←back to thread

Ask HN: Who has moved from the U.S. to Europe?

181 points feraligators | 3 comments | 25 Jan 22 15:44 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source

I've long considered leaving this country for a multitude of reasons.

I'd be curious to hear some first hand experiences of those who've made the move to Europe and what you think of the process and considerations one should make.

A few questions to start the conversation:

- Where do you live?

- What's the biggest sacrifice you had to make (i.e. pay, housing, friends, etc.)

- What have you gained?

Show context
boffinAudio ◴[25 Jan 22 15:54 UTC] No.30073204[source]▶
I've done it, and it was one of the best decisions of my life.

WHERE: I'm Australian, moved to LA when I was 18 and lived there for 15 years. Then, I moved from Los Angeles to Germany (Duesseldorf), and then to Vienna, Austria.

WHAT SACRIFICE: No more In 'n Out Burger, no more decent Mexican/TexMex food, no more LA food trucks. These are literally the only things I miss about the USA. Literally every other aspect of life has improved massively by leaving the USA - healthcare, food, social life. For the first 4 years I walked to work, ffs. Now I ride a bicycle in combination with the best public transportation options in the world (Austria, Vienna).

GAINED: I've completely lost the brain-dead nationalist mentality that had infected me in my earlier life, I've gained Immense amounts of respect for humanity, I've learned German, I've experienced professional software and hardware development away from Silicon Valley standard practices, and I get to see the USA from outside the decadent, rose-colored bubble from which it is usually experienced. I honestly wish I'd left sooner - every time I go back I'm reminded just how much of a shithole the USA really is ..

Plus, living and loving in Europe is just great. There is no greater joy than a trip through the Balkans for a week adventure, or maybe a jaunt to Spain or southern France. Just being able to travel an hour in any direction and being immersed in absolutely foreign culture is a joy like no other. Definitely a great way to ground oneself.

EDIT: The weather was pretty good in LA. But, still: Americans.

replies(17): >>30073369 #>>30073389 #>>30073431 #>>30073510 #>>30073522 #>>30073528 #>>30073595 #>>30073647 #>>30073734 #>>30073867 #>>30074068 #>>30074160 #>>30074195 #>>30074985 #>>30075141 #>>30083372 #>>30105824 #
teakettle42 ◴[25 Jan 22 16:25 UTC] No.30073734[source]▶
Vienna is one of the nicest and wealthiest cities in Europe.

LA is a car-centric sprawling cesspool. Even for the US, it’s uniquely terrible.

If you’d moved to some of the less desirable locations in Europe, you’d probably find them to be a shithole, too.

Your lack of perspective (“how much of a shithole the USA really is”) is something I’d only expect from someone half your age on their first backpacking tour of Europe.

replies(9): >>30073829 #>>30073851 #>>30073911 #>>30073913 #>>30073915 #>>30074015 #>>30074025 #>>30074243 #>>30080853 #
sbarre ◴[25 Jan 22 16:33 UTC] No.30073851[source]▶
Geez someone hit a nerve, eh?

I'm a Canadian and I've travelled most of Europe, and most of the US (among other parts of the world).

The simple fact that the US doesn't have universal healthcare, and refuses to do anything real about it, or other endemic self-inflicted issues like gun violence - problems the rest of the modern world solved long ago! - kinda puts you at the bottom of the list of modern/developed countries in my book.

OP used a rather inflammatory term for sure, but he's not wrong when comparing pros/cons of first-world countries to the US. Y'all have real problems that you could solve but _choose_ not to.

It's obviously not all bad, there are lots of things to love about the US, but I would never ever choose to live there for the reasons above and more.

replies(5): >>30073912 #>>30074070 #>>30074190 #>>30074480 #>>30105809 #
1. brianwawok ◴[25 Jan 22 16:54 UTC] No.30074190[source]▶
> The simple fact that the US doesn't have universal healthcare, and refuses to do anything real about it,

What is funny, is how many Canadians come to the US for faster or better treatment. No more 3 month wait list to get a basic procedure. It's almost like there are pros and cons to every system, eh?

replies(2): >>30074704 #>>30075995 #
2. AnIdiotOnTheNet ◴[25 Jan 22 17:25 UTC] No.30074704[source]▶
They must be exceptionally wealthy to afford said treatment with no insurance coverage. If you're wealthy, it doesn't matter what the system is because you can just go to a different country to get treatment, that's the same for people in the US.

I have a roommate who hasn't had health care most of his adult life because the cost is so high and the fact that most low-end jobs don't offer any. But fuck him I guess.

3. sbarre ◴[25 Jan 22 18:40 UTC] No.30075995[source]▶
You mean people who can _afford_ to do it, right? Of course you do.

Well that's certainly not the majority of people, and I did say _universal_ health care, not "health care for those who can afford it".

Look, I get it... In the US, your worth as a person - and your access to essential services - is tied to your wealth.

And while that's a horrible and cruel way to be, it's all you know, so you don't see that it is, particularly if you've never been on the wanting end of that deal.