# 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:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**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 24, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/41 "2015-02-24T02:42:19Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If you’re anything like me, I think the culture shock comes when you come back to _live_ here, rather than visit. The first time I lived abroad it was for three quarters of a year. The second time was for over five years. Both times I had very little culture shock moving _away_ from the US. Both times it took me awhile to really adjust back to the US, so much so that my first few months back just felt “surreal,” for lack of better word. The first time it took me only a month or two to really adjust back, but I hadn’t been gone for that long. The second time, I would say it took me about two to three years to real feel readjusted. Reverse culture shock was twice as hard for me as regular culture shock. After four year abroad, it took me about six months not to feel utterly weird, and probably a year to fully adjust. Part of why it was so hard for me is that reverse culture shock is invisible. Abroad, you are clearly a foreigner and people cut you lots of leeway if you act strange or don’t seem to get something. And chances are you know at least a few foreigners who have gone through the same thing, so at least you aren’t too alone. But in the States, people don’t “see” you are going through and adjustment period, and so your feelings just had up being weird and out of place. And you probably don’t have as many people in the same boat as you are to share with. It’s just a lonely, odd, uncomfortable feeling to be going through this huge adjustment that most people around you don’t really have a reference for. My favorite reverse culture shock moment was standing in line for the airplane home from Beijing, wondering why everyone was talking with these ridiculous valley girl accents and cowboy drawls. It’s a strange thing to suddenly “hear” your own accent. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/42 "2015-02-24T03:34:14Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I’m good where I am, but I keep an open mind. I’m sure there are a lot of great places to live. As long as it’s not Trinidad… 😛 Hey if you’re rich and not involved with someone who thinks Trinidad is Mayberry you’d love the place. A big goddamn plus is the fact temps run 70-90F year round, makes me appreciate it seeing people in the USA saying they are snowed in. EDIT:LOL tonight I tried to buy some packaged sushi at a place, cashier told me it was not for sale despite being out you know for customers to pick up. ?! My wife said come on can you not think like a Trini yet, probably someone forgot to label it with a price so everyone else is too lazy to. LOL ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/43 "2015-02-24T04:02:17Z")
I’d love to live in the UK. If I learned languages more easily, Germany or Denmark would be cool as well. Being Jewish (well, nonpracticing and agnostic, but to most bigots that doesn’t really matter), it restricts things a bit for me - I mean, I’m fine visiting an anti-Semitic place for a while, but I wouldn’t like to live permanently in a place where I regularly expect to encounter prejudice. Unfortunately that’s quite a bit of the world, but hey - you can’t get good bagels outside NY, anyway. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/44 "2015-02-24T04:26:55Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > you can’t get good bagels outside NY, anyway. 😉 There’s a business idea for you 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/45 "2015-02-24T05:28:16Z")
> [@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 am American and grew up in Nevada. I have lived in the Republic of Georgia, Czech Republic, UAE, and for several months each in Germany, New Zealand and Thailand. I spent about 12 years overseas. There are many things I prefer about the US, but not everything. I keep a home outside the States and spend 4 or 5 months there each year. I like a mix of both. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/46 "2015-02-24T06:16:09Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If you’re anything like me, I think the culture shock comes when you come back to _live_ here, rather than visit. The first time I lived abroad it was for three quarters of a year. The second time was for over five years. Both times I had very little culture shock moving _away_ from the US. Both times it took me awhile to really adjust back to the US, so much so that my first few months back just felt “surreal,” for lack of better word. The first time it took me only a month or two to really adjust back, but I hadn’t been gone for that long. The second time, I would say it took me about two to three years to real feel readjusted. Nope, not even then. I lived in northern Thailand for years in the 1980s, then returned to the US for four years. I have always found this “culture shock upon return” business to be greatly exaggerated. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/47 "2015-02-24T13:26:31Z")
It always amazes me when I meet someone who has never left their hometown to visit another country. My dad was a career US Army who traveled a great deal - usually every four years - and I was born during one of the posting in Germany, so I have become comfortable with international travel. During summer breaks from university I would head out friends to visit some new countries. I went to a few crappy locations but regretted none of my choices. This desire for international travel carried into a job with a large O&G company, living and working around the world. My family and I have enjoyed living overseas and learning about new cultures but our home of record is the USA ( Northern California ) so when it come time to settle down, it will be the USA. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/48 "2015-02-24T13:53:31Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Yes. I’ve been living 23 years in Panama. I don’t think I want to live in the US again. Good heavens, how on earth do you stand the heat? Personally, I could tolerate living in Canada, though I would miss US sports on television. Europe would be too far from family, other continents just wouldn’t be my cup of tea though Australia might be the most tempting of the lot. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/49 "2015-02-24T13:53:53Z")
