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Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

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Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#91

Post by danielrpa »

morelisp wrote: post #66
danielrpa wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Healthcare is complicated as mentioned, but I imagine his wife will get family health insurance. Despite all the true horror stories, the US has top notch health services if you are properly insured and have reserve funds for the inevitable "gotchas" in the system. Don't even dream of showing up without health insurance - the EU beats the US hands down in this scenario. No comments about needing a lawyer to subscribe…

Do family plans still frequently have extra charges for spouses who could get their own plan (via employer or by passing some base income level) but don't? This could cause issues if freelancing.

Different plans have different rules and I don't know Princeton's. I think that family plans won't generally require a freelancer spouse to obtain health care (my employer's excellent plan doesn't require my freelancing wife to do that), but I can't speak for every plan out there...

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#92

Post by christophilus »

orzig wrote: post #85

Attempting a concise rebuttal to doom-forecasting about USA’s future: Which decade since 1900 was worse than the one before it? Did the daily newspapers predict the most impactful events of the decade (positive or negative)? I share most of your current outrage and concerns, but history shows a clear net positive trend

I was chatting with my dad about this recently. He said, “I lived through some rough decades in this country. Not ‘civil war’ rough; but pretty close. Everyone was predicting our decline. Everyone was wrong. We’ll be just fine.”

In my experience, the doom and gloom folks— both micro and macro— have almost never had their predictions play out. There are always Eeyores out there. I prefer Pooh.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#93

Post by cameronperot »

I'm an American (Texan) who has been living in Germany for the past 6 years. I would suggest to consider the culture and lifestyle more than the work, as those will play a much larger role in your happiness and satisfaction. It sounds cliché, but money doesn't necessarily buy happiness.

I enjoy living in German/European cities significantly more than I did living in big cities in Texas (I can't speak for the East Coast). I value the culture of being able to walk or bike pretty much anywhere in the city in a reasonable amount of time. I value feeling safe even in the "bad" neighborhoods here in Germany. I've never once come across a situation where I was worried about my safety here, I can't say the same for the US. I value a society that isn't so extreme (wealth inequality, political ideology, etc.).

As for what I miss about the US, it's mostly the food (TexMex, BBQ) and nature (so much more to see and do, but you need a car). There's also the work culture which is a bit different, particularly in terms of startups and innovation; Germany definitely lags behind in this aspect. Some things are more convenient in the US as well, such as stores being open later and on Sundays.

Germany isn't perfect, but I think it's better than the US in a lot of quality of life aspects.

Before moving, I would recommend going to visit the city and see if it's something that might fit you. Try to talk to locals and explain your situation, I'm sure there would be people happy to show you around and give you some good insights from a less touristy perspective.

Of course, all of this is hard to weigh if your wife will be living there for certain, as long-distance relationships can be tough.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#94

Post by jleyank »

jacquesm wrote: post #49

I would closely research the health care situation. When you're young, white, male and invincible the US may well be a good choice, but later in life when a bad health care bill is typically just around the corner you will want to be very careful about such decisions. In Germany not a whole lot can happen, in the United States you may well be on the receiving end of the stick. And that's before we get into the speed…

Watch out for copayment. Make sure your visa is in order. Make sure there’s a social security and tax treaty in place (probably is, but…). Hope you have no pre-existing medical conditions (prob ok with ACA). There’s good and bad in all countries and regions, so make sure you select areas that are congruent to your interests.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#95

Post by bshepard »

martinald wrote: post #40
bshepard wrote: post #7

Hello there, I live in Berlin now and used to live in the United States. My family is there, and I go back to the east coast of the US often. The degenerating and dystopian quality of the United States is difficult to overstate, but almost impossible to capture verbally. Whatever one cause attributes to the systematic breakdown of the US, it is difficult to deny the realities of the decline -- massive alcohol and nar…

Yes, because there are no alcohol or drug issues in Berlin! What an over the top comment. The US regardless of these issues is an enormously successful country, with some of the friendlist people when you visit (I'm from the UK originally but travel a lot).

There's a lot of alcohol and drug use in Berlin, but there are not vast open air drug markets like Kensington in Philadelphia or Skid Row in San Francisco.

The issue is, indeed, "over the top."

