I'm an American guy. I graduated from a state university in 2012, then moved to a major west cost city to pursue a career in marketing within the IT industry. I was earning a steady income and had good potential for career growth but I was rootless, bored, and lonely. I also wanted to move into database administration, but I wasn't getting opportunities to transition into that field laterally, and was burning out trying to learn to code in what little spare time my job afforded me.

I abandoned my nascent career in America last year to move to China. Here I can work 20 hours or less a week and devote my spare time to studying programming and Mandarin, yet still earn enough to put away savings while enjoying a good standard of living.

Anyways, China has its ups and downs like anywhere else, but I have no regrets about my decision.

The Bad: I live in one of China's cleanest major cities, but the air quality still gets pretty gross. Travelling by foot entails playing an IRL game of Frogger just to get across streets. The internet is agonizingly slow, and a good proportion of websites are blocked. Walking in public with my Chinese gf regularly draws dirty looks and insulting comments from the locals (directed at her, never me, for some reason.) Finally, a good proportion of my fellow westerners living in China represent the dregs of their societies.

The Good: While there are the aforementioned dregs, there is also a disproportionate number of interesting, bright, adventurous types out here (it seems to attract both extremes.) Living even in the more expensive cities is relatively cheap, beyond what the exchange rate accounts for; paying out of pocket for most medical, and dental services is very affordable even on a teachers salary. It's incredibly easy to find work as a westerner; if you're young and white you will have employers hounding you to work for them. Most locals are friendly, interested in foreign cultures, and often generous and hospitable. There is a variety of great Asian cuisines available here that you never get to try back home, there are lots of interesting travel destinations within reach, the local history is fascinating.. and the list just goes on and on.