Residency Directory: Where I’ll Live And Why

By now you have read all the posts in the Madrid, Spain Residency Trip. But you may still have questions about where I am going and why I am going there. To start, let’s discuss the why in an FAQ.

1. What is a residency? A residency is a temporary second home outside of Puerto Rico.
2. How long am I gone? The minimum is 30 days.
3. How do I select where I go?
   • The first criterion is based on the size of the city.
   • The second is based on my like or dislike of said city. (see TPOL’s Travels: The Best Big Cities in the World).
   • The third is based on weather.
   • The fourth is based on price. I am not looking to live cheaply. I am looking to splurge and stay in upscale apartments, in the city center, with at least the luxuries of home.
4. Why not stay in Puerto Rico all year?
   • Weather
     • The weather from May to September is hot as hell.
     • Sept-Nov is hurricane season.
     • November and December are rainy season.
     • Holidays in PR are the worst. There are too many tourists and the power goes out too frequently. Traveling in December is the best because offices aren’t open, there’s a holiday feeling at the airports, and the life clock seems to be on pause.
   • Routine
     • The sun goes down every day at around 6PM. Accordingly, I have a set routine for tennis, golf, working out, and work. This set schedule is exhausting and I need a break to sleep in, slack off, and see new things (see Why A Second Residency?).
5. How much do you pay for an apartment? $100 a night has been the going rate for a nice apartment (see Madrid Long-Term Rental: Show Up, Start Living at The Blueground). As I go to more expensive cities, I will have to increase my residency allowance.
6. What do I do ‘in residence’? Nothing. The purpose of a residency is to do what I would do if I were an actual resident. That means not being a tourist. That means not being adventurous. The keyword here is ‘I,’ not you.
7. Do you work while you’re gone? I keep work to a minimum while I’m gone. This allows me even more time to do nothing.
8. Do you do back-to-back residencies? In 2023, I lived in Melbourne, followed immediately by Bangkok. Including my trip through the South Pacific, I was gone for more than two months. While it was a perfect experience, I came home to mold in my villa, a non-working golf cart, and two dead vehicles. Until I resolve the issue of home upkeep while I’m away, I am not sure I can do that again.
9. Can you cancel a residency? Yes, I often do despite announcing that I am going (see 2024 Residencies! Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Cape Town). It can’t be a forced experience.
10. Are you going to stop galivanting around the globe? Residencies and travel are different. When I travel, I try to see new places to increase my Country Count (see Where I’ve Been) while not staying in a place for more than a few days (see ThePointsOfLife Travel Philosophy).
11. Weren’t you going to let readers decide where you lived? Yes, that was a bad idea. They would prefer it if I were shipped off to Siberia (see Vote for Where TPOL Will Move Next And…). Now, I decide.

Where will I live?

Initially, I was going to do two residencies a year. One of those two had to be in my two favorite cities: Shanghai, China or Cape Town, South Africa. By going to the same city every other year, I could spend more time enjoying and less time having to deal with setting up a routine. The second residency would be in the following cities with no repeats allowed until I completed the list. Having thoroughly enjoyed my residencies in Madrid, Melbourne, and Bangkok, it may be hard to stick to this rule.

With all of that out of the way, here is the residency list:

December

1. Sydney
2. Mumbai
3. Cairo
4. Santiago
5. Istanbul
6. Singapore
7. Mexico City
8. Hong Kong
9. Hanoi
10. Buenos Aires

May

1. New York
2. Barcelona
3. Montreal
4. Toronto
5. Paris
6. London
7. Tokyo
8. Osaka
9. Moscow
10. St. Petersburg

Player Options: I also allow myself 3 bonus options in case war, budget, or intrigue takes over.

1. Option 1
2. Option 2
3. Option 3

Overall

Life is good in Puerto Rico. Life is great in residency.