For so long before I moved abroad, I dreamed of what it would look and feel like. Not necessarily the country, though Colombia was always part of the plan, but how it felt to wake up every day. It took over 11 years of dreaming like this to make it come true.

I’ve been thinking about our life in Colombia and the beauty of being able to design your “perfect life” to a degree when moving abroad. I’m not talking about having money, I mean the opportunity to pick the place that aligns best with your lifestyle goals. This isn’t denying the privilege of having the funds or ability to make the move. Pero para soñar no cuesta nada. Let’s just daydream for a moment and think of our perfect life.

Taking real world locations out of the equation for a moment, let’s breakdown the aspects that make up your dream living environment and find destinations that just might align.

Actually, we’re going to make this a game!

How to Play

Grab a paper and pen, phone notepad, or download a printable version of this game and tally up your numerical score for each section. Check the score card for locations around the world that might align with your dream life!

1. Physical Environment

Most people don’t understand the impact our physical environment has on our daily lives. Your mental and physical health depends on your external factors. Maybe you grew up in a big city and prefer a slower life, or you want to see the ocean or mountains outside of your window. Using the scoring system below, your ideal view from your window looks like:

A. Tall buildings, energy, movement, constant stimulation → 1 point
B. Ocean horizon, salty air, open skies → 2 points
C. Mountains, greenery, quiet mornings → 3 points
D. Nature + small town life balance → 4 points
E. Remote, slow, off-grid energy → 5 points

2. Mobility and Infrastructure

Having the ability to move around freely where you live is something that is taken for granted. I grew up in New York City and either walked or took the subway everywhere. I used to walk a mile and a half to work every day! When we moved to car-dependent Florida it was the biggest culture shock I ever experienced. Now, that’s a must for any long term destination for our family. Maybe you hate public transportation and only want to rely on a car, or bike, or even mobility aid devices to keep in mind. When you dream of moving, your ideal daily transportation looks like:

A. Car-dependent, highways, structured commuting → 1 point
B. Public transport + walkability → 3 points
C. Bikeable + pedestrian-centered → 4 points
D. Everything within walking distance → 5 points

3. Language and Culture

Raising bilingual kids abroad, exposing them to Spanish is important to us to strengthen their grasp on the language. You don’t have to move to a country that speaks only your native language, whether that be English, Spanish, French, or otherwise. Do you want to learn a new language? How important is “fitting in” in society and your independence. Are you bi/multilingual?

Your relationship with language is:

A. I only want my native language around me → 1 point
B. I’m open but want support systems → 2 points
C. I want to learn a new language slowly → 3 points
D. I actively want full immersion → 4 points
E. I thrive in multilingual environments → 5 points

4. Society and Community

I will not sugar coat anything, moving abroad can be an isolating experience. Even moving with family, even moving back to your home country after being away for so long. There is a dynamic shift and adjustment period that can look different for everyone. Having support is key to making you feel more at home in your new home.

Feeling “at home” means:

A. Blending in easily and not standing out → 1 point
B. Being accepted even if I’m different → 3 points
C. Being part of a visible expat/immigrant mix → 4 points
D. Living in a culture where community > productivity → 5 points

5. Mental Health and Nervous System

What stresses you about your current living situation? Neighbors too close? Too noisy? Too desolate? What will make you feel secure and happy with where you live

Your nervous system feels safest in:

A. Fast-paced, structured, predictable systems → 1 point
B. Calm but connected environments → 3 points
C. Slow living, low stimulation → 4 points
D. Nature-based, sensory-soft spaces → 5 points

6. Lifestyle Rhythm

Your ideal daily pace is:

A. Hustle culture, productivity-driven → 1 point
B. Balanced but structured → 2 points
C. Slow mornings, flexible days → 4 points
D. Life-first, work-second energy → 5 points

7. Family and Education

**If this section does not apply to you, feel free to skip without affecting the final scoring! **

If you have kids, or are planning to in the future, you don’t get to just think about yourself in this move. Maybe you’re moving to give your kids a better future, safer schools, language learning, or want to start a family in a country that supports postpartum parents and families abroad. Whatever your reason, what environment can you imagine your children learning in?

Education in your life looks like:

A. Traditional systems and structure → 1 point
B. Hybrid learning → 3 points
C. Experiential learning through life → 4 points
D. World schooling + cultural immersion → 5 points

8. Identity and Belonging

All my life, I had no idea where I belonged culturally. Born in Tunisia, raised by a Cuban mother in a global city like NYC. I had Italian, Colombian, and Egyptian influences in my family and my upbringing. Family parties always had two things, it was loud and there was always so much food! It wasn’t until I learned about being a Third Culture Kid that I finally felt that it was okay to be de aqui, y de allá.

