Why... Romania

Someone pays me a lot of money, to be based here. Apparently, having a local at the helm can be tricky, due to their questionable principles and lack of integrity. It is no secret, corruption runs deep across all sectors and levels, and Romania holds the coveted title of being the most corrupt state in the EU (Bulgaria is a bit less corrupt).

Leaders of this nation, along with others in power-roles lead by example, when it comes to corruption & making a quick buck.

I woke up one day with the irresistible urge to to live in Romania. Woke up and it became a reality and it still haunts me.

Short answer, work. Longer answer, my first teaching English job was in Romania, I felt comfortable from the first moment I landed and enjoyed living here. I had to quit my job because of financial reasons (I was working in the state teaching sector, getting paid essentially a small stipend which was only just enough to live on and I had student loans to pay) but I never forgot it and when offered a job I had only applied for for a lark and wasn't expecting to get, took it up!

Why Romania? I am retired and the exchange rate is about 3.85 lei to one US dollar. My wife is Romanian and our apartment is paid for. I am an oil painter and this country is beautiful. Old castles everywhere and the mountains and rivers are great. The food here is cheaper and better than the US. We buy from the local market everyday. Romania is not perfect, but that's what I like...it has a patina like something old and precious. The people are tough and proud...they don't bow to anyone. The corruption is here yes...but checkout the US. Corruption is everywhere...just name a country. Romanians in general are very competitive ...Look out world...here comes Romania.

I think many come here for the economical reasons such as cost of living.  I think if you get income in EUR/USD/GBP or some other strong currency, it can go really far here.

Romaniac

I still did not land a foot there but hopefully I will.

I'm waiting for my student visa.

I chose Romania because the education here is good and cheap, not to forget that the living cost is low and is way lower than where I currently live (Abu Dhabi), also it's part of the EU and the country is growing positively.

I came up with this crazy idea within the last year.  Every bit of research I do shows me that it's not crazy at all.  Since I have a guaranteed income whether I work or not, this is a place that can make that money go farther.  So I can have a better quality of life and have more money to do more with.

While I haven't even visited yet, I can tell from all I see that this is a beautiful country with many opportunities.  It reminds me of a mix of California, Colorado, and Alaska.  I've lived in all 3 of those and having the physical qualities that I enjoyed of each available within a few hours is very appealing. 

It's also a very safe choice when compared to the other options I considered.  It's part of the EU and NATO so you have some sense of safety, stability, and security on a national scale.  I may feel differently soon when we make the move, but this seems to be a great choice.

Why... Romania