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#96

Post by bshepard »

wozer wrote: post #30
bshepard wrote: post #7

Hello there, I live in Berlin now and used to live in the United States. My family is there, and I go back to the east coast of the US often. The degenerating and dystopian quality of the United States is difficult to overstate, but almost impossible to capture verbally. Whatever one cause attributes to the systematic breakdown of the US, it is difficult to deny the realities of the decline -- massive alcohol and nar…

Is it really that bad in the US? Makes me wonder if I should continue to invest in the US stock market...

The success of the US stock market and the US as a society are not exactly related, and may in fact have an adversarial relationship, so continued investment in the US could be wise.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#97

Post by Omniusaspirer »

Tainnor wrote: post #45
Omniusaspirer wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The inherent view so many Europeans have of the US based solely on news or anecdotes from expats is pretty amusing sometimes. Nobody is getting a lawyer just to sign up at a gym, and our incomes are comically higher for skilled persons than European salaries. I literally make 10 times what my French counterpart would in my profession and with a much lower tax rate so the real difference is even larger. I could work f…

> Would I rather be disabled or unemployed in France? Probably, but that's not exactly the HN audience. But it's also about knowing that your friends, your family, the people who make your coffee, the people you meet in the park etc. will have a safety net to fall back on. I do think that I'm not the only person who finds that reassuring. re. the "I make more money", I realise as a person without kids, I have a skewe…

It's less the desire to be grotesquely wealthy and more than ability to work less time for the same quality of life. I've taken several 6+ month breaks between contracts now and they gave a lot of clarity and perspective to what life could be. Time is our most valuable and limited asset.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#98

Post by twoodfin »

orzig wrote: post #85

Attempting a concise rebuttal to doom-forecasting about USA’s future: Which decade since 1900 was worse than the one before it? Did the daily newspapers predict the most impactful events of the decade (positive or negative)? I share most of your current outrage and concerns, but history shows a clear net positive trend

I agree with your general point, but I think there’s a strong case that 1960’s > 1970’s.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#99

Post by bshepard »

seibelj wrote: post #41
bshepard wrote: post #7

Hello there, I live in Berlin now and used to live in the United States. My family is there, and I go back to the east coast of the US often. The degenerating and dystopian quality of the United States is difficult to overstate, but almost impossible to capture verbally. Whatever one cause attributes to the systematic breakdown of the US, it is difficult to deny the realities of the decline -- massive alcohol and nar…

This is hilariously inaccurate and essentially a stereotype perceived from the Reddit front page. Europe is experiencing legions of issues including runaway inflation, a government and social safety net that is rapidly becoming unaffordable, a migrant crisis that is causing their own racial issues that they pretend don’t exist but are causing huge polarization and the rise of right-wing parties, a business climate th…

This is a life experience, my friend. I don't use Reddit. Anyone who lives in one of the non gamma social levels in Europe knows that life here is better: the bargain made with the metasystem is superior. Only for alpha pluses is the US better, sounds like you are an alpha plus aspirant, good luck.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#100

Post by trh0awayman »

cromka wrote: post #34
binarymax wrote: post #21

Lots of anti American comments in this thread, so I’ll attempt to actually answer your question. Background - I’m an American who moved abroad for 12 years (UK) and returned after Brexit. Salaries are much higher than the EU. But in some cities cost of living is high. Coming from Berlin, you’ll have an easier time finding an apartment, but it will be expensive. I’d expect to pay $2000 to $2500 per month for a decent…

> Food is cheap and plentiful. The portion sizes are twice as large for the same equivalent price as the EU :). As someone who moved from EU to the US for 6 years and recently got back: the quality of the food is way lower there, though. As in: food standards imposed are significantly lower. I ended buying mostly organic food at Costco after my body significantly changed within first 6 months. EDIT: don't know why I…

Food standards might be lower, but I would argue that the food quality is better, depending on the country in the EU.

Here in Germany, 25% of meat bought in grocery stores doesn't follow the most basic of butchering standards set forth: https://www.ua-bw.de/pub/beitrag.asp?subid=0&Thema_ID=2&ID=2...

What you get in the US is choice - and as a software engineer, you have the money to make those choices. Shop at Whole Foods, not the local gas station, and you will see there is a world of difference.

That's one mistake I see Europeans make - they apply a European world view to the US, and don't understand the wide spectrum of choices. Here in Europe, most things are equal or about the same. This mentality is even applied to universities (ask a German which university is "the best", and you will receive a confused look).

Whether you think all of this is morally correct is a different question.

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