Many people throw around the idea that they will leave thecountryat the first inconvenience, but a few netizens out there have actually done that. So we’ve gathered stories from Americans who decided to move abroad and decided to share what happened to them.
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I had a “good job” in the US before I came here. Work was regular hours +1 Saturday out of every 3, and I was on call 24/7 for consultation. I had 1 week vacation plus Christmas and Thanksgiving each year. No insurance, and I barely made my bills each month. Still my friends were often jealous of my office job.I left the US in 2006. Now, I have great health coverage for about $100 per month for a family of 3, and it isn’t tied to my employer so if an employer is s**t, I can just quit and move on. It includes dental and eye care, and a yearly free check up. When I am sick, cost at the Dr and pharmacy are less than $5 each.I now have 15 days vacation plus about 10 holidays each year. I work Monday through Friday and when I’m off the clock, I’m off the clock.In my first year here, I paid off 10k of student loan debt, and had a bit of savings. By 2010, I had 50k saved.The US is like an underdeveloped nightmare dystopia compared to the rest of the world. But the constant media propaganda proclaiming it is the best, most advanced country in the world, and paints every one else as backward thinking oddities keeps the population grinding away at the deadend, under compensated jobs.
Eye opening. I’ve always known that the US has a lot of propaganda and Nationalism. But it wasn’t until I moved to Europe that I got to experience the being an outsider looking in.I’m not sure if what I said makes sense, it’s kinda hard to explain.
I moved to Europe seven years ago. At first, our motivation was the ability to have children without going into debt. After living here for a few years, we were able to buy a house and live a lifestyle that was once considered ‘the American dream.’ I also found that life is less materialistic here. People still have gardens and walk to places they want to go to. I just find it to be a more sustainable environment for my family.
Having lived in England, Sweden, Japan, Argentina, and Uganda; I can assure you that it’s great! Honestly all Americans should spend at least a year abroad at some point. Most people here have such an insular view of the world and have been brainwashed to believe that we are somehow the “best.” People are great and experiencing different cultures and ways of life can truly help you relate to others in a much more altruistic way.
I live in Berlin now, and I’m still trying to get used to my five weeks of vacation. All vacation is paid vacation, and it’s standard everywhere. I also get a two-hour lunch and have a 32-hour workweek. All of this adds up to years that I can spend with my family. It just makes the quality of life so much better.
I moved to Europe and always thought I would go back to the US one day. That changed when I had kids. As weird as it is for someone who grew up being fed the whole ‘land of opportunity’ narrative, Europe simply provides more opportunity, more security, and a better quality of life for my kids. Staying here for them has been a no-brainer.
I moved to Europe and my favorite thing about living here is that it’s so easy to pick up and travel somewhere completely different. In America, you have to travel a long way to get to a place with a different culture. But here in Europe, in just a few hours I can drive to France, the Netherlands, or Germany. And in a few hours on a plane, I can be in Italy, Greece, Spain, or Portugal.
My husband and I moved to Germany for my work. We loved every minute of it. We lived in a small farming village, walked the dogs in the national forest almost daily, bought bread from the bread truck that drove through town, had the best neighbors, loved everything about the area and the culture. We would have lived our entire lives there if my work contract hadn’t ended. At one point we considered getting citizenship and giving up our US citizenship. Maybe one day we’ll get back, but it’s a difficult move to make, especially with pets (we brought our 3 dogs: 2 German shepherds and a Labrador, and our 2 guinea pigs with us, it was quite a challenge!).
Been living in NZ for the past 3 years now. It has its issues but man it is an amazing and beautiful country. Highly recommend.
I lived in Armenia for 3 years and loved it after the initial adjustment. My biggest life regret is moving back to America. I miss it every day and fully intend to go back when my child is grown to live out the rest of my life there.
My wife and I immigrated from USA to Netherlands about 6 months ago. Work has been great and the people very friendly. Getting our two boys integrated into Dutch schools was a little challenging at first, but it’s gotten much easier lately. My wife and I are still learning the language but we’ve noticed things generally become much more enjoyable with each word we learn.This was intended to be a permanent move for us. We sold nearly everything we owned in the states before moving out here. 10/10, highly recommend!
