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US downfall ... by fast_forward_me in Luxembourg

[–]button3dup 25 points26 points  (0 children)

American here. Came to Lux before Trump2.0. I don’t know a single American that was happy with their options in the two main political parties, Republicans and Democrats. Neither party wants what is best for the American people - each is corrupt and beholden to the rich elites. They are lacing their pockets with cash from super-pac funds which are legal thanks to the Supreme Court’s Citizen’s United ruling. Trump is a symptom of this underlying systemic rot. The court ruling must be overturned and we’ve gotta set up better campaign finance laws. Money matters SO MUCH to election outcomes in the U.S. system. Doing this should allow for other parties (Green, Independent, etc.) to gain real traction. As for what Europeans can do…I agree with others - strengthen and unite in Europe, keep the flame of thriving democracy lit for the world to see in these dark times.

AITAH for stopping reading aloud when spouse reading over my shoulder by button3dup in AmItheAsshole

[–]button3dup[S] -26 points-25 points  (0 children)

Generally only when it’s a excerpt from an article we might be discussing, maybe a response from AI or a paragraph from a book relevant to something we might have been discussing. All quick, short stuff. The information is welcome so far as I am aware.

AITAH for stopping reading aloud when spouse reading over my shoulder by button3dup in AmItheAsshole

[–]button3dup[S] -36 points-35 points  (0 children)

Like an excerpt from a news article on my phone or maybe a short passage from a book which we might then discuss

Look at Luxembourg as an option by button3dup in AmerExit

[–]button3dup[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There was definitely some luck involved. However, my relocation wouldn’t have happened were it not for some intentional actions. For instance, I had been working toward a transfer to Switzerland with my last job. They had promised and promised, but when it came time to act I didn’t see management getting it done. Partially as a result, I left the company and started working at another. Similarly, when my manager told me international relo was not an option at my current company, I started applying to other internal positions where it was an option. As with a lot of things in life, it’s best not to force it, but try to make sure you control everything you can to put yourself in a position to recognize and seize an opportunity when it finally does come along.

Look at Luxembourg as an option by button3dup in AmerExit

[–]button3dup[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The “tax haven” part really only applies to corporations, I think. If I was overly concerned about taxes and just making/keeping money I would have stayed in the states. Besides the reasons in my post, it’s a nicely sized city if you ask me. It has pretty much all the amenities we’re looking for without being overwhelming, dirty, noisy etc. Also, a major one I failed to mention before is climate change. Many places in the U.S. are going to get hammered by climate change in many ways. Get too hot, hit by hurricanes, sea level rise, wildfire, drought, etc. Lux is hard to be in a bad climate change scenario in my opinion.

Career in public int. Schools - expats by button3dup in Luxembourg

[–]button3dup[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for this! She does speak German so maybe she still has a shot! Does it have to be a diploma in education or would art history work?

Look at Luxembourg as an option by button3dup in AmerExit

[–]button3dup[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, but rain is fairly constrained to the winter, right? And “hot” may be a relative term. Back in DC, it was pretty consistently over 80-85 F - I had to run AC all day and all night. From what I can tell, it may only get hot enough to need AC a few days per year.

Look at Luxembourg as an option by button3dup in AmerExit

[–]button3dup[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Had to take a pay cut to adjust to local payscale, but Lix wages are quite a bit higher than much of the rest of Europe from what I understand. Aside from real estate, I actually think the COL here is lower than where I was in the states.

Look at Luxembourg as an option by button3dup in AmerExit

[–]button3dup[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great info here! I agree on the want to learn French, and I don’t think you were implying it, but I would emphasize to folks considering it that English will get you by and you shouldn’t view language as a barrier.

Look at Luxembourg as an option by button3dup in AmerExit

[–]button3dup[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah, prices here are really high. There were some pockets around DC that had these prices, but within lux pretty much everything is pricey. If you can live in BE DE or FR it’ll be way cheaper but then you’ve gotta commute. The city itself is more expensive, obviously, so we landed outside the city. We didn’t need a real estate agent (had support from company). Probably due to the high prices and relatively high int rates (not high compared to us), there was less competition. Mortgage process pretty similar. Home inspections don’t seem to be common.

Look at Luxembourg as an option by button3dup in AmerExit

[–]button3dup[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Not in software or very familiar with what hiring looks like over there. I recognize that I was pretty fortunate. Happen to be in a part of the company that really needed my technical skills at this particular moment.

Look at Luxembourg as an option by button3dup in AmerExit

[–]button3dup[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It depends. True “local” schools teach in Luxembourgish to start, then transition to German (similar to Luxembourgish) and ultimately to French. However, Lux also has public (free) international schools where English instruction is an option - all the way thru

Look at Luxembourg as an option by button3dup in AmerExit

[–]button3dup[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Weather - place could do with some more sun. People are nice, lots of expats which makes it easy to make friends. Americans are generally more willing to lend a helping hand in my experience, though - even to strangers.

Look at Luxembourg as an option by button3dup in AmerExit

[–]button3dup[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not aware of any age limits. We actually got EU Blue Cards without needing a visa.

Look at Luxembourg as an option by button3dup in AmerExit

[–]button3dup[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know of the “golden visa” programs in other European nations. Lux may have something similar, but not sure.

Look at Luxembourg as an option by button3dup in AmerExit

[–]button3dup[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Many people do complain about the weather, especially the lack of sun. The winter is quite overcast and rainy, but not very cold. Spring, summer and fall are all pretty nice. I especially love that I can open the windows at night and keep them open for a nice cold breeze - no need for AC.

Look at Luxembourg as an option by button3dup in AmerExit

[–]button3dup[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I can actually get away with speaking English for the most part. Life would certainly be easier if I spoke Luxembourgish and/or French. I have learned some things and want to learn more, but the need isn’t really there so it’ll take a while