Everything you see and hear recently highlights the discontent and frustration that many feel with the state of the UK right now, and most people cannot see the situation improving anytime soon.
It is, therefore, no surprise that some are contemplating how much better their lives would be if they were to move abroad.
For some, it is just dreaming out loud, or a way to vent their frustration at the way things are, but for others, it is a real possibility and a serious solution to the dissatisfaction they feel.
But is moving abroad the utopia that some believe it to be or is living abroad no better than living in the UK?
I want to share my perception of the real difference, the reality of living abroad as I have found it to be so that you can compare your life in the UK with my experience of living in Europe.
I doubt whether any country in the world is perfect, of course, every country has problems and some have unique problems too.
Equally though there are those people who will find problems no matter where they live.
What is true the world over is that a negative mind does not recognise borders.
And I suspect a lot of the discontent in the UK is because people have gotten so used to having things easy, expecting things to be given to them on a plate, and problems to be rectified immediately, that they have forgotten how to be grateful for what they have, to see the positive things all around them, and have forgotten that they have to take responsibility and not rely on the government to give them a 5-star life.
It is easy to be happy when things are going well.
The test of true contentment and happiness is coming through the harder times knowing that they are just a part of the circle of life.
So is life in the UK any different from another country? Depends on your mindset……….
The UK vs EU – Is it Really Any Different Living Abroad?
Here I will share a walk with you around my village not 15 minutes from a large city in the Balkans.
On this journey, I will highlight certain things so that you can compare them with life in the UK.
Well, I say a walk around the village but that is almost impossible.
You will certainly be stopped by the neighbours for a chat or invited into the garden to sample some delicious homemade wine and food.
People have very large gardens and are mainly self-sufficient, growing their own fruit and vegetables, making their own wine, and raising animals.
All the produce will be preserved to get them through the winter.
Families congregate in the town square, whilst neighbours sit outside their homes chatting and sharing some quality time.
Looking up the main street, the footpaths and road through the village are brand new, another one of the many many projects paid for by the EU.
There are statues of local and national heroes set amongst well-tended parks and flower beds.
You will notice that the streets are clean. Rarely will you see any litter. People cannot understand why you would drop litter in your own village, why you would want to live like that.
See a youngster drop a sweet wrapper and there will be a dozen people telling them to go and put it in a bin. And they will, no arguing.
Everybody sweeps the front of their property daily, even in the winter when snow is a metre thick. In fact, each home or business owner is responsible for keeping the footpath outside their property clear of snow in the winter and can face fines if they fail to do so.
Continuing down the street you will see the national flag flying outside most homes and businesses, they are proud of their country and the difficulties of the past that they have overcome.
And no matter where you live, it is the people around you that make life worth living, that contribute significantly to your quality of life.
People may not be rich by western standards in terms of possessions or bank balances, their richness is measured in pride and being a good human being.
Most care about and respect not only their surroundings but society in general.
Have a dispute with your neighbour? Take it to the mayor and it will be resolved in hours.
Live in an apartment block in the city and have a troublesome neighbour? No problem, get together with your neighbours and give a written complaint to a judge.
The neighbour is 9 times out of 10 evicted even if they own the apartment. Do they have nowhere else to go? Tough, be a good neighbour and you won’t get evicted. Simple.
Do we have drug dealers on the streets?
Yep, we have those but they are vending machines that sell over-the-counter drugs such as paracetamol and basic items that you would find in any pharmacy.
Do they get vandalized or the drugs stolen? Not that I have ever seen.
Most streets have coffee machines and some have cigarette vending machines, there is even one street I know which has a clothing vending machine.
There are huge chiller cabinets filled with beer and soft drinks left outside shops 24/7. Can you imagine that in the UK?
Of course, there is theft and petty crime, and some of the major cities have the same inner-city problems that the UK suffers from, but generally, crime is extremely low.
The penal system is harsh but is very effective, there are real deterrents that the courts are not afraid to hand out.
It is perfectly safe for my 16-year-old daughter to walk the streets alone at night (although it is illegal for teenagers to be on the streets without their parents after 10 pm at night).
And here, parents are responsible for their children’s actions. Parents face huge fines if their children break the law and the child has to go through counselling for even the smallest misdemeanor.
