“The Grass Is Always Greener”: 40 Stories From Americans Who Decided To Try Living Elsewhere

Been living abroad for 11 years in several countries. Currently in Thailand. It's better in almost every way. I can afford to go to the hospital anytime, food is less processed, I save more money, and no guns = no shootings.

Simple things like dealing with the electric company can be frustrating. Language barriers.

Every country has its drawbacks. I say live where you have the most positive connections(friends/family).

I moved to New Zealand a year before the pandemic... I consider myself incredibly lucky every single day.

I’ve lived in Spain for about 9 years now - and it’s wonderful. Spoke (nearly) fluent Spanish before moving, so really never had a problem with the language. Now I feel more comfortable speaking in Spanish than in English, ha. Having “free” (paid for through taxes) healthcare is such a huge difference, but sometimes doctors seem rushed and don’t pay as much attention to you as they should. Even in Spain, the private healthcare system is much, much more effective and comfortable to deal with (at least in my experience). Being vegan, sometimes it’s difficult to find things other than tomato, bread, and simple iceberg lettuce salads in small town bars or restaurants - but the bigger cities are full of more options than I could ever have dreamed of. In the beginning, I had to explain to people time and time again that, no, ham and tuna are not, in fact, vegan.

I miss houses in the middle of countryside that don’t have huge walls around them or bars in the windows.

Since I’m living in the south of the country, I miss wild forests and swimable lakes.

And sometimes I wonder when I’ll stop being looked at as “guiri” - I am not a tourist, never really was since I came here to live. Will people continue speaking to me in English even when I’m an 80 year old grandma and have been living here for around 60 years? So far my solution is just to pretend I don’t understand their English and respond in Spanish, but it’s a little annoying to think that you’ll have to continue explaining where you’re from to people for the rest of your life - especially when most always ask you exactly where but then are confused when they don’t know “New Hampster.”.

People assume moving to France has been like going on permanent vacation. Every time I complain about something a friend says, 'but you’re living in France!' I have to remind them that it’s cool, but it's still real life. I have to work just like anybody else. And it’s even harder here because there are fewer jobs available to someone who doesn’t speak French perfectly.

Been in Vietnam for over two years now. Amazing country with an incredibly low cost of living. Honestly too many great things to say about it, but I'll list a few:

- the people! The Vietnamese are hardworking, kind, and very open-minded towards foreigners. Many locals will walk up to you at the beach or the park and ask to have a conversation to practice their English. Especially younger Vietnamese, which there are many. It's a very young country.

- very affordable rent (Currently paying $350 a month for a massive one bedroom with a huge balcony and private rooftop)

- AMAZING and incredibly cheap local food, as well as a growing international food scene in all the major cities

- commuting/traveling by motorbike. It's just what you do here, and it's a really fun way to experience a country.

- strong internet (I teach online and the internet has never been a major issue.)

- affordable travel. Flights around the country can be as low as $50 roundtrip. Probably even lower if you book at the right time.

Things I'm still getting used to:

- the language. It's incredibly hard to learn due to it's tonal diversity. One word can mean like 10 different things if the tone is changed on a particular sound or letter.

- the weather. Summers are brutal here. Humidity like I've never felt in my life. Winters can get cold as well in the north, which isn't fun when you're commuting via motorbike

- pollution in certain parts (Hanoi especially). It can almost take your breath away how smoggy the capital of Hanoi can be. Sometimes it's the worst in the world according to pollution index measurements. Let's just say that wearing a mask was pretty common here even before COVID...

- lots of construction in major cities. Of course this isn't a bad thing though. The country is really seeming to boom and rightfully so. Vietnam is going to be a country of the future, no doubt.

Been living in Taiwan and I feel super safe. I can take my dog out to the park at 1am and never have to worry about getting mugged. Only thing I miss from the US is the food.

