent been there, so we'd have to do a walkabout first to find a place that fits us ;)

Saltspring Is, Canada.

It would be heaven to alternate back and forth and always live in summer.


:D

[pioneermama]

So far Oz seems to be the number one choice!

[pioneermama]

Any mamas want to raise their families in Carribean? Ireland?

[mariposita]

I'd actually love to take my family back to the Dominican Republic. I lived there during college and for a few years afterwards and it has all that I would be looking for in a community. Dominicans are so friendly, completely outgoing, humble, love music and dance and it's beautiful. Plus, I find it important to have my children be around different cultures/socio-economic situations. DS is being raised bilingually and I hope that he will develop an appreciation for material possessions. There are also so many things to do--visiting historic sites (when Columbus arrived to the "New World", he actually arrived in the Dominican Republic), mountains 10,000 ft. tall, not to mention the incredible Caribbean beaches...Eventually I know that we will one day live there again.

[pioneermama]

Mariposita - sounds wonderful and lovely! I've heard that Dominican culture is so rich, though I've not visited the country.

[DiaperDiva]

Sweden, Holland, Norway, Switzerland

Never been to any of the above, but have a friend from Norway and she says it is beautiful and the people are wonderful. And since she is both I believe her :)

[simonee]

Well... I'm always talking about how great Holland is, but for some reason I can't get myself to go live there again. It's the space (cramped), but also APing is not common and people all tend to do the same thing. It's much more accepted to live a "liberal" or non-religious lifestyle there, but for example homeschooling is virtually illegal.

Puerto Rico is one of my fave places in the world. I would love to raise my child/ren there, except that I have a very "gringo" appearance and am always very much an outsider in Latin countries. I would probably feel lonely a lot.

We're going to move to Oregon. I think it's in many ways as close to ideal as one can get (if only it were a bit closer to the equator LOL)

[pioneermama]

Diaper Diva, Norway does seem like a great place - certainly beautiful. I have also wondered about what it might be like to raise a family in Sweden? Natural medicine is supported, and it seems child friendly from what I've read.

Simonee, Puerto Rico does seem intriguing - what a beautiful place - climate, beaches, culture. But speaking stateside, Oregon sure does have a lot of perks in many ways. When will you move and what town will you move to?

Thanks mamas for keeping this thread going - I love hearing your thoughts!

[mariposita]

If I didn't move to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico would actually be my second choice for international moves! It's the culture that's most similar to the Dominicans, plus it has all the perks of living in a country similar to the US. Once you learn Spanish, Puerto Rico is a place you can live and not feel too much like an outsider. Puerto Ricans are used to being around Americans, and many jobs are only offered to those who speak English. I came within a week of moving there a couple of years ago!

I also agree about Oregon. We've lived in Portland now for 7 years and it's by far the best place I've ever lived in the US. (I've lived in 8 states and 3 countries)

DH might be going into the Foreign Service, so we expect a major move within the next year or so. You can make suggestions, but they can assign you anywhere in the world, so you must be open minded. We're all willing to go anywhere in the world, but prefer to stay away from "politically hot" countries right now.

[simonee]

pioneermama, we'll prolly move in a few months. I'm 5 weeks pg now, and want to go while I can still haul boxes. We're going to Ashland ~ a little hoitytoity but oooohhhh sooooo nice.

The good part is that we'll do some living arrangement with a pair of very dear friends who have kids in the same age range. in ten years we'll be the new Farm!! :) :love

[pioneermama]

Congratulations Simonee on your pregnancy! How exciting! I've heard wonderful things about Ashland - ooooh so nice is right! Good for you all! How wonderful that you've got a little community already started with your friends. Sounds like it could be fulfilling in many ways.

Mariposita, I was actually wondering about the similarities and differences between the DR and Puerto Rico. Seems like there would be more commonalities in culture than not, though some diffrences in government obviously and in social structure. Wow, Foreign Service... I wonder where you'll be moving to next then? Certainly something interesting to wonder about...

[browneyedsol]

I've never been to Canada, but I may be moving there to study next year. I'm curious about Toronto.

I would love to go to Australia or NZ...why are the immigration laws crappy?

Great thread...keep on keep on...

:hippie

[Aster]

Toronto and the surrounding area are nothing but highways, concrete and factories, smog (ugh) and high humidity from the great lakes. I grew up in SW ont and would never go back there to live. The air qualitiy is disgusting. Even places that used to be absolutely beautiful, with clean air are now very polluted.

If i HAD to live in Ontario, i would choose a place in the north where the air is still clean and you can still swim in the water and know that you're not swimming in heavy water that's been dumped by a nearby nuclear plant, or in industrial chemical sludge.

browneyedgirl : probably not what you wanted to hear if you're thinking about going to school in TO, eh? TO does have decent shopping and some big parks that border on Lake Ontario. There's a big theme park just outside of t.o. and it has all of the things that big cities usually have to offer.

[browneyedsol]

oooh. yikes! Reality check! Thanks for the food for thought...you know, I hadn't checked the label... All feedback appreciated!

Thanks again!

Sooo, Australia it is...okay, maybe someday!

:hippie

[madrone]

I lived in Oregon for 9 years and have just moved to France. France is not AP. People think it's odd but say it's good that I'm still bf DS at 18 mo. I miss Oregon and think it has to be the best for the States. Many homeschoolers and attached moms for friends. I don't know that my family will stay in France once I have an EU passport. We have healthcare (uninsured in the States because of a pre-existing condition) and the government is nice. I don't have a single possibility for a friend and the people smoke absolutely everywhere -- even if there is a non-smoking sign next to them. At a hotel once, someone handed my baby a cigarette when I said no! We immediately left with the cigarette placed on a table. If my husband and I were really, really French, it would have been thrown on the floor. Or put out on the floor! That's what they do when they are in a non-smoking area and there aren't any ashtrays. LOL. I have a close friend from Sweden who always raves on it. I know the Scandanavian countries are very family oriented. From what she says about Sweden, ap seems to be the norm, not the oddity. What are other's thoughts.

[pioneermama]

Aster, wow, had no idea about Toronto nor Ontario being the way you described! (haven't been either place of course). Browneyedgirl.... making you think of OZ more then?

Madrone - What an adjustment you must be experiencing in France (what part?) How long do you expect to be there? You know, I've heard over and over the same about Sweden being family friendly and AP oriented... Anybody live in the Scand. countries or have lived there who want to join in and offer experiences? That would be great!

[browneyedsol]

I dunno. I'm stumped. Canada was luring in more ways than one, but I don't want to compromise our health if it's that bad in Ontario/Toronto. How about Vancouver?

Still need to find a way to get out back of down under...:p

:hippie

[madrone]

I have always loved Vancouver and my husband and I talked for years of how much we wanted to immigrate to Canada. Which, if you have a lot of money, is easy to do. But we don't have a lot of money. So the easy option for leaving the states was Europe (he's French). Vancouver is incredibly beautiful and clean. And the people are so nice. But all Canadians are. I don't think road rage exists there. I've done all sorts of things on the road there (by not knowing where I was going) and the other drivers were nice instead of angry. I have even had drivers stop to let me get in the needed lane. If you can go there, then go for it!

[Aster]

Vancouver's okay for a big city. I lived there for a little over a year and a half. Close enough to the ocean that the air stays pretty clean (unless it's a calm day with no wind). Hardly any snow. Winter is the rainy season. Lots of green spaces. Cheap sushi. Fresh fruit trucked in from the Okanagan in the summer. Little shops on Commercial Drive. Big beaches, and there's always Wreck Beach for the clothing optional crowd. Symphony of Fire. Granville Island with the children's market and i loved Opus for cheap primed and stretched canvasses. Community centers with some pretty good programs--the one closest to us had a pottery studio available to the public at a very small fee. Not enough fast public transportation but they did extend the skytrain. Traffic can be killer--it used to take me 1/2 hr to drive 8 km to work. Cost of living is pretty high. I've seen road rage, but i agree it's not as bad as it can get in some places.

