• Starting April 1, New Zealand is easing its golden visa rules to lure wealthy people to move there.
• Most visa inquiries so far have come from Americans, the New Zealand government told BI.
• Americans jarred by political tumult may be drawn to New Zealand's lifestyle, safety, and stability.

New Zealand's breathtaking landscapes and temperate climate lured 370,000 American visitors in 2024, according to government arrival data.

Other Americans may want to make more permanent trips.

About 40% of inquiries about New Zealand's "golden visa" program have come from the US, according to Benny Goodman, the investment general manager for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, or NZTE.

Some Americans are exploring moves out of the country because of dissatisfaction with the political climate. Google searches for "moving to New Zealand" spiked around Election Day and Inauguration Day, as did related searches for "moving to Canada" and "how to move out of the US."

Starting April 1, it'll get a little easier for wealthy foreigners to pay for a pathway to New Zealand residency. The country is changing the requirements for its golden visa program, formally called the "active investor plus" visa.

The lightening of golden visa requirements comes as New Zealand is trying to boost an economy grappling with recession, its worst downturn since 1991 except for the pandemic.

The government is itching for high-net-worth immigrants, according to Dominic Jones, the managing director of Greener Pastures New Zealand, which helps people get residency through investment.

Jones said there are three main reasons wealthy Americans might be drawn to New Zealand: its laid-back lifestyle, its political stability, and its lack of crime.

"If you go back 10 or 20 years, the drivers around safety in particular may not have been that important, but now it's increasingly on people's minds," he said.

Americans are intrigued by the new visa options

The new golden visa requirements are as follows: Prospective residents can invest $5 million New Zealand dollars (or about $2.8 million) in "higher-risk" investments, like managed funds, and hold them for at least three years to receive permanent residency.

Investors can choose a second option and invest $10 million New Zealand dollars (or about $5.7 million) — with somewhat safer investing options, like bonds or a list of equities — and hold them for five years.

Previously, there were three, not two, different investment groups, more time required in the country to qualify for residency, and an English-speaking requirement that has been removed. The previous minimum investment was more expensive: $15 million New Zealand dollars.

Bloomberg reported in February that only 43 golden visa applicants from all countries were approved between 2022 and 2025, when the old rules were in place. They brought in a total of $545 million New Zealand dollars.

According to the New Zealand Herald, since the changes were announced in February, NZTE saw a 400% rise in visits to its visa web pages.

Since Greener Pastures' website launched in December, inquiries about relocating from America to New Zealand have tripled, beating out increases in interest from other countries, said Mischa Mannix-Opie, the director of client experience at Greener Pastures.

"Americans have been our key focus — that's been our priority," she told BI. "That's where we've seen the biggest lift which has been quite pleasing for us to see."

There are also less-expensive options to spend a few months in New Zealand, including a digital nomad visa that allows travelers to work from New Zealand for up to 92 days. If you qualify, it costs about $193.

Some Americans are already enjoying the New Zealand lifestyle.

Take Garvey Daniels, who moved his family from California to New Zealand in 2022, after falling in love with the scenery while living there in the '90s.

Daniels told BI in 2023 that he worries less about his kids' safety in New Zealand.

"My kids just get to go and have an education," he said. "They can walk to the dairy with their friends, and if they decide they want to go eat ice cream on the beach and they're not home right away, I don't go into a mad panic."

• My husband and I moved from the US to Canada about 14 years ago and now live in Toronto.
• I'm surprised how much French I've picked up, but wish I knew how pricey domestic flights could be.
• It's been tricky to navigate Canada's housing market and pay more for certain groceries.

When my husband and I moved from the Midwestern US to Toronto about 14 years ago, I didn't quite know what to expect.

Although I'd traveled widely elsewhere, I'd only ever been to Canada once for a few days. That said, immigrating to Canada has come with some logistical annoyances and pleasant surprises for us.

Here are a few things I've learned over the years that might help (and even surprise) others considering the move.

Cross-border banking is complicated, but not impossible

Maintaining financial ties to the United States was challenging for us at first.

I needed a US bank account to pay my student loans and deposit checks from my American clients, but we also required a Canadian account for my partner's paycheck.

