Bye-Bye USA, see ya next time I'm in the neighborhood

[DFW]

My annual summer Odyssey is done with. I left Washington last night, changed planes in Paris this morning and am now back "home" in the Rheinland.

When I got my luggage at the Düsseldorf airport, I thought there was something wrong with the airport lighting, as it seemed to be turned up way too intensely, but it was just my wife's beautiful smile greeting me outside the baggage claim area. It was nice to visit, but it's nice to be back.


*on edit--I meant to post this in the Lounge. Still a little jet-lagged. Sorry, my bad!

[BigmanPigman]

1. Wish I could leave this country too!

[DFW]

2. It ain't as simple as all that

Moving to another country involves a LOT more than packing your suitcase and heading to the airport with a one-way ticket.

[Sanity Claws]

3. I agree

I have given thought to moving to another country. Besides the preparation required to leave and set up home elsewhere, there are the cultural differences that become evident immediately. You don't get all the jokes and references that are part of everyday conversation. Even if you know the language and your parents may be from there, you would always be an outsider, a "blow-in." Having your spouse be a native of that other country would help tremendously but, if you don't, living abroad would be very, very hard.

[KatyMan]

5. It is difficult,

we've lived in the UK twice and Ireland once. The thing people don't understand is that you still have to get up and go to work in the morning, pay bills, your boss might be a jerk or a good guy, your neighbor a creep or a big help, just like here in the US. People are pretty much people in everyday life everywhere we've lived. That said, we plan on retiring to Ireland or Mexico in 3 or 4 years, so the expat bug hasn't left us!

[OnDoutside]

16. If it's Ireland, you might want to consider buying a property soon, as house prices are on the rise

again.

[KatyMan]

17. unfortunately we're not looking to move until

2020 at the earliest, and are frankly leaning toward Mexico, but keeping an eye on Ireland. Our issue with Ireland is that, even though it's our most favorite place we've ever been let alone lived in, it's very far from our daughters, and travel back and forth would be expensive. Mexico would allow us to travel to Ireland for longish vacations once a year
Thanks for the tip!

[OnDoutside]

20. Best of luck with whatever you decide !

[mahina]

29. Would you have any suggestions for a good website to view properties for sale?

I'd like to look in Galway.

Thanks very much!

[KatyMan]

31. Daft.ie

Nt

[mahina]

46. Mahalo KatyMan!

Thanks for taking the time to respond. Aloha.

[OnDoutside]

40. Hi, yes, the two biggest are

www.myhome.ie
www.daft.ie

Most of the smaller realtors would advertise on these.

[mahina]

45. Thank you!

Much appreciated

[DFW]

6. Without her, I would probably never have made the move

As it was, I commuted for a long time. To get a residence and work permit in Germany was easy enough because I was married to a local, had a secure, decades-long job I could do anywhere, and spoke the local language fluently. Plus, I was willing to put up with the higher taxes (except for the double taxation) with the zero benefits I get from paying them, as well as their intrusive bureaucracy. It's said that here, the State knew what brand of toothpaste everyone used BEFORE there was an internet.

The language is a non-negotiable must. You can no more live here in Düsseldorf knowing only English than you can live in Dallas speaking only German.

[whathehell]

18. The poster's statement was a wish, not a plan.

There's is a difference.

[DFW]

24. There are those who sometimes turn their wishes into plans, and plans into action.

I have no knowledge that the poster was not one of them.

"Some men go just where they want. Some men never go."
--Bob Seger, "Shame on the Moon"

[whathehell]

34. That's true

but you might have asked him before responding with something that sounded like a scolding......Just sayin'.


.

[DFW]

37. Not in the slightest intended as a scolding

Merely a reminder that while it's an easy thing to toss out as a notion, it's a complicated thing to put into practice (with plenty of hidden downsides that I didn't even get into). No more than that.

[whathehell]

44. Maybe not,

but again, you could have asked...One needs no "reminder" for something one has no plan for in the first place.

[ProfessorGAC]

4. Glad You Had A Safe Trip Home

We'll see you here, on line!

