Where would you move to if you had the choice in your 20s?

CBear1993 · 18-05-2020 10:27PM #1

Where would you go now if you had the chance with a partner, anywhere in the world.
Obviously for the purposes of this thread I’m talking about early 2021 - no move could be warranted at the moment.

I’m almost 27 and my girlfriend of 2 years will be turning 26 soon.
She has her bachelors and masters degrees in Biomed science.
I’m a QS/estimator in construction With a solid 6-7 years experience.

I’ve lived in Australia and England (midlands) for a year each, as well as Dublin for 2 years now.
She’s never lived abroad but has lived with me now for a year.

I just think we’ll regret it if we don’t with no children right now.
My girlfriend would be happy here the rest of her life but would move if I wanted to. I loved Australia, Sydney was class. But I was a single man there. San Francisco has always appealed to me but the rent is crazy. I don’t think London would appeal to either of us having been over a good bit.

Dubai is an interesting one but the culture is the big factor, we’d probably need to have a week there to see what we think first.

I own my own apartment in Dublin so there’s the matter of that, but also family. Both sets of parents are healthy and young enough, siblings are fine.

Curious to hear peoples trends on this at the minute. Canada was a big one over the last couple of years.

CBear1993 · 18-05-2020 10:41PM

CBear1993 wrote: »

Where would you go now if you had the chance with a partner, anywhere in the world.
Obviously for the purposes of this thread I’m talking about early 2021 - no move could be warranted at the moment.

I’m almost 27 and my girlfriend of 2 years will be turning 26 soon.
She has her bachelors and masters degrees in Biomed science.
I’m a QS/estimator in construction With a solid 6-7 years experience.

I’ve lived in Australia and England (midlands) for a year each, as well as Dublin for 2 years now.
She’s never lived abroad but has lived with me now for a year.

I just think we’ll regret it if we don’t with no children right now.
My girlfriend would be happy here the rest of her life but would move if I wanted to. I loved Australia, Sydney was class. But I was a single man there. San Francisco has always appealed to me but the rent is crazy. I don’t think London would appeal to either of us having been over a good bit.

Dubai is an interesting one but the culture is the big factor, we’d probably need to have a week there to see what we think first.

I own my own apartment in Dublin so there’s the matter of that, but also family. Both sets of parents are healthy and young enough, siblings are fine.

Curious to hear peoples trends on this at the minute. Canada was a big one over the last couple of years.

Continental Europe I’ve never considered. I suppose I could always trial it being in construction, a few weeks on and off somewhere first...

billy king · 18-05-2020 10:45PM

How would you work a visa for the US?

Australia is good, so is Japan with a huge economy.

CBear1993 · 18-05-2020 11:04PM

billy king wrote: »

How would you work a visa for the US?

Australia is good, so is Japan with a huge economy.

Have a QS college mate over in New York at the minute. The big consultancies sponsor you for a few years. Not sure how residency goes- depends how valuable to them you become I suppose.

Australia is class but it is very far away. Unfortunately the whole of my home county and parish are in Sydney and Melbourne at the minute too which has made it a cliche over the last 3 years.

No idea about japan. Would feel a bit odd there? Or I’m underestimating the size of the expat population obviously in Japan

Queasy Tadpole · 18-05-2020 11:07PM

If I was a young man again with the knowledge I have now I would choose either New Zealand, Canada or Germany.

I have lived in all three countries and they are all absolutely fantastic and offer so much more than Ireland will ever.

CBear1993 · 18-05-2020 11:23PM

Queasy Tadpole wrote: »

If I was a young man again with the knowledge I have now I would choose either New Zealand, Canada or Germany.

I have lived in all three countries and they are all absolutely fantastic and offer so much more than Ireland will ever.

Which was your favourite? (Or can you pick). One of my regrets from my short time in Oz was not going over to see NZ. Everyone said the wages aren’t as good in NZ but the cost of living remains the same... I didn’t believe them, anyway money isn’t the holy grail!

