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! :)

  • manlygirl100@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Moved for work.

    Yes, massive improvement in QOL. Everything my home country offered and more.

    No, not going back.

    I don’t understand the last question. I have better healthcare in the US (yes it’s more expensive but I have great insurance). State university is high quality and affordable. Crime is not an issue. My company has better paid maternity leave than my home country did. Work life balance is great despite being paid more.

    It’s all been upside for me.

      • welovezorp@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Just because it’s not federally mandated doesn’t mean there is no parental leave in the US. If OP works in corporate at a competitive company that wants to retain employees then maternity leave can be very adequate. Netflix corporate employees get up to a year for either parent.

      • green_yellow_green@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Maternity leave in the U.S. depends on your work. Back in the U.S. I had 6 months fully paid leave (and so did fathers), which is a lot more than in the Netherlands where I live now.

        Of course if your job doesn’t offer a good leave package you are out of luck. The issue with America is that it’s extremely unequal - poor folks live much much worse than poor folks in Europe. But middle class and richer folks often live better than rich folks in Europe. That’s why lots of highly skilled people still move to America from Europe, even though it’s a totally shitty country to live in if you’re uneducated or poor.