Seriously thinking about leaving the US
polycounter lvl 14
Over the past 10 years or so I've had a number of accumulating issues with life in the US. My life is not terrible, by any means, but I don't feel like I can proudly say "I live in the US!" to anyone. I feel ashamed and annoyed.
Like most things in life, if something is within my power to change for the better I make a point to work towards it and this is no different!
That being said, I want to turn this away from anti-America and towards pro-moving.
We're thinking of moving to New Zealand. We also thought of Norway or Sweden, but NZ is closer to both my wife and my liking.
Anyone live in NZ? Been there? What do you guys know about NZ? Share all the info! We're thinking about optimally moving in ~5 years.
Thanks
Like most things in life, if something is within my power to change for the better I make a point to work towards it and this is no different!
That being said, I want to turn this away from anti-America and towards pro-moving.
We're thinking of moving to New Zealand. We also thought of Norway or Sweden, but NZ is closer to both my wife and my liking.
Anyone live in NZ? Been there? What do you guys know about NZ? Share all the info! We're thinking about optimally moving in ~5 years.
Thanks
Replies
I'd love to move to NZ one day, maybe even work for WETA
It's not that I don't respect that they have their own culture I just cant be assed to deal with changing
for WETA and similar studios you will need previous film experience, so get going on that.
And NZ is crazy expensive, and is full of lame kiwi's. Australia on the other hand...
I'm currently in canada, heard vancouver is really nice. Sweden is meant to be really great to live also.
And if you do settle on NZ, weta is more into hiring locally so thats a good step i guess. And you can try for weta workshop over weta digital, they do the concept stuff, digital does the production biz. But you have to be really awsome AND have alot of film stuff on your folio/resume, they hate game stuff.
I dont blame you. Our country feels like its excited to commit suicide and it doesnt look like thats going to turn around anytime soon...at least for another 4 years.
After watching this video...(it was a bit of fresh air), Canada seems like a good place if one were to relocate.
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I should point out that other than weta, you may as you say have to depend on freelance there. Unless your wife has a more common career.
This probably rules out moving to Europe, which is not a big deal because that is literally on the other side of the world (do not want). NZ and Canada are close to both my wife and my families.
Both my wife and I have bachelor's degrees, so that's good info oXYnary.
You're young, full of sugar and it would be a great chance to see the world. You might get the "WTF did I do" moments, but as long as the wife backs you, it will be fine. It might do great things for your creativity.
I did it 4 years ago, sold all my stuff and moved to Japan. Have not looked back.
Whatever you decide to do, good luck
Canada is a decent option. One of the major factors to keep in mind with Canada is the property taxes. Owning a house in Canada is no laughing matter in terms of cost. Also, the weather throughout most of Canada is going to be noticeably colder than most other locales. This means fantastic summers, but long, brutal winters. If you like colder weather, you would feel right at home.
I don't know if you're into hunting or fishing, but Canada is also well-known for these hobbies.
I would personally consider moving to Australia. It has some of the same desert climates that I've grown used to living in AZ. The biggest drawbacks to heading down under would be the cost of video games, and the proliferation of potentially dangerous wildlife. Australia has some gorgeous scenery, but it is also home to some of the deadliest creatures on the planet. I'm an arachniphobe, and would wet myself if I ran across a funnel-web.
If I could ever afford to, I would personally favor Spain or Portugal for relocation destinations.
moving to japan is some thing i been interested for a while now.
can you please elaborate more on how you approached it ?
You don't like Seattle? I have always wanted to live in the Seattle area is it true that Seattle is stuck in the 90's?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE_9CzLCbkY
I gotta say I'm thinking that you Haisai and dataday want to leave from the opposite ends. Even if I'm completely off with that. There were plenty of people who claimed to want to move during the Bush years, then the opposite faction with Obama. Most gave up after realizing, just because you come from another first world country, does not mean you get preferential treatment in citizenship bureaucracy.
Sometimes its better stay and not only fight, but listen as well.
As my plans currently sit, I think I'll keep working my ass off here in the states till I can keep getting some freelancing gigs on a regular basis so I don't have to worry about trying to fit into a studio where I don't get the traditions or language that well.
But as far as I know there's no direct way of doing this, right? You can't just apply for papers. I'd need to get a job offer there first, and then they'd hook me up with all the visas and whatnot.
No, that's Portland. We are stuck being jealous of Vancouver, BC annnnd Portland here.
Also they are a bunch of Sheep-Shaggers.
My job here as an Australian is done.
