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.
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
I think the biggest is perspective.
I grew up in the US, specifically in the South. Lots of things I disliked, but couldn’t quite figure out why. Then I traveled and moved abroad for a bit. And realized it wasn’t me, it was my environment - and seeing different ways people live gave me perspective on how absurd certain things are if you pan out and what isn’t absurd when you pan out. Having that perspective makes me much more ok with certain things and more able to effectively do things and solve problems.
An example I will give is work. If you work your entire life in the US you will likely have a certain perspective of the importance of work and ties to lifestyle around that. After working overseas you realize how people view work isn’t the only way to view work and that most of the seriousness the US puts on work is pretty much a farce. Knowing that lets you take professional risks and navigate more effectively.
Then there is just ways of living. Realizing you can live on a lot less than people thing and being able to question a lot of assumptions that you grow up with creates a lot of freedom.