Anti-social behaviour, vandalism, or aggression is rare and is swiftly dealt with.
Stopping at the local shops you will see that there is not a microwave meal in sight, everything is fresh and what is in season.
In fact, our city is famous as being the only place in the world that a McDonalds and KFC went bankrupt, there was just no market for fast food when such delicious locally produced food was so readily available.
The big supermarkets have to offer a minimum percentage of nationally produced products by law, whilst most local shops will almost exclusively sell items that are produced in-country.
Want to see the doctor or need an operation? No problem. There is no such thing as a waiting list or no appointments available today.
And we are in the EU, we have the same rules as the UK had.
The difference is that this country has kept its national identity, they have not forgotten that they are a country in their own right with their own ways of doing things.
It may not be politically correct to do AB or C but it works for this country and that is the way it will be done.
Sound too good to be true? It is hard to comprehend just how different life is here. And this is not some out in the middle of nowhere village. We are 15 minutes from the biggest city in the north of the country.
So let’s turn around and walk back looking at the flip side of life here.
Glancing to our left we see the side roads have craters reaching from one side to the other, often deep enough to bottom out the suspension of your car. There are no street lamps, or footpaths, or even drains.
Many roads you would not even attempt to drive down without a 4×4 and nerves of steel.
Yet nobody bats an eyelid, it is what it is.
Beautiful large homes sit alongside homes that look uninhabitable, yet families live in them.
Old and homeless people sift through the rubbish bins for food whilst brand new cars pass by.
There is a very stark contrast between those with money and those with nothing. Yet they live alongside each other in harmony with no resentment.
Do the buses always run on time? No, and sometimes will not come at all, and some villages have been without a bus service for years.
Inconvenient and annoying, but people will always stop and offer you a ride in their car.
If you are in need of any kind of help there is always someone there to help you.
Does the electricity and water occasionally stop in the winter? Yes, but people know that will happen and are prepared. There are natural springs in most villages and many people have water storage facilities in their gardens. And it is rarely stopped for more than a few hours, a day at the most.
Is the internet good? Mainly yes, it is fast and cheap but you get days with no service. Unless you work from home it is not a big issue.
Is there corruption? Probably, but will it affect you? Highly unlikely.
The great weather obviously contributes to an improved quality of life and the fact that it is so easy to grow produce.
The winters are harsh but people are prepared, the roads are cleared of snow and life just carries on.
But I am seriously struggling to find you things that are inconvenient or annoying. Bureaucracy is a nightmare and the standard of driving is frightening. But you just get used to these things, they are no big deal.
And that is the difference, the mindset of people.
Yes there are issues, but that is the way things are and people generally accept that, they adapt to the system and any hardships they face. They always find a solution.
There is not the social payments systems or the support systems that you would get in the UK, but people accept that it is their responsibility to look after themselves and their family, not the governments.
So is the UK a unique mess and is life better in another country?
There are some wonderful places in the UK and people live very happily there.
Equally, there are places that you would not choose to live but many have no choice.
That is the same in every country.
The UK has many social and economic problems which makes some people’s lives very hard.
That is the same in every country.
I could go on and on comparing the UK to other countries. Every country has its issues, pros, and cons.
There will always be people who are very happy with where they live, and others who will find fault with everything.
And that is the major difference I think living in Europe, the way people accept their lives and make the most of what they are lucky enough to have.
There is not the same commercialism or one-up-man-ship, there is no competition to have the best or latest, as long as it works and serves its purpose that is great.
Crucially I do not think that people here expect anything. There is no belief of entitlement.
And a final piece of the jigsaw is probably the belief in family values.
Family is vitally important here, as long as you have your family around you and a meal for the day then you have survived another day and all is good.
There is respect within the family unit for all generations which then spills out to their interaction with the wider community, there is respect, a real sense of community.
And because life can be hard you rely on each other, both within the community and your family.
Yes, life can be hard but more importantly it can be enjoyable and stimulating…….no matter where you live.
I will leave you with a sentence I wrote earlier: A negative mind does not recognize borders.
Do you think living in Europe is for you? You can find a great selection of homes to buy in Bulgaria at www.realistimo.com and many European country guides in our home moving blog at www.removalreviews.com.
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