25 years I’ve been abroad (The Netherlands) and the work-life balance is why I stayed. They insist I take days off (still foolishly work like an American) and have already booked out a 3 week vacation for later in the year…and I’ll still have nearly 2 weeks of vacation left. We can roll a few weeks of vacation over to the next year if not used. Even though the Dutch have NO holidays from June to Christmas, I’m still able to take 4 day weekends when I want to.
The downside is family left behind may begin to resent you. My family have developed this red-hat victim culture. I can’t bring up how I live abroad or else it starts fights - they don’t want to talk to me now.
As an American who has been abroad for many years, can confirm! I'm visiting the states at the moment and its crazy to hear a family member talking about trying to convince their boss that the employees should get five paid sick days a year instead of only three. Three! A year! Insane.
please stop advertising this, they will all come here with their American dreams and turn Europe in USA.
I'm yet to see two of them actually connecting the dots between the "American dream" and the horrible labor laws. They want the wellbeing we have but they also want the rampant capitalism, they think "socialism == communism"
If only they would leave their political affiliations and a few bad bits of their culture in the US too, that'd be great. They're otherwise very welcome here, as is anybody else who wants to embrace the European lifestyle and integrate, Iranian, Afghan, Australian, Kenyan, Brazilian, Turkish, whatever.
If you understand that the high salary is to meet the high cost of living in the United States then you'll understand that it isn't a pay cut. Take that one step further and consider the fact that the higher cost of living does NOT come with a higher quality of life in the US.
Honestly, I moved to Germany two years ago, and I would only go back if my family needed my help in the US. Life feels a lot easier, and more comfortable. Yeah, the winter sucks, but even then I'm outside more than when I lived in the US.
I vacationed in Germany recently. Something about it just felt right... But it would be hard to be so far from my family, and probably harder to make friends or find a church. :(
I'm bitter because I was never well off enough to escape to Europe. Best I could do is maliciously complying with USA capitalism and becoming an anti-consumer
I'm not sure I'd want to go to Europe right now as a means of improving my mental health. Look at what is unfolding in France, or the far-right leaders popping up elsewhere. The US is rough but I'm hopeful we've already weathered that storm. With Russia on your doorstep too, I'd just prefer to travel elsewhere.