American Expats!
Replies
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Yeah I have to renounce, no dual citizenship allowed. My son will have dual because he was born while I still hold American citizenship but he will have to choose at age 18 which he wants.
Wow. That seems awful to me. How does it make you feel? :O0 -
Yeah I have to renounce, no dual citizenship allowed. My son will have dual because he was born while I still hold American citizenship but he will have to choose at age 18 which he wants.
Wow. That seems awful to me. How does it make you feel? :O
I'm not bothered by it. I feel more at home in Norway than I ever did in America. I guess I'm a little unpatriotic? Oh well, Alt For Norge!0 -
Hello, all!
I've lived in the UK for eight years now.
I'm theoretically eating 35/35/30 P/C/F (under the guidance of a trainer) between 1370 and 1570 calories a day.
Add me if you'd like!0 -
I'm not bothered by it. I feel more at home in Norway than I ever did in America. I guess I'm a little unpatriotic? Oh well, Alt For Norge!
All the more power to you!
Helt kul Norgesys!0 -
Hello, all!
I've lived in the UK for eight years now.
I'm theoretically eating 35/35/30 P/C/F (under the guidance of a trainer) between 1370 and 1570 calories a day.
Add me if you'd like!
Welcome! 0 -
Wow! This is an awesome topic! I'm still in university at the moment, but I am ITCHING to get out of the country! I am looking to do some teaching in South Korea to get some abroad experience. C:
If I may ask, what are some reasons you guys have chosen to leave the US?0 -
I left the US to be with the absolute man of my dreams. Our 4 year anniversary is this coming Tuesday. It wasn't really a question of where to live once we started talking about raising a family, universal healthcare, free college, etc... the odds were heavily stacked against the US. Plus you know, I had a random person message me and tell me I was a traitor to my country for renouncing my American citizenship... yeah, not missing that sort of mindset either. =/0
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Oh man, sorry that you had that experience in America! :c It certainly doesn't speak well of our mindset as a collective country, I suppose... Well, I guess you've already said it, they can keep all the things that come with living in America, haha.I left the US to be with the absolute man of my dreams. Our 4 year anniversary is this coming Tuesday. It wasn't really a question of where to live once we started talking about raising a family, universal healthcare, free college, etc... the odds were heavily stacked against the US. Plus you know, I had a random person message me and tell me I was a traitor to my country for renouncing my American citizenship... yeah, not missing that sort of mindset either. =/0 -
Oh man, sorry that you had that experience in America! :c It certainly doesn't speak well of our mindset as a collective country, I suppose... Well, I guess you've already said it, they can keep all the things that come with living in America, haha.I left the US to be with the absolute man of my dreams. Our 4 year anniversary is this coming Tuesday. It wasn't really a question of where to live once we started talking about raising a family, universal healthcare, free college, etc... the odds were heavily stacked against the US. Plus you know, I had a random person message me and tell me I was a traitor to my country for renouncing my American citizenship... yeah, not missing that sort of mindset either. =/
Yeah and I know that it's not everyone that thinks like that obviously but for reals, c'mon now. A lot of Americans expect immigrants to "learn the language" and "do things legally" to get public aid, medicaid, food vouchers, etc. I don't see why it should be different for an American when living in another country. I get the healthcare, the schooling and a stipend each month for my baby, it makes sense that I would become a citizen of the country that I reap the benefits of and that I intend to live in for the rest of my life.0 -
Wow! This is an awesome topic! I'm still in university at the moment, but I am ITCHING to get out of the country! I am looking to do some teaching in South Korea to get some abroad experience. C:
If I may ask, what are some reasons you guys have chosen to leave the US?I left the US to be with the absolute man of my dreams. Our 4 year anniversary is this coming Tuesday. It wasn't really a question of where to live once we started talking about raising a family, universal healthcare, free college, etc... the odds were heavily stacked against the US. Plus you know, I had a random person message me and tell me I was a traitor to my country for renouncing my American citizenship... yeah, not missing that sort of mindset either. =/
I left mainly because of the man of my dreams too. Secondly because I have no future in California career wise. I'm studying to be a physicist and I can't compete with outsourcing. We plan to/are be child-free, but the advantages of studying/living here is worth staying here forever.
Also BunBun, for being a "traitor" you're way better off than that fool.0 -
I am NOT an expat but I desperately wish I could move to Denmark, haha. I have serious trouble with the language, though (just the pronunciation, the grammar is pretty straightforward).0
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Bump because many of you are living my dream.0
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Such a great thread - although I'm not an expat, I'm interested in many of the places already mentioned. For the expats, what was your primary motivation for moving - and how does it compare to the U.S.?0
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Hello. I'm an expat in Paris. Hardest place on earth to be low carb, low fat but I'm trying. Glad to see an expat board because I find it hard navigating healthy eating overseas!0
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Hello. I'm an expat in Paris. Hardest place on earth to be low carb, low fat but I'm trying. Glad to see an expat board because I find it hard navigating healthy eating overseas!
