Lagoa Santa, Brazil

With a population of just over 255,000, this small Brazilian municipality is hardly the cosmopolitan hub many expats dream of. The reality is a sleepy town 37 km north of Belo Horizonte, where the pace of life can feel glacial and bureaucracy a persistent headache. However, Lagoa Santa does have a unique claim to fame - it's the "cradle of Brazilian paleontology," home to a trove of ancient human and megafauna fossils discovered in the 1800s. For those fascinated by natural history, the town's Sumidouro State Park offers ample opportunity for exploration. But for the average American seeking an easy overseas transition, Lagoa Santa may prove too remote and underdeveloped to be an ideal destination.