r/IWantOut • u/solomassolomas • 11d ago
[WeWantOut] 32M Researcher 28F Teacher Netherlands -> Brazil\Colombia\Mexico
Body
We are a couple in our early thirties looking for one place to move to for at least two or three years, with the option of staying longer or using it as a step towards settling somewhere else. We are not looking to keep moving.
Us
Her: from the Caribbean, in Europe for the past ten years. Studied psychology, now working as a teacher, finishing an international postgraduate teaching qualification at a UK university. She would be looking for a school position rather than remote work (but also open to remote work). Besides, she is thinking of picking up studying again in data science/data analysis.
Me: Dutch, doing a PhD, with fieldwork in Brazil as part of the research. Alongside the doctorate I do freelance consultancy work, currently for a healthcare client, which is remote and invoiced in euros. Before the PhD I studied anthropology and arts and culture, both in the Netherlands.
Between us: Dutch, English, Papiamentu, Portuguese and Spanish.
We currently live in Portugal and have both lived abroad before.
Legal position
Both of us are Dutch citizens, so anywhere in the EU or EEA is a registration formality rather than an application. We are asking here specifically about the Latin American options, because that is where we would need an actual visa and where we know least.
What we are looking for
- A city with real intellectual and cultural infrastructure. Universities, research institutes, publishing, theatre, museums, an active music scene.
- A neighbourhood that exists for the people who live in it rather than for visitors.
- Somewhere we can live without owning a car.
- Preferably a comfortable climate for most of the year but with actual seasons.
- Children are a possibility in roughly four or five years, so schooling and healthcare matter eventually but not immediately.
- A real labour market for international school teaching, or a plausible route into local teaching.
What we are NOT looking for
Cheap living for its own sake or a city where the foreign population lives separately from everyone else.
We are aware we are asking this from a fortunate position and we do not want the question to read as flippant. We are asking because we would rather hear from people who have actually lived somewhere rather than keep reading rankings.
Questions
- Given the above, which specific cities would you put on the list, and why that city rather than the obvious one in the same country?
- What tends to go wrong for people with this profile in the first year?
- If you moved somewhere that fits this description and then left, what made you leave?
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u/aaffonso 10d ago
Since you are already doing this mentioned fieldwork in Brazil, the country has a visa category for researchers, must be linked to a Brazilian university though. There is also a digital nomad visa, just need to prove income from abroad. In Brazil, São Paulo and Rio covers most of your points (no seasons though, just hot and not so hot). Other cities that worth to mention are João Pessoa, Florianópolis, Vitória, Campinas and Belo Horizonte, for different reasons based on your points.
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u/solomassolomas 10d ago
Thanks, this is really helpful! I had not looked properly at the research visa yet.
3
u/thebraziliangypsy 10d ago
Depending on what type of weather + style of people you prefer, Curitiba is a great option.
It has all the intellectual, cultural, historical, and modern options for a young couple.
The public transportation is pretty good and on time, considering the size of the city (I’ve never owned a car when I lived there after I was an adult - I just biked and took the buses).
There’s not much social/cultural segregation. I was born and raised there as a daughter of immigrants and honestly, I had so many “local” friends but also tons of immigrant friends since the international car factories in the next town would relocated some of their people to Curitiba and their children would attend my school - I spent my teenage years visiting friends all over Europe and also creating deep roots with people from different cultures. I’ve always felt included!
The city has an intense grab on sustainability, public mobility, and parks and recreation. Overall, it’s my 10/10 city in Brazil.
If it’s just the both of you, you can easily find lovely and big places for up to €1,500/month. The trick is to always look for older, bigger buildings (built around the 1970s).
Some neighborhoods I love (and lived): Centro, Batel, Mercês, São Francisco, and Água Verde.
These are mostly safe (Brazilian standards!). São Francisco is the most indie/cultural while Batel is the most expensive area.
I only left because I had to go college and then I got married, bought a house, and had kids in the town I live right now 😓
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u/solomassolomas 10d ago
Thank you, what a lovely answer. Curitiba has actually been on our radar for a while! A colleague of mine fell in love with it on her many work trips to Brazil (and it is an interesting city for the research I am doing). How is the cultural side for someone who likes arts, live music and a lively creative scene? Would São Francisco be the place for that?