Asking for suggestions from other American immigrants in Toronto was a huge help since many had gone through similar struggles. We trialed three banks before finding a major Canadian bank that also offered linkable US accounts.

Flying within Canada is pricey — but traveling around the country is so worth it

Federal regulations, taxes, and limited options cause domestic Canadian airfares to be quite expensive, so we have not found cheap flights since we moved here.

Once, I tried to get around the high costs by taking a 90-minute bus ride across the Canadian border so I could fly out of an airport in Buffalo, New York. However, this backfired when the driver got lost, and I missed my flight.

Even so, traveling within Canada has been an unexpected joy, especially due to the country's vast natural beauty.

My family's been able to explore Vancouver via ferry and see the rugged beaches of British Columbia's Sunshine Coast. One of our most spectacular memories is still flying over lakes covered with chunks of floating ice in the Northwest Territories while heading toward Yukon in June.

Certain foods and drinks cost us way more here than in the US

I'm honestly still vexed by the higher prices here for certain consumable items, like dairy products and alcohol.

While living in the United States, I knew that the US government heavily subsidizes agriculture, including the dairy industry. In Canada, the federal government sets milk prices, so a gallon can often cost much more than what we were used to in the US.

These dairy prices also impact other goods, so cheese has now become a bit of a luxury for my family.

We've also found many alcoholic drinks here cost more than they did in the US because of taxes and other government regulations. Some of these prices can feel exorbitant — so, for us, beer, wine, or liquor are only for fancy occasions.

And now, we understand why many Canadians load up on bottles of booze to bring back home from their visits to the United States.

The housing market feels no easier to navigate here than it was in the US

Canada's real-estate landscape feels like a mess of high prices and limited supply that is tricky to navigate. In many ways, it's not so different from the US.

For example, affordable housing can be difficult to find in Toronto — and during our first decade here, the city's average detached house price skyrocketed.

Like many others, we still feel torn about whether it's better to own or rent here.

When we first moved, we frantically desired to buy a place because we felt it'd really help us get a financial foothold in a new country.

However, it took us more than 10 years to save for a down payment, and we're still not sure purchasing our tiny condo was worth it.

It's hard to stomach just how much more our mortgage and condo fees cost compared to what we'd been paying to rent. All that said, I fear our child will never be able to afford to buy a home in Canada.

It's been pretty easy to learn French phrases and words, even without living in Quebec

French is one of Canada's two official languages (alongside English), and it's primarily spoken in Quebec.

Although we aren't based there, I've still found it fairly easy to pick up French phrases and words while living in Canada. I knew virtually no French when I arrived, but started learning words from food labels and household product packages.

After all, the Canadian government requires domestic and foreign prepackaged products sold here to have labels in both French and English.

This has felt like having a mini English-French dictionary all around me, and the repetition of seeing the same words over and over has helped me build up a strong French vocabulary.

Once I gained permanent residency in Canada, I also became eligible for free French classes. I hope to someday have the time to properly learn the language.

• My husband and I retired to Cuenca, Ecuador, but always wondered what other options were out there.
• We spent time in Cancún and Playa del Carmen to see why many American expats retire in Mexico.
• We were pleasantly surprised and impressed by the weather, shops, and more in each place.

In 2010, we left the United States and retired abroad to Cuenca, Ecuador.

Although we're fortunate to enjoy a fabulous retirement life abroad, we've always wondered if there's an even better place for us out there.

So, over a decade later, we set off on an adventure that lasted more than two years to explore other potential retirement spots around the globe to find out.

Our journey started in Mexico, a popular spot for American retirees in part due to its proximity to the US, generally lower cost of living, and its warm weather.

While there, we spent two weeks each in Cancún and Playa del Carmen, two of the country's popular Caribbean vacation spots.

Although we chose tourist-heavy cities, we tried to get a taste of daily life by staying in neighborhoods outside the main vacation and hotel areas.

We were pleasantly surprised by Cancún

Located on the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancún is a major tourist destination in Mexico. That said, Cancún has a "hotel zone" along the beach that's miles away from the city itself.

