Is it a crazy idea?

[Maracas Bay]

Hi all,

So an opportunity has come up for me & the hubby to move to a beautiful tropical island where life is cheap, housing is easy (big cheap houses), and things are generally quite idyllic. His job enables it as he travels frequently and then often has a few days off. So on the days off, he'd just fly to the paradise island to be home.

However, we are also expecting a 'new arrival' in February! So that complicates things a bit.

So, those of you with families, please tell me honestly, is it a crazy idea to move before/after the arrival and then be in a new place without your husband there every day to help you during the transition into parenthood?

Things are pretty cushy in HK, we've been here a few years so am very comfortable, know our way around, have good friends, etc etc. Plus of course here you can get HELP i.e. domestic workers to assist you. But this super high rent in killing us, housing options are so limited, and life would be so much cheaper and in some ways much more comfortable if we went to paradise island.

What do you parents out there think? Have the kid and stick it out here in HK for a while during the initial adjustment into parenthood? Or jump ship, move to paradise island, and survive through the sleepness nights while your husband is away??

[jimbo]

Define paradise island?

Is it more fantasy island or park island?
What actual facilities are there?

[BaconBreadBaker]

Do you want to live in a tropical island?
Do you want to raise a baby on a tropical island?
Why can't you get helpers at this paradise island?
Do you value your life in HK more do than what you expect to be a lonely life in a paradise island?

More importantly... Wtf is this paradise island?

[Maracas Bay]

It's about a 2-hr flight from HK so not too far or difficult to get to.
Beautifully clean, sky is blue every day, ocean is turqouise, the fish are jumping and the beer is cold.
Housing is nice and cheap (about HKD 5K a month for a 3-4 BR house)
All in all a very lovely place.

What do you think? Sounds good?

[Maracas Bay]

Oh and they do have daycare and stuff like that, but don't have the culture of having a full time domestic worker the way they do in HKG.

[Satay Sue]

Sounds wonderful - BUT bit difficult to help when you're not saying where it is. Would there be language or culture barriers? Medical facilities for a newborn? And I'm sure nowhere has idyllic weather year-round....?

[Trebor]

It's much easier to tell us where it is than describe it.

[bdw]

I spent a year working in Fiji before Tokyo and Hong Kong. Got bored out of my brains. Dont do it.

[Maracas Bay]

It's an island in Thailand.... though I don't see if it's much different from moving to Malaysia or wherever... yes language/cultural barriers of course there can be but most of SE Asia is expat-friendly... relatively English speaking...... other expats... intl schools.... meet-ups and groups... private and public hospitals..... hope this helps!

[Satay Sue]

It does! Go for it, I would!