# Would you rather live outside the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 21, 2015, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247 "2015-02-21T04:25:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FrankTheTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/47e85d/32.png) [@FrankTheTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankTheTank)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/1 "2015-02-21T04:25:43Z")
I’m talking about anywhere outside the United States. I don’t have anything against living here, it’s just that I’d like to travel and learn about different cultures. What will I be missing out on? I plan to pursue a career in Electrical Engineering but still trying to plan it all out… ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/2 "2015-02-21T04:29:35Z")
Yes. I’ve been living 23 years in Panama. I don’t think I want to live in the US again. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/3 "2015-02-21T04:30:31Z")
Since this is seeking opinions, let’s move it to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/4 "2015-02-21T04:39:01Z")
Two bits of advice. 1. Travel now, while you can. Once you get settled into a career and a family it gets a lot harder to travel and see the world. 2. If you want to go into engineering, Dilbert isn’t a comic strip. It’s a documentary. (EE with 27 years of experience here) ---
**Author:** ![FrankTheTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/47e85d/32.png) [@FrankTheTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankTheTank)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/5 "2015-02-21T04:50:17Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Two bits of advice. > > 1. Travel now, while you can. Once you get settled into a career and a family it gets a lot harder to travel and see the world. > > 2. If you want to go into engineering, Dilbert isn’t a comic strip. It’s a documentary. > > (EE with 27 years of experience here) Thanks for the advice. I’m actually considering the pen pal way of communication so I would learn about the area. Do you have any kind of resources I could use that would help me lean more towards Engineering? I’ve watched Richard Hammond’s Engineering Connections and I had no idea that some of these experiments help contribute to the “projects” that were completed. Pretty much, I’ve been oblivious to technology all these years. I’m in the service right now, so I rather plan ahead than to wait for the end of my contract. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/6 "2015-02-21T13:55:11Z")
Yes. Moved to the UK a couple of years ago. I do not want to move back to the US. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/7 "2015-02-21T13:57:28Z")
I’m not a person who easily becomes fluent in other languages. I find that a couple weeks’ travel in non-English-speaking countries leaves me frustrated and exhausted. Nothing ever looks so sweet as the first glimpse of a U.S. airport after some time abroad. English speaking countries are another matter. I could happily live in the U.K. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/8 "2015-02-21T14:50:14Z")
I spent four years outside the U.S. as a Peace Corps volunteer, and it was a blast. I came out with twos new languages, the start of a great career, and a lot of good friends and memories. If you are interested in an international career, Peace Corps is a great way to get started. All of your expenses are paid, and things like visas, language training and medical care are taken care of. PM me if you’d like details! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/9 "2015-02-21T14:58:05Z")
I lived in Europe for seven years and in Africa for three years and liked it a lot. I could easily live in Europe and probably not miss the US much at all. If you’re planning to work, make sure you understand the employment laws concerning non-citizens before going. Depending on your skills, you might think about looking around for US companies that have facilities in Europe or elsewhere. That way, you don’t get tangled up in local employment laws. I worked for a US company that had a contract with the US Department of State running a maintenance program for embassies in Eastern Europe. I lived in - and traveled out of - Brussels. One advantage to that is that your pay isn’t subject to local taxes, and after a year out of the US, you are exempt from US income tax. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/10 "2015-02-21T16:01:26Z")
If I could afford it and they allowed immigration I would love Bermuda. Although it might seem constraining after a while. I did find that after being stationed elsewhere in my youth I did get homesick. I don’t know if I could feel completely comfortable elsewhere permanently. And I don’t pick up other languages either so English speaking countries only. I guess the bottom line is if I were rich I would spend a lot of time traveling or even living out if the country part time but I would always maintain residency near my family and what I am familiar with. ---
**Author:** ![FrankTheTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/47e85d/32.png) [@FrankTheTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankTheTank)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/11 "2015-02-21T16:43:52Z")
When I finished school for my military job, I was hoping to receive orders to go to Japan but I went to Virginia instead. At this point, I wouldn’t get homesick, although I would like to visit my mom in New York or Florida (wherever she plans to move to after retirement) for Christmas. I already went on a nine month deployment on a ship and I wish I had more time in France and Turkey. Everyone wanted to go back home but I really felt like I wasn’t missing out on anything. Being away from the comfort of internet and privacy was less of a distraction. I wouldn’t mind learning another language, unless the letters change up, I don’t know how I would feel about that. I am looking into companies that have divisions outside the United States or companies that are from Europe. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/12 "2015-02-21T17:23:44Z")
