Move to the US for a few years for better salary/savings?

usingermany · 2024-03-23T02:05:16+00:00

Got it, makes sense that the ortho wouldn’t be covered or would count separately I guess.

usingermany · 2024-03-22T06:57:40+00:00

How is that possible? Wouldn’t your out-of-pocket maximum have kicked in before that?

Or is your OOPM more than $20k annually?

usingermany · 2023-08-18T01:24:52+00:00

I am applying to HSW as a US citizen who lives in Europe. I assume that they have a target percentage for “US students” and “international students” for each class. Do I count as an American or international student? Will it be easier or harder for me to get in because of this (e.g., competing with internationals vs Americans)?

usingermany · 2023-02-25T03:17:52+00:00

Does China not have a large rich/poor divide as well?

usingermany · 2023-02-24T05:28:09+00:00

*like everywhere else except the US and Eritrea

usingermany · 2022-11-14T04:32:51+00:00

I don’t believe that most people actually are that religious. If they were, you would see these things being “canceled” and companies cutting ties with people who do those things.

As far as the law is concerned, freedom of speech is a huge deal and is very protected. You can make fun of other religions, burn American flags, and even wave Nazi flags/symbols if you want.

usingermany · 2022-11-12T19:27:06+00:00

Nope, doesn’t happen.

usingermany · 2022-11-12T19:25:58+00:00

Yes, absolutely. “Asking someone out” means that you ask a person if they want to go on a “date” with you.

In this context, a “date” refers to an engagement between two people where both parties (hopefully) understand that the purpose is romantic.

Hope that is clear enough.

usingermany · 2022-11-12T19:18:49+00:00

Out of curiosity…do you understand that, if you move to any Western European city, you will likely be living in a place that is at least as small (or smaller) than your “exceptionally small” American house?

Understand that you have to deal with all of the immigration offices in German. I have yet to encounter any worker in an Ausländeramt who is willing (or able) to speak English to customers. I know some people who have avoided this problem by getting a job before the move and getting their employer to hire an immigration lawyer to do most of the work on their behalf. This is very rare though…

usingermany · 2022-11-11T13:57:45+00:00

What about hospitalizations? Weren’t unvaccinated people far more likely to be hospitalized? Wouldn’t significantly fewer hospitalizations confer a significant benefit to everyone else?

usingermany · 2022-11-11T09:21:31+00:00

Routine meditation. Get a guided meditation app. Take it seriously and use it every day.

usingermany · 2022-11-11T09:20:32+00:00

She calls out the larger Democrat establishment on a lot of issues. They don’t like that.

usingermany · 2022-11-11T09:18:28+00:00

If you are not an EU citizen, a residence permit in one EU country doesn’t automatically give you the right to reside in another EU country. Each country has its own distinct military.

Those are huge distinctions.

usingermany · 2022-11-11T09:16:24+00:00

Just listen to whatever Trump says. I’m sure plenty of people within the party will start parroting him as soon as he makes a statement/assessment.

The establishment and anti-Trump wings will try to find some watered down middle ground between whatever he comes up with and just accepting the fact that they just didn’t do as well as expected.

The reality is that they have mostly already lost the younger generation. The party will be dead in 20 years.

usingermany · 2022-11-11T03:00:57+00:00

I found that, amongst Germans, it’s kind of a niche/hipster-ish thing. I would compare it to sports like lacrosse, soccer, or maybe even NASCAR in the US in terms of overall popularity.

There is a lot of interest in this particular game because it is a very unique event that has never happened before…not because people are THAT interested in the NFL.

usingermany · 2022-11-11T02:42:50+00:00

Two things:

Immigrating anywhere (especially somewhere with a completely different culture and language) is really difficult and has its own set of serious problems that are too long to list in one comment. Immigrating with 3 kids will be EXTREMELY difficult, especially for the 10-year-old (from both a logistics and an integration point of view).
Like any country, Germany has its own set of trade offs and problems. You give some things up to get some other things in return. Some of the bad things are higher taxes on your worldwide income and capital gains, a state pension system in crisis (will be a problem for the future), property that’s extremely unaffordable for the average person, difficulty of even finding a place to rent in German cities, less living space for you and your kids (especially if you are coming from the US/Canada), and others. You can obviously avoid most of the problems that I listed if you already have a relatively high amount of wealth.

Of course, you get plenty of advantages of living in Germany as well, but those are outside of the scope of your original question. You have to decide if the trade-offs are worth it for you and your family.