Never been to Germany but have to visit. Is it easy to integrate into society there if you’re non German speaking ?

Few friends in Canada but know very little about it. I pondered a move to Toronto for a few months at one stage

ted1 · 18-05-2020 11:26PM

I’d go to the Caribbean. Good work life balance

CBear1993 · 18-05-2020 11:28PM

ted1 wrote: »

I’d go to the Caribbean. Good work life balance

Are you serious or is this a pipe dream ?

ted1 · 18-05-2020 11:31PM

CBear1993 wrote: »

Are you serious or is this a pipe dream ?

Deadly serious, I’ve a few friends, and I’ve done a few months out there myself.

Queasy Tadpole · 18-05-2020 11:38PM

CBear1993 wrote: »

Which was your favourite? (Or can you pick). One of my regrets from my short time in Oz was not going over to see NZ. Everyone said the wages aren’t as good in NZ but the cost of living remains the same... I didn’t believe them, anyway money isn’t the holy grail!

Never been to Germany but have to visit. Is it easy to integrate into society there if you’re non German speaking ?

Few friends in Canada but know very little about it. I pondered a move to Toronto for a few months at one stage

I'd choose NZ.

Germany you simply need to speak German, but that is the same in any country, you need to speak the language.

Canada is basically the USA but better, and easier to migrate to.

CBear1993 · 19-05-2020 08:13AM

Queasy Tadpole wrote: »

I'd choose NZ.

Germany you simply need to speak German, but that is the same in any country, you need to speak the language.

Canada is basically the USA but better, and easier to migrate to.

Based on that I’d probably pick Canada due to the distance from home! Although it’s a massive country I wouldn’t know where to start.

James Bond Junior · 19-05-2020 08:16AM

I live in the Middle East. I reckon there is about 5 years left before it won't be worth it anymore.

CBear1993 · 19-05-2020 08:17AM

James Bond Junior wrote: »

I live in the Middle East. I reckon there is about 5 years left before it won't be worth it anymore
.

Interesting, whys that?

Is Abu Dhabi / Dubai still the main attraction for younger Irish ?
Know a few guys worked in Oman, have never heard any good recommendations about Saudi Arabia

Zascar · 19-05-2020 08:21AM

James Bond Junior wrote: »

I live in the Middle East. I reckon there is about 5 years left before it won't be worth it anymore.

What makes you say that? I'm living in Dubai and love it. Sort of wished I had of come years ago but very much enjoying it for what it is now. I'm lucky as my job has me covering europe and africa also not just middle east. Obviosuoy current situation is disastrous for many but if you still have a job and not getting pay cuts etc it's still good. Rents are coming down and cost of living too.

What do yoou think will happen in 5 years?

ted1 · 19-05-2020 10:07AM

James Bond Junior wrote: »

I live in the Middle East. I reckon there is about 5 years left before it won't be worth it anymore.

What’s your definition of “worth it?” Are you purely financially driven, or do you think the lifestyle will change dramatically over the next 5 years

ted1 · 19-05-2020 10:09AM

CBear1993 wrote: »

Interesting, whys that?

Is Abu Dhabi / Dubai still the main attraction for younger Irish ?
Know a few guys worked in Oman, have never heard any good recommendations about Saudi Arabia

I’ve a few projects in Oman spent 60 days there last year. Think it’s a great place, much different than what you see in Dubai etc

CBear1993 · 19-05-2020 10:33AM

ted1 wrote: »

I’ve a few projects in Oman spent 60 days there last year. Think it’s a great place, much different than what you see in Dubai etc

When you say projects are you in construction / property / engineering as well?

Mercury/sisk/Collen and the like, the big construction players here seem to be the only few who offer roles abroad. And it’s all data centres which I found personally very very boring.
Maybe better off going with a non Irish firm would you say? If I was to look.

ted1 · 19-05-2020 10:50AM

CBear1993 wrote: »

When you say projects are you in construction / property / engineering as well?

