Hi, I’m from South Texas, an area considered “poorer” than national average, and my husband is Dutch.
Pros:
Honestly, I think we have it pretty good here. The cost of living is ridiculously cheap. We paid off our home last year (it took us 4 years to pay off), we don’t have have great jobs yet we can still save up lots of money. Even if we find jobs at Walmart we can save up at least 1,000 a month easily. We’re currently taking a sabbatical this year traveling around the US from all the savings and I want to spend 3 months in Mexico too. Also, I really love the food down here (Mexican food galore and you can get a box of 20 mangoes for $4 bucks), I like the people, how friendly, family-oriented and chill everyone is (sometimes my badass neighbor helps me mow my grass for free), and most importantly: my family is here and I’m used to seeing them every week and have BBQs (carne asada every week). Also, the proximity to Mexico allows for daytrips for cheap dental and medical procedures plus cheap flights.
Cons:
Well, it’s still Texas! The politics, the heat, machismo, the ignorance, and stupidity of some people really bug me. Although I got to say that this area is 90% Mexican and I personally think there’s a difference with Latino conservatism. It’s not really pretty and secluded and the rest of the nation. Not much to do although not nearly as bad as living in bumbutt, Kansas. No nature around, just ugly streets, stroads, and infrastructure. Car dependency, etc.
Why I want to move:
It’s honestly me. my husband says he doesn’t want to go back but it can be discussed if I really want to do it. And honestly, I don’t know if it’s a smart choice. I’m aware of the housing crisis in NL that’s why I’m also thinking about other EU countries. I want to know what it feels like to work and live in another country, fully experience another culture, and also I want to experience this “European lifestyle” everyone keeps talking about. I also speak Spanish and French (not fluent but I can get by an understand everything).
Concerns:
Although what concerns me the most is the worry that we won’t be able to find housing, save up as much money (hence no more constant sabbaticals), and having to live check by check, or if I’ll be exposed to racism since I’m not White, or feeling super lonely, etc. Basically end up with a lower quality of living.
I think moving to “get away” from negatives tends not to work out too well. You’ll find there are negatives wherever you move to as well. They may be different negatives, but they’re there. Like the example you mentioned in NL, the housing crisis.
Or let’s take your example with car dependency. Sure, you can live in the Netherlands without a car. But will you really not miss that car when you want to go somewhere at 9PM and the bus isn’t running? Or won’t be running when you’re ready to head back?
I can understand feeling dismayed at Texas politics and machismo, but political earthquakes happen elsewhere, too. In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders just won an election. If you don’t like populism in the United States, odds are you won’t like Dutch populism either – especially since, on top of the risk of racism, you’ll now experience being the buitenlander – the foreigner.
I think you’ll have a much better experience if you focus on positives. Are you up for an adventure? Do you want to experience a different culture? Do you want to learn Dutch? Or another language, if you pick somewhere else in the EU? After all, there’s a lot of countries to choose from. I recommend that you focus on what you want to accomplish, not on what you want to escape from.
Also, like another poster suggested…go visit first. Preferably an extended visit. Perhaps four to six weeks, or even more, depending on how flexible your current employer is with vacation time/personal leave. But whatever destination you pick, while visiting will never be the same as living there, at least experience it as a visitor before making a decision.