←back to thread

181 points feraligators | 3 comments | | HN request time: 0.559s | 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
BrandoElFollito ◴[] No.30073830[source]
How come nobody mentions France in the comments? :)

I am French but have been working 12 years for a very large US company , spent a lot of time in the US, go friends there - an witnessed/helped several Americans moving to France.

Salary and healthcare were already covered. The fact that over a 3 days drive across Europe you visit 4 or 5 countries with vastly different cultures is a big plus. And by vastly I mean really vastly. We've been in constant wars for 2000+ years and this created a very nice and specific melting pot + cultural differences.

School will be very different. In France you will have a more formalized way of education (which is not a good thing), but also a very liberal one. Children will be drinking tap water starting at kindergarten and and stay like this their whole life. They won't (usually) go to school on Wednesday.

The office will be less politically correct. You will have people discussing politics and religion - though this became less outspoken the last 10 years or so.

You will have good baguettes and average bread - but still eons better than the average US bread.

Bureaucracy is mcu better than the stereotype. But not good either. You have to learn the power of the "pffff" sound you make with your eyebrows up - which means "I understand that this is the rule, but you know, I have to do/get/send that and it is a huge problem if I don't". Many foreigners foolishly assume that a "no" means "this is not possible".

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pae2AMnmUVA for the more scientific approach to how to be French when you are not.

replies(8): >>30074099 #>>30074100 #>>30074121 #>>30074198 #>>30074738 #>>30075196 #>>30082265 #>>30092323 #
eternalban ◴[] No.30075196[source]
That's funny about the tap water. Remember my first visit to France as a kid (~late 70s) and the whole family wondering at the stuff floating in Paris tap water. We did not touch it, and drank bottled water. Btw, this was in a very nice rented flat near Etoile on Ave. Victor Hugo.
replies(2): >>30075756 #>>30076395 #
pintxo ◴[] No.30075756[source]
Mostly the water provided by the municipality is drinking water quality in Europe. But sometimes the building and its water pipes will be so old that the pipes leak metals into the water.
replies(1): >>30075907 #
1. eternalban ◴[] No.30075907[source]
No metals, this was white fluffy stuff floating in the water. And it was relatively a luxury apartment. Again this was 1977 so that's almost ancient history.
replies(2): >>30077607 #>>30149102 #
2. hn2019 ◴[] No.30077607[source]
It was probably (hopefully?) just water scale from hard water building up mineral deposits on the insides of the pipes.
3. drra ◴[] No.30149102[source]
Common for apartments or houses that have been used for a while. Would be enough to let the water flow for a while.