I think the best thing about Van is that it's close enough to the islands to get away to paradise for the weekend (just stay away from horseshoe bay on long weekends lol).

[2girlsmom]

Traverse City, Michigan is the place that my dh and I would love to raise our girls. He grew up there and since college (10 years ago) we have been trying to get back up there. It is beautuiful year round. Lots of snow in the winter and it is on Grand Traverse Bay (Lake Michigan) so the summers are filled with activities. Plus there are great places to hike and camp. Not much for diversity but it is getting there, it is a rather liberal area.

[Carmen]

I lived in Stavanger, Norway for four years and loved it! My older son was 2 when we moved there and my younger son was born there. We moved here to outside of Zurich in Switzerland when the boys where 2 and 6. It is great here and we are staying. I don't really have a comment on how AP it is. There are so many different peoples & cultures here so we just do our own thing while at the same time trying to integrate!

[madison]

I'd move to England and live at my friends' "farm" ~ a 15th century country house (with built-on additions in the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries). It's this huge rambling odd building with exposed beams (and nothing is the same height, lol) and small cozy rooms (half have fire places) and a lovely reading room. Outside are vegetable gardens and flower gardens and a pond. There are two big barns, that have been re-modeled to be apartments, though one is still partially a working barn complete with 500 lb pig :)

It's south of London in Sussex ~ absolutely a bit of heaven. Surrounded by gorgeous English countryside, hedges, tiny lanes; yet about an hour to London driving. And I loved London when I was there! I would love to live there and explore the rest of the country (we visited Glastonbury, Avebury and Stonehenge, but that was it).

I'd move today :D

:hippie

[mom2kam&jeni]

I would live in Colorado Springs, CO or Klamath Falls, OR. My dh is from OR and he says it's beautiful and there is a lot of unlived on land - same with CS area. I am determined that one day I will be out of Texas - too hot and no snow ever (except that one time in 84). I want to live somewhere I can see the stars and hear the crickets without sirens in the backgound.

[sohj]

Just came across this....


Hmmm... I change my mind hourly on this one.

1) On a sailboat hitting any port that looked interesting. ("Ooops! I'm out of vanilla. Well, we're just rounding the Cape, so I'll be sure and stop in Madagascar!")

2) the Faeroe Islands...can go sailing to see glaciers calve the icebergs.

3) a particular Mountain in Vermont ... build a house out of all the granite boulders left by the glaciers.

4) Mongolia so my pixie can grow up riding horseback standing in the saddle in the highest desert in the world...but there's coal seams on fire there, so I'd have to make sure I was way upwind.

5) Badachro on the west coast of Scotland, south of Ullapool. A telephone booth stands in the middle of a field that drops off at a cliff into the Atlantic Ocean. Best combination of two things I love...the sea and mountains.

edited to add: pioneermama: Yeah, I've considered the West Indies. Certainly the child-raising there seems to have a big dose of "live and let live" to it. my boy's babysitter is from Grenada originally. I've got a lot of friends from the islands (Haiti, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, and Tobago). They seem pretty sane!:D

[chigrrl]

well there are many places in the world i would choose to live -mexico is one of them - dbf 's fam is from there and I want to at least live there for a time while ds is growing up!

The US is however much more feasible at the time - I want to know more about AZ and NM. I noticed you are in Arizona so I hope you can give me some pros and cons.....
I am really tired of the midwest and the weather here is driving me crazy...it is june and still in the 60's ..by late july it will be warmer but so humid you can't even breathe!
growing up i was a military child so moving is IN MY BLOOD...now to convince dbf who was born and raised in this city and see no reason to leave :)

peace

[NorthernLight]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by browneyedgirl
[B]I've never been to Canada, but I may be moving there to study next year... Anyone have input about Toronto and surrounding?eh?

I was born and raised in Toronto. i think it is a wonderful, wonderful place to grow up.

There are community centres everywhere, and free family-oriented community events happening all the time. I loved the parent-and-tot activity drop in centres, especially the one in my neighbourhood, "More than Childs Play".

Toronto Island (islands, really) is a beautiful, cheap escape on a weekend. Picnics, canoeing, amusement park for the very young.

There are public alternative schools of every stripe, thriving homeschooling communities, if that is what you are into. There are so many youth groups, clubs, religious organnizations of every kind, sports teams, etc.

The Ontario Science Centre is amazing for kids. They even have a high school inside the centre. There are thriving art communities, museums, music schools and galleries. Don't forget about small community threatres, community choirs (check out Common Thread Community Chorus).

There are oodles of housing co-ops. Rent can be expensive, but the "seedier" neighbourhoods can sometimes have the strongest sense of community. We lived in Parkdale. While the rest of the city "poo-pooed" it, we thought it was a great place to be. And cheap too.

Three universities and half-a dozen community colleges.

Excellent hospitals, alternative medicine practictioners, midwives, nautalpaths, herbalists, etc..

Many, many parks, big threatres, lots of music and art.

Safe, clean bike and walking paths.

Great restaurants, food from every land. It is the most multicultural city in the world. Your belly will thank you.

Sure it has some big-city problems, but there are so many community organizations that you can join. You can show your children how to make a real difference in people's lives. I always found that better parental modelling then moving to s gated community in the burbs.

You can breast feed anywhere you like, as it is legal to go topless. Becasue it is a big city, you can endulge in the freedom to be who you wnat to be because of your anonimity. But you can also be part of thriving small communities, as Toronto really is just a collection of small towns smooched together.

It has a major international airport, so the world is at your doorstep.

40 minutes north, and you are in rural areas. 2 hours, you are in cottage country.

When I lived there I tended to avoid the suburbs at all costs. I recommend you do the same.

Sarah

[NorthernLight]

oops

[CTMOMOF2]

Sweden!!! Did you all catch that article in Mothering a few months back!!! That's where i want to live!!! here's the link to the article!


http://www.mothering.com/15-0-0/html/15-6-0/sweden.shtml

[deb_n]

I did see that article, Sweden was definitely on my list!

Long before I became a parent, France, Provence most likely, has always been my first love if we could find a way to do it. That was long before ds or before I had ever heard of AP. Having lived for a year in Paris, I can see what issues AP parents have there, and would most likely be somewhere to the south of France.

Since I do not love my current job, hate that as the primary breadwinner I am tied to it and too much away from ds, I dream of finding a way to take my health care information systems background, language skills, and take us somewhere in the world where work/life balance is respected and encouraged.

[Michelle Leigh]

Best Places to RELOCATE to find Mothering Tribe?
Do you know of books or magazine articles or newsletters that feature the best places to reside?

If you know of places that have most/some of the following, please post.

I'm interested in living in a place where I really mesh with the community. I'm looking for a group of loving people who have found the following:

caring community: sharing & helping each oher
mothering groups
support networks for attachment style parents
children's playgroups & activities
community living consciously
residents who are aware
a high energy area
village living with walking & bicycling
non-toxic homes
spa lifestyle
holistic community
massage
chiropractor
healers
alternative medical practioners
college/university nearby
libraries
bookstores
cultural activities
artists
writers
gardeners
musicians
yoga center
dancing spots
parks
walking, jogging, cycling trails
clean air
trees
pure water
organic foods readily availabe
locally-grown organic produce
natural vegetarian and vegan cafes
smoothie bars
tea rooms
organic clothing stores
responsible consumer shopping stores
fun & rewarding community service

a place where life is valued and enjoyed
where life is a joy, a poem and a song

I'd like to know if you have any suggestions for possible places of residency.