Living in the Turks & Caicos and can’t see myself ever going back to live in the US. Only been off island once in the last 15 years.
Been living abroad for 11 years in several countries. Currently in Thailand. It’s better in almost every way. I can afford to go to the hospital anytime, food is less processed, I save more money, and no guns = no shootings.Simple things like dealing with the electric company can be frustrating. Language barriers.Every country has its drawbacks. I say live where you have the most positive connections(friends/family).
I moved to New Zealand a year before the pandemic… I consider myself incredibly lucky every single day.
I’ve lived in Spain for about 9 years now - and it’s wonderful. Spoke (nearly) fluent Spanish before moving, so really never had a problem with the language. Now I feel more comfortable speaking in Spanish than in English, ha. Having “free” (paid for through taxes) healthcare is such a huge difference, but sometimes doctors seem rushed and don’t pay as much attention to you as they should. Even in Spain, the private healthcare system is much, much more effective and comfortable to deal with (at least in my experience). Being vegan, sometimes it’s difficult to find things other than tomato, bread, and simple iceberg lettuce salads in small town bars or restaurants - but the bigger cities are full of more options than I could ever have dreamed of. In the beginning, I had to explain to people time and time again that, no, ham and tuna are not, in fact, vegan.I miss houses in the middle of countryside that don’t have huge walls around them or bars in the windows.Since I’m living in the south of the country, I miss wild forests and swimable lakes.And sometimes I wonder when I’ll stop being looked at as “guiri” - I am not a tourist, never really was since I came here to live. Will people continue speaking to me in English even when I’m an 80 year old grandma and have been living here for around 60 years? So far my solution is just to pretend I don’t understand their English and respond in Spanish, but it’s a little annoying to think that you’ll have to continue explaining where you’re from to people for the rest of your life - especially when most always ask you exactly where but then are confused when they don’t know “New Hampster.”.
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People assume moving to France has been like going on permanent vacation. Every time I complain about something a friend says, ‘but you’re living in France!’ I have to remind them that it’s cool, but it’s still real life. I have to work just like anybody else. And it’s even harder here because there are fewer jobs available to someone who doesn’t speak French perfectly.
Been living in Taiwan and I feel super safe. I can take my dog out to the park at 1am and never have to worry about getting mugged. Only thing I miss from the US is the food.
I moved to England about 3 years ago and I feel like the only way to describe it is the grass is always greener on the other side. I felt so trapped and bored in America that England felt like the place to be but I think we romanticize places we aren’t from. I do of course, love it here. I love the history that’s literally everywhere, I love the amount of sheep and dogs I’ve seen, and everyone is so kind (albeit not like it is in the south). As Americans we expect to be able to find everything we love in the super market, but you’ll find british equivalents or things just don’t exist (Corn tortillas! Nearly impossible to find and I so took that for granted). There’s always an adjustment period/learning curve and I’m still learning new “English” words everyday at work but overall, it’s been such a good and positive experience.
We just moved back from Madrid last summer due to covid. We were there for only 2 years but lived in the south of Spain for a year in 2015. I loved it. So much. Yeah it was hard being away from family and spend days I’d think “what am I doing here, this isn’t home” but it did feel like some sort of home. Like some else said on here it’s not perfect but god, the lifestyle was SO much better. Their way of life, cost of living, etc. I think it’s worth mentioning that that might come from a place of privilege. My husband kept his American job so was making American money, and I was working so we were living really well. That’s not common at all and there are a lot of problems in Spain with work (pre covid) and salary. But I think the lifestyle keeps people there. It’s beautiful, most of Europe in general just feels nice to be in. I had my son there, c-section even and didn’t pay anything. Even gave birth at one of the best hospitals there but nope, no bill! If you anyone is ever thinking of moving aboard, just do it! Even if you move back after 3 months bc you miss home, who cares just do it!