You feel most fulfilled when you are:

A. Fully assimilated → 1 point
B. Accepted as different → 3 points
C. Free to hold multiple identities → 4 points
D. Living in cultural duality → 5 points

Scoring System

From Score → Environment Type → Real-World Examples

This isn’t just about picking a destination to live, it’s about understanding the kind of life your mind, body, and heart actually wants.
It’s okay if you’re discovering how many places in the world can hold that life for you.

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• 8–14 → Structured Stability Environment
• 15–21 → Balanced Transition Environment
• 22–28 → Intentional Lifestyle Design Environment
• 29–34 → Cultural Immersion Environment
• 35–40 → Borderless Living Environment

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8–14 Points

🏙️ Structured Stability Environment

Core lifestyle needs:
You thrive best in structure, predictable routines and systems, safety, strong infrastructure and clearly designed social rules. You want an organized routine, rather than a lax lifestyle.

Environment Type:

• High-structure urban environments
• System-driven societies
• Predictable infrastructure
• Familiar cultural frameworks

Real-World Examples:

Why these fit:
Strong public services, slower chaos, clear systems, accessible cost of living, calm daily rhythms.

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15–21 Points

⚖️ Balanced Transition Environment

Core lifestyle needs:
You’re not escaping your old life, you’re evolving. Stability is key but you want something different than what you’ve lived. Structure helps you feel safe but having the flexibility to change when change is needed. Community to keep you grounded with the ability to do your own thing every now and then.

Environment Type:

• Walkable cities
• Community-centered living
• Cultural exposure without overwhelm
• Slow integration ecosystems

Real-World Examples:

Why these fit:
Walkability, community culture, accessible living, cultural depth without extreme adaptation pressure.

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22–28 Points

🌱 Intentional Lifestyle Design Environment

Core lifestyle needs:
Your mental and physical well being is key to a productive life. Slow living with access to nature, big on community, and living for YOU, not to work.

Environment Type:

• Slow-living cultures
• Nature-integrated communities
• Strong social fabric
• Lifestyle-first economies

Real-World Examples:

Why these fit:
Slow rhythms, community living, strong cultural identity, affordable life, deep sense of place.

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29–34 Points

🌍 Cultural Immersion Environment

Core lifestyle needs:
You want to immerse yourself into a new place to belong. Community, language immersion, culture and connection.

Environment Type:

• Community-first societies
• Language immersion spaces
• Relationship-based cultures
• Non-individualistic systems

Real-World Examples:

Why these fit:
Relational cultures, community-based living, deep cultural immersion, affordable lifestyles, identity expansion.

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35–40 Points

🌐 Borderless Living Environment

Core lifestyle needs:
You want to build a life across different cultural intersections. You want mobility, slow travel, and maybe no set home base?

Environment Type:

• Cross-cultural hubs
• Transnational communities
• Worldschooling ecosystems
• Mobile living cultures

Real-World Examples:

Why these fit:
Fluid borders, multi-rooted living, mobile communities, worldschooling culture, deep cultural plurality.

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That was fun! Now what?

You’ve tallied up your score and found new places to explore and maybe even live. But, how do we make that a reality?

Moving can be overwhelming, moving abroad? Pfftttt that’s a whole other set of hoops to jump through! Luckily, I’ve gathered resources to try and help make that a reality (and yes, always free!).

I created this Move Abroad Made Easy Guide, while it is geared for families with a few extra steps, anyone can use the information here! It has easy, actionable steps to gather documents, sell your things, and make the move to a new life.

But what about work? I got you! Check out my Remote Work Guide right here on the blog. I have job boards, visa information, and even a list of always remote companies you can search and set alerts for.

If you need extra support, or want a personalized strategy tailored to your lifestyle and needs, I can help with that. Book a call with me where I will breakdown places to live with pricing, realtors and schools, visa information, community hubs and provide it all to you in a 20+ page book for you to keep.

The world is too big and too beautiful to stay in one place. You have options! While obviously there is some money to take into account, life is actually more affordable outside of the U.S.! Don’t wait, don’t wonder what if, take the first steps to your most aligned life!

Leave a comment or connect with me on Instagram for always free resources and tips to moving abroad!