Thank you so much for your input!

(I posted this on another thread and copied it here.) I am so happy to find that others are actively pursuing this, too!

Best wishes to all.

[Midwesternmomma]

I vote for Spain!

From any location in Spain you can get to some the the prettest beaches in the world, by car, in less than four hours.

From any location in Spain you can get to some of the prettiest mountains in Spain in two hours.

The mass transit system is the best in Europe. Less dependency on cars, less pollution, better environment. I lived there for one year and never needed a car, not once.

Glass recycling bins as common as trash cans.

Street cleaners TWICE DAILY in all major cities, once a day in most sizeable towns.

Parents, doctors, midwives, healers, all work together. All medical professionals visit the home when someone is ill, no need to leave your house. Medicine is socialized, all are covered.

Most people leave in large flat complexes. Most know their neighbors well, most have common meeting grounds with their complex...many with playgrounds and pools.

The mediterranean diet is the healthiest on the planet.

The average age for first sexual encounters is 19 as apposed to 13 here...Kids stay kids for a lot longer.

9 out of 10 moms are AP moms. Medical professionals encourage it, society encourages it, most see it as necessary.

Schooling includes swimming, foreign language, music appreciation, dance, and sport....from the first day to the last.

The air is cleaner, the lifestyle includes long breaks for coffee, long lunches at home, long walks in the park or on the beach, people stay married more, stress is not a common word, and they have had places like the backrub company for 25 years...at $5 a backrub, for 30 min.

SOMEONE TELL ME ABOUT A BETTER PLACE???

[kama'aina mama]

Uh. sohj, wouldn't a granite house in Vermont be kinda... cold?

[oncewerewise]

I agree with NorthernLight! I don't live right in Toronto, but I have lived there and I love it. There is so much to see and do. I think that Canada, in general, is pretty accepting of diversity and even celebrates it a lot of the time. I currently live about an hour northwest of Toronto and aside from WINTER (which I hate!), I wouldn't live anywhere else. I do hope to have a winter home some day to get away from the snow (unfortunately, I'm right in the snow belt!). However, we have excellent children's programs, most of which are free. Pretty good health care. My hospital birth was a great experience. Breastfeeding is the norm. Homeschooling in my area is pretty popular. So is not vaccinating. I feel that I live in a (relatively) safe community with lots of great perks for raising a family. I do think Sweden and Finland are pretty cool places to live, but I'm Canadian, my family is all here and I don't think I could ever pick up and move elsewhere. Besides, I think that marijuana will eventually be legal here (it doesn't really affect my life, but I am a firm believer in that there shouldn't be laws against consensual 'crimes') and same-sex marriages are seeing the light of day. By all means, I am not saying Canada is perfect. But, I am also willing to do my part to make it the country I am proud to call home.

(End speech!)

[babynoah2309]

If I saw this thread a few years ago, I would have answered Australia. I am an American mother with 7 children that married an Aussie. One day in late 2001, I decided I wanted to raise my children in Australia for social reasons (less population, etc..). Well, 2 years later and here I am. My dream turned to reality! We moved here in March 2002, 7 months after deciding to leave my country. I don't regret it, yet I miss home and these last 20 months have been hard. But hey, this is a great place!!

Cheers to all my American friends!

[sohj]

kama'aina mama: Any house in VT would be cold in the winter if it wasn't built properly. A stone house has to be insulated, like any other. And, you've got to have a source of heat. The land I've got is on a south facing slope that gets sun from can see to can't and lots and lots of wind. So, build the house snug without any cracks and put up solar and wind turbines. No problem.:)

and Midwestenmomma: I take it you've been there, as you have such a strong opinion of Spain. But, :scratch that wasn't entirely the Spain I saw when I lived there. 'Tis true, I didn't have a child there, but, I certainly didn't have good experiences with the medical environment. Doctors smoked in their offices while taking your medical history when you came in with a lung infection :confused: and I was told they were going to take an x-ray to determine if I had strep :confused: :confused: .

Street cleaning was once a day in Barcelona. (Lived there from 1990 to 1995.) And a couple of times a week it was washing the streets down with HUGE power hoses that used POTABLE water. This is in a country with a terrible desertification problem. (And one that decided to go with Hydroelectric power generation :confused: ... I gues due to all that "extra" water they had :scratch )

I thought Switzerland's mass transit system was more all encompassing. Plenty of towns had only two busses a day.

And the illiteracy rate was still humongous when I was there. The lady who cleaned in our "escalara" (stairway) didn't know how to read...as I found out when she bought a new cleaning product and hadn't read the instructions and mixed it with bleach to make a oh, sooooo pleasant toxic gas. Good thing our building was really, really drafty.

All that wet-blanketing aside...I really, really miss the long lunches there. And the holidays. And the idea of "tomar el puente"...if a holiday falls on a tuesday or a thursday, you take off the accompanying monday or friday to "make the bridge" to the weekend. :D And the availability of good raw ingredients for cooking. Those markets.........:rolleyes: I really miss them.

[Midwesternmomma]

I have to say, you DIDN'T live in the Spain that I lived in.

Yes, some towns did only have one or two buses a day...think of the population in those towns, maybe a few thousand...I grew up in a town of a few thousand in this country and I never saw a bus my whole life.

Actually, most of Spain's electricity is generated by the wind...not water...being the safest and most environmental option. Consider how THIS country generates electricity.

Spain has had water shortage problems from time to time..and Kansas has tornados, California earthquakes and pollution, Canada horrid winters....I think a little water shortage which has NEVER effected the masses with even so much as limitations on water consumption is a decent trade-off.

Yes, many people smoke in Spain and it is common in restaurants and public places. Yet, I never had a doctor smoke in his/her office and I find it well...odd. My sister in law...still living there...has better medical care with $25 a month supplemental insurance than I could ever, ever get...wouldn't it be nice.

I don't want to fight..but..Spain still has my vote and is worth every penny that someone might spend to go there. And, I agree, los puentes son los mejores! Viva España!
Anne

[aussiemum]

I'm dreaming of Hobart, Tasmania- that's in Australia for all you northern hemisphere folks! Altho I hear they're having a cold summer.......but I'll take it! Or maybe Coles Bay, also in Tas. First place in Aus to ban plastic bags, great climbing, little town, very pretty.....a little dry maybe....

[CharlieBrown]

Turkey!!! My husband is from Istanbul. The people are very friendly and helpful, the food is great and the sights are beyond my wildest imagimation. there are mountains, beaches, ruins, etc.

Diane

[morsan]

I just love this thread. We've just moved back to the States a couple of weeks ago from Sweden. And I'm happy to be back. Before leaving we were thinking of France (provence mainly) and Spain, but having to adapt to an entirely new culture at this time in our lives didn't seem appealing.
We're going to Portland Oregon in a couple of weeks, looking for an open-minded community, where different is OK and children (hopefully) are taken more seriously.
I wouldn't say Sweden is more family-friendly at heart than any other western country (I was born and raised there). The reason society is more open to families is simply because the government needed to increase the birth-rate, so we encourage women to give birth to more children and earlier. They get paid leave, and dads too. Perhaps all these new strategies will work to change attitudes in the family eventually.
I found it easier to find an alternative community in the states. It's there in Sweden but you have to live in bigger town to find it. We're extreme AP, more CC and found it was really difficult to get accepted for our parenting style in public. I love that people walk more, but kids are always in strollers. No playing with kids publicly either.
This was my experience having a child in Sweden. Since I was also a child growing up in Sweden I can only say that a much higer rate of breastfeeding is all it got going for AP and the like. Adults are usually very unaccepting of children's "natural" behaviour, and the suicidal rate is very high for teenagers (one of the world's highest I think). When I look at Swedish kids I don't see they're any happier than American kids.
In short, Sweden is slightly more family-friendly than mainstream America, but it's far more easy to find an alternative minded community in the States (in general, not all states/towns are as liberal).
Simonee-you could be talking about Sweden when you were describing your feelings about Holland. I agree with you about the States. I certainly don't like mainstream America and find it way too extreme (in terms of capitalism, pollution, consumerism etc), but I think it's just what it takes to feed a strong opposition of alternative-minded folks. Sweden is so institutionalized it seems like people just aren't as aware of what's going on in the world and within ourselves.