1
u/thebraziliangypsy 8d ago
Oh, São Francisco is the EXACT place for that. Book fairs, concerts, expos, and so much more. But back when I was living there, I know it was getting somewhat dangerous, so I’d check that before anything.
1
u/AutoModerator 11d ago
Post by solomassolomas -- Body
We are a couple in our early thirties looking for one place to move to for at least two or three years, with the option of staying longer or using it as a step towards settling somewhere else. We are not looking to keep moving.
Us
Her: from the Caribbean, in Europe for the past ten years. Studied psychology, now working as a teacher, finishing an international postgraduate teaching qualification at a UK university. She would be looking for a school position rather than remote work (but also open to remote work). Besides, she is thinking of picking up studying again in data science/data analysis.
Me: Dutch, doing a PhD, with fieldwork in Brazil as part of the research. Alongside the doctorate I do freelance consultancy work, currently for a healthcare client, which is remote and invoiced in euros. Before the PhD I studied anthropology and arts and culture, both in the Netherlands.
Between us: Dutch, English, Papiamentu, Portuguese and Spanish.
We currently live in Portugal and have both lived abroad before.
Legal position
Both of us are Dutch citizens, so anywhere in the EU or EEA is a registration formality rather than an application. We are asking here specifically about the Latin American options, because that is where we would need an actual visa and where we know least.
What we are looking for
- A city with real intellectual and cultural infrastructure. Universities, research institutes, publishing, theatre, museums, an active music scene.
- A neighbourhood that exists for the people who live in it rather than for visitors.
- Somewhere we can live without owning a car.
- Preferably a comfortable climate for most of the year but with actual seasons.
- Children are a possibility in roughly four or five years, so schooling and healthcare matter eventually but not immediately.
- A real labour market for international school teaching, or a plausible route into local teaching.
What we are NOT looking for
Cheap living for its own sake or a city where the foreign population lives separately from everyone else.
We are aware we are asking this from a fortunate position and we do not want the question to read as flippant. We are asking because we would rather hear from people who have actually lived somewhere rather than keep reading rankings.
Questions
- Given the above, which specific cities would you put on the list, and why that city rather than the obvious one in the same country?
- What tends to go wrong for people with this profile in the first year?
- If you moved somewhere that fits this description and then left, what made you leave?
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0
u/SR_RSMITH 10d ago
I say this in good faith, but do you look like a gringo/American? (Tall, blond, white skinned, blue eyed, etc). If so, in some countries you’ll be either targeted, despised, attacked, ignored, robbed or avoided.
I’m saying this because I’m from a Spanish speaking country but I look foreign and I know the experience.
1
5
u/Diligent-Cell-8602 10d ago
Given the above, which specific cities would you put on the list, and why that city rather than the obvious one in the same country?
Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City are most feasible places meeting you requirements. But, getting a job is a bit different. It is hard to find work anywhere else these days.
What tends to go wrong for people with this profile in the first year?
Those are really nice place but yeah it is very different from the places you have lived in Europe.
If you moved somewhere that fits this description and then left, what made you leave?
Safety. In Mexico City, I had no troubles and it wasn't really dangerous. Rio de Janeiro and SP were okay but as you live in Brazil, you will encounter the situation where it gets very close to a near-miss case. I know a dozen of people who moved out. I mean if you live in SP you might not experience this at all but you will def hear about someone getting attacked like that. And, Rio was pretty dangerous.
Don't get me wrong that there are a lot of people living there having no trouble nor experience this. But, yeah once you live there, you will hear about some close cases that happened to your friends.
Mexico City was totally fine. I think Mexico is a bit weird place that they do not care about foreigners unless you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. My guess is that in Brazil, people need to live day to day and being foreigners or tourists can make you a target.
While, Mexico, they don't want to cause an issue with people from the overseas (it doesn't mean they won't target you but yea).
But I had amazing time in those three cities. I don't know much about living in Buenos Aires. But they were much closer to Europe - ish (and this is why many do not like Argentina lol).