Jet-Set Golfer

Everyone is complaining about European taxes and moving to Southeast Asia. I've lived in Asia for 6 years. I love it here, but there's a side of this lifestyle people don't talk about. - Food regulations aren't as strict. Supermarket products often have endless ingredients, added sugar and cheap oils. - Walking isn't easy. Poor pavements, motorbikes everywhere and almost no pedestrian infrastructure. - Getting your daily steps can become a mission. - Eating out is cheap, but finding consistently healthy food and good quality ingredients isn't always easy. - Power cuts, internet outages and construction noise are part of everyday life, even in places you'd expect better infrastructure. - Distances are deceptive. A 100 km journey can take 3 hours. - Good healthcare means having proper private insurance. It's not something I'd take for granted. - Housing is cheap until you want European standards. - A proper kitchen, a comfortable mattress, a decent bathroom, an oven, a freezer... suddenly it's not so cheap. And yes, there are amazing things too. The tropical fruit, the weather, the freedom (not for everyone tho, really hot and rain for 6 months), the nature, the scuba diving, the slower pace of life and learning to live with less. I've made some of my best memories here. But I've noticed something interesting: when people first move to Southeast Asia, they feel rich because their money goes so much further. Then, as their businesses grow and they earn more, many start looking for the comfort, infrastructure and quality of life they took for granted back home. There's a reason so many people eventually move back to developed countries. Asia has been my home for years, and I'm grateful for it. But no place is perfect. And the more you travel, the more you realise that quality of life isn't just about how little you spend or how much you earn.