[aka_angelz]

italy! i dont know why but ive always had the fascination of going there :)

[mittendrin]

i'd go back to germany in a heartbeat. or maybe another northern european country. germany is not perfect and they have their problems but it's my home and i know my way around. the US right now is on the bottom of my list as to where to raise my children, hopefully we'll have enough money by the time ds starts school to relocate. it's dirty here, and there's not too many people who respect their country. o sure, they wave their flags whenever an anniversary of a tragedy comes up (9/11...) and are very proud, but they have no respect for nature, trash their beautiful landscape and don't make an effort to make things beautiful to look at. no offense, although i'm sure the people on this board are smarter than that.

[morsan]

jakobsmami- my two year-old just adores Pippi Longstocking. So do I. We used to watch the real-life movies at my mom's in Sweden, but all I could get a hold of here is the cartoon version. It's alright, but I miss the real thing.

I agree with you that mainstream America is not very environmental. It is really frustrating, when it's the richest country in the world. I also think that it can be quite ugly in cities (architecture and lay-out) which was one of the (minor) reasons I went back to Sweden. But I realized it can get quite ugly there too... Cookie-cutter houses are popping up there now just like here, sprawl is eating away natural beauty, there just isn't any stopping to America going overseas.
However, I feel positive about moving to Oregon where environmentalism is more wide-spread than in the Midwest.

[IslandMamma]

Right here! I'm so lucky to say that, I know... I live in paradise: The San Juan Islands. Sometimes I long for the city (I'm an ex-New Yorker), but I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather raise a family.

And it's not "America", either. The San Juans are totally unique. We consider the land mass at the other side of the ferry route "America". :)

If I had unlimited funds, though, we'd be touring the world on a schooner! One island, one port, one culture deliciously at a time...

[Syma]

Michelle, everything on your list is Portland, OR. To a T!

We've lived near or around Portland for the past 4 years and all of those opportunities abound aplenty!

Best Places to RELOCATE to find Mothering Tribe?
Do you know of books or magazine articles or newsletters that feature the best places to reside?

If you know of places that have most/some of the following, please post.

I'm interested in living in a place where I really mesh with the community. I'm looking for a group of loving people who have found the following:

caring community: sharing & helping each oher
mothering groups
support networks for attachment style parents
children's playgroups & activities
community living consciously
residents who are aware
a high energy area
village living with walking & bicycling
non-toxic homes
spa lifestyle
holistic community
massage
chiropractor
healers
alternative medical practioners
college/university nearby
libraries
bookstores
cultural activities
artists
writers
gardeners
musicians
yoga center
dancing spots
parks
walking, jogging, cycling trails
clean air
trees
pure water
organic foods readily availabe
locally-grown organic produce
natural vegetarian and vegan cafes
smoothie bars
tea rooms
organic clothing stores
responsible consumer shopping stores
fun & rewarding community service

a place where life is valued and enjoyed
where life is a joy, a poem and a song

I'd like to know if you have any suggestions for possible places of residency.

Thank you so much for your input!

(I posted this on another thread and copied it here.) I am so happy to find that others are actively pursuing this, too!

Best wishes to all.

[Syma]

I was raised in Anchorage Alaska and would never want to raise my kids there...we love Oregon, but are actually thinking about Hawaii. My dh used to live there for a time and loved it.

We're going to go down in a few weeks to check it out! Our dream is to travel with the kids, see all we can! There was a story of a family who had freelance jobs and took their kids around the world for a year, just going place to place, homeschooling the kids. Can you imagine? That would be quite an education for those kids!

I figure the only time we'll grow roots is when we dead and buried. :laugh:

[Girl Named Sandoz]

Great thread!

I'm a native German, my husband is British, we've been living in the UK for 4 years now. (2 hours west of London)

I've travelled to around 40 countries and lived in 5, on 3 different continents. (USA, UK, Spain, Germany, Malaysia)

I would never move back to Germany. I find it very AP unfriendly in most parts, and home schooling is illegal. It is a very 'over-governised' country, there are laws for everything, and you have very little personal freedom, in my opinion (see the home schooling issue). People are quite reserved and rude, and it is not child friendly at all, in my experience. I still go back often to visit my parents and every time my feelings are confirmed. Not the place for me!

I like the UK more, but the cost of living is extortionate, and it is very cramped and the weather is awful ;) (it's the middle of July and we've had only a few sunny days all year, the sky is usually gray, and it rains almost every day so it is very humid) The climate and also the outrageous cost of living are the reasons dh and I have decided to emigrate in the near future. Ds is almost 2, so I want to find our 'perfect' place within a year's time.

We moved to Spain last year for half a year but returned to the UK. Dh's parents are still out there. People are generally very friendly but smoke everywhere, and I did not find it to be very AP friendly (we travelled all through southern Spain, and the islands). Spanish people tend to think that every child is their's to tell off and boss around, and give you a hard time, publically confronting you, if you do things they don't approve of. (We are very AP, more CC, and this was generally not approved of in public.)

Right now we are looking at the US, as we want to live in an English-speaking country. Australia also appeals but the immigration laws are so strict, we'd probbaly never make it.

I've lived in the US twice before, and while it's not perfect on all accounts (then again, which country is) it seems to offer a lot of what we are looking for.

I'll be following this and other moving threads with great interest. :)

[behr]

Hi eternal_grace, and thanks for reviving this thread.
I second your opinion about Germany, and we will likely make an exit for the second time. Still, my parents live her and i feel very bad taking away that special bond from my dds. I also feel that kids move about more freelyu here than in the US. They can go to school and the store by themselves whereas in the US they're supposed to never leave an adult's side.
But we just can't stand it any longer. Any place in the US in particular you are looking at??

Much luck to you!!

[aussiemum]

For those of you who are serious about trying to get into Australia. There is a list of 'skilled occupations' that give you extra points when applying for residency here. There have been some changes since July 1 2004 that makes it easier for some people to migrate.

http://www.immi.gov.au/migration/skilled/basic_requirements.htm

about half way down the page you can click on Form 1121i to get a PDF file list of the preferred occupations. Some of them are accountant, acupuncturist, botanist, child care centre director, cartographer, chiropractor, chemist, engineering, counselling, etc. etc.

So, I guess what I'm saying eternal_grace, is don't exclude yourself automatically just because the immigration laws are very strict. You might be able to immigrate anyway. But it is hot, & it's a long way from home if you're from the northern hemisphere. HTH.

[ma.petite.phia]

Canada!!! or New Zealand!

Maybe it is the fact that we move to the USA in 2001 when Bush took office. From 2001 until now, our stay in the USA has enabled us to realize we do not belong here. My husbdand and I have writting down our individual values and another list of family values and we realize that this is not the place for us.

[pioneermama]

This is fun! Let's keep it rolling!

[savannah smiles]

I'd like to go back to Denmark. I was an aupair there for about a year and just loved it! The people are, on the whole, happy and kind and just...relaxed, I'd say. I lived about 20 minutes north of Copenhagen in an upper-class area but there are lots of smaller and more rural places to live as well.