> [@DrumBum](#): > > It always amazes me when I meet someone who has never left their hometown to visit another country. You are easily amazed. I suspect most people in the world have never visisted another country. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/50 "2015-02-24T16:06:02Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Nope, not even then. I lived in northern Thailand for years in the 1980s, then returned to the US for four years. I have always found this “culture shock upon return” business to be greatly exaggerated. Obviously, it hits different people in different ways. I was told to expect culture shock on arrival in my foreign home. I got none of that. Or I should say, very little. Transitioning to my foreign home was a breeze. But the return, which I was not warned about it, was really, really weird and a bit of a difficult transition mentally. I don’t know what exaggerated stories you’ve heard about culture shock upon return, as I haven’t heard any, but whatever they may be, I’m sure it wouldn’t be an exaggeration in my case. It was like returning to a room in the house you’ve lived in for many years, where somebody just slightly changed the arrangement of furniture and the color of the walls, and it feels different and wrong, but you can’t quite put your finger on _what_ it is that has changed. Like I said above, it literally took me about two to three years to really feel “back home.” I envy those for whom there is no such or minimal transitional hurdle. ---
**Author:** ![FrankTheTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/47e85d/32.png) [@FrankTheTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankTheTank)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/51 "2015-02-24T16:21:50Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > PM me if you’d like details! I still need to finish my major and my military contract before I think about volunteering again. > [@Chefguy](#): > > 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. > > 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. You’re right, every government is different and that’s something I haven’t considered. I haven’t had any bad experiences with racism and such, I can imagine how that could be a problem but I don’t think I’m too concerned about that. Nothing is perfect, if I have to deal with a whole new set of problems, so be it. As long as I have a plan and not go there “blindfolded”, I’m good. > [@CaptainAmerica\_1987](#): > > I have never been outside NY in my whole life and I very much doubt I ever will. I was born in NY, Bronx and lived there till I was 18 years old, then joined the US Navy. I was so used to my surroundings in NY that I had no idea how sketchy the area was. I didn’t really care about my living preferences either. I would come back for Christmas and say “I lived here? Man this place looks ghetto and shitty!” I didn’t have a car so when I went to Florida and Virginia, I didn’t do squat but stay in my room. Every now and then I went out with someone but that’s just it. I’m stationed in Virginia Beach, VA and even though I hate not having some stores or places to go eat within walking distance, I didn’t have trains or buses like in NY… Now, whenever I come back to New York, I feel like I should give it a chance (ride the train **anywhere** ), I’d like to go around and see if there’s anything that’s worth checking out. But if I talk to a foreigner about NY, they’ll be surprised and say “Wow!” but my expression is 😕 I have a car now though. > [@Nava](#): > > Answering the question under the question, Engineers are one of the professions most likely to spend some years abroad as part of their career. I’ve worked for several companies which had teams of “flying engineers”, who would be sent to different factories in order to manage improvement projects. going into EE can actually be a good way to end up traveling “more than an airplane pilot”. I would love to take up that opportunity, how long would they usually stay in that country for? What about Computer Engineers? > [@China\_Guy](#): > > When they get to school age, you really have to decide where you want them to grow up. > > I also have a special needs child, which at least for me translated into moving to a country where I can get her the maximum help possible. In my case, that is the US. This is one of the pros I’d consider, being in the US. Resources and education in the US. Although from what I’ve heard, people say “You can get free education if you are a citizen of that country.”, I feel like there’s something missing out of that. With Tuition Assistance and the G.I. Bill, it doesn’t affect me really. I talked to a Civil Engineer yesterday so he could talk to me about his job and he mentioned that there are wealthy families outside the US that send their children here for college for a higher education. > [@jonbvn](#): > > However, there are some issues you must consider when taking the expat road as follows: > > 1. Personal relationships. What happens to your spouse/gf/bf if you are living in a different country? What about other close friends etc. People and things will move on without you. Are you prepared for that? > 2. Unless you give up your US passport you are required to file a yearly tax return and will likely have to pay US tax if you have a decent salary. This may be in addition to local tax in the coutry where you are working. > 3. Banks and other financial institutions do not like dealing with US customers due to FATCA requirements. This makes opening such accounts a PITA! 1. I’m 20, single and I am in that position right now. “People and things will move on without you”. If I want to know what they’re doing now, I’d give them a call, or skype. Plus, I wouldn’t mind stopping by each year to visit my mom for Christmas. 2. PITA? I don’t know how this would work out. Never thought about this. > [@pulykamell](#): > > I spent the majority of my 20s abroad (over five years in Hungary, and about nine months combined in Scotland, England, Croatia, and Slovenia) and I would not trade that experience for the world. If you have the opportunity and it interests you, now is the time to do it. What were you doing at the time? > [@DrumBum](#): > > It always amazes me when I meet someone who has never left their hometown to visit another country. It sounds similar to what people say about the Navy and why they joined. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247/52 "2015-02-24T21:57:16Z")
> [@FrankTheTank](#): > > What were you doing at the time? The first time (9 months) it was work abroad for a few months via BUNAC (British Universities North America Club), then volunteering at a muscular dystrophy camp in Slovenia and then about three months on post-war reconstruction in Western Slavonia, Croatia (I was specifically there to fill a position for a photography instructor.) This is while I was in college, the middle of my junior year. The five plus years in Hungary was a year and a half later, where I worked as a photographer at an English language business weekly for a year and a half, and then freelanced for various international publications (mostly Car and Driver and Business Week.) I was also involved in a couple of music projects, which was a lot of fun, but that wasn’t real income. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-live-outside-the-us/713247.md?page=2)