> [@FrankTheTank](#): > > When I finished school for my military job, I was hoping to receive orders to go to Japan but I went to Virginia instead. At this point, I wouldn’t get homesick, although I would like to visit my mom in New York or Florida (wherever she plans to move to after retirement) for Christmas. > > I already went on a nine month deployment on a ship and I wish I had more time in France and Turkey. Everyone wanted to go back home but I really felt like I wasn’t missing out on anything. Being away from the comfort of internet and privacy was less of a distraction. > > I wouldn’t mind learning another language, unless the letters change up, I don’t know how I would feel about that. > > I am looking into companies that have divisions outside the United States or companies that are from Europe. There is a huge difference between living in a country on your own and living there under the auspices of the US government or a US company (or in a large expat community such as in Costa Rica or Panama). Without the umbilical cord, you’re at the mercy of the current local government and you will _always_ be considered an outsider, regardless of how long you live there. Then there is the issue of medical care and what happens if you get into legal trouble, etc. US embassies are not required to assist you in more than a very basic way. There is no Eden out there. Europe is rife with racism that is as bad as anything you might find in parts of the US; governments can be corrupt; people can be cold and stand-offish to foreigners, etc. In other words, people are people the world 'round. If you’re thinking of living overseas to get away from something, you’ll quite likely find yourself fleeing to a whole new set of problems. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/13 "2015-02-21T17:48:12Z")
no, I outgrew my “self-hating American” phase in high school. I’ll _go_ anywhere around the world (well, not _everywhere_) but I’m perfectly happy living here. > [@Chefguy](#): > > There is no Eden out there. Europe is rife with racism that is as bad as anything you might find in parts of the US; governments can be corrupt; people can be cold and stand-offish to foreigners, etc. In other words, people are people the world 'round. If you’re thinking of living overseas to get away from something, you’ll quite likely find yourself fleeing to a whole new set of problems. well written. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/14 "2015-02-21T18:02:55Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > no, I outgrew my “self-hating American” phase in high school. I’ll _go_ anywhere around the world (well, not _everywhere_) but I’m perfectly happy living here. There are plenty of reasons to enjoy living abroad besides “hating America.” Some people even live abroad while serving America. I like living in the US plenty, but I’m a little happier somewhere where the weather is warmer and the dollar is stronger. ---
**Author:** ![FrankTheTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/47e85d/32.png) [@FrankTheTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankTheTank)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/15 "2015-02-21T18:12:48Z")
Don’t forget about the food and the women! You can’t go wrong with that. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/16 "2015-02-21T18:17:18Z")
I would, one reason being that America is on relentless and irreversible decline. But English is and always will be my first language, so that’s an obstacle. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/17 "2015-02-21T18:51:35Z")
> [@FrankTheTank](#): > > Don’t forget about the food and the women! You can’t go wrong with that. we don’t have food or women here? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/18 "2015-02-21T21:25:27Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I would, one reason being that America is on relentless and irreversible decline. But English is and always will be my first language, so that’s an obstacle. English is spoken throughout Europe, in some cases better than in much of the US. Scandinavians, in particular, tend to be quite fluent. My job for three years was to travel to European capitals. I rarely had a problem being understood, at least on the restaurant level of conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/19 "2015-02-21T22:07:14Z")
> [@FrankTheTank](#): > > I’m talking about anywhere outside the United States. > > I don’t have anything against living here, it’s just that I’d like to travel and learn about different cultures. What will I be missing out on? > > I plan to pursue a career in Electrical Engineering but still trying to plan it all out… I’ve been Canadian all my life, and yes, I am quite happy in Canada and wouldn’t dream of moving south of the border. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/20 "2015-02-22T00:30:39Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I would, one reason being that America is on relentless and irreversible decline. But English is and always will be my first language, so that’s an obstacle. What country/ies are not in the condition you ascribe to America? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247.md?page=2)