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

My family and I left at the end of 2019. I left for a number of reasons, but the biggest is I don't want my son to not have a life, and instead just have work and high stress. And, even if he won the work lottery and ends up at a tech company I don't want to live in a place where I look at the kids on my block and know their life is just a future of never ending work/stress with no vacation or community that helps them when they get sick.

- Where do you live?

Portugal (although we spent the first year in Spain).

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

I have one good friend in the town I used to live in the USA, I miss hanging out with him. (I work remote so not much else)

- What have you gained? Everything.

My family has a high quality of life in every way. One of our biggest complaints is that in the USA it is super hard to make friends as everyone is super stressed, doesn't go to parks, and work long hours. Within months of moving to both Spain and then Portugal we have made great friends (even in small town Portugal). It is mind blowing how much happier this has made my wife.

The health care is amazing, I cry a little every time I use it. I have a chronic condition that I need to keep an eye on... and to be able to have a doctor read my chart before I come in and who answers all my questions is just mind blowing. In the USA I tried to pay for two sessions just so they would talk to me... and I couldn't even get that. They just rush me out without explaining anything.

I biked in the states a little, but had too many close calls in a college town and avoided roads. Here I use the bike lanes all the time, and do 1,00+ km long bike tours.

The work life balance is better and people are less stressed overall. No place is perfect, but overall labor has paid time off and gets to have a life even if they are working minimum wage.

> One of our biggest complaints is that in the USA it is super hard to make friends as everyone is super stressed, doesn't go to parks, and work long hours

Where were you experiencing this in the US? I have felt it from time to time but not always, curious if this was in the Bay Area or elsewhere.

Yep, in Boulder/Denver in CO as new family with our first kid. I've also lived in Florida, DC, and AR.

American society just isn't built to bump into people, lots of driving and overall people favor their own backyard with huge yards over public spaces for everyone. From a societal POV it makes sense as well, everyone is stressed over money/health, long commutes and long hours, and no vacation time. Just part of American culture, no emphasize on the "life" part of work/life balance.

I don't have many friends in the USA who that doesn't describe. Some have found ways out of it, mostly through high paying jobs, but even then they are working insane hours and still stressed.