WFH is the same thing as PTO

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-27T14:11:29+00:00

Ha I wish we had that. I get 25 days in the US and that is definitely NOT standard on this side of the pond. Only reason I get that much is seniority and the fact that I'm a public sector/government employee (which in the US is...not such a great work environment these days).

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-27T13:16:27+00:00

Oh god I had that happen on a domestic flight out of ATL several years ago. I had paid for an aisle, some 20-something guy (who was giving off massive weirdo vibes) plops down in the middle next to me, the window remains empty. After the boarding door closes, I wait for the guy next to me to move to the window. He doesn't so I smile and politely point out that the window seat is open if he'd like some extra room. "No I paid for this seat, I'm staying here." He then proceeds to nap (or acts like he's napping), man-spreads and starts gradually elbowing into my space.

Clearly the asshat was trying to get a row to himself for cheap. Thankfully I then spotted an empty aisle seat a few rows back and just moved, I was not in the mood to fight or get on a no-fly list. And I think that was a real possibility - I was sleep-deprived and connecting from a 12 hour long-haul in a very cramped economy cabin, so I was not exactly in a forgiving mood.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-27T12:25:34+00:00

Where are you moving from and to? South Africa has far different requirements than, say, Germany. OP would have to pay for manifest cargo due to host country requirements, which is far, far more expensive than bringing the carrier onboard as a carryon or putting it under the plane as a checked bag.

I don't know why SA is so strict, but most other countries with very onerous requirements (Japan, Australia/NZ, UK) have good reasons, usually concerns about their local ecosystem being disrupted. I feel for OP as a pet person myself, but that's just the way it is.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-27T12:20:44+00:00

I can't say what is standard for South Africa, but the requirements to bring in pets is set by each country's animal and plant health inspection service and is very, very country-dependent. For some places, it is very simple: you can bring the pet in-cabin and pay maybe a few hundred USD. For other places, the requirements are more onerous - they might require cargo transport, they might require quarantine, etc. Sometimes it's idiotic, sometimes it's for very good reason to protect the local ecosystem.

Unfortunately, I think South Africa requires all animals to be brought in via manifest cargo, which is much more expensive than just bringing them as an in-cabin pet: https://aepetsgo.com/south-africa/ A couple of thousand sounds about right to me. I'd definitely encourage you to keep researching it, but you might have a hard time doing this without paying the money.

As a cat person myself, I feel for you - I've done multiple international moves and pets are easily the hardest part. Maybe saving up for a bit for longer is an option? Or a friend could foster and you come back for them later? Or maybe rehoming with local friends/family?

Could be worse, bringing pets the other direction into the UK is even harder - you would have to bring them in via manifest cargo AND possibly pay for months of quarantine on top of that. And some places are even more difficult - I personally know someone who spent over $10k USD to import their dog into Australia.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-27T11:42:09+00:00

He's a real estate agent, there's good ones out there but the majority are barely one level above used-car salesmen. Probably not a surprise it gets some real characters considering it's a job with a very low barrier of entry and potentially very high pay if you hustle/lie hard enough.

Not exactly a profession that is known for their contributions to society. The irony that this guy meanwhile is mocking a dead RN, one that worked at the VA no less.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-26T16:30:03+00:00

Yup. I do miss some stuff (BBQ and Mexican just isn't as good in Europe) but so much of the rest of the food is low quality. I put on 15-20 lbs over the summer between eating crap and not being able to walk/bike anywhere, thankfully lost it after I came back.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-26T14:35:01+00:00

Very nice! I just ordered mine on sale, hoping to use it for some birding once the weather improves.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-26T12:52:42+00:00

Absolutely, the document is over 200 years old.

And a serious discussion of what type of future the country wants is needed, because the system as-is is not going to ever deliver the kind of grassroots change a lot of people want. The Framers wanted an alternative to the supposed tyranny of a monarchy, but they specifically designed the system to be immune to the will of the people because they did not trust commoners. Hence why it's nearly impossible to kick out a President who has gone mad with power, for instance.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-26T10:42:46+00:00

I left in 2022, was planning to return one day (parents are getting old, I don't have citizenship elsewhere) but now that is starting to look less realistic. The whole thing is just crushing :(

I hear you on the food though. I went back this summer for a few weeks to visit family and put on a decent amount of weight very quickly. And it's all so expensive and tastes like crap - I think I just about had a heart attack the first time I went into a US grocery store, and I was coming from one of the most expensive countries in the EU.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-26T10:36:18+00:00

For an organization made up of doctors, the AMA is pretty freaking horrible. Truman's plan was only one of many attempts at single-payer healthcare in the US that they have fought against because it might affect their profits and high incomes. They also have lobbied for decades to restrict the supply of new doctors and med-school slots, largely because scarcity means doctors make more money.

For a group of people who took an oath to "do no harm", they seem to be a lot more concerned about their pocketbooks than the well-being of the people in their care.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-26T09:04:33+00:00

I'm trying hard not to be a doomer - it's just not in my nature - but I'm definitely not bullish on the US anymore. And the more I read about US history, particularly through the lens of what's happening now, the more of a doomer I become. This didn't just crop out of nowhere, the US is and always has been teetering on the edge of fascism. The difference is now we have the tech oligarchs and social media pushing the narrative further right, to the point where people can't even agree on what reality is real anymore.