Most visitors (like us on an anniversary trip years ago) arrive at the airport, take a shuttle to their hotel, and never leave the vicinity before departing for home.

On this trip, though, we rented an Airbnb in a residential section of downtown to attempt to see what it might be like to live there.

We found downtown Cancún to be quite different from the miles of fancy resorts, boutiques, and eateries in the hotel zone.

As we walked around, we passed numerous modest single-family homes and locally owned shops and restaurants. We liked that the downtown had everything we could need for daily life within walking distance.

In addition, the area had some popular American chains, like Walmart, which had a surprisingly impressive selection of affordable products and produce.

Plus, there's a major international airport just 20 to 30 minutes away from downtown — ideal for American expats who want to visit family back home.

Our apartment was miles from the beach, but an inexpensive bus ride made getting there a snap. However, once we got to the miles of public beaches, we were disappointed to find very few designated access points.

It was harder to enter the beach than we expected, especially since we'd been used to walking from an oceanfront hotel directly onto the sand when we'd stayed in Cancún as tourists. This was definitely a drawback, but not an insurmountable one.

Overall, though, we were pleasantly surprised at how similar downtown Cancún felt to our current neighborhood.

Playa del Carmen seemed to offer the best of both worlds for American expats

Located about an hour south of Cancún is the coastal town of Playa Del Carmen. Unlike Cancún, Playa del Carmen doesn't have an isolated hotel zone separate from its residential areas.

This city has beaches, the famous 5th Avenue a couple of blocks away, and then local housing and businesses all the way to the major highway that runs from Cancún past Tulum.

I liked that nearby neighborhoods could easily access the beach and popular spots like 5th Avenue. The lively area felt like Mexico's version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans, filled with tourists, vendors, and live music. This was fun, though I worried it could eventually be annoying to navigate while trying to do chores and run errands on a daily basis.

Even so, the area felt overflowing with outstanding food and shopping options.

In addition to local offerings, we found popular American chains like Walmart, Sam's Club, Office Depot, and many familiar chain restaurants in the area that US expats missing home would surely enjoy.

Although Playa del Carmen doesn't have its own international airport, the one in Cancún is only about an hour away.

Overall, we can see why retirees would choose either place

It was exciting to see what else is out there for other Americans looking to retire abroad.

We appreciated how Playa del Carmen and Cancún both felt beautiful and walkable, with fairly easy access to airports, which is great for retirees moving away from family.

We can definitely understand why the warm weather, beaches, and other perks would bring expats to either place.

That said, we also realized the area's generally hotter temperatures weren't quite an ideal fit for us. For now, we still call Cuenca home.

• We moved our family from San Diego to northern Spain and now have a lower cost of living.
• We've really enjoyed living in a walkable area instead of one that's heavily reliant on cars.
• Socializing feels like a priority in Spain, which has made it easier to have a work-life balance.

When we moved our family from sunny San Diego to rainy northern Spain, the weather wasn't the only major change.

Although some cultural differences took time to incorporate into our lives, there are others that we adopted immediately. Fortunately, many of these changes have allowed us to slow down and be more present in our lives — something we're grateful for each day.

Here are some of the biggest differences we've experienced between our life in California and our life in Spain.

We've enjoyed not having to rely on cars

Although there's public transit available in California, it's generally very challenging to get around the state without a car.

However, where we live in Basque Country, a region between northern Spain and southwestern France, we can get almost anywhere on foot.

It's nice to be able to get exercise and enjoy fresh air while running errands. If it's raining or we want to explore other coastal villages, we take the bus.

Fortunately, our local bus system is incredibly efficient and affordable (usually under 3 euros per ride).

We also have a local commuter train that takes us to surrounding towns or to the border of France. From there, we can easily explore French Basque villages, or hop on the train to Paris, our main European railway hub.

During a recent visit back to California, I spent 80% of my time in the car, in traffic, which is something I don't miss at all.

It's easier to make time for resting and socializing in Spain

In Spain, there's generally more work-life balance and a cultural emphasis on socializing, which takes place in the streets, cafés, bars, and plazas.

