Hello!
I’ve seen a few posts praising the US and I can’t deny that I’ve also had a very concrete goal of moving permanently to the US eventually. I’m from the EU so the “reality” that I have of the US comes mainly from the media. With this being said, I’d like the brutally honest opinions of those that experienced the US first-hand, whether you’re American, have always lived in the US and absolutely hate it, or if you moved from the EU to the US and are loving the experience.
- As expats, I think we’re all running from something from our home country (work conditions, family situations, etc). What made you move to/out of the US?
- Do you feel your QoL (quality of life) has improved with your move to/out of the US?
- If so, would you attribute this to working conditions/salary? Or living conditions such as more free time, good pension/retirement, etc
- Do you plan on going back to your home country? If so, what is the main driver of that decision?
Last, but not least, for those living in the US, do you believe that the pros of having more/better career opportunities (at least for skilled labor/PhD level) in the US outweigh the cons of living there, namely:
- poor/expensive healthcare
- extremely high tuition fees for colleges
- high crime rates (naturally highly dependent on the place you live)
- small amount of time for maternity leave (I don’t mind the small amount for paternity leave, but in Scandinavian countries mothers can have up to a year of maternity leave which I believe is very beneficial for the kids. I do value countries that value and protect the family structure)
- … and a general low work-life balance? (This last bullet point is not as important to me as I do like and appreciate the hustle culture of the US which makes effort/skills be more appreciated and compensated)
Thank you all! Apologies in advance if this has been asked multiple times before, but I’d like to condensate different perspectives in a single thread if possible as it might be helpful for others as well! :)
The thing about the US that I find a lot of people gloss over/don’t realize is the sheer amount of choice available here. It’s insanely attractive when moving from Europe. The EU has choice but it’s across different countries which has logistical issues. The US, for better or worse, is 50 countries in 1 (51 countries including Puerto Rico) and somewhere like California is itself a whole world unto itself.
I am child free so that has a big impact on my perspective. I am also middle class. But I love the freedom I have here to carve out a life more to my liking and if in 5 years I want to try out a different kind of life I can do that too. As for healthcare, I have received better care here than I ever did in Ireland where I am from. I have good health insurance from my job (always have even when my jobs weren’t the best) but I have paid out of pocket for some of my care so I could get the choice I wanted: that wouldn’t even have been an option for me at home. But there’s no glossing over how sadistic it is to have so many people be able to be bankrupted by medical bills. That is a hard pill to swallow, so to speak.
It IS harder to get ahead here than it was. I earn a salary I never dreamed possible and it’s kind of scary how far it DOESN’T get you. But the middle classes are getting squeezed in most western countries so this is not totally unique. It is easy to get caught up in the consumerist culture here too - to be honest, I could probably cut back and I’d see that my salary is plenty.
Finally, I never had work life balance in Ireland so I think it’s a me problem. I have plenty of friends here who do have it but I think you have to make more of a concerted effort.
Oh and I will not return to Europe while I’m of working age. I do hope to be able to split my time between here and there when I retire though because I feel lucky to have access to both places and it’d be ridiculous not to make the most of it.
Yup. It’s been better in the past, but the US is still one of the best places to try to make your bones in the western world.
Its rougher to be poor here for sure, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better place to be upper middle class and above in the western world - and even though it’s still inaccessible for a lot of people, it’s still more accessible than in other developed countries. The healthcare here is whack, but if you can get insurance - it’s likely to be at least on par with elsewhere.
If you’re willing to become a doctor, lawyer, programmer, or general professional here - you’re gonna make more than your home country no doubt. But don’t come here as a line worker thinking it’ll be better.
I lived in New Zealand for a while, and love it much more than the US. But there is no doubt materially I am more well off in the US. As middle manager in the US I make more than my old CFO back in NZ, all adjusted for inflation/ppp
Interesting analysis looking at the best return on investment of American Higher Ed.
https://www.payscale.com/college-roi
lifestyle and environment can be more important than income
For sure. That’s why I like New Zealand much more. But given I am here for family at the moment, those are the few positives and appeals to a lot of people. I know kiwis who left and won’t ever go back because they can work and make money they couldn’t imagine in NZ.
You are technically correct, but the reality is that money can get you the lifestyle and environment you want. It’s better to be rich in the US than to be poor or lower middle class in Europe
no, that’s just wishful thinking. being rich in the US can simulate a middle-class european lifestyle, but it would still lack in the actual environment sector unless you paid most of your income on rent to live in a walkable city that invested in transit and aesthetics instead of strip malls and sprawl.