Yep, there are times of the year in AK where you have to run for cover from biting/stinging insects the size of Hummingbirds.

I'm in the "pretty much where I am" category. Georgia has mild weather for the most part, with actual seasons. I'm a few hours from the beach and the mountains, and within a day's drive of my entire family.

I've done my time in Florida so I don't have to move there when I retire.

I actually like California and considered moving there when I was in my 20's and just married (had a start up opportunity) but in the end the politics and cost doesn't agree with me.

I would like to be on a lake. In fact, I once found what I consider "the perfect lake house" but it was too far from work. Note that Lake House is different than a Lake Cabin which I have a whole different down-sized thought for. This house is the right size for full-time living, and weekend visits from the extended family.

This is also the biggest house I would ever want to own, regardless of my income or net worth.

I'm very biased because I grew up in the SFBA, but I used to say northern California... However nowadays it's clear the roads are not up to the task of accommodating the increased population, which is a problem money can't solve. I don't really know if there's another "dream place" to live. Perhaps San Diego? Weather is a little on the warm side for me, but it seemed very picturesque last time I visited.

I guess if I had literally all the money in the world, it would be possible to expand public transit in the Bay Area to clear some congestion off the roads though :D

With the exception of the forest fire smoke, it's currently like paradise here because the roads are empty. IMO you need around 3m to have a nice single house (so you can install lifts for your cars), general expenses are about on par with New York City besides groceries which are cheap, and you need extra money saved up because income and sales tax hit extra hard.

New York City can be exciting, but it wears you down. I really have trouble understanding why there are so many billionaires who live in Manhattan and take public transit or sit through traffic. AFAIK, there aren't really enough helipads to make that a practical way to escape the proletariat :P Everyone raves about how the public transit is great and they don't need a car...but objectively speaking, spending 45+ minutes on a smelly crowded subway is a pretty awful experience. You can live right next to work, but then you'll be travelling somewhere else to go out to eat or go to a concert or whatever and it'll be a long wait through traffic in a car, an unreasonably long walk, or the disgusting rat infested subway.

I had hybrid experiences. Many of the countries I lived and worked in were temporary duty assignments in the military.

Our group installed and tested specialized "communication" equipment at remote (meaning not on a base) sites in US allied nations. Then we trained the equipment operators and techs. It was usually for several months in any one area then on to the next assignment.

The upside is that we were paid a generous housing allowance, the dollar was strong, so a few of us would rent a nice house together, explored the local area, and had time to absorb the culture. It was "vacation happy" experiences.

I usually bought a used car on arrival, mostly econoboxes but in some countries I'd splurge (Holden Monaro in Oz) then sell it to one of the newly arriving staff on departure.

The rest of the countries were part of my corporate job that I leveraged by volunteering for job openings in areas where my Fortune Global 10 employer operated.

Beautiful home that would cost 2X here on a lot half the size and property taxes 5X more for an older home here. That house is not much more than the median in my area. Here's a random example across the river in what's consider a "low tax" county in WA compared to OR:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6...23283679_zpid/

I think I'd like to live in a Disney castle because I grew up on the original Disney animated movies, and they always seemed like the most ideal life. I'm not even sure if I'm joking anymore as I'm writing this.

Hearst Castle. Look it up. Pic in my first post in this thread.

That would mean your mother died an early and very violent death and your father is a bumbling fool!
On the plus side you would have loads of talking animal friends.

Same here. I am within an hour or so from most things I enjoy doing. Even though I am living in Salem now, I can move 10 minutes outside of town and it doesn't feel like I am anywhere near a large city.

Lived all over this little marble. I moved to the Pacific Northwest fifteen years ago because it IS my dream place to live.

It's Canada for me and my family. Always been a nicer place than U.S.

Newark

My plan is to move to the south coast of NSW.

Somewhere between Batemans Bay and Eden.

I'm taking a road trip in November and then January, first by myself on the bike, then with the Minister for war and finances to pick a location.

Zihuatanejo