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! :)

  • albert768@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    My Quality of Life improved exponentially when I moved back to the US.

    1. Jobs pay a lot more
    2. You pay a lot less taxes.
    3. Outside of a handful of VHCOL cities, life costs less.
    4. It’s much easier to build wealth in the US than just about any other country.

    What benefits your country mandates by law is irrelevant to you as a skilled worker/PhD. Virtually every job you will have at that level will offer you compensation and benefits well beyond the statutory minimums regardless.

    You’re pretty much on point with the cons, however:

    1. My degrees are already paid for.
    2. The cost of medical care depends on the insurance you have through work, and you can geoarbitrage anything you can schedule ahead of time.
    3. I find myself taking more PTO in the US than I did overseas because I can afford to travel more.

    So long story short, yes I would say the pros vastly outweigh the cons.