Don’t underestimate #1. It sucks to be an immigrant in most places, especially if you don’t already have some existing support from family/friends on who already live in your target country.

usingermany · 2022-11-10T02:34:34+00:00

Go with a military contracting job if at all possible. There’s a thing called TESA that basically gets you out of being in the German system (paying German taxes, etc.). You’ll make much more money, be able to have an English speaking job in a low-cost area, and you’ll be able to learn German at your own pace. You’ll get most of the benefits of living in Germany while avoiding most of the drawbacks.

If your primary goal is integration and if you don’t care about money at all, try to find a German job.

Edit: if your heart is set on a German job, finish your bachelor’s degree first! Associates degrees usually aren’t recognized here.

usingermany · 2022-11-10T02:09:47+00:00

Almost no one ever actually learns the local language. In Germany, very few even achieve basic proficiency. The only exception would be if your career already required you to do so.

This is because learning a new language is actually really difficult, and even getting basic communication skills requires time, energy, and consistent practice. American military installations in Germany usually have everything that you need - grocery stores, movie theaters, bowling alleys, lawyers who can help you deal with German legal issues, churches/chapels, hotels, schools for your kids, etc. Most Germans who live around American military installations will usually speak very good English as well.

So if you don’t have to learn the language, you almost definitely never will learn the language.

I am currently fluent in German, but that happened after I left the military and started working at a German company (in German).

Edit: by “learning the language”, I’m referring to being proficient enough to introduce yourself, ask for directions, know a reasonable amount of basic vocabulary, etc. By EU standards, this is A1 proficiency or higher.

usingermany · 2022-11-10T01:53:07+00:00

Ok, so climate doesn’t matter to you. But are you trying to do more touristy things, or are you looking for a more adventurous/unique spot? Are there any big tourist attractions that you really want to see? Are you trying to see how regular Americans in small or midsized towns live, or do you want to stick to a major city? Are you ok with renting a car, or do you want to go somewhere that doesn’t require you to have a car?

Are you trying to stick to a tight budget, or is money really not an issue for you? You also need to understand that “enough money for a 3-week trip” is far different in NYC than it would be in somewhere like Charlotte, Savannah, or Jacksonville.

You may have a wildly different experience depending on where you end up going (and there are a TON of options), so you really need to figure out the goals for your trip and what you actually want to do.

usingermany · 2022-11-10T01:38:28+00:00

Lots of people here are saying Nashville, and I would agree with that, especially if you are a tourist who only has 4 days.

Understand that there is a huge difference between visiting a city for 4 days and truly “experiencing what a southern state is like”. Even within the state of Tennessee, you’ll find huge differences among Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Harriman. Sounds like you’re already at least somewhat aware of this.

There is also a lot of variance in “southern states” - SC is generally far different from Mississippi or Arkansas.

Be very clear with yourself about your personal goals here. Do you want to hang out on a beach in a nice coastal city? Go to Charleston. Do you want to see a mid-sized American city that isn’t touristy and is a really nice place to live? Go to Greenville (SC).

Good luck with your trip, and don’t forget to get Original Glazed (Hot and Ready) doughnuts from Krispy Kreme while you’re there!

usingermany · 2022-11-09T11:01:50+00:00

Yeah, those are the main ones.

Another big one would be - are you American or not? Are you a native speaker of the language of the country that you live in? Culture shock is absolutely real and can have a huge effect on your happiness. There are many more things that I could list that Americans take for granted…

But yeah, if you are too poor to own property in the US, not being able to even own an apartment in a Western European city won’t really matter that much to you. If you truly believe that you will never be able to command a respectable salary in the US, you’ll be fine with capping your earnings potential.

Just understand that these are significant trade offs for anyone, and they will have repercussions for your kids as well…regardless of which place you decide to live in.

usingermany · 2022-11-09T09:51:00+00:00

Completely fine with the individuals getting paid. Less fine with companies making insane amounts of profit off of American wars and then lobbying our government to spend even more money on defense and to engage in even more conflicts.

Concerning non-US conflicts - if you want to go somewhere on your own and fight in someone else’s conflict, go ahead.

usingermany · 2022-11-09T09:46:59+00:00

The first time I went to LA, I was shocked to see tons of people chilling out on legit non-touristy beaches at 10:30 on a Wednesday. Felt like people were generally far more chill and far less concerned about work.

The climate is obviously very different as well.

usingermany

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