Men with sense are quietly leaving their countries in droves.
They’re packing their shit and taking their value elsewhere.
Sure, the cities are to blame. But anyone with a knowledge of history, or anyone watching the news in the last few months, knows that it’s only a matter of time before the sociological virus spreads to the countryside.
“Forget having a target on my back,” these men are saying.
And they’re out the door.
Travel is hard right now.
But I’d argue we’re approaching the easiest time to get up and go.
Whilst everyone else is too scared to board a plane, too scared to have enforced quarantine in a foreign country, there’s opportunity for those who know they’re never coming back.
So if you’re thinking of leaving your failed Western society behind, you might want to consider one of these three countries for your new home.
This advice is borne out of almost a decade of experience living abroad.
Obviously it’s inflected by my own personality and experience.
And I won’t be including any of the lovely places I’ve lived in that are part of the problem.
For example, I lived in Vienna for a year.
I love the city and it’s very rewarding for artists. But the cultural decline and degeneration is likely worse than in many parts of America and the UK. So I don’t recommend Austria.
Thailand is one that many young men working online like to choose. I lived in Chiang Mai in my early twenties, but didn’t personally like it. The visa runs, as a Brit, and the delicious but overly spicy food wasn’t for me. I can see how some young men might love it though, so don’t rule it out.
Here’s my top three cities to live in as a western man:
1 – Tokyo, Japan.
Say, what!
The most expensive and densely populated city in the world?
Surely I’m not recommending that for young men?
Well, personally I am.
But don’t stay forever.
1-2 years is the ideal amount of time to spend in Japan.
Stay any longer and you’ll get jaded and start hating parts of the culture (particularly if you’re American).
Tokyo’s great because it forces you to up your game. You have to make a shit-ton of money simply to live there. But when it comes to fine dining or fun days out, it’s cheap and can’t be beat. I’ve had Michelin meals for thirty bucks. You can eat like a king in Tokyo for more than half of what you’d spend in shithole London or Paris.
Tokyo is safe. Women can wander around the city in the middle of the night intoxicated pretty much anywhere and there won’t be a problem. You feel the safety in the air.
Japanese people are also collectivist. If you’ve only ever lived in individualist cultures like the UK or America, you might feel a weight come off your shoulders when you feel what a society where people look out for each other is like.
2 – Varna, Bulgaria.
Bulgaria is the most corrupt nation in the EU. It’s also old-school Europe, and likely quite close to what living in England in the 50s might have felt like.
Sure, you have to contend with barely any food in the supermarkets and the occasional water supply cut off for a few days by Putin, but Bulgaria is one of the European countries where you can most take advantage of geoarbitrage.
Make your money in British pounds or US dollars and spend it in Bulgarian lev = living like a king.
Top-floor penthouse with jacuzzis right in the best part of town? Costs next-to-nothing. The food is cheap as hell. You’ll pay a couple of bucks for some of the best gustatory experiences of your life. It’s proper man food too. Plates piled high with delicious meats and cheese and wash it all down with the Baltic favourite Rakia.
Varna is a better choice than the capital Sofia because there’s not as much crime. There’s a nice beach where you can go for morning runs. There aren’t a huge variety of bars or restaurants, so you’ll end up visiting the same ones over and over. Plus the town is quite small and it will only take a few weeks before you feel like you know everyone there. And as you’re a foreigner, everyone will know you.
Bulgarians are old school. The men are old school masculine. The women are old school feminine. And it feels like you were transported back to a simpler time. It’s a good place to go disappear for a while and knuckle down and make some money.
3 – Budapest, Hungary
What a great city for those who love to walk!
History on every street, masculine sculptures from an age of heroes, and a simmering violence beneath the surface. People don’t shit-talk you here in Hungary because they walk the walk.
You can live in style on the cheap in Budapest. Top-notch food from every country on earth for reasonable prices. The best Japanese food I’ve ever had (besides Japan) was in Hungary. If you want a Thai massage, you can get them in Hungary. Every time of gym for every type of sensibility. And the city is a thriving culture capital – fashion, music, food, art, you name it.
Another great thing about Budapest is just how central and connected it is. Beyond the quaint towns and rural places of scenic beauty within the country, Budapest is also an easy train ride away from Vienna and Bratislava and you can either take a road trip or a quick plane ride and be in Prague, Bucharest, Sofia, Zagreb, Krakow, or Lviv whenever the fancy takes you.