On an actually on topic note, I really do encourage you do live somewhere else, even if just to try it for 6 months or something. I moved to the UK about mid way through last year, and though London isn't exactly my favorite city ever, and it's been incredibly stressful trying to find work, I'm really enjoying it, and have met some amazing people.
I moved from Florida to Montreal. Not only was the climate a bit of a shell shock but moving to an area that mostly speaks a different language was as well. I'm really enjoying the culture here though and there's plenty of places to apply for jobs and things to do. Tech/infrastructure imo isn't amazing but they're working on it.
However there are alternative ways of working wherever you wish, and that is the way of the Craig Mullins. He lives in Hawaii and does contract work from there and not moving from that spot.
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Just make sure you fully research this move. The reality of it is, you are just going to trade one set of problems for another. You just have to weigh which ones you are willing to trade.
Then again, I just spent my time Drinking, eating good food & surfing all day long.
I really enjoyed meeting the people down there as well. To me, I felt I was always welcomed and felt like home.
Sorry, I can't talk about the job opportunities there. Wish you the best of luck in any direction you head though!
Australia isn't nearly as dangerous as we like to tell the tourists. We do have a lot of dangerous animals but they're spread across a vast, vast area of land. You're really not much more likely to be injured by animals here than you might be mauled by a bear in the US.
http://www.geekosystem.com/hunter-mauled-by-shot-bear/
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/26/us/alaska-bear-attack/index.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/05/bear-attack-montana_n_2074306.html
honestly, this is why we have so many dam guns.
There are plenty of political reasons as to why I want out of here, but most of my reasoning is just wanting to be immersed in a new culture. We're pretty culture less here in the states, well.....media is our culture for the most part. I just want to LIVE and learn in another country that isnt something i've grown up to dislike a smuch as I do the states.
Plus I reallllly want to learn french
Really good soil for gardening, people are pretty easy going and laid back, wages are not that high in nz and technology is pretty expensive. Games are expensive to buy in stores ( $120 for a new release - but who buys games from stores anymore anyway - ozgameshop baby )
I lived in Auckland for most of my younger life, where were you thinking of moving to Haiasi??
If you freelance - i think it could be a really good decision to setup just outside of town, in the countryside hobbit style. Get yourself an awesome net connection and just chill man. Charge US dollars for your NZ work.. you could make a pretty good living
P.S Australia kinda sucks for that atm, our dollar has been higher than the US for so long now.. boo.
Pros:
- Great healthcare system, we have equal and free access to healthcare.
- Low unemployment and poverty rates.
- Great standards of living.
- High salaries.
- Not a shitload of people. Just 9 million in the entire country, around 2 million in Stockholm.
- (Beautiful women
Cons:
- Shitty weather, we get a couple of weeks of summer... Officially summer is between June-August, but we rarely get more than a few weeks of great weather.
- People tend to be fairly introverted. We keep to ourselves, but we're nice to people when we have to. Obviously that's just speaking from my own experience.
- It's expensive. That's why we have fairly high salaries I guess so it evens out.
- Fairly high taxes.
That's all I can think of. Any other Swedes are welcome to pitch in of course.
I've heard nothing but great things about Sweden. I have a couple friends up there who studied over here in California and they constantly post up pictures of Stockholm. IT is absolutely stunning, such a beautiful country both culturally and architecturally. I tried at DICE awhile ago but they were only bringing over senior artists at the time....again not enough experience
Also i love and miss snow
Wife: "I want to move back to Japan."
Me: "Sure."
Sent the wife and kid first. Stayed and worked every odd job (from photography to security guard) and saved every penny then followed 5 months later.
I'd be happy to hear anything about your life in NZ. My wife and I have lived in cities most of our lives, excluding my childhood. I really miss the remoteness of my first home and how it was buried in the woods. My brothers and I would go out for 5-6 hours just wandering around.
We would like to get some place quiet with a decent amount of land, somewhere we can let our dogs run forever. I would like to freelance, as I have said and you reiterated, and living out in the country in NZ would work fine for that.
I'm honestly not concerned about the prices of technology and video games. I'm leaning more towards off-the-grid than "connected" nowadays. I do enjoy internet, movies, and games, but nothing like I used to.
As for where to live, we're not sure. The thought literally came out of nowhere today and my wife and I talked about it seriously, and it grew into a very serious interest for both of us!