[Fia~n~Jax]

Here's where I have lived before:
Little Rock, Arkansas
Charleston (Mt. Pleasant actually), South Carolina
Chicago, Illinois
Baltimore, Maryland
Big Sur, California
and now in Los Angeles, California

Here's where I'd live again:
Charleston, SC
Big Sur, CA

Here's where I'd like to try:
Fayetteville, Arkansas (we will probably move there actaully...have lots of family there and it is really nice)
Italy
France
England

Lots of love,

[Charles Baudelaire]

[

[Hollycrand]

We live in Stuttgart, Germany. It's okay AP-wise, but limited career opportunities for dh (especially because he's French-born), Germans are very attached to what children (and adults) SHOULD do, meaning there's little room for individuality. It's also hard to find a community that we fit into.

Places I've lived:

San Francisco, CA
Oakland, CA
Paris, France
London, UK
Stuttgart, Germany

Dream Places I'd like to live: (with no consideration for COL, schools, AP friendliness, etc.)

Quebec
Japan
Some little island in the pacific
SW or SE France
Northern Spain
Italy

Places we are seriously considering as destinations:

Quebec
Vermont (or NH, or Mass.)
Toulouse, France
Sophiopolis (Nice), France

-H, mama to Catarina (20/07/03)

[rainy32]

Hmmm ... this is fun!

So -- I'm from South Dakota; dh is from West Virginia; we met in New York City and are now in southern California. We love the weather here and the organic food and the ap families but we hate the smog, high prices, traffic, sprawl, etc.

We're hoping to move in the next 3 - 5 years (we're cookin' a baby right now!) but I have a really good job that I love that makes it hard to move.

We are thinking:

we want to live on a 10 - 15 acre organic farm (we would farm it) close to a college/university town. Like:

1 hour from: Madison, WI (heaven!!) or Portland, OR

If I didn't have to work and money really was no object -- we'd live in the Central Coast of California, on a farm no more than 3 miles from the beach.

OR Rapid City, South Dakota

we love Puerto Rico but wouldn't want to raise our kids there not even on Vieques.

OOH -- i wanna go back to where I went to college: Bard College !! Annandale-on-Hudson NY, on a small farm on the Hudson valley.

hmmm.. I hope that writing these wishes down helps manifest them as reality! :shy

[Mother2Amaya]

Well, places I've lived:
Tempe, Arizona (Very concrete and hot but nice.)
Minneapolis, Minnesota (home, sweet home. I'd love to go back)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (hate it and would NEVER raise my child here now that I've lived here.)

Places I've considered living:
Las Vegas, NV - too much porn
Los Angeles, CA - too expensive and materialistic
Miami, FL - too expensive.

Places in the U.S. I'd consider now:
Asheville, NC
Charlotte, NC
Flagstaff, AZ
Olympia, WA

It's hard because I'm concerned about the acceptance and treatment of my very multiracial, multicultural family.

[MommytoMJM]

I'd go right back to Silicon Valley in California. I miss my friends and god children sooo much!

[Mother2Amaya]

I'm interested in living in a place where I really mesh with the community. I'm looking for a group of loving people who have found the following:

caring community: sharing & helping each oher
mothering groups
support networks for attachment style parents
children's playgroups & activities
community living consciously
residents who are aware
a high energy area
village living with walking & bicycling
non-toxic homes
spa lifestyle
holistic community
massage
chiropractor
healers
alternative medical practioners
college/university nearby
libraries
bookstores
cultural activities
artists
writers
gardeners
musicians
yoga center
dancing spots
parks
walking, jogging, cycling trails
clean air
trees
pure water
organic foods readily availabe
locally-grown organic produce
natural vegetarian and vegan cafes
smoothie bars
tea rooms
organic clothing stores
responsible consumer shopping stores
fun & rewarding community service

a place where life is valued and enjoyed
where life is a joy, a poem and a song

Okay, if I could find all of these things and a place that is accepting of my interracial marriage and biracial child, I'd move there in a heartbeat. It would be utopia! :)

Suggestions?

[oohlalabags]

anywhere other than texas! we want out! in the states any New england states or washington or Oregon ... we've been looking for it jobs but nothing in the market now

[morsan]

Amazing this thread is still going!!
I wrote earlier that we were going to Portland, but we ended up a little further south, close to the California border. A little community outside of Cave Junction which is really neat. Lots of groovy places in town and lots of neat and ap/alternative friendly folks in the bush. Right now the parenting coop school is putting on an awesome barter faire. This is by far the best community I've ever lived in. The hippies came here in the sixties/seventies, and many are still around, some kids came back and lots of young families moved in and are still coming. Kids are very much respected here but since I'm still a little extreme (very CC-like) we're looking for a tight-knit intentional community who hold similar values in common. Right now it looks like we're heading to the Olympic Peninsula (WA) to check one out.But we're still enjoying the time we have here. It's a magical place with magical people.

I still dream of moving overseas though, especially some tropic island, or southern Europe. I'd love to win the lottery and go travelling all over the world. Bliss. I'd like to go down the Western coast of Mexico and visit family in Brazil. Maybe we'll buy an RV and head down, or convert an old schoolbus. Fun dreaming anyhow.

The way a couple of you have described Germany sounds very familiar to me in regards to Swedish mentality. I'd never want to move to Germany then. We had been thinking about Spain, but I saw someone write about their experience there and I would probably not like that, considering we do lots of things publically that most folks don't agree with. At least here in America, most people don't tend to get involved. And usually don't give dirty looks. Even in many small towns we've been too (more here in Oregon than in Minnesota).
I dream of finding a community that is perfect, that is one who is AP/CC-like but without neurotic parental behaviour.

Josefina.

[mommaluv321]

I think if i could live any where it might be Australia, actually I'm looking into migrating there as I'm gonna' be going to nursing school. I read on the gov site that they will process your visa faster if you are a nurse, guess there's a big shortage there, good for me!! Any one from Australia got any advice for where to move there? My husbands only needs are snow and wine, and seeing as how I know there is a ton of good wine in Australia, that can't be too hard!! :eyesroll We are looking at a goal of being there in maybe 5 yrs, my youngest is only 4mos and we don't wanna force the issue too young.

[pioneermama]

I am amazed this thread has lasted this long!!! It's fun!

[ostara]

So much food for thought....
Having lived in Europe and America and travelled all over the world, I really would love to go back to New England. We are also looking at Ontario (anybody know about Kingston, Ontario?) and how about New Zealand?

Presently, I live in Germany. I have met many wonderful, high spirited and bright individiums, but the collective psyche here is something else. I have a south American friend who has to get back home every year to refresh her spirit. I feel the same - only - to refresh I need the States.

There is so much more space for individual freedom than in "the old world". (I must confess, I have not lived in the US since the Bush era, so, things might have changed a bit!)
The Europeans try hard to become more efficent, more productive, but it takes forever to change the old habits (specially here in Germany). An example. My DD who is eight gets out of school twice a week by 11:10 a.m., the rest of the week it is 12 and 1 pm. I guess that is why Germany has one of the lowest rates of female CEOs in Europe and also one of the lowest birth rates in the whole world. Enough.

One thought to Sweden. If I remember correctly, the Sun rises at 10 am and sets at 4 pm in December. If you can live with that you will be fine.

[morsan]

It depends on where in Sweden you live. It's a very long country so where I come from sun rises at 8:30 and sets at 3:30 (in the north you only get two hours of sunlight per day). But in the summer the sun only sets for two hours at night. And that I sure miss. I can't really handle the winters there but it's doable with the right spirit.

Gotta go.

[padomi]

Well, I think paradise is found within, not without. But having said that,

VERMONT. I must've lived there in a past life because it's the only place I go where I feel completely at peace. I know no one there, but I just love it.