On Sundays, the majority of shops are closed so people can rest and spend the day with loved ones. At first, we found it frustrating and inconvenient to be unable to run errands and shop.

Soon, we began to appreciate that so many stores would lose a day of business in order to prioritize connection and relaxation.

Now, we use our Sundays for lengthy four- or five-hour lunches with family and friends, restful walks on the beach, and peaceful hikes in the local mountains.

Our meal schedules have completely shifted

Americans marvel at how late Spaniards eat dinner, but now that I live here, it makes perfect sense.

Our children start school between 8 and 9 a.m. and also get a two-hour lunch break. Kids can either eat at school or go home to have lunch with their families. Working parents can often take part in this, too, as most businesses in Spain close from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for a midday break.

This has been a huge difference for us. In the US, we would usually eat a quick deskside lunch at work and not see our kids until the end of the day since they had just 30 minutes for lunch and recess.

The school day is also longer here because of that lunch break. Elementary school finishes at 4:30 p.m., and kids typically have their afternoon snack around 5 p.m.

In the evening, people often meet friends for a glass of wine or beer and a pintxo (bite-sized snack) before heading home for dinner around 9 p.m. … or later.

We have a lower cost of living

One of the biggest differences between life in California and Spain is our cost of living. In general, our money seems to go farther in Spain.

We've seen prices rise since we've been here, but they still remain incredibly reasonable to us, with the euro hovering near parity with the dollar.

For example, a café con leche (latte) is typically under 2 euros in Spain. In cafés that cater more to tourists, it can run between 3 and 4 euros. Still, both are a far cry from a latte in San Diego that'd usually cost us $7 (or $8 with a tip).

A glass of wine, on average, ranges from 2 to 4 euros here. In the US, a decent glass runs upward of $18 (similar to the cost of an entire bottle in Spain).

Spain's tipping culture has also helped save us money.

In the US, tipping for a service is expected. Here, rounding up or leaving 10% when you really enjoyed the service is appreciated but not expected.

Local hospitality workers tend to make a higher, more livable wage and thus don't heavily rely on tips — which isn't the case for many in the US.

• Insurer William Russell ranked the safest countries for expats in 2025.
• The ranking considers political stability, crime, natural disasters, and healthcare, among other things.
• The list features countries in Europe, including Slovenia and Switzerland, as well as some in Asia.

For those considering living and working abroad, safety will likely be a key factor in choosing a destination.

William Russell, an expat insurance provider, has ranked the safest places to live as an expat in 2025.

The ranking uses data from the 2024 Global Peace Index and the World Risk Report, which consider factors such as political instability, the level of violent crime, the impact of terrorism, and vulnerability to natural disasters.

William Russell said it also considers healthcare access and digital security.

It found that the safest countries shared a few characteristics, including high levels of wealth, social welfare, and education.

There's another common thread — the majority are in Europe.

10. Malaysia

Tenth on William Russell's ranking is Malaysia.

As Malaysia exits an era of political turmoil, its government hopes that rising investments and startups flowing into the country signal that it is on its way to becoming Asia's Silicon Valley.

The HSBC Expat guide says Malaysia's growing IT sector already offers plenty of opportunities for expats, who may choose the country for its relatively low living costs, accessible healthcare, and tropical climate.

9. Slovenia

William Russell also ranks Slovenia highly as an expat destination.

The OECD Better Life Index notes that Slovenia outperforms the global average in safety. It found that 91% of people in the country feel safe walking alone at night, and that the homicide rate is far below the OECD average.

For expats moving with families, Brittany McAnally, who lived in Slovenia for a year with her family, told Business Insider that Ljubljana, the picturesque capital, feels especially safe for raising kids.

8. Denmark

Denmark came in eighth.

Ilana Buhl, an American teacher who moved to Denmark in 2018, told BI she feels much safer there, both as a woman and in terms of gun violence.

Beyond safety, Buhl said she enjoys a significantly better work-life balance— a core aspect of Danish working culture, where long summer vacations are standard and employees receive at least five weeks of paid leave a year.

7. Portugal

Portugal, already a hub for digital nomads, came seventh.

The European nation is drawing in North Americans, who praise its affordable healthcare, quality of life, and work-life balance.

