Ask yourself earnestly, "What do I consider FUN?" Not everyone defines enjoyment similarly. Sitting at the beach knitting all day while knocking back appletinis may be the bee's knees for one and the definition of hell for another. If given the opportunity to really do what you want within a foreign country, what would you actually want to do with your time, money and resources? Compare your daily routine (traffic, congestion, shopping, cooking) with the adventures and excursions you idyllically imagine your upcoming life will entail. When it comes down to the daily grind, what are you willing to tolerate and what can you admit honestly would be too tough or too intolerable to personally handle? The travel will be amazing, yes, but really focus on the daily routine realities to determine if the country of choice would be up to snuff for your plans and preferences. A country may have fabulous, lush pictures of flora and fauna, but if you will be residing in an urban jungle (read: lots of concrete), imagine what city hustle and bustle on a daily basis will be like on your commute, walking the dogs, grabbing groceries, jogging, etc.
Cultures have subtle cues for interrelations. Find out what is expected of males and females, young and old, marrieds and singles. Learn about typical community activities: are you a dominoes aficionado or a karaoke queen? A film fanatic or sports enthusiast? Know which country activities match your own interests. If bowling is the national activity and you wouldn't be caught dead in polyester and bowling shoes, think about alternative options for entertainment. Some communities use religious or social organizations as primary vehicles for community relationships. Others rely on a tight-knit family network of support (which may be hard to break into if you are not a local). Learn whether or not the community is comfortable, familiar, or inviting of foreign guests: will you be a welcome addition or perceived as a communal burden?Read some ex-pat country specific blogs to find out how easy (or difficult) it is to make lasting friendships. Find out what type of night life abounds: is drinking in public acceptable or highly frowned upon? In the community is dancing impermissible (read: punishable) or virtually required when more than three are gathered? What time do most businesses, shops, and restaurants open and close? Is dinner time the 4 o'clock early bird special or will restaurants not open their doors until after 8:30? On Sunday or weekends do businesses close shop, or will it be near impossible to find some peace and quiet with 24-7 city life? During holidays and events like Ramadan (Muslim month of fasting) does the city shut down or will market shopping be open for business?
Other questions to ask include: What are the local and national songs, dances, stories, and proverbs that children learn from an early age at bedtime? What are the foods that are ripe and abundant, and which foods (if any) are considered taboo? What gifts are expected when you show up at someone's house? Do you have to arrange the cost of taxi fare before getting in the car? Will haggling be a part of your daily shopping experience?
Learn whether or not it is okay to: use your left hand (most Muslim and African countries consider the left hand unclean); address people informally; look at a person in the eye when speaking; talk with the opposite sex; travel without accompaniment. Find out what the expected 'personal bubble' of space is for the community: some places have personal bubbles measured in feet while others have mere inches (if you're lucky!). (Imagine yourself sweatily sitting on public transportation with a breast-feeding baby--not your own--sitting on your left thigh and a goat perched beneath your ankle on your right...) Know whether personal lodgings will be limited to a few hundred feet or an entire hacienda. Even if the city or town is the best in the world, if you are living in a shoebox you might begin to feel (er-hum) a touch claustrophobic. Whether you are working, retired, child-rearing, or just absorbing the local community flavor, what type of activities could you see yourself (and your accompaniments) engaging in? If the country has safety issues, how will this affect your freedom of movement and engagement with the local populace? If women's rights or freedom of speech is different than US standards, how will this affect your relationships, travels to the market, and social expectations generally? Will you have to change your style of dress or speech to fit in, and if so, are you willing to adapt accordingly? In your country of choice, will you be able to eat at the locally available restaurants? Are you only willing to eat at high-end restaurants, or do you hope to tap into street food vendors, local markets, and cheaper dive pit stops? Even if a country is comparatively affordable to US standards, if you are planning to live the high life, assume it will come at a cost and prepare your budgeting accordingly.
7. The Daily Grind
The tourism photos online will most likely not reflect what is happening on the ground day-in, day-out. Check out statistics on crime, poverty, residing persons per capita, and cost of basic foodstuffs. Look up local holidays, celebrations, religious practices, and community preferences for music, national dishes, and movies. Check out recent news articles on reputable sites and see if elections or other potentially chaotic events are occurring anytime soon. Check up on local laws. Some countries have reciprocity agreements for working if you are a foreign national. Other countries, unfortunately, make it almost impossible to secure a job on the local market that can support your new life. If the perfect place with the perfect house and the perfect market and the perfect view are perfectly out of jobs for people like you, then maybe it's not so perfect after all.
Take into consideration the difference in lifestyle between being a tourist and being a resident. When you are living in a place, what do you really need (items, relationships, activities, and otherwise) to make you feel comfortable, at home, and loved?
Once you've picked a city, neighborhood or particular residence, see how far away the local market will be. If you will be walking from place to place, check out the streets you will have to go by on a daily basis to pick up milk, bread, meat, and the like. Can you see yourself there? Would you be happy? If the answer is yes, my friend, then I think you will do just fine.
The world awaits!
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