If I had to choose one, it'd be Stockholm (or perhaps any Swedish city with water access).
A couple years back I did take a two-week trip there consisting of one week sightseeing, one week remotely working for a West Coast agency. My work hours were around 4pm to 1am-2am Stockholm time, which was just on the edge of comfortable. My reasoning is as follows:
1) Fast internet everywhere I went, even the countryside
2) Great tea and coffee -- excellent cafe culture, too
3) Had a chance to meet some of the most kind, intelligent engineers I've ever known while there (and some now working here in the States, too); would love to collaborate and be motivated by working with them again
4) It felt very safe at all times of day (compared to where I live now, at least)
5) Active sailing culture, as I've recently become interested in that sport/hobby
6) Really fun bike culture, especially groups like at Bagarmossens cykelkök
7) Didn't seem like owning a car is necessary, even to travel outside the city/intercity
8) Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I enjoy how vices like alcohol and rich foods are more expensive there, so I went easy on them and felt healthier
Finally, nothing to back this up on, just a "feeling": the vibe is simply more chill, less dysfunctional than here in the States. Felt like many sectors of the citizenry, government, and business community had agreed upon a framework for a basic and decent standard of lifestyle. Certainly Swedes could chime in and tell me some hard truths that I missed while there (I've only stayed in Sweden for a month, cumulatively).
Things that would be hard are, definitely, finding housing that doesn't break the bank (Stockholm is majorly backed up, with rentals expensive). Also, my wife and I mastering a new language now, in our forties could be a challenge. I did start taking classes for it, for fun, before the pandemic.
If Sweden were off the table, my other remote choice would be Kagoshima, Japan. Nothing like living next to a volcano!
A couple years back I did take a two-week trip there consisting of one week sightseeing, one week remotely working for a West Coast agency. My work hours were around 4pm to 1am-2am Stockholm time, which was just on the edge of comfortable. My reasoning is as follows:
1) Fast internet everywhere I went, even the countryside
2) Great tea and coffee -- excellent cafe culture, too
3) Had a chance to meet some of the most kind, intelligent engineers I've ever known while there (and some now working here in the States, too); would love to collaborate and be motivated by working with them again
4) It felt very safe at all times of day (compared to where I live now, at least)
5) Active sailing culture, as I've recently become interested in that sport/hobby
6) Really fun bike culture, especially groups like at Bagarmossens cykelkök
7) Didn't seem like owning a car is necessary, even to travel outside the city/intercity
8) Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I enjoy how vices like alcohol and rich foods are more expensive there, so I went easy on them and felt healthier
Finally, nothing to back this up on, just a "feeling": the vibe is simply more chill, less dysfunctional than here in the States. Felt like many sectors of the citizenry, government, and business community had agreed upon a framework for a basic and decent standard of lifestyle. Certainly Swedes could chime in and tell me some hard truths that I missed while there (I've only stayed in Sweden for a month, cumulatively).
Things that would be hard are, definitely, finding housing that doesn't break the bank (Stockholm is majorly backed up, with rentals expensive). Also, my wife and I mastering a new language now, in our forties could be a challenge. I did start taking classes for it, for fun, before the pandemic.
If Sweden were off the table, my other remote choice would be Kagoshima, Japan. Nothing like living next to a volcano!