Quit Your Job And Move Abroad: 10 Places So Affordable You Can Live Your Dream Life

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Daybreak hesitates on the horizon as we make our bone-rattling journey across the prairies. Up ahead is a scene so majestic, even the shock of the 4am wake-up call suddenly loses its sting. Illuminated by the first mellow rays of buttery sunlight, a herd of over 1,000 mighty buffalo roams into view, a little overdressed for South Dakota’s balmy summer climate in thick woolly overcoats and Viking horns.

If you’re an American traveler, you’ve likely done this sort of calendar math, spotting where all the paid holidays fall this year and figuring out how to combine them with your own limited paid time off (PTO). 

How happy would you be living in Mexico?

Nevada is getting a brand-new state park this month. It’s one every would-be Indiana Jones (or maybe more like the Ross Gellers among us) will love, and as a bonus, it’s within a quick driving distance to The Strip. 

As the frosty equivalent of St. Tropez, glitzy St. Moritz in the stunning Engadin Valley of Switzerland has much to offer visitors with guaranteed snow on its 88 ski slopes in 9 resorts. For travelers looking beyond the slopes, the area offers excellent restaurants, shops and a rich selection of cultural and sporting events.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Bryn Wright , 29, about her experience leaving the US in 2019 to live abroad with her boyfriend. Wright funds her travels by reselling used books on Amazon . The conversation was edited for length and clarity.

Over the holidays, Keri Wilmot’s 14-year-old son was flying home alone from his Massachusetts boarding school to Texas when mechanical issues caused a delay that dragged on long enough that the flight crew timed out. Falling squarely at the height of one of the busiest travel periods of the year, flights were of course oversold, meaning his best option was to wait through the 12-hour delay. Since American Airlines’ rules for unaccompanied minors required a guardian (in his case, a school chaperone) to get a gate pass and stay with him at the gate until the flight took off, he was never left alone—and his dad picked him up safely in Dallas at 1:30 a.m.

British Columbia’s inland temperate rainforest is one of the snowiest places on earth. Its premier ski town, Revelstoke, holds the North American record for most snow dropped in a single winter—a whopping 80 feet in 1971-1972. And Revelstoke Mountain Resort sees 400-500 inches of snow every season.

As a child, I eagerly awaited the annual road trips across the US with my parents and two siblings. Those childhood adventures ignited my wanderlust and inspired me to visit all 50 states, a journey I completed more than a decade ago. My parents often tease me about the time my 6-year-old self declared during one of our cross-country trips, "This isn't a vacation. We're just driving!" But little did I know that those seemingly endless miles would leave an indelible imprint, filled with laughter, bonding, and unforgettable memories, shaping me into the avid traveler I am today.

Earning airline elite status is a bit like an obsession. You take deliberate actions to maintain it, and when you lose it, you have serious withdrawals when you don't get that first-class upgrade or see a comparatively low number of miles in your account after a flight.

Following Delta Air Lines' controversial 2023 announcement of elite status changes that would be implemented in 2024, the airline is seemingly hoping to gain customer favor by offering a lucrative status match challenge in the new year.