Paris. You're killing me smalls. I love that place. I'm a Southern Californian born and raised, now living and bringing up my two small kids in Germany. (moved here over 5 years ago) They hold both citizenships since their father is German, and yes...I moved here for the man of my dreams. Ooops. Haha, don't get me wrong, I still love him, but Germany, not loving it. I would gripe here, but I am so over it, lol.0 -
Such a great thread - although I'm not an expat, I'm interested in many of the places already mentioned. For the expats, what was your primary motivation for moving - and how does it compare to the U.S.?
Primary motivation: My fiance.
Sweden has it's pros and cons. (But still worth staying here.)
Pros:
-Free schooling (even get a government grant free of charge! [CSN])
-Free universal healthcare (with high cost benefits! Get sick often? No problem! The highest you pay is $170 total for a year!)
-Nice pensions
-Job security (it's harder for them to fire you if they hire you.)
-Food quality is top notch
-Did I mention pretty good salaries across the board?
-Vacation (In a full time job, you are entitled to 5 weeks paid vaca.)
-Paternity leave
-Higher standard of living
-The air is pristine here
-Transportation infrastructure is one of the best in the world
Cons:
-High taxes (30%) [eh, it goes to everything important that America doesn't want to do]
-Occasionally xenophobic people
-Politics
-Housing shortage
-Medical personnel shortage
-The quality of K-8 education
-Swedish language classes
-TV/radio license fee (Radiotjänst)
-Politically correct media (censoring)
-25% tax on electronics ("high standard of living tax")
and that's about all I can think of.0 -
I'm an American expat living in Italy for 28 years. I met my husband on the beach in Mexico while we were both on vacation and we were married a year later. We have 3 sons in their 20's. I learned the language from his mother and aunts along with cooking. Food is an art form here and I love to cook. I love the art and archeology here and the weather is better than Minnesota--although I miss it too. Best of luck to you all.0
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Hey guys! I'm an American expat teaching English in Russia (how's that one for different?
). I'm in Moscow currently, will be heading back to the States for a couple months, then coming back here to work in St Petersburg next year.
It's soooooOOOOOooo hard for me to lose here, to the point where I've actually put on weight while surrounded by all these skinny folk. I have no idea how they stay so small... I guess it's because half the time I have no idea what I'm eating, so it's hard for me to track.I'm Teresa; an American expat who moved to The Netherlands from NYC.(Moved in Jan 2014) I've been yo-yo-ing with going LCHF for a while now, but I think this weekend I'm going in for good. (Right now I am weaning off by having 2 Keto meals and having a normal dinner.)
I actually visited Amsterdam last week and LOVED it! Been trying for a while to figure out how to teach in the more western parts of Europe after next year, but it seems to be hard for non-EU citizens to teach in those parts :ohwell: I think it's going to take finishing my Master's then getting teaching certification in the US, then trying to find a job at an international school for me to do it. Ahh I'm so impatient!
PS feel free to add me, guys. It's nice having people who understand the issues we go through!0 -
I'm an American expat living in Italy for 28 years. I met my husband on the beach in Mexico while we were both on vacation and we were married a year later. We have 3 sons in their 20's. I learned the language from his mother and aunts along with cooking. Food is an art form here and I love to cook. I love the art and archeology here and the weather is better than Minnesota--although I miss it too. Best of luck to you all.
It must be great to live in Italy!
Welcome!0 -
Hey guys! I'm an American expat teaching English in Russia (how's that one for different? ). I'm in Moscow currently, will be heading back to the States for a couple months, then coming back here to work in St Petersburg next year.
It's soooooOOOOOooo hard for me to lose here, to the point where I've actually put on weight while surrounded by all these skinny folk. I have no idea how they stay so small... I guess it's because half the time I have no idea what I'm eating, so it's hard for me to track.
I actually visited Amsterdam last week and LOVED it! Been trying for a while to figure out how to teach in the more western parts of Europe after next year, but it seems to be hard for non-EU citizens to teach in those parts :ohwell: I think it's going to take finishing my Master's then getting teaching certification in the US, then trying to find a job at an international school for me to do it. Ahh I'm so impatient!
PS feel free to add me, guys. It's nice having people who understand the issues we go through!
I know how you feel.