[UC MOM]

I am home!! We have lived in Boulder colorado for almost 13 years, and it is home. We actually will soon have the option to live anywhere, as my husbands job is changing so it can be done from anywhere in the world, and we were just talking about this and as we chatted we said, once again, Boulder is our HOME. We love the climate, the weather, the mountains, and the health food stores!

We have great friends, memories, and a community of families who have similar values. Lots of support for alternative healing and lifestyle. I have never been harassed for not immunizing by the schools or anyone else for that matter. We have a variety of alternative healers to go to for help when needed and have not been bullied for being into home birth.

No one is allowed to smoke in Boulder restaurants (unless if they have a seperate room) and everyone is so health concious and well read, it is simply a joy to go to the park and talk to the other moms.

Should I go on?

I love my adopted home of Boulder Colorado!

Jenny

[MeganW]

I was born and raised on the eastern shore of md, and moved to boulder for a year and half to go to school, I came back because of failing health of my family members. But as soon as I feel that I can financially and consciously return there that is where I will raise my family. My heart aches for it every day. :)

[Paxetbonum]

On twenty acres of rolling farmland. . . with a beautiful old house, my parents living half an hour away. . . . . .
A tradtional Benedictine or Franciscan monastary within walking distance with dailey mass and compline. . . as well as several other like minded families in the area.
A small village perhaps biking distance with natural foods store, fair trade goods and wonderful restaurants. . . .

Okay I'm talking heaven here.

[la mamita]

I'm interested in living in a place where I really mesh with the community. I'm looking for a group of loving people who have found the following:

caring community: sharing & helping each oher
mothering groups
support networks for attachment style parents
children's playgroups & activities
community living consciously
residents who are aware
a high energy area
village living with walking & bicycling
non-toxic homes
spa lifestyle
holistic community
massage
chiropractor
healers
alternative medical practioners
college/university nearby
libraries
bookstores
cultural activities
artists
writers
gardeners
musicians
yoga center
dancing spots
parks
walking, jogging, cycling trails
clean air
trees
pure water
organic foods readily availabe
locally-grown organic produce
natural vegetarian and vegan cafes
smoothie bars
tea rooms
organic clothing stores
responsible consumer shopping stores
fun & rewarding community service

a place where life is valued and enjoyed
where life is a joy, a poem and a song

Okay, if I could find all of these things and a place that is accepting of my interracial marriage and biracial child, I'd move there in a heartbeat. It would be utopia! :)

Suggestions?

Ann Arbor, Michigan--or Northampton, Mass. Both college towns, super liberal, fantastic places to live. :thumb

[shannon wilson]

My husband is from Northern Ireland- Belfast. This year we are doing the research to move from Sherrills Ford, NC to either a small town in Northern Ireland or to the Caribbean. We have a great life here. I work 15-20 hours a week and my husband is a firefighter and works 9 days a month and we live in a small house on the lake. My husband is just not as happy as I am here- we came from Sausalito Ca. Do any of you know where we can research crime rate statistics in the Caribbean and Northern Ireland?
lovingmom

[Kaitnbugsmom]

we're looking at three places right now..

logically, it will probably be Richmond/Centerville, Indiana, at least in the short term..

second on my list is Fayetteville, AR

third and final would be just about any mid-sized open minded town in the Carolinas... :)

[sapphire_chan]

Portland OR.

[DreamsInDigital]

Holy old thread Batman.
Right where I am, Portland, Oregon. Love it here.
If only I could pick it up and move it far away from Bush.

[vermonttaylors]

Places I have lived:

St. Paul, Minnesota
Stowe, VT
Stuttgart, Germany
Paris, France
NYC
Rural Vermont
Santa Fe, NM

Places I would like to try:

Australia
South of France
England
New Zealand


My idea of heaven:

Vermont - I am lucky to be able to raise my kids exactly in the place I would chose to. We will spend a year or 2 in Europe (I have family there) but Vermont is home and we aren't going anywhere. We love to travel, and when we travel we dream about what it would be like to live in this new place, but we LOOOOVE coming home.

For me the ideal situation would be to spend 6 weeks at the end of winter/mud-season in the tropics or the south of France or Italy. Then come home in time to start my tomato plants and prepare my garden. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

[philomom]

Hubby just landed a job in Portland, Oregon so we can finish raising our family in a better spot for us. I'm so happy!

This thread has been great and kept us motivated during our job search.

[Nibikwe]

We're living in Mississauga, Ontario at the moment... yes the parks at the lake are beautiful, but there's POO floating at those beaches in the summer and the city still says we can swim in it!!!. Beside that grossness, it is full of trees and birds, Toronto is close by (very multicultural, lots of parent-child resources like Mississauga). Feels pretty crowded. Just not a great fit for us outdoorsy types. My hubby's from NZ and we lived there up until my 8th month pregg! and came here to be with my family, but we miss the clean-green mentality (for the most part) in NZ and they're pretty progressive on the family life front from what I hear, with Plunkett centers, Montessoris and Waldorf schools in every major center and many towns. I love it there-- it's like Canadian landscapes squooshed into cozy islands! The place so many 20-30 somethings are headed to! Gorgeous place-- we're going to check out the South Island (DH is from the North)

Erin

[Michelle Leigh]

I am home!! We have lived in Boulder colorado for almost 13 years, and it is home. We actually will soon have the option to live anywhere, as my husbands job is changing so it can be done from anywhere in the world, and we were just talking about this and as we chatted we said, once again, Boulder is our HOME. We love the climate, the weather, the mountains, and the health food stores!

We have great friends, memories, and a community of families who have similar values. Lots of support for alternative healing and lifestyle. I have never been harassed for not immunizing by the schools or anyone else for that matter. We have a variety of alternative healers to go to for help when needed and have not been bullied for being into home birth.

No one is allowed to smoke in Boulder restaurants (unless if they have a seperate room) and everyone is so health concious and well read, it is simply a joy to go to the park and talk to the other moms.

Should I go on?

I love my adopted home of Boulder Colorado!

Jenny

Jenny, Boulder is so amazing!

I moved to Fort Collins in June but recently visited Boulder a few times: to see a mercury-free/non-toxic dentist, to see a yogi visiting from an island near Africa, and to eat at an organic cafe on mother's day.

I have been absolutely delighted by my experiences there. I love the mountains there. It's like they're beckoning, and they're soooo close to the fun downtown area.

I feel very grateful for being within driving distance. We're about an hour away.

[kewpie-o]

Here's where I have lived before:
Little Rock, Arkansas
Charleston (Mt. Pleasant actually), South Carolina
Chicago, Illinois
Baltimore, Maryland
Big Sur, California
and now in Los Angeles, California

Here's where I'd live again:
Charleston, SC
Big Sur, CA

Here's where I'd like to try:
Fayetteville, Arkansas (we will probably move there actaully...have lots of family there and it is really nice)
Italy
France
England

Lots of love,

I've lived in the Fayetteville, AR area for almost 6 years now. I really love it and I don't think there is another place in the world that compares. NW Arkansas is really unique - Fayetteville (especially its "downtown" area) has a little bit of a hippie/natural living flare, which I think is really cool. But I'm sure you know that since you have family there. I currently live in a very rural town outside of Fayetteville called Lincoln, and I like the fact that I can enjoy small town country living, but Fayetteville (although it's hardly a bustling big city) is just a 25 minute drive away if I want to go enjoy some bigger town activities.

Have you ever been to Eureka Springs, AR? It's not too far from Fayetteville, and it is a really interesting town. It attracts lots of tourists, but it seems like a town where many of the residents are into natural living. There are also a lot of artists and musicians there.

What did you think of Chicago? My DH and I travel there a lot for his job and I've grown really fond of it......although I'm not sure that I could ever adjust to living there after living in the beautiful hills of AR.