Mercury/sisk/Collen and the like, the big construction players here seem to be the only few who offer roles abroad. And it’s all data centres which I found personally very very boring.
Maybe better off going with a non Irish firm would you say? If I was to look.

I’m an engineering consultant . We work with electricity utilities all around the world building power plants , Substations , SCADA Control Centres. , etc . So before my Oman projects I was doing a project in the Caribbean and before that it was Malaysia.

BailMeOut · 19-05-2020 10:52AM

Hong Kong.

CBear1993 · 19-05-2020 10:57AM

BailMeOut wrote: »

Hong Kong.

Thanks. What the attraction to it?

CBear1993 · 19-05-2020 02:49PM

ted1 wrote: »

I’m an engineering consultant . We work with electricity utilities all around the world building power plants , Substations , SCADA Control Centres. , etc . So before my Oman projects I was doing a project in the Caribbean and before that it was Malaysia.

Class. If only I could get girlfriend talked into that.

19-05-2020 02:56PM

I guess it would depend on your reasons for going.
Are they financial? Make an much as you can & come home after few years? Or would you like to actually live somewhere else, learn different cultures, languages, travel?
All depends on the reasons

CBear1993 · 19-05-2020 03:14PM

Financial would be a big player in it yes. Although I wouldn't be going abroad purely to make money and live in a cesspit or in the middle of nowhere it is important.

We'd almost definitely return home at some stage I'd imagine, but you never know.

In saying that I wouldn't move abroad to work every hour under the sun and not be able to enjoy the culture and have a decent work/life balance as well. Language I'd definitely be willing to learn, but we're the type that are quite organised. So if we committed to move somewhere it would be the case we'd look for 2 permanent type jobs and an apartment/house etc rather than travelling all over the place.

James Bond Junior · 19-05-2020 03:25PM

Sorry lads, I am in Oman, not the usual UAE answer. Expats are being forced out of jobs due to Omanisation of roles. The amount of skilled jobs available for foreigners is reducing, just this month a good friend was told his role doesn't exist anymore and as such the whole expat world is reducing.

James Bond Junior · 19-05-2020 03:27PM

ted1 wrote: »

I’ve a few projects in Oman spent 60 days there last year. Think it’s a great place, much different than what you see in Dubai etc

Brilliant place to live and work. Where were you? Have you seen much of a reduction with Omanisation?

Padre_Pio · 19-05-2020 03:29PM

CBear1993 wrote: »

Continental Europe I’ve never considered. I suppose I could always trial it being in construction, a few weeks on and off somewhere first...

I like the idea of the south of Germany. Warm summers, snowy winters.
Not too much of a language barrier.

You can drive to France, Switzerland, Italy, or wherever.

CBear1993 · 19-05-2020 04:23PM

Yea from what I see here the main southern cities are - Nuremberg, Munich, Stuttgart.

Widdensushi · 19-05-2020 04:27PM

Sweden,should have less of a recession than much of the rest of the world

CBear1993 · 19-05-2020 05:07PM

Widdensushi wrote: »

Sweden,should have less of a recession than much of the rest of the world

Thanks but no thanks

Was offered a post in sweden 3 weeks on 1 weeks off 2 years ago to build a data centre. Couldn't think of anything worse to be honest. I'd say rural Ireland is livelier. A lot of the lads who took up the post got their 3 weeks on, down to 1 week out there and 3 weeks here. Hated it.

Padre_Pio · 19-05-2020 05:46PM

CBear1993 wrote: »

Yea from what I see here the main southern cities are - Nuremberg, Munich, Stuttgart.

South west is wine and cider country, south east is beer country.

Take your pick

Jim2007 · 19-05-2020 07:56PM

Widdensushi wrote: »

Sweden,should have less of a recession than much of the rest of the world

Would you really want to live in a country where it is dark in the morning until at least 9:00am and get's dark again at about 3:00pm...

Where would you move to if you had the choice in your 20s?

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