The so-called golden visa sits at the junction of several Venn diagram circles: climate, economic opportunity, length of stay, language and culture. It can offer anything from a new adventure for a limited span of months or a long-term residence far from the U.S.

Croatia
The Central European country is not the slightest bit demure with its welcoming of would-be digital nomads. The nation’s website on the topic sports the cocksure hashtag #CroatiaYourNewOffice. Croatia’s focus on this segment of travelers has been so successful that researchers there have published academic papers on the phenomenon. And the process for acquiring this kind of visa in the country is clear and smooth, just like the beloved waters surrounding its nearly 80 major islands.

Thailand
A Thai investment visa provides tax benefits and exemptions, plus the ability to include a spouse and dependents without a minimum stay requirement. And there are varied tiers of investment. The highest tiers can provide residency for up to 20 years. Lesser fiscal mortals can opt for a long-term visa, which grants up to 10 years of residency.

Romania
All the nature, a live-wire capital, reasonable cost of living — Romania (pictured above) provides a touch of everything for a digitally nomadic life. It includes being in a country that not every other expat has stationed themselves in — a boon unto itself. 

United Arab Emirates
Many golden visas necessitate proof of out-of-country employment. Not so for the one offered by the UAE. According to the country’s visa website, “those with exceptional talent or rare specializations” (such as artists, doctors and athletes), “humanitarian pioneers or frontline heroes,” investors, entrepreneurs and outstanding students can be granted renewable visas good for five to 10 years.

People dealing with record summer heat waves across the U.S. and Europe aren’t getting much of a respite when the sun goes down. Climate change is causing temperatures to stay high at night, and scientists and health experts say hotter evenings may lead to social and medical consequences.

Why are hotter nights a problem?
Intense heat at night is “raising the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke even higher, especially for people without access to air conditioning,” said NPR. In cases where the temperature after sundown doesn’t drop below 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, people are “not getting the opportunity for recovery overnight, as we have historically seen,” Ashley Ward, the director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute, said to NPR.

It’s largely the fault of climate change that no nighttime recovery is occurring, as “each summer we are seeing more heat waves” and “more hot nights,” said NPR. The number of nights when the temperature “never falls below 70 degrees Fahrenheit is increasing everywhere in the U.S. except the Northern Great Plains,” said the 2023 Fifth National Climate Assessment. 

Many people find sleeping in hot weather difficult, which could contribute to negative health effects. A heat wave in the U.K. last month resulted in nearly 65% of people saying they struggled to sleep, according to a YouGov survey, while about half said they lost at least three hours of sleep per night. When this happens, the “implications are significant: a drop in work performance, an increase in accidents, lower school test scores,” and a “decline in mental health,” said Dr. Laurence Wainwright, of the U.K.’s University of Oxford, to The Guardian.

What’s the projected outcome?
With the continually changing climate, nights will likely remain hot, especially during summer. “Heat-related deaths could rise sixfold by the end of the century, largely because of warmer nights, unless planet-warming pollution is significantly curbed,” according to a 2022 Lancet Planetary Health study, per The Sacramento Bee. Heat currently “kills more Americans in an average year than any other weather hazard.”

Worshippers arrive for a service at the Celestial Church of Christ International Headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria. Church members wear white one-piece garments during worship and must attend services barefoot.
Olympia de Maismont / AFP / Getty Images

Nothing feels better on a blazing hot day than a cold blast of AC, especially when it isn’t you paying the bill. Instead of going to the usual air-conditioned spots like the mall or movie theater, go for an immersive adventure. You can cool off while exploring a new world, learning about the galaxy or sinking a hole-in-one.

Dorrance Dome, Phoenix
Explore our galaxy and beyond without leaving your seat. The Arizona Science Center’s new Dorrance Dome gives visitors a “360-degree immersive experience,” said the Phoenix New Times. Multiple shows are presented at the dome, including “Worlds Beyond Earth,” narrated by Lupita Nyong’o, and “Orbital,” an animated look at life on Earth. 

Hijinx Hotel, Irvine, California
Leave your suitcase at home because the Hijinx Hotel (pictured above) isn’t for spending the night. It’s a place to “play, not stay,” filled with 15 challenge rooms, each offering a different interactive, whimsical experience, said the property’s website. The games test your memory, speed and aim, and scores are tracked electronically using a key card so you can see how your performance stacks up against other groups. 

Paradox Museum, Miami
Prepare to spend your time at the Paradox Museum totally confused and feeling topsy-turvy — that’s the point. The 70 interactive exhibitions and illusions exist to “mess with your head,” challenging perceptions by “distorting or redirecting what you are seeing,” said Time Out. One room is “literally upside-down,” while another makes it look like you are eating at a dining room table with “clones of yourself.”