[DFW]

7. To quote a very underemployed line......

I'll be back!


(OK, so maybe not SO underemployed....)

[Sanity Claws]

8. Let's hope that the current occupant of the White House

does not say the same when he finally leaves/resigns/is pushed out.

[DFW]

9. Without his chauffeur-drivern car

He'd never find the way.

[DFW]

11. The government sometimes asks us to help them out

But I don't work for them.

I do have quite a few friends here on DU after over 10 years, all of whom are aware of my situation.

That is quite an unorthodox introduction you've chosen for a first post.

[Hekate]

30. You make me sorry I missed that. ;-)

Enjoy being back home

[DFW]

36. You didn't miss much

Coherency wasn't his strong point....

[IronLionZion]

12. We're sending Herr Drumpf back where his grandparents came from

even if you don't want him back

[DFW]

23. Nein. NEIN. NEIIIIIIIIN!!!!!!!!!!

Or as the laid-back British might put it: "No, thank you."

[syringis]

33. Or as french and belgian (Walloon - Brussel)

Non merci, sans façon

Il y a déjà bien assez de cinglés ici

Wilders, Le Pen, Farrage, Orban (un monument celui-là !),...

[DFW]

35. Yes, Europe has its share

Orban is particularly bad, and his Polish counterpart isn't much better

But with USA being headed (nominally, at least) by someone SO completely unqualified for the position is without precedent.

Orban est peut-être un monument, mais Trump est un Chernobyl pour nous.

[syringis]

43. Trump

is a Tchernobyl for the whole World

[IronLionZion]

47. You can ask Scotland if they'll share joint custody

[DFW]

48. I don't want Scotland to sever relations with Germany over this n/t

[spanone]

13. hope we're still here when you return...

[LittleGirl]

14. Glad you made it back and had a smile to greet you.

Spouse was in AZ last week for a few days and flew back to Basel. He left on Thursday morning early and didn't get home until Saturday around 1pm CET. The last leg of his flight from Frankfurt to Zurich got cancelled and unfortunately, that was after traveling/awake for 28 hrs. They put him up in a hotel but he had no change of clothes in his carry on or a razor. He finally realized what I've been saying...traveling abroad in coach is hell on earth. Good luck with the jet lag.

[niyad]

15. nice to know you made it back safely. wish we could join you!!

[DFW]

38. The door's open! n/t

[R B Garr]

19. Glad you had a good trip back, DFW!

Hope you get some rest for the jet lag. Enjoy the last bit of summer with your family!

[DFW]

39. The family is scattered to the four winds again

The next one I will see of the "next" generation won't even be one of my daughters, but my nephew, who will passing through France on his way back to the States from northern Nigeria. Since he is flaying Air France the whole way from Abuja or Lagos (I don't know which) to Washington, he is taking advantage of a chance to stop off in Paris. Since I run down to Paris several times a month anyway, I will time a visit so I can spend some time with him while he's there. He speaks no French, but he speaks Arabic, which will at least l3t him communicate with a lot of people who live there.

[southerncrone]

21. We need a little happiness all over DU. I consider your gaff a happy accident for us all!

Glad you are back w/family.

[steve2470]

22. Hope you enjoyed your time here and best wishes to you my friend!

One day I will visit you and your family in Deutschland

[DFW]

41. You know where to find us! n/t

[mahina]

25. Aloha DFW, thanks for checking in.

I always appreciate your perspective. Aloha.

[DFW]

27. Mahalo Mahina!

I miss your part of the world, too.

I was on the Big Island regularly (mostly Waikoloa) when my younger daughter went to school there (in Waimea, up the Kohala Mountain), but haven't been back in over ten years. Aloha!

[Pachamama]

26. Wilkommen

Still in Germany right now ending my summer odyssey as well...but I am in the reverse mode....I go back this week because my teenagers high school starts for fall and I am back for them.....will return in a few months...

[DFW]

28. Think of it this way

We are both doing our part in keeping the population of both countries stable

[Pachamama]

49. Good way of looking at it...

And us sane....

[ucrdem]

32. keep us posted!

[DFW]

42. Will do! n/t