Good luck on your teaching education. The international schools always need more teachers, especially Scandinavia.0 -
To all of you who don't know how Europeans remain so skinny---besides walking everywhere in the cities, they generally smoke alot.0
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Wow! This is an awesome topic! I'm still in university at the moment, but I am ITCHING to get out of the country! I am looking to do some teaching in South Korea to get some abroad experience. C:
If I may ask, what are some reasons you guys have chosen to leave the US?I left the US to be with the absolute man of my dreams. Our 4 year anniversary is this coming Tuesday. It wasn't really a question of where to live once we started talking about raising a family, universal healthcare, free college, etc... the odds were heavily stacked against the US. Plus you know, I had a random person message me and tell me I was a traitor to my country for renouncing my American citizenship... yeah, not missing that sort of mindset either. =/
I left mainly because of the man of my dreams too. Secondly because I have no future in California career wise. I'm studying to be a physicist and I can't compete with outsourcing. We plan to/are be child-free, but the advantages of studying/living here is worth staying here forever.
Also BunBun, for being a "traitor" you're way better off than that fool.
I can't believe how similar all this sounds. I moved here to be with my fiancée (now husband). The pros vastly outweighed the cons for me as well. Especially when after I finished/was finishing graduate school, I applied for hundreds jobs over about a year and a half (all over the country) and got 1 interview for a temp job. Here I am wanted and needed and I can make more money. I also had a few people send me angry messages about leaving and later wanting to give up my citizenship when the time comes. Just to top if off I am also from California and my husband and I are childfree too. Didn't realize there were so many people like me, this makes my week. 0 -
us to Sweden? I am so jealousHi guys!
It's been almost 2 years since I moved from the U.S to Sweden. It's been a couple of months
since I joined MFP and I'd like some American expats for friends to support/get support from.
I follow a LCHF diet and enter in my diary daily.
Also, expat rants are welcome! :laugh:
-lg
that is an amazing country, education, healthcare. its just wow wow wow
way to go you!0 -
Hello! I was raised in Japan but moved to the U.S.A 8 years ago
I grew up speaking both Japanese and English so adjusting to the language wasn't hard for me, but the food and culture here were alot different from what i was used to. It's alot more easy going and quiet here, compared to the overcrowding in Osaka that i was used to, but i like it alot. The food in Japan was alot healthier than here but it wasn't that different since Fast Food in Japan is common as well. But what was hard for me food wise was that in Japan fresh fruit and vegetables, also fish, were alot easier to come by than in America. Still struggling with that =( 0 -
To all of you who don't know how Europeans remain so skinny---besides walking everywhere in the cities, they generally smoke alot.
None of my friends smoke and they're tiny. And, outside the very center (I live/work in the far north of the city), Moscow is not really a walking city. Cars/public transport reign supreme here.
I do agree with you about walking in other places, but definitely not here.0 -
I know how you feel.
Good luck on your teaching education. The international schools always need more teachers, especially Scandinavia.
Thanks! That's good to know and sounds promising Just under a year left until I finish my Master's, then on to figuring out how to get teacher certification without having to spend too much time in the US, haha 0 -
I've been an expat for 3 years now. First year in China, two in Taiwan. I will be moving to Turkey in about 3 months for another 2 years. I can rant w/ the best of them!
Oh wow. I'd like to read some stories!
I live in the land of greasy meat......greasy everything really. My students are constantly eating processed sugary breads and of course a ton of plain white rice as well as other carbs. It blows my mind how so many are thin. Also, they are pretty blunt. Weight to them (my students, adults are tad bit better, so it doesn't happen as often) is a black or white issue. You're fat or you're not, just like you have black hair or blonde hair. lol. So it isn't too long before a student or a random person on the street will say to me in Chinese or English "WOW YOU ARE SO FAT!" This is after losing 80 pounds......sigh!
But then again I will never have the body of a Taiwanese person. lol.
But regardless of the problems I've faced in eating, working out (its hard to find good gyms or equipment and not pay through the nose) this is my dream. To travel and teach and see the world. I think my next adventure in Turkey will come with its own set of ups and downs, but will be a great experience none the less.0 -
I'm also another one that moved to Europe for love. My best friend I've known since pre-school in the US moved to Germany when he was 13, and he asked me last year to marry him. I said yes, and moved a month later. I have been visiting Germany every summer since he left though, so I was quite familiar with the culture and all that. I don't know any German yet, though.
Anyone is free to add me if they want, too.0 -
I would adore to move from the US to the UK, however my husband has no desire to leave the states.
So going to bump this out of pure jealousy that I will probably never get to call myself an expat.0 -
This is an interesting and uplifting thread to read.
I'm not an expat, but I would love to someday reside in Mexico (I'm Canadian), unfortunately, I don't see it happening before I've lived life and made the money to retire there.
Such is life.
These stories are inspiring though, I'm glad some of you are living where you want.
ETA: I'm not America, but I hope no one minds me jumping in here.0
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