USA (NY) Pluses: Central Park, the Met, free concerts (Central Park Summerstage), Shakespeare in the park, Upper West Side, great jazz scene, black/Latino culture, excellent (unhealthy) food, vibrant ethnic scenes.

Germany (Rheinland-Pfalz, BW and Bavaria): more polite than NY, neutral news reporting, ease of travel to EU countries, excellent (healthy) food, hiking and camping, clean and safe public transit, free university, adorable villages.

Game Changer/Dealbreaker: health insurance, safety, lack of crime/gun violence, more democratic, fair elections, cost of living is lower, life quality is higher due to vacation time and perks… and lastly, after the horrors of GW Bush, I thought it could not go lower. I was wrong. Donald Jackass Trump and his cronies have ruined things for me.

Wait a few years. After five years, I was feeling frustrated living in Germany, for many of the same reasons (I’m also from NY). By the time I was living here six or seven years, I had accepted that some things will always be “foreign”, I learned to laugh about these things, and I had found international friends who I could vent to. After joining some political groups and other organizations, I realized that I could make a difference. I am annoyed by many things happening in the EU, but being politically active helps. Be the change you want to see in the world. Also, visiting the US and seeing how badly your friends are doing with overworking and lack of proper health care will make you grateful.

Moving at 40 with kids is considerably harder than moving at 35 or less with no kids or partner. Don’t move to some foreign place without ever visiting. I left the US in 2003, over 30, after having visited Germany twice. I sort of knew what I was getting.

There is corruption and crime everywhere, but it’s a matter of degree. Here, you can be safe from violence, get a free education, and if you get a good job, can get a nice smallish home, good health insurance and a worry-free life, if you are willing to spend 2 years learning German.