The Global Peace Index 2024 ranked it seventh in the world for safety, noting high levels of political stability and very low levels of violent crime.

6. Switzerland

Switzerland is famously politically neutral, meaning there's little risk of it being involved in an international conflict. This likely factored into its ranking.

The Global Peace Index notes that there's a low risk of violent crime, political instability, or political terror within the country.

Expats generally earn well in Switzerland, but a 2024 study by consulting firm Mercer found that Swiss cities, including Zurich, Geneva, Basel, and Bern, are among the most expensive cities in the world to live in as an expat.

Mercer ranked Zurich as 2024's most liveable city, thanks in part to its public services and low crime rates.

5. Singapore

Fifth on William Russell's ranking of the safest places for expats is Singapore.

Although it's one of the world's most expensive cities, HSBC Expat says international workers are still drawn to the city-state by its high salaries, opulent lifestyles, and convenient location for travel across Southeast Asia.

Healthcare there also ranks among the best in the world, although it can be expensive.

William Russell noted that Singapore also has efficient infrastructure and is one of the most digitally secure countries in the world.

4. New Zealand

New Zealand, fourth on William Russell's ranking, is making moving there easier for expats, investors, and digital nomads.

In the past few weeks, it has relaxed both its "golden visa" and visitor visa rules.

Although the country has recently faced economic headwinds, it is a peaceful place with a low crime rate and plenty of opportunities for expats in engineering, medicine, and other industries.

That said, William Russell noted that there are environmental safety issues, such as rising sea levels leading to more flooding in coastal areas.

3. Austria

Austria came third in the ranking.

William Russell said that factors that make it safe for expats include a strong public health system, an extensive rail system, and a low rate of serious crimes.

In 2024, Vienna, Austria's capital, was number two in Mercer's ranking for most liveable cities for expats. Meanwhile, The Economist Intelligence Unit named it the most liveable city in the world in 2024, for the third year running.

2. Ireland

Coming in second in the ranking, William Russell attributed Ireland's safety for expats to factors such as a downward-trending crime rate, a tolerance of migrants, and a strong and stable economy.

Alexis McSparren, an American who moved to Ireland, told BI that she has never felt safer than she does living in Dublin, highlighting, in particular, the strict gun laws.

1. Iceland

Top of the ranking was Iceland.

The European nation has a significant expat population. According to Statistics Iceland, over 20% of its population was born overseas. Safety, no doubt, plays a big part.

Iceland has topped the Global Peace Index list since 2008, thanks to its low crime rate and its avoidance of international conflicts.

While five expats told BI in 2024 that expensive groceries and the limited daylight in winter can be challenging, the country's stunning scenery, high-quality public services, and safety continue to attract international workers.

William Russell also said that the country topped its ranking owing to factors such as environmental safety — there are few dangerous wildlife and excellent air quality.

• Tatiana Smith spent five years teaching English as a second language in China.
• She lived in Beijing mostly, which was much bigger and busier than her hometown in Illinois.
• Smith said the cost of living is more affordable, but she experienced racism as a Black expat.

This as-told-to essay is based on conversations and emails with Tatiana Smith, 36, who spent five years teaching English as a second language (ESL) in China. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

For the vast majority of my life, I've lived in Illinois.

I grew up in a very impoverished environment, so I didn't believe that I would ever see the world. When I was 29, I joined the Peace Corps. I traveled to Liberia, an African country full of people who look just like me, which is cool but also impacted how I related to the country.

I could blend in, but I was very curious to know what it would be like to go someplace where they did not think I was native.

In 2018, I visited China and explored Zhengzhou, in the Henan Province on a tourist visa. In 2019, I officially moved to Beijing on the Z-visa, or the worker's visa. To get it, you need a job that will write you a letter, a physical, and a clean background check.

I came back to America in August 2024 to spend time with my family. By that time, many of my friends, other expats, had also left.

I've noticed big misconceptions between the US and China since I've returned.

China is surprisingly capitalistic

The unspoken rule of talking about politics when you are in China is that you do not talk about Chinese politics. That was made very clear to me.