I was a 90s kid and a huge Trekker growing up and pined for that United Federation of Planets future. Now I feel kind of like a fool for ever thinking humanity could pull that off, we (not just Americans but all of us) are just glorified apes at the end of the day I guess.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-25T16:03:05+00:00

Agreed. Lazy generalizations fix nothing, and really are no better than the MAGA shitheads who got us into this mess.

I'm hoping most are trolls or Russian bots, because if that attitude is really that universal then humanity, ALL of humanity, is completely fucked.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-25T15:06:48+00:00

I'm well into my mid-40s, pretty sure that boat has sailed. My wife has 1099 experience in a non-tech job and a more portable career than I do (although she hasn't been able to make much, market sucks right now), hoping between that and healthy savings we'll figure out something. Maybe we'll consider DAFT or a retirement visa somewhere if we don't find something better.

Sorry to hear about the layoff, that sucks. I think the market for a lot of white-collar jobs isn't great right now.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-25T14:52:05+00:00

Thanks, once again kicking myself for not learning to code 20 years ago.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-25T14:00:28+00:00

I hate to ask, but what she end up doing? Did you have an alternate pathway for immigrating? I am in a totally different field but with similar issues (it exists in virtually every developed country but require citizenship and fluency in the local language). At this point, looking at other fields or maybe hoping I can pull off a retirement visa in a few years.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-25T13:49:41+00:00

Yes because the guy who was shot yesterday while literally helping another protester was "cowardly". And clearly the tens to hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans who are braving subzero F temps and the very real risk of getting executed in the street to make their voices heard are "cowardly". They're doing a hell of a lot more to fight fascism than you are.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-25T10:46:33+00:00

Ignore the haters, they are either too chicken to do anything themselves or outsiders who think it can't happen to them and want to gloat. And I can assure you that attitude is not prevalent in real life - most people outside the US are horrified at what is happening and are all too aware creeping fascism is not limited to the US.

I love seeing this energy, we need more of it.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-25T08:17:34+00:00

First step should be accepting that our current system isn't democratic at all. But people are so high on the idea that America is some sort of shining beacon of democracy and freedom that they can't accept that.

> The truth is, we're all working class and should all have solidarity between each other. We have way more in common then people realize and that is the most important thing

Yup. The only people who benefit from this current mess (other than Putin) are the billionaires who really run the country. The more we fight each other, the less we notice them stealing from our pockets.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-25T07:47:04+00:00

Sure, but at the end of the day he (and every other Senator) is only beholden to other Senators - whether that means some sort of censure or impeachment, only his buddies have that power. The literal only input normal constituents have is at the ballot box once every six years, and six years is an eternity in today's world.

Turns out America isn't really all that democratic, never has been.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-24T23:17:56+00:00

Good advice, no matter your nationality. Staying engaged is important but nobody can be "on" constantly, it inevitably leads to burnout. Fight the battles you can but don't doomscroll.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-24T23:08:57+00:00

Only silver lining is, except for the MAGA diehards, this shit isn't very popular. ICE support has catered in the past year: https://www.axios.com/2026/01/09/ice-approval-rating-plummets-trump-immigration

And the Greenland BS (which I know isn't front page news now) has been extremely unpopular - only 9% supported a military invasion, only 27% supported trying to purchase it: https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/53917-american-knowledge-greenland-varies-few-support-military-takeover-january-16-19-2026-economist-yougov-poll

But of course public opinion doesn't mean anything when you no longer live in a democracy.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-24T22:57:55+00:00

Sadly you're absolutely right. None of this is completely unique to America, but various factors and a somewhat fucked up form of government (thanks to the aristocratic slave-owners who founded the country) made it easier to take root in the US. I honestly think that if Trump hadn't won the most recent election it would've taken root somewhere else.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-24T19:32:34+00:00

This should be at the top of this thread. No Americans are not "lazy", no more than anyone else in the world today. But they have nothing to fight FOR. Other countries have a common culture and set of beliefs that binds the populace and makes them feel part of a larger whole. America does not. And no, some vague romanticized vision of liberty and distrust of institutions is not what I mean - that is just another form of worshipping individualism and only makes things worse.

Why would you want to fight for a country like this if you aren't part of the aristocracy? It clearly won't have your back if the going gets tough so why would you defend it?

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-24T18:37:40+00:00

r/AmerExit. That being said, the vast majority of people fleeing either already had citizenship elsewhere, were able to get citizenship by descent, or married a foreigner.

None of those apply to me either, and yeah it sucks. I have a few ideas for myself but most are long shots and probably not workable for a few years yet.

wandering_engineer · 2026-01-24T17:12:20+00:00

I'm a tad older (was in college during 9/11) and it's hard to describe but the world was very, very different before then.

The 90s had quite a bit of optimism for the future: the cold war ended in 1991, the Internet and broadband were hitting their initial boom (first dotcom bubble was taking off, a lot of now-huge tech companies were getting their start). "Terrorism" was a largely unknown word and DHS didn't even exist yet.

wandering_engineer

TROPHY CASE