Putting Down Roots

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Putting Down Roots: Getting to Know a Place

Putting down roots is something you might consider if you're going RTW or if you're on long-term travel.

Perhaps you're suffering from travel burnout and need a break, or have a passion for a place. Maybe you have a love interest you'd like to pursue, or you want to study language abroad. Whatever your reason, settling down is something many of us do at least once on the road.

If you're on the road and decide that you need a real travel break, you'll have to make sure your port of call matches your expectations.

What exactly are you looking for?

**Foreign place, foreign home**
Photo: Gret@Lorenz via Flickr

Here are some points you might consider when shopping for a temporary home away from home:

Accessibility
How near are you to major transport hubs? How easy is it to get in and out? However lovely your new home, you might get tired of it once in a while and you'll need to escape. Countries and cities served by low-cost airlines are worth a look, as are places near major train lines and bus stations.

Connectivity
You'll probably want some kind of internet access or wifi. How often will you need it? Is a weekly visit to an internet café enough or will you be uploading hundreds of photos a day? In addition to access, cost and signal strength and speed should also be considerations.

**Checking email away from home**
Photo: Advocacy Project via Flickr

Legality
Are you allowed to live there longer than a month or two? If you're from outside Europe, getting a long-term visa in the European Union will be difficult unless you're a student or have a job (and even then, it's far from simple). Some countries are stricter than others so check extensively before you go. Thailand, for example, is relatively flexible, allowing you to nip in and out of the country to renew your visa. Indonesia, on the other hand, is quite strict.

**Stuck in Prague**
Photo: Mossaiq via Flickr

Security
How safe is the country? Is it politically stable, or do you run the risk of being sealed in or deported? I was once stuck in Prague while the then Soviet Union decided whether to re-invade Czechoslovakia. The borders were temporarily closed and the most popular building was the post office, where people lined up for blocks to call abroad and let everyone know. It only lasted a day or two but - it might not have.

Safety
Is this a safe country for solo women? How to avoid crime abroad is always a concern, more so if you plan on living somewhere for a number of months. Lets face it - some countries are more woman-friendly than others. While I'd feel perfectly comfortable in Turkey, I'd definitely feel less so in Iran.

Familiarity
Putting down roots might be easier somewhere relatively familiar. Some of you may prefer a 'taste' of home - the existence of a Starbucks, for example, bookshops, or a large English-speaking community nearby. Others might prefer the novelty of difference - the Arabic or Cyrillic script, for example, or a country where English isn't the second, or even the third language. A place like Ethiopia, for example, is - at least to me - quite foreign. The only significant expat community is in the capital, Addis Ababa, but elsewhere, you're on your own.

**Familiar, yet different: McDonald's in Moscow**
Photo: Rob Lee via Flickr

Cost
Most of us are on limited budgets so putting down roots is a financial decision. We may all want to live in Tahiti or London but it's usually not possible. We have to take our budget into account, as well as working possibilities. Some countries will allow long-term visas and allow you to work as well. Others will throw you out the moment you're found giving the simplest of language lessons, so choose wisely and match your destination to your budget - and to overseas jobs possibilities.

**Too much Montreal winter**
Photo: Flynnwynn via Flickr

Liveability
Quality of life is something we can't neglect, especially if we're staying put for some time. Weather, for example - I get nervous at the first sign of freezing so France, where I now live, is about as cold as I can handle. But if the idea of tropical rains make your skin crawl, stay away from the Equator! Then there are all the other things that make a place liveable - public transport, entertainment, friendliness, cleanliness, health infrastructure and the existence of disease... make sure your chosen home matches your own values and needs.

Putting Down Roots: Choosing a Place

Once you've set your criteria, it's time to start shopping - for a new home, that is!

Over and over, the same places come up. That's because other travelers have tried them before you and can speak from experience. Here are some of the eternal favorites:

**Thailand: value for money**
Photo: flydime via Flickr

Thailand: it continues to top my list for best value for money, and just simply ease of living
non-EU Eastern Europe: costs are climbing but some of these countries remain popular
Central America: my vote goes to Panama, but plenty of other countries fit the bill
Argentina: an insanely popular destination as I write this
China and India: cheap, diverse and exotic

I'm a great believer in putting down roots when I travel. Some of my favorites? Bangkok (more than a year); Algeria (three months - twice); Eritrea (three months); South Africa (two months); Italy (six months); Brazil (four months).

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