I've heard a lot about how China's communist regime, but in terms of what I experienced it felt just as, if not more, capitalist than America.

Luxury is big in China. There is a whole section of Beijing where all the luxury stores and expensive places are.

In China, they promote entrepreneurship. There's a lot of opportunity to open a business and the threshold to do so is very low if you're Chinese.

There's also a lot of business turnover. If a business left an area, something else entered very quickly. In Beijing, if I'd walk by a closed shopfront that used to be a grocery store, a month later, it was like a hair salon.

As a teacher, life is more affordable

When I came back to the US and explained my lifestyle to people, there was a real cognitive dissonance around life in China.

For example, a teacher in America does not make a whole lot. As an expat teacher in China, my starting salary was 28,000 RMB, roughly a bit over $4,000 a month now.

In China, they have their version of Uber called DiDi. I could take a DiDi to and from work for less than $10 a day. Taking a US Uber for 15 minutes now costs me $20.

I made enough that I was able to eat out almost every day. Cooking was something that I did so rarely that it was an event, and I would invite my friends over.

I could finally pay off all my bills back home and have money to travel. It was much harder to escape a scarcity mindset in the US.

Chinese food in America is nothing like Chinese food in China

When I had Chinese food in China, it was dramatically different. At an American Chinese food restaurant, it's basically American cuisine coated in sugar.

But I'd say the bigger differences were in the style of eating.

As an American, we eat from our own plates, but in a lot of Asian countries, particularly China, you have a shared eating situation.

It wasn't like Thanksgiving, where you're served your portion on your plate. You order multiple plates and actively eat out of the same plate that everybody else was eating out of.

That took some getting used to, but hot pot, for example, became one of my favorite things. You can do individual hot pot, but the group ones were always the most fun.

Racism and discrimination arise differently

For the most part, I felt very welcomed in China. But I don't want to paint China as a glorious, perfect place because it's not.

The Uygurs and other minority groups are being persecuted in China.

As a Black expat, I dealt with some racism. Part of Chinese culture is the idea that being white is a sign of wealth and privilege, so the lighter you are, the more beautiful you are.

One time, one of my co-teachers said to me: "Oh my god, Black is so ugly. I can't get darker." She didn't recognize how I would take it.

It was an intense experience with COVID.

When America started reacting with anti-Chinese sentiment, there was a strong anti-American sentiment in China as a response.

One time, I went to the bank to transfer money, and one of the tellers threw my passport back at me, and they were just like, "We won't serve you."

In the US, people have been killed in racist attacks. Whereas in China, racism is prevalent, but felt less dangerous.

The pandemic wasn't scary, but I will say uncomfortable. The pro side was that the expat community bonded. We were more open and tried to build friendships because it was necessary for our mental health.

• A couple moved from the US to Morocco for a better lifestyle and work-life balance.
• They work remotely, allowing them time to enjoy the country's late-night culture and leisure.
• They're expecting a baby, so they value Morocco's safety, healthcare, and family-oriented culture.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Arleevia and Ricoyo Lyles. The couple moved from the US to Tangier, Morocco, in November. Arleevia, 26, works in marketing, and Ricoyo, 40, works in finance. Both work remotely in jobs focused on the US, and they're expecting a baby in April. The couple posts on YouTube about their experience living abroad. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Ricoyo: After spending a few days here during our honeymoon, we fell in love with the culture, the people, and the food. I was joking with Arleevia when I asked her, "Hey, what do you think about moving to Morocco?" I didn't think I would get the response that I did. That sparked us going down the rabbit hole of "What if we actually moved here?"

Arleevia: We work remotely, so we thought it was feasible. We didn't own any property in the US. It was simply a conversation with my employer. They said, "As long as you get your work done." Ricoyo has his own financial firm that he had just started, so he's his own employer. So, for him, working remotely wasn't an issue. He works on US Central Standard Time. He works from about 4 p.m. until about 2 or 3 a.m., and he's up by 11 a.m. the next day.

Ricoyo: We were living in Nashville. We had been there for about three years, and then we relocated back to my hometown of Las Vegas right before moving to Morocco.

