Dec 10, 2025 Dec 10, 2025 2025-12-10

I was recently a guest on Inspiring Entrepreneurs (Antreprenori care Inspiră), a Romanian podcast hosted by Florin Roșoga. We had a really great conversation — we talked about leaving Romania after 40, the framework I use for choosing countries, what “home” actually means when you’ve lived in multiple places, and the unexpected path from programmer to bar owner in Vietnam.

The podcast is in Romanian, but I’ve summarized the key insights below for English readers. You can also follow the auto-translation captions on YouTube, they do a pretty good job.

Listen on Other Platforms

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Original podcast page

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 — Intro
• 03:12 — The conversation begins
• 08:55 — Five questions for choosing a new country
• 21:02 — Why Portugal?
• 25:44 — The transition to Korea
• 31:20 — What does “home” mean?
• 37:00 — From programmer to bar owner in Vietnam
• 41:01 — How to meet new people in a foreign country

The 5 Questions I Ask Before Moving to a New Country

Over the years, I’ve created a simple framework for evaluating potential places to live. Before moving to any country, I ask myself these five questions:

1. Can I sustain myself financially here?

This isn’t just about cost of living — it’s about whether my income sources remain stable, whether I can work remotely without friction, and whether the financial math actually works long-term.

2. Can I get legal status without complications?

Visas, residency permits, tax implications. Some countries make this easy (Portugal’s NHR regime was excellent when I moved there), others create endless bureaucratic friction. The legal pathway matters more than people think.

3. What kind of social life can I build here?

Can I meet people? Is there a community of expats or locals open to newcomers? Can I learn the language, or at least function in English? Your social circle contracts dramatically when you move abroad — this question determines whether you’ll rebuild it or stay isolated.

4. Does this place support my wellbeing?

I look at practical things: walkable neighborhoods, parks, healthcare access, grocery stores, general entertainment options. The infrastructure of daily life. If the basics are difficult to reach, everything else becomes harder.

5. How do I actually feel here after a few weeks?

Before any permanent move, I do a two-weeks minimum test-drive. Research is useful, but nothing replaces the gut feeling you get from being there. Can I see myself here long-term, or am I just excited by novelty?

Key Insights from the Conversation

Moving isn’t about escaping — it’s about curiosity. Every time you change countries, entropy increases. More chaos, but also more clarity about who you really are. The chaos becomes a practice in adaptation.

To truly change, you have to leave something behind. Not just objects — parts of your identity. You have to let a piece of yourself die. Sounds dramatic, but it’s honest. The old version of you doesn’t fit the new context.

Accept chaos as a phase. The disorientation of a new place isn’t a problem to solve immediately. It’s evidence that you’re learning to function in the world again.

Connection gives meaning to place. Whether it’s a bar, a meetup, or random conversations — new relationships are what transform a foreign city into somewhere you belong. The Harvard study on happiness confirms this: wellbeing depends more on the depth of human connection than material comfort.

About Florin’s Podcast

Inspiring Entrepreneurs is one of the longest-running entrepreneurship podcasts in Romania, with over 560 episodes. Florin has a gift for drawing out personal stories beyond the usual business talking points. If you understand Romanian, it’s worth exploring his archive.