Prices are very high, but you get paid accordingly, and you're a king when you visit any other country with lower prices
Sounds awesome dude
Auckland city is pretty nice, its small, and fairly simple and compact. I know most of the north island from hamilton right to the very top - like the back of my hand. Travelled around these parts and coasts almost on a weekly basis my entire younger life searching for the ultimate fishing / camping spots, so I know a few good-uns. The best thing about NZ is that it really doesnt take you long to get into the absolute unknown - By sea or by road. And when you are in the absolute unknown, nothings going to kill you. There are no savage animals, no snakes, absolutely nothing thats bigger than or would consider you lunch.
There is only one poisonous spider that could endanger your life with its venom but youd be doing well to piss it off enough to bite you ( think poking at it constantly with your fingers before it decides its had enough - its a redback or katapo spider usually found in rotting logs etc - so you really have to go looking hard to find them.
If I were to move back i think i would opt for something slightly more remote, similar to what you talk about. Need a bit of land, want to get some animals - but not so remote as to run off solar and wind only haha ( while i would actually TOTALLY prefer to live off the grid BTW - not sure how feasible that is running 2 computers and having all the electronic luxuries )
The south island is still largely unexplored for me, its much cooler down there than the north island ( thats where most of the colder looking parts of the lord of the wings was shot ) and the kiwis down there have an even thicker accent than the north - sometimes to the point where its even difficult for me to understand. Theres always a bit of banter going on between 'north and south islanders' its all good stuff.
Schooling is generally pretty good. Otago University is NZ's world renowned University and im not sure if your aware but NZ is a very sport orientated country - most kids grow up wanting to be an 'all black' (boys) or silver fern (girls) which are the national Rugby and Netball teams respectively.
Kiwi's are fiercely proud of our work ethic, attitude and approach to life - we are a 'get it done - worry about everything else later' minded folk - watch them making of LOTR extended editions you'll see what I mean.
I hope you dont mind the Rain, because its plentiful in NZ - you'll learn to really enjoy the sunny days
Food is fantastic, because NZ is rediculously multicultural - Indians, Pakistanis, Tongans, Samoans, Pacific Islanders, you have the indigenous Maori, Lots of Japanese / Chinese, Swedish / Danish folks of course tonnes of English folk too - You'll likely be able to find all manner of exotic foods from any of these countries if thats your thing. If your a Wine drinker, NZ is world renowned for its White wines produced on the South Island. Tbh the whole connoisseur food and drink thing is pretty damned big in NZ now that I think about it.
Writing all this made me terribly homesick - curse you. I want to move back home now.
So if I were a foreigner moving in to live, the northern island is probably more "doable," yeah?
You're making me more excited!
What I would do first is probably organise a trip for your and your wife and do a bit of a 2 or 3 week whirlwind tour from the top of the north down to the bottom of the south ( you can pretty much drive the length of the north island in about 12 hours without stopping, but definitely chill out in a few of the towns along the way, find some places you like etc check out the local real estate etc.
Take a look at this site man to get an idea of what you might be looking at dinero wise to buy or even rent a piece of land with a house on it
P.S Dont forget to convert your dollars before being blown away by the prices!
www.realestate.co.nz
P.P.S We drive on the correct side of the road down here :P :P :P
Denmark, Norway and Sweden are great places to live in! Sweden is definitly the one of the 3 with most game studios and jobs, however if I remember correctly, the booze is expensive or something like that since many swedes travel from Malmø to Copenhagen to get wasted. Norway is crazy expensive compared to the two others, however I think their health care system and wages blows Denmark and Sweden out of the waters. Also, Sweden and Norway are beautiful countries, where Denmark is not so much.
If you want a very stable environment with shitty weather, go for Scandinavia!
But I kid. I spent nine months in Wellington, New Zealand working at Sidhe/Pikpok and it's a rather lovely place in spite of the gale force winds and occasional shaking. Quite a lot like Melbourne actually, albeit on a much smaller scale. I wouldn't mind getting back over there at some point.
There aren't a lot of games studios there though. Sidhe in Wellington and Gameloft up north in Aukland are the only sizeable ones that aren't obviously fronts for organised crime. I know plenty of games folks who've gotten into Weta though, a few of whom didn't immediatley strike me as being the most jaw droppingly amazing artists (Not to say any of them were bad, just not quite with the type of skill level you might expect to find places in arguably the most prestigious effects house in the world) so that'd certainly be worth looking into.
But I recommend everybody that feels like it switches countries at some point. Really helps you grow as a person.
Finland is also quite similar to Sweden and Norway, just that our language is completely different and we don't have many bigger game studios around here yet.
Don't kid yourself man, I wouldn't recommend the UK, definitely not London. Unless you're going to earn insane amounts it's not that nice.