One time DH went to one of those sites where you take a survey and it tells you what city would suit you based on your answers and it turned out we would love Portland, OR. I've never been, but would LOVE to go check it out some time.

Awesome thread. :thumb

[jessicaabruno]

This is from the thread I did in this part of MDC. The subject of the thread is Wheres the best place in your eyes to live, it can be the US or outside of US

The reason why I'm asking this question is because I'm getting of NYC and the surronding areas of it as well, even though I love it still. Also, I do these threads on these places is to find out what it is like living there because may want to move there someday.

I have only to West Palm Beach, Florida, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Montreal, Quebec City, Canada, Rome, Florence, Venice, Italy. Will going back to Italy again this year to explores Naples and Amafi Coast.

Gone to Find Your Spot Website and did their quiz already.

Heres the criteria that I'm looking for

Don't want trouble places

English is the primary language spoken

Urban or suburban area because I was away at school in a rural area and didn't like it at all, plus that was during the first year of my mental illeness

Don't want to be driver friendly, want it be the opposite of it. Will get my license if I have to and if I do I would drive on local roads. Not highways or anything else along those lines

If I live outside of the US for longer period or the rest of my life there, I'm looking for a dual citizenship of that country if I can get one

Free Standing Birth or Alternative Hospital Birth (without doing the normal newborn assesment or procedures, in the regulary newborn nursery

Want pros and cons

Think I put everything that I want to put in here.

[kittywitty]

How expensive would it be to live in Scotland/Northern England/Ireland (all non urban areas if possible)? I love small towns and would like to move there some day (the sooner the better). I will be going to nursing school, and dh wants to teach chemistry again. Any ideas?

I am also mainly interested in the NE US-Maine, etc. (posted this on that tribe area, too). But here are my criteria if anyone has an idea:

1. At least one non-vax friendly doc within driving distance

2. A good hospital to work at/birthing center

3. AP friendly

4. Decent/Low cost of living/ability to buy some land for gardens and sheep and not have to be a millionaire

5. Decent drive to a good health food store (dd has allergies)

6. NOT a big city. I hate big cities. A town of 50,000 is really pushing it, unless there are little satellite towns and virtually no crime

7. Opportunity to buy a cool old house. I hate having only cookie cutters to choose from.

8. Lots of opportunities to be outside when it's nice out (i.e. parks, public transportation, children's activities and museums within driving distance)

9. Access to a community college for dh to work at (he wants to teach chemistry)

10. A non-vax friendly waldorf school or good public school system would be a bonus

11. NOT the Southwest, Southeast, or South. I am spotty about Missouri (love Ste.Genevieve, but the state has more porn stops than any place I have ever been to, and kansas is pretty), but otherwise, the farther East/North the better

12. Can NOT be dry and arrid. I NEED greens.

[carmel23]

On twenty acres of rolling farmland. . . with a beautiful old house, my parents living half an hour away. . . . . .
A tradtional Benedictine or Franciscan monastary within walking distance with dailey mass and compline. . . as well as several other like minded families in the area.
A small village perhaps biking distance with natural foods store, fair trade goods and wonderful restaurants. . . .

Okay I'm talking heaven here.

hmm... I think you might find this in Spencer, MA? You might have to drive a bit for the restaurants but you'd be close to the Cistercian monks of Saint Joseph's.
Paxetbonum, let me know when you do find this town! We'll move their too!

[kxsiven]

Well, we are exactly where we want to be. Scandinavia(Finland).

We have excellent social healthcare, free daycare/schools that are among best in the world
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/4073753.stm), I don't have to worry about saving money for college or anything like that - even private schools(like Steiner or is it called waldorf in USA?)are free. Everything is designed children in mind. You can whip out your boob on marketplace or in church and breastfeed your child without anyone raising even an eyebrow. And it is safe here.

No matter what happen to us parents financially, we don't have to ever be afraid that our children would be left wothout good education, good healthcare, home or good food.

http://www.kela.fi/in/internet/english.nsf Here is lots of info about the benefits (read the section; families with children).

Sigh, I do have a dream though. After children are adults (and I win in Lotto), I want to move near San Francisco, to little village called Half Moon Bay. I absolutely loved it. I would start a little shop selling finnish handcrafts and goodies.

[Brazilianmommy]

Albury Australia is a good place to have children and raise them I'm living here with my dh and I'm originally from Sao Paulo he's a Dutch living in Australia he was raised here to but I will like to go to Brazil again I miss my country..

[moppity]

I'll stay here :D Although I would like to move a little further out of Sydney and a bit closer to the beach (right now it's a 45 minute drive)

[Ilaria]

Our choice is to raise our kids as expats - I am Italian, dh is American and we are living in the Philippines, and were previously in Malaysia. We travel extensively and expose the kids to so much. Our lives are completely expense-free and the kids get to go great (Montessori) schools at no cost to us. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[aywilkes]

Belize! Laid back culture, cleaner air, fresh fruit, and almost color blind culture. I LOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVeEEEEEEE it there. My DS and I lived there for 6 months when he was 2.

[kittywitty]

Our choice is to raise our kids as expats - I am Italian, dh is American and we are living in the Philippines, and were previously in Malaysia. We travel extensively and expose the kids to so much. Our lives are completely expense-free and the kids get to go great (Montessori) schools at no cost to us. I wouldn't have it any other way.

How are you expense free?

[AmandasMom]

I don't know how she does it, but I just read Ilaria's blog, and im jealous! All the travel and adventures, and her husband is a hottie:) I'm ready to do an episode of "Wife Swap" with her! :)

[Ilaria]

:lol
The company my husband works for (Intel) pays for all of our expenses: house, utilities, 2 cars with 2 drivers, kids school, monthly allowance for incidentals and household help, 2 home leaves a year and 1 regional leave...The Philippines is considered a hardship post ( no idea why!) an so he even gets 20% more in salary! Decadent in my opinion, especially since we love this life...but most people refuse to leave their comfort zone and we get rewarded for doing so. :)

[jaxinsmom]

Great thread!!

Places I've lived:

Various Ontario towns (Barrie, London, Ptbro, Ottawa)
Perth, AUS.
Vancouver, B.C
Kaoshiung, Taiwan

Places I would Love to live:

Australia (again, it was amazing!!)
Europe -- anywhere
Montreal, Quebec


I really loved Perth, it was such a great city; reminded me a lot of Vancouver without all the crime. Vancouver is a nice city, but like I just said I found there was a lot of crime (we lived downtown). Also the cost of living was outragous ($950/mo for a 1 bedroom 600 sq foot apt!!)
Taiwan was great to earn loads of $$ (we lived, travelled and partied there for a year, and still came home with 12,000US -- and we only worked part-time 20 hours/week). But it's dirty -- so much pollution, worse than anywhere else I've ever been in my life. And Chinese is not the easiest language to learn, so the language barrier got to me over time.

We're enjoying Ottawa right now, lots of Museums and things to do -- very family orientated.
It's great to hear about where/how other people live around the world, things always seem smaller.
I love living in Canada -- I love our health care system (which fully covers a mothers choice between a midwife or OB equally); I love that mat. leave is 1 year; I love that people are generally nice and warm to strangers (I have never locked my door -- except in Vancouver, and we were robbed anyway!!:confused: ) I love that people are generally accepting of diversity and different cultures.

I am always reminded when I leave Canada why I love coming home.

[alaskaberry]

I lived my whole life in Vermont, then moved to Alaska because I suddenly had itchy feet. I thought I would always live in Vermont, it's a great place to be green and raise a family. Now I live in Alaska, which is also a great place for kids to grow up! True, there are a lot of gun-totin' Carhartt-wearin' Red State Republicans, but I find that Alaska is one of the last places on earth where a person can truly feel "free" to live their life the way they want to.

