What I'm going to say here can apply to any denomination. The framework of the point still stands.
I'll use Orthodox as an example.
For many of us that are Eastern Orthodox, Romania, Georgia, Bulgaria, and Eastern European spots are desireable options for relocation, and for obvious reasons.
I want to highlight something I've expressed in various posts on this forum and the old one but I don't think I ever really mentioned it specifically.
Let's say you're Orthodox. You really like Thailand. But Thailand is a Buddhist country, so you scratch it off your list. I'm just using Thailand as a hypothetical. This isn't about Thailand.
I'd like to point out that even in a country like Thailand, even in one of its most seedy, trashy cities like Pattaya, there are still wonderful Orthodox Christian communities.
So I'd like to encourage being creative with planning. Instead of sweeping generalizations of "country is good because the people are X denomination", perhaps it would be better to focus on a specific Church. Research what churches are in whatever cities you like around the world. Actually go and visit the ones you're really thinking of putting roots down in.
If we find a Church community that suits us rather than solely basing our search off of the broad country classifications only, suddenly our list gets a lot longer and things start to get fun.
There are pockets, gems, and overlooked places around the world with small Orthodox church communities. I don't think we have to limit ourselves. This can keep us from ever actually making strides towards making these things a reality.
Earlier in the thread I posted about the Orthodox community in Kuala Lumpur - a Muslim country. Having this type of thinking be a part of our relocation planning efforts opens up a lot more doors.
This way we can find places that are more suitable. We can really hone in on a more personalized fit.
I have been recalling the Kuala Lumpur post above because it really got me thinking about this. Sure, I'm not Muslim, but I'm a former alcoholic. So that place is actually good for me in that aspect.
There's things like weather and food. If you really love the tropics and Asian food, then cold weather and food that you don't like isn't going to cut it in Eastern Europe in the long run.
To me this is inspiring to think of things in this way. It makes relocation goals more realistic, practical and nuanced, tailored to our own personal interests and liking.
So while I have mentioned that Romania, Georgia, and even Greece were potentially good options for me, I'm also kind of pivoting to thinking that I shouldn't necessarily write off Southeast Asia.
I mean, even where I am in the states, I'm not in an Orthodox country, I am part of a small Orthodox community, and things are working out fine. I don't see why I can replicate this in another non-Orthodox place. And my church is basically an immigrant church so it's all in Greek, but some of these international Churches in Asia with expats and locals mixed will be in English I imagine.
And the Orthodox communities in some of these places even in Asia are thriving and healthy. Full of young families, lots of children, fit women, lots of masculine-looking men. Compare that to my church in US that is full of bingo playing old grandmas.
Maybe I'll do another round of nomading there. But this time instead of looking for the best clubs in the big cities, I'll look for the best churches in the small towns. Perhaps my time there can be salvaged and resurrected with new life.
If I was a single black Orthodox guy stuck in US, UK, etc, I would move to Kenya. Really amazing stuff happening there with Orthodoxy. And Kenya is super duper cheap and uber based.
I just need wherever I go to be cheap. I need that leverage. That's the only way I'm going to be able to leave the US earlier. The great the disparity in cost of living, the sooner I can go.
That's why somewhere like Philippines is such a good bargain to me still. Covid hysteria aside, it still checks a lot of boxes for me personally.
I'll use Orthodox as an example.
For many of us that are Eastern Orthodox, Romania, Georgia, Bulgaria, and Eastern European spots are desireable options for relocation, and for obvious reasons.
I want to highlight something I've expressed in various posts on this forum and the old one but I don't think I ever really mentioned it specifically.
Let's say you're Orthodox. You really like Thailand. But Thailand is a Buddhist country, so you scratch it off your list. I'm just using Thailand as a hypothetical. This isn't about Thailand.
I'd like to point out that even in a country like Thailand, even in one of its most seedy, trashy cities like Pattaya, there are still wonderful Orthodox Christian communities.
So I'd like to encourage being creative with planning. Instead of sweeping generalizations of "country is good because the people are X denomination", perhaps it would be better to focus on a specific Church. Research what churches are in whatever cities you like around the world. Actually go and visit the ones you're really thinking of putting roots down in.
If we find a Church community that suits us rather than solely basing our search off of the broad country classifications only, suddenly our list gets a lot longer and things start to get fun.
There are pockets, gems, and overlooked places around the world with small Orthodox church communities. I don't think we have to limit ourselves. This can keep us from ever actually making strides towards making these things a reality.
Earlier in the thread I posted about the Orthodox community in Kuala Lumpur - a Muslim country. Having this type of thinking be a part of our relocation planning efforts opens up a lot more doors.
This way we can find places that are more suitable. We can really hone in on a more personalized fit.
I have been recalling the Kuala Lumpur post above because it really got me thinking about this. Sure, I'm not Muslim, but I'm a former alcoholic. So that place is actually good for me in that aspect.
There's things like weather and food. If you really love the tropics and Asian food, then cold weather and food that you don't like isn't going to cut it in Eastern Europe in the long run.
To me this is inspiring to think of things in this way. It makes relocation goals more realistic, practical and nuanced, tailored to our own personal interests and liking.
So while I have mentioned that Romania, Georgia, and even Greece were potentially good options for me, I'm also kind of pivoting to thinking that I shouldn't necessarily write off Southeast Asia.
I mean, even where I am in the states, I'm not in an Orthodox country, I am part of a small Orthodox community, and things are working out fine. I don't see why I can replicate this in another non-Orthodox place. And my church is basically an immigrant church so it's all in Greek, but some of these international Churches in Asia with expats and locals mixed will be in English I imagine.
And the Orthodox communities in some of these places even in Asia are thriving and healthy. Full of young families, lots of children, fit women, lots of masculine-looking men. Compare that to my church in US that is full of bingo playing old grandmas.
Maybe I'll do another round of nomading there. But this time instead of looking for the best clubs in the big cities, I'll look for the best churches in the small towns. Perhaps my time there can be salvaged and resurrected with new life.
If I was a single black Orthodox guy stuck in US, UK, etc, I would move to Kenya. Really amazing stuff happening there with Orthodoxy. And Kenya is super duper cheap and uber based.
I just need wherever I go to be cheap. I need that leverage. That's the only way I'm going to be able to leave the US earlier. The great the disparity in cost of living, the sooner I can go.
That's why somewhere like Philippines is such a good bargain to me still. Covid hysteria aside, it still checks a lot of boxes for me personally.
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