Time for a sea change

April 30, 2024 5:03 PM

I've got an Australian passport, a modest inheritance, and psych meds. Where could I go for 2-3 months?

I'm currently permanently based in Melbourne, though I have felt the pull to spend some time somewhere else for a while now (usually I last about 5-7 years in any given city before I move on; I've been in Melbourne 8 years now). Moving sucks and there are plenty of reasons to not uproot my life entirely, but a short term jaunt seems up my alley. My dad's recent passing, after 2 difficult years with pancreatic cancer where I've had to give up a lot of my own time for caretaking, has also gotten me wanting some kind of shift in environment for myself.

I've gotten/will get (pending legal procedures) a modest inheritance - enough to live on for a few months even if I don't get regular work. I've got some work shifts for the current term (up until late June) and a fully remote gig that will start up again later in the year, but otherwise nothing set in stone. I am starting a year-long executive MBA course in late August that is primarily remote - it's an international cohort and the classes are a couple of hours a day most days of the week, so they're used to people being out and about during the program. I currently own my apartment, so I don't have to worry about rent or not having a place to return to, and I don't have any dependents.

I most likely have to be in Malaysia early August for aforementioned legal procedures, and I was thinking that I could head off to New Place after that and start my MBA. (other times are ok too, that's just my earliest opportunity.) In between class time, I could go exploring, maybe take part in regular local activities. If I do any paid work, it'd have to be remote, since I don't plan to get a job in New Place and have to deal with work visas (unless less complicated ones exist).

My main wrinkle would be my psych meds - specifically Ritalin, which I know is a controlled substance. My psychiatrist is willing to write letters and prescriptions for me as she understands travel, and I'm no stranger to applying for permits for it (thanks Singapore) but I don't know where else I'd need permits. My therapist can do remote appointments so that's not too much of a worry.

Things I'm looking for in a place:
- Can get tourist visa for 2-3 months easy
- Good Internet connection
- Preferably not too extreme weather wise
- My meds won't be too much of a hassle
- Has things to do in between coursework
- Australian dollars and/or Malaysian ringgit stretch decently far
- Can be traversed by foot or public transportation as I don't know how to drive or cycle
- Safe-ish for a lone South Asian queer femme

Places I'm considering:
- Interstate Australia - not Brisbane as I've lived there 12 years but open to anywhere that preferably isn't ice cold
- New Zealand
- Bristol UK as I have family there (sister & company, also Mum semi permanently now)
- Edinburgh - loved it as a teen
- Ireland - haven't been but have heard lots of good things about it
- Japan - a bit cliche I know and Ritalin is annoying but apparently the currency conversion works in my favor
- South Korea - I've never been and I'm keen to check it out but the intense beauty standards spook me
- Somewhere in South East Asia that isn't Malaysia or Singapore - maybe Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam
- Pasifika - e.g. Tahiti or Fiji
- Finland - I've never been but the Finns I've met have been pretty cool so I'm curious
- I know nothing about Latin America or Africa but I'm open to ideas

As much as I love the US, I'm too spooked from being detained for 2 hours during my last trip there (long story) to feel safe going there, but happy to have my mind changed! If I had a bigger inheritance, I'd jump on an iteration of the Ultimate World Cruise and just spend a year traversing the seas, but alas I doubt the inheritance stretches that far.

posted by creatrixtiara to Travel & Transportation (11 answers total)

Bristol. Omg, Bristol. Do it, have fun, see the West Country, enjoy the art. Live in Redland. Walkable to anywhere.
posted by Ardnamurchan at 7:14 PM on April 30

I had a lovely month in Oaxaca in Mexico last summer. The weather is a lovely mediterranean climate up in the mountains, and the center of the city that most tourists/expats stay in is traversable on foot (though taxis are pretty cheap if you need one) with lots of museums and great food and markets to explore and language classes if that's interesting to you. The Mexican peso is relatively strong right now, at least against the USD, but I think it's still cheaper than Japan. As a white American woman, I felt safe the whole time I was there though I am not one to be out late partying, and if anything it felt like my South Asian male partner was better received than me, though it could have been because his Spanish is less US-ian accented than mine.

As far as I can tell, it's fine to bring Ritalin into the country with documentation but you probably shouldn't try to obtain it locally because there's an issue with counterfeits. You should be fine in the country for 180 days on an Aussie passport.
posted by A Blue Moon at 7:32 PM on April 30

Response by poster: Additional possible data point: I'm leaning towards places I haven't been in the last 20 years - that list includes the US, UK, New Zealand (though I was there for a conference so that doesn't feel like it counts), Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Qatar, Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands. They're not eliminated from consideration but I'd like to try something new.

