Would you REALLY move to another country, like Germany? [View All]

[DFW]

I've seen several threads about this. It's not a move to make lightly.

It may seem nice here (Germany) on visits where all expenses are paid, but most
people here don't have it so easy. The bureaucracy is numbing (my wife is a
German social worker who tears her hair out at the uncaring inefficient "Ämter").
The wages are only OK if you earn a bundle, as taxes are immense. The schools
are stacked full of teachers whoh are overworked uncaring un-fire-able civil
servants, and the universities suck. My two kids, who are German nationals and
grew up here in Germany, couldn't wait to get to the USA and go to college there.

Also, life may seem slower here, but it isn't. The cafés are full because unemployment
is so high. Those Germans we know who are working have punishing schedules, just as
I do.

By the way, the weather sucks.

Remember: if you are paid in Euros, you live in Euros. You only get the currency
advantage if you are paid in Euros and live in a dollar-denominated country. Prices
are sky-high here, anyway.

Tobacco and alcohol are readily available and kids take up both at an early age
here. Only recently are European countries starting on protection for non-smokers,
and at that, it is hardly enforced, if at all.

Gas costs about $8 a gallon here, and taxes on your car are huge, as are insurance
payments (the way they drive here, no wonder).

Still interested?

OK, if you're still here, then here's the good news. Free (or nearly so) education,
and health care are certainly bonuses.

The tightly-knit communities, as long as you are not a hermit, really do make living
here easier. In our neighborhood, the neighbors introduce themselves when they move in,
and we have a tight circle of nearby friends who all have the keys to each other's houses
to help out with stuff when people are sick, or if people are away.

Distances are smaller--it's no big deal to run over to another country for the weekend.

Religious fanaticism is practically gone from the governments, and only immigrant Muslims
make any noise, and even they are minor annoyances compared to the Bible-thumping in the USA.

Going out to a café or spontaneous getting together at someone's place just for coffee and
cake really are a tradition here. Maybe because Europe is so compact, people are less reluctant
to get together often, I don't know. Back home, I never found a "happy hour" to be very happy.

Etc. etc. In other words, there is always a yin and yang. The good and the bad. If you come
over here permanently, be prepared for the good and the bad, as everywhere. It's up to each
individual to decide if you can handle the complete change of life such a move entails. It
took me about five years, and I already spoke the language and am married to a German national.

You can do it, but make sure you REALLY want it. Moving to Europe is not summer vacation. Of
course, if another Republican gets the White House, it will probably be more like seeking
political asylum.