The only thing I dislike is the meth problem. Meth is really, really big here. It's disgusting how big it is.

[Dael]

Let's see with my experiences:

I've lived in:
La Havana, Cuba(most of my life and where I am now)
Toulouse,France
Barcelona,Spain
Milan,Italy
Cythere,Greece

I will live again in(besides Cuba):
Toulouse,France
Cythere,Greece

Those will be my other options but I will not like to go back to Italy:dizzy:
But I love Cuba

[roadfamily6now]

Alaska, Europe

Actually, I would just prefer to raise my kids on the move. If I had unlimited income I would travel around the world, moving every few years so my kids could experience all cultures and all people.

[roadfamily6now]

I lived my whole life in Vermont, then moved to Alaska because I suddenly had itchy feet. I thought I would always live in Vermont, it's a great place to be green and raise a family. Now I live in Alaska, which is also a great place for kids to grow up! True, there are a lot of gun-totin' Carhartt-wearin' Red State Republicans, but I find that Alaska is one of the last places on earth where a person can truly feel "free" to live their life the way they want to.

The only thing I dislike is the meth problem. Meth is really, really big here. It's disgusting how big it is.


I agree with everything you said.
Be thankful you dont live in Delta Junction, we moved here to get away from the drugs there. At least here, there are Other things to do besides drugs.

[roadfamily6now]

:lol
The company my husband works for (Intel) pays for all of our expenses: house, utilities, 2 cars with 2 drivers, kids school, monthly allowance for incidentals and household help, 2 home leaves a year and 1 regional leave...The Philippines is considered a hardship post ( no idea why!) an so he even gets 20% more in salary! Decadent in my opinion, especially since we love this life...but most people refuse to leave their comfort zone and we get rewarded for doing so. :)

interesting, what does your DH do?
YOu can pm me if you want.

:)

[aussiemum]

The only thing I dislike is the meth problem. Meth is really, really big here.

I'm sorry, that really sucks. If it's any consolation it's just not Alaska that has a meth problem. :( Bloody frickin' chemmy drugs, why the hell can't everybody just stay natural, yk?

[laketahoemama]

What about Switzerland? Anyone lived there? Know about how AP-friendly/liberal it is?
I am very interested in moving abroad.

[calynde]

What about Switzerland? Anyone lived there? Know about how AP-friendly/liberal it is?
I am very interested in moving abroad.

I'm in Switzerland.

It's certainly not the easiest place in the world to be a foreigner. :o What makes you think of coming here? It ticks a lot of the right boxes on paper, but can be much more difficult in reality.

[Ilaria]

interesting, what does your DH do?
YOu can pm me if you want.

:)

JUST saw this, roadfamily6now! My husband is a finance controller for Intel.

[ecoteat]

I live exactly where I want to be and raise my family. It is perfect for us here on the coast of Maine.

[EdnaMarie]

All over the world, travelling, so my daughter gets exposed to all the beauty of the whole world and the best (and worst) of all cultures. :-D

[Ilaria]

Izobelle, I just bookmarked your blog and the links to other expat blogs you have on it is AMAZING!! :)

[LizzyQ]

If money weren't an issue- Kauai

Because money is an issue, we will probably move to Central America (Belize or Costa Rica) after we are done having babies.

[Ilaria]

Countries that 'set the best examples'
http://www.vexen.co.uk/countries/best.html

[calynde]

Countries that 'set the best examples'
http://www.vexen.co.uk/countries/best.html

An awful lot of "cold" countries on those lists...:lol

[brightonwoman]

Norway. DH lived there for a couple of years, and it's EXPENSIVE, but if that were not an issue, we would move tomorrow. :-)
I grew up in the Seattle area, and southern Norway is a similar climate. Norwegians speak excellent English as a general rule, so it wouldn't be hard to get along until I could start learning the language (and dh already speaks it). They recently were rated one of the two best countries for raising children (US and UK were the two worst of the 1st world countries!)

[arwenevenstar]

I don't really know where I'd like to go, maybe Oregon due to the crunchy community feel.

We have lived in Southern Ireland, which was pretty child friendly and has a very gently relaxed way of life. Scenery is beautiful, we lived on the banks of the Shannon, but it started to drive us a little potty with the extreme "manyana" attitudes that most people have. I think I would have to swallow one huge chill pill AND it rains A LOT!:lol

Belgium was interesting, very multicultural and I met lots of people, BUT they were expats. Many many women go back to work really soon after having babies so there are limited groups to join. Breastfeeding is common for around 6 weeks only. They are obsessed with their dogs, they carry dogs in special bags and carriers but push their babies in strollers:lol Transport is good, beer good but organic crunchy living, not so!

France probably really depends on where you are, but they are very set in their ways (much like us Brits:lol ) In my experience, they are not very child friendly certainly not in the cities. Birth is really medical here and it is quite similar to Belgium in many of the other aspects.

I am from the UK and am not filled with great desire to return. It is small and cramped and outdoor living is not easy, unless you find a pocket in the South West. I think I would like to live on the South coast if we returned. Holistic and organic living is achievable here and I think certain areas of the UK are fairly progressive towards alternative and environmentally friendly living. The thing I don't like is the growing teen crime scene and the cramped living.

I really like living here in the US, we have space and outdoor living as well as a huge range of options for organic stuff. What I don't like about here is the obsessive hot housing (I live in NY commuter belt!) and parental competition (albeit they don't want to admit it) also it is hard to find community living and organic hang outs (mind you once you find one, you cling on for dear life:lol ) I don't suppose we'll stay, we are on an expat package for now and I think we will eventually return. Also I am not a fan of the long winters. I am a sun person!!!! I also have major issues with the birthing scene!



I have never lived in Norway but have many Norweigan friends and of all my friends they are certainly the most relaxed, natural types of my friends. They have great attitudes towards life and their kids and despite it being cold.....always manage to come back from Norway with a nice healthy robust tan (all that outdoor living!)

Holland has a great birthing culture, but again, unless you live in Amsterdam or the cities you can feel remarkably isolated and it is just so darned flat!!! I come from the Fens in the UK which is also flat as a pancake. I am not sure I would like to live in quite so little variation (just being picky now!)

I would like to try Australia, but not sure if we would get in there now (getting too old lol!) and other parts of the US. I would also like to try living in parts of Latin or South America.

My ideal place would have to be:
sunny even if there were good seasons, not OVER hot but definately not GREY all day !!
Safe and low crime
child friendly
AP accepting
Natural birth scene good homebirth culture, midwives etc
Range of organic foods, preferably via markets and farm shops
Lots of space and fun things to do outdoors with the children
Crunchy hang outs and places to meet other moms
Interesting!
Somewhere for our dog to run
Decent cost of living
Limited red tape and restrictions on me working eventually
Good Montessori schools
Better chocolate than Hersheys (sorry guys!)

Anyway, my fourpenneth!

[mtn.mama]

We are right where we belong... money or no money- we like living close to the land. And here, if you work hard enough then the land will provide everything you need. This is not to say we wouldn't like to travel around the arctic and antarctic a bit. Alaska is our home- but the politics suck. We have talked about relocating to far northern Canada. Canadians are nice.

[Mama2Lennon]

belize maybe or ...

some isolated island, full of coconuts, far away from "civilization" ....

no winter ...

really ...

[edenluna]

where i have lived:
New York City, New York
Miami, Florida
Portland, Oregon
St. Petersburg, Florida
Dunbar, Scotland


i am in scotland right now, and i do not fancy raising my child(ren) here long term...it is beautiful and not very crowded, but the Uk itself is in a social quagmire. we talk about Latin America or New Zealand, but moving back to Oregon would be nice too

[RomanGoddess]

In Scandinavia or Northern continental Europe. But Italy is okay for now.:lol