Canada, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy are at the cusp of the 20 year mark. As a kid I also went to China, India, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, France, Scotland (the Edinburgh trip), and Wales - those were so long ago that it would feel like a whole new place now.
posted by creatrixtiara at 8:40 PM on April 30

Hello from Canada! The major cities have decent transit, and the weather should be fabulous in September and still pretty mild through the end of November (if by "mild" you're ok with overnight freezes and some occasional snow, which usually starts showing up in November in the big cities of Ontario; milder on the Pacific coast). Internet is reliable. Housing and living costs have gone up substantially in the past 5-10 years, but, e.g., northern Europe/UK are still expensive to Canadians due to exchange rates, which works in your favour. Canadian pharmacies cannot legally fill prescriptions unless they are written by a Canadian medical practitioner, and it looks like you'd be limited to bringing in a 30-day supply.
posted by heatherlogan at 8:57 PM on April 30

- Has things to do in between coursework

This is way too vague, imo.

I'm from Toronto and lived in Vanuatu for 4+ months and loved it. It might not be as much of a draw to someone from Melbourne,but I know two folks from there (50ish) for whom it's their favorite place.
posted by dobbs at 2:51 AM on May 1

Not sure about Ritalin specifically in the UK — we do have the ADHD meds shortage other places have and also Ritalin is not one of the native formulations here. Just saying (but I or you can do further research if you really dig it).
posted by lokta at 4:56 AM on May 1

We are approaching solar Maximum, so lots more Northern and Southern Lights. I'd choose someplace quite far north or south if that's interesting to you. The solar cycle is 11 years, so not a ridiculous wait for the next maximum.
posted by theora55 at 9:07 AM on May 1 [1 favorite]

In your position, I'd go to Chile!
posted by Mournful Bagel Song at 9:14 AM on May 1

Just stopping by to put in a good word for my current city of Montréal.

• As an Australian citizen you can get a visa easily (what you need is called an eTA and you can apply for it online). If you happen to be under 35 you can likely also get a work visa without too much hassle.
• Good internet
• Weather in the warm season (May-September) is beautiful — sunny and mild
• It should be possible to get Ritalin here, but as noted above you'll need a prescription from a Canadian physician, which you would have to get from a walk-in clinic. It's my understanding that doctors will generally be willing to prescribe if you have an active prescription from your home doctor, but it's at their discretion so worth doing a bit more research. (I've been prescribed stimulants for ADHD here in the past, but never tried converting a prescription from another country.)
• SO many fun things to do here in the warm months — music, sports, circus, film festivals. Even just spending a day lying in the park feels like an event in itself because there's so much happening around you.
• The exchange rate might not be as favorable to you as some places, but in general things are fairly inexpensive in Montréal, especially compared to Toronto or anywhere in the US.
• Excellent public transport that will take you anywhere you need to go as a tourist
• Extremely safe city overall, and very queer friendly; I have rarely felt unsafe here, even walking around in the middle of the night. For reference I am a white, visibly queer woman.

A few things to note:

• Having a basic level of French proficiency is a big plus as you'll sometimes encounter signs that are only in French, or francophones who are not fluent in English. That said, anywhere you're likely to go as a visitor will be very accommodating to English speakers, so it's not a dealbreaker.
• The southeast Asian population here is quite small (you can see stats here). Overall the city is ~60% white.
• The weather from October through April can be pretty unpleasant (and downright brutal in the winter) so I wouldn't recommend coming then unless that's what you're looking for. It often snows in October and April.

posted by mekily at 2:22 PM on May 1

New Zealand is the obvious 'safe' choice. No issues with visa etc and you can work freely if you desire. Different, but not different enough to be scary in any way.

But this seems like an opportunity to live somewhere very different and an opportunity that may never come your way again. You can easily spend time in NZ whenever you like. Vietnam is a lovely country and I've always felt very safe there (white straight male, which may make a difference) and cheap to get around. Fiji is also lovely (maybe not Suva though) and cheap to live.

I know you are nervous about the US, but what about Hawaii? I would love to go back and spend some time on Maui and, once you get out of the airport, it doesn't feel like the stereotypical US culture.

Of course, there's nothing to stop you from spending a month in three different places, although this would obviously increase travel costs. You could spend a month in Bristol, Edinburgh and Ireland with lower travel costs, for example.
posted by dg at 5:52 PM on May 1

Response by poster: I forgot to mention this but I'm 38 so I'm too old for working holiday visas. However, digital nomad visas may be more at reach for me, so if you have any experience with those I'd love to hear it!
posted by creatrixtiara at 7:27 PM on May 1