I think I may be one of the very few that moved to Turkey. I met my wife through a friend who married a Turkish woman. I’ve been here in Turkey 6 years now. I am a military veteran and spent time overseas and such so I thought things shouldn’t be too difficult. My first few years were tough socially and getting adjusted then to top it off we had a failed coup. Now we are having a difficulty time with the economy well before COVID. Financially I am good because of disability compensation through Veterans Affairs. My wife had our son 4 years ago and i quit work to take care of her and him while my wife works. It’s been really tough because I worked since i was 14 and enjoy working. I plan on getting my citizenship soon and then maybe get back in to the work force.As far as the Turkish people and Turkey I cant speak highly enough of their hospitality. I’ve never had any problems and always treated as family. The landscape is amazing and historical areas are fascinating. The beaches are amazing and seen some of the bluest waters. Food is out of this world. ( Much much more than döner kebaps lol). I am always trying to get friends and family to come visit but everyone is always too nervous about it.
If you don’t want to miss Costco, move to Australia. Pretty good other than being so far from everything, and too many people emulating America, the good and the bad. You be you Australia, or just copy it and make it better!
I lived in Switzerland for 5 years and Singapore for 2 (and now a digital nomad who’s been living in roatan, Honduras for 3 months).You miss the convenience of America and the fact that you can get literally anything you want whenever you want it. You also miss being able to rely on the power/internet working (obviously, this is a Honduras problem and not a Switzerland/Singapore problem). That said, it’s nice to be insulated from the many problems in the USA as well as your new adopted home, as well as to experience a new culture/language/way of doing things.
Living in France and the cheapness and availability of healthcare is insane. When i first moved here i didnt believe my friends who told me that going to the doctor without insurance is 25€ for everyone…
I moved from the US to the UK 12 years ago. I have had an immensely hard time fitting in and finding friends. I firmly believe I will never truly be anything but a novelty here. Isolation is a huge problem for me here.
It’s technically moving abroad but feels more like moving to a second home. I started living in South Korea after I graduated university, which was around the beginning of 2012. Both my parents are Korean, but my mom received her US citizenship while my dad always worked in Korea, sending money to the US. So there was this weird reunion when my family somehow all ended up being together again, except this time in Korea. And it’s sort of been this way ever since.It’s good here, but I seriously miss America at times. The food, the multicultural atmosphere, the people. Everything. I often get nostalgic. I got married last year and things have gotten interesting, but there are some very Korean things I can’t get over. I still really like it here, of course, and it definitely feels less like I moved to another country and more that I moved to an extension of what I’d call home.
I have loved ex-pat life. I’ve been abroad for almost a decade now, mostly living in China and Korea, and I’ve really enjoyed the new cultures, experiences, and people I’ve met. For me the hardest part is not the isolation, but the fact that so many of the close friends I do make move so often. Ex-pat life can be very fluid as people come and go. On the whole, however, daily life is not so different than it was back home. I wake up, go to work, exercise, and go home. The weekends can be a bit more exciting and the travel opportunities are much better than being back home in the states.
I have been living in Switzerland but am moving back to the US in a month due to three main factors: Better job opportunities, a language barrier, and social integration. I think everyone fantasizes about how great it is to move from the US, but they totally overlook the challenge of social integration and a worse job market. The US has one of the best job markets in the world, and I think that’s overlooked. Although I make more money in Switzerland, the growth opportunities here can be limited. Worker’s rights, though…that’s another story.
I’m an American who moved to Russia (Saint Petersburg) about 5 years ago and I can say that it’s been amazing. Sure, there are a few things at home that I miss such as the food and the warm, sunny Florida weather but on the whole, not that much. Keep in mind that Saint Petersburg life is a lot difficult to small town life.The good:The public transport here is great. I say great, what I mean is that it isn’t a steaming pile of s**t like America’s public transport. It costs me less than a dollar to take the train the city center from where I live or to take any bus anywhere. There’s trams quite often and the metro is cheap too. My phone and internet bills together are about $12, I can walk to literally anything in my city if I want to. Night life is everywhere downtown. It feels like once Friday and Saturday night roll around, you can just continually walk around the center and find places to hang out that are good and fun. It’s super cheap to go to Europe, especially Estonia or Finland.The less good:People are less friendly than in america. It’s seems very common for people to try to cut you in line if they see any opening at all. People seem to be totally unaware of personal space in public places and smoking seems to be the national sport.
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