For those who’ve lived in both Europe and the USA, I would like to hear your take. What do you love about each place, and what drawbacks have you noticed? Whether it’s the Old World charm of Europe or the dynamic lifestyle in the USA, spill the beans. In the end, what was the game-changer that made you pick one over the other and if you could share the decision-making behind your preferred choice.
I’ve been in Germany for 6 years now and I am so happy to be here instead of in the US. There are aspects of life in the US that I miss terribly, but all of the drawbacks are much bigger.
I am a lot lonelier in Germany. I moved at 30 and it’s hard to make new friends as an adult, let alone in a foreign country where you need to learn the language. Yeah, people will try to speak English with you, but it’s still exhausting for the majority of them.
And now that I am fluent I’m even older (funny how that works) and it’s even harder to make new friends.
Still, the benefits outweigh the costs. I hate work culture in the US and how so many people just go along with it. I hate car dependency. I hate copays and deductibles. I hate seeing people walking around with guns. I like the fact that I can hear a loud bang in a city center and not feel the need to run, because I know it’s just a firework some kids have let off.