American Expats!

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

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.

Yep, a language test. There are a few exceptions, almost exclusively for refugees who are illiterate in their native language.

If you immigrate here and are unemployed, you can get a year of full time language instruction that includes job practice. I found a job right away, so I'm floundering around on my own.

But yeah, I keep looking at thin people at work and wondering how they manage. I expect they just don't feel l like eating as much junk as I feel like eating.:laugh:

Does anyone else find dieting difficult outside of the US because of the cost of food? I drive across the border once a month to buy food in the States since meat and dairy are often 30-50% higher in Canada. Buying organic isn't even an option unless I hit the lottery. I do my best, but I imagine prices in other countries, particularly one's with small populations like Canada might be just as high, if not higher.

Too many things to quote! I don't think more people in Norway smoke but cigarettes are roughly 15 American dollars a pack, it's affordable here with the fair wages but it's a waste, 100kr could be spent somewhere else. They do walk everywhere though, myself included and it's the best! There is a mountain right out my door and a book you can write your name in when you reach the top. This summer it's my goal to have my name in it each weekend.

I haven't found it harder to diet because even though most of the fruit and vegetables are imported in Norway they are often on sale. There's also the fish, lots of fish on sale and it's the best. I can't wait to finish our balcony remodeling so we can get out and grill. I did an almond crusted chicken last night that I can't wait to try on some salmon. Beef is the most expensive meat here and it's because most cows are for dairy.

I don't think I'll have it harder reentering the US to visit, they're just doing their job. I never have anything to claim in customs so I never have to talk to anyone, just do my passport, etc. My husband didn't have a hard time visiting me when we first hooked up either. Same ole, same ole "Business or pleasure?" I've found that most of the time they are really nice about it especially since it's always "Pleasure, I'm spending Christmas/Thanksgiving/holiday with my family." I think it might have to do with which hub you fly into as well. Oh! I did notice that you now have to electronically file some sort of visa notification a couple weeks before your travel date.

The tax thing is so absurd! I read you didn't have to worry about filing in the US as well unless you made over a certain amount of money. I know the baby's stipend is tax free here and we're putting it all into a savings account for him. I want to try and double the amount for him once I get a job practice (totally jealous you get one right off the bat in Sweden) and we're going to switch it over at age 13, not only because we don't think a 13 year old is mature enough to be responsible with that kind of money but also because it will be reaching half a million kroner at age 18 and we don't want him to have to pay some sort of stupid fortune tax to the US government. It's silly we should even have to worry about that for him. >.<

I love seeing all the places where people have ended up and I can't wait to visit a lot of those countries myself! Last year my husband and I went with my youngest sister to Rome and it was lovely! Italy is so big with so much history it's definitely a multiple summer vacation to see it all.

Does anyone else find dieting difficult outside of the US because of the cost of food? I drive across the border once a month to buy food in the States since meat and dairy are often 30-50% higher in Canada. Buying organic isn't even an option unless I hit the lottery. I do my best, but I imagine prices in other countries, particularly one's with small populations like Canada might be just as high, if not higher.

Yes, yes, and yes! Sometimes when my husband and I go to Estonia for the day, we bring coolers and bags and do some grocery shopping. Food here is much more expensive than in the US.

I lived near the Canadian border in the US (Seattle) and the only thing I ever bought there was Kraft Peanut butter :happy:

The first time I visited my husband's family (before we were even dating, just friends), his grandmother would call her friends whenever I ate something and say something like "Americans put cream in their coffee" or "Americans don't eat popcorn all the time". I was so relieved when his cousin married a Thai woman.

But they do eat what I bake, and some of my dishes have become tradition in their house, like peanut butter cookies. It's nice that they are farm folk up north where people still eat butter and drink whole milk, they are not so judgemental like some of my friend's in-laws nearer the capitol area where people seem to be more health conscious.