My biggest concern was, "Am I going to be falling asleep talking with clients?" But we've adjusted to it. It's almost turned into an evening-type position. It's funny because the culture here is kind of a late-night culture anyway. At night, there are still people in the cafés drinking coffee and going out to restaurants. My schedule almost fits with the vibe of the city.

Arleevia: We're still able to go out, explore the city, and hang out with friends in the afternoon if we want to. I work in the morning and often close out in the evening because I'm not on as many client calls as he is. We've been able to acclimate and socialize.

They have a healthy work-life balance here. Yes, they work very hard, but also they believe in leisure and rest. You see a lot of people out during the day — at cafés drinking tea together. A lot of men will be out, and they'll go back to work. Having that kind of influence has been very helpful for us to be like, "OK, we can take a break from work." We don't have to grind, grind, grind, like we did in the US.

Ricoyo: The priority of family feels like it's so much higher on the list. Even just seeing families out and about is a super-calming thing. We went to a park the other day, and we were thinking, "When was the last time we saw this many kids at a park?"

From the standpoint of raising a child here, that would be a great thing for our daughter.

From a safety and crime standpoint, it's a very low crime rate.

Arleevia: When it comes to gun violence, especially, we don't have to think about that. We just feel a lot safer.

Also, the healthcare is amazing. We had to find a gynecologist. We were not expecting it to be as amazing as it was. I've had the most thorough doctor experience of my life. In the US, my appointments for baby checkups would be five to 15 minutes, on average. Here, we spent 45 minutes to an hour with our doctor. She was so thorough, cared so much, and was deeply invested in answering every question I had.

Ricoyo: I was always conditioned that it doesn't get better than the US, that nowhere else has the luxuries that we have in the US. Yet in terms of the lifestyle, in Morocco the food quality, for example, seems so much better.

Arleevia: Even when it comes to customer service and how they treat people, it's with such respect and care — and they make sure that everybody feels supported. I feel like that comes through in people being able to take time away from work and spending time with their family.

Ricoyo: I set my own schedule, and sometimes Arleevia will be like, "Hey, babe, maybe don't book as many meetings today. Let's go and do something and explore a little bit." So, she kind of keeps me grounded. Otherwise, I'll work the day away.

There are other differences. For example, in terms of race, it's not something that you're thinking about as soon as you meet somebody. Here, they seem to think more in nationality, if anything. They're thinking, "Are you from Senegal? Are you from the US?" Even then, many people seem to love other countries.

Going back to safety: As a Black man, that's something that I always had in the back of my mind. Being here, we don't have to think about that as much, if at all. It's been nice to just interact human-to-human and then try to connect with your experience versus the stereotype behind your skin color.

In the US, when a complete stranger approaches me, it's kind of like I'm on guard. But here, you just meet some of the most amazing people who take time out of their day. They'll be like, "Hey, let me show you something around here." I find myself having to lower my defenses. I will stop and spend time and talk to them and enjoy cups of tea.

When my friends ask me what it's like living here, I think of it as a one-sentence answer: "This reminds me of the good old days." It feels like time has really slowed down. You're really able to take time out of your day and — not to be cheesy — really smell the roses.

Arleevia: There's a heightened level of respect for people here, especially with me being pregnant. There's so much care around that. Men are like, "Hey, take a seat. I can help you with your luggage."

We see often — and this is something very different — if an older person is trying to cross the road, somebody that's much younger will come and assist them. They don't even know them from Adam, but they'll go and walk across the road to make sure that they get across safely. That's something that you see in old movies, but that's a common practice here.

Arleevia: We want to be here for several years because we've moved so much. It'd be ideal to stay for three to five years. Even if it's not in Tangier, we would be open to living in another country. We definitely see this as a long-term living abroad.

Not having a church has probably been the most difficult thing for us to get acclimated to. Morocco is a predominantly Muslim country. There are Christian churches around, but it's tough to find them.

Being away from family is obviously also hard. We miss them dearly. The language barrier has probably been the other tough thing. But outside that, it's been a very easy transition for us.

Ricoyo: The best things in life are often outside our comfort zone. People always talk about how it would be great to travel the world, to see other places, and to experience other cultures. This is making that a reality.