I moved to England about 3 years ago and I feel like the only way to describe it is the grass is always greener on the other side. I felt so trapped and bored in America that England felt like the place to be but I think we romanticize places we aren’t from. I do of course, love it here. I love the history that’s literally everywhere, I love the amount of sheep and dogs I’ve seen, and everyone is so kind (albeit not like it is in the south). As Americans we expect to be able to find everything we love in the super market, but you’ll find british equivalents or things just don’t exist (Corn tortillas! Nearly impossible to find and I so took that for granted). There’s always an adjustment period/learning curve and I’m still learning new “English” words everyday at work but overall, it’s been such a good and positive experience.

I moved to Sweden for love 3 years ago (my partner is Swedish).

Things I like
1. The system works so well here. Paying taxes takes no time at all and I’ve had really positive health care experiences. I have an infant and so far, everything from getting in line for daycare to scheduling check ups has been a dream.
2. I’ve learned to appreciate the weather in a whole different way. Sunny? I’m outside. Raining? I’m outside. Snowing? I’m outside. This is true for everyone from toddlers to retirees.
3. Swedes are notoriously hard to get to know but once you have a Swedish friend, they are a real friend.
4. The quality of life here is unmatched in terms of what a normal person can attain. You are encouraged to take all of your vacation days (unlike the US) and even working class people can afford vacations.

Things I dislike
1. I want to preface this by saying that I speak Swedish with a difficult-to-place accent (I’ve heard German, Norwegian or Belgian). Swedes say they are open minded and accepting but I don’t think that’s entirely true. I have been told in interviews for English speaking positions that they’d rather hire a Swede. I know dozens of people who have moved here with doctorates or Masters who work as interns, baristas or warehouse staff. Swedes usually say that it’s because you need a very high level of Swedish to compete in a highly bilingual society. I don’t think that’s true. I think that because Sweden was, up until recently, homogeneous and is still consensus driven, foreigners can be seen as rocking the boat too much.
2. Because of jantelagen, there’s pressure to not stand out. In some ways, this is great because you don’t hear people bragging or trying to one-up each other. However, this means that sometimes, success or excellence is downplayed; my partner won’t tell his parents about his raise or promotion.

Overall, I like living in Sweden and I’ve managed to create a happy, fulfilling life here.

We just moved back from Madrid last summer due to covid. We were there for only 2 years but lived in the south of Spain for a year in 2015. I loved it. So much. Yeah it was hard being away from family and spend days I’d think “what am I doing here, this isn’t home” but it did feel like some sort of home. Like some else said on here it’s not perfect but god, the lifestyle was SO much better. Their way of life, cost of living, etc. I think it’s worth mentioning that that might come from a place of privilege. My husband kept his American job so was making American money, and I was working so we were living really well. That’s not common at all and there are a lot of problems in Spain with work (pre covid) and salary. But I think the lifestyle keeps people there. It’s beautiful, most of Europe in general just feels nice to be in. I had my son there, c-section even and didn’t pay anything. Even gave birth at one of the best hospitals there but nope, no bill! If you anyone is ever thinking of moving aboard, just do it! Even if you move back after 3 months bc you miss home, who cares just do it!

I think I may be one of the very few that moved to Turkey. I met my wife through a friend who married a Turkish woman. I've been here in Turkey 6 years now. I am a military veteran and spent time overseas and such so I thought things shouldn't be too difficult. My first few years were tough socially and getting adjusted then to top it off we had a failed coup. Now we are having a difficulty time with the economy well before COVID. Financially I am good because of disability compensation through Veterans Affairs. My wife had our son 4 years ago and i quit work to take care of her and him while my wife works. It's been really tough because I worked since i was 14 and enjoy working. I plan on getting my citizenship soon and then maybe get back in to the work force.

As far as the Turkish people and Turkey I cant speak highly enough of their hospitality. I've never had any problems and always treated as family. The landscape is amazing and historical areas are fascinating. The beaches are amazing and seen some of the bluest waters. Food is out of this world. ( Much much more than döner kebaps lol). I am always trying to get friends and family to come visit but everyone is always too nervous about it.

Moved to Sydney Australia from Chicago back in 2017.

Sydney is much like a big US city. Fast paced, tons of traffic, great shopping and tons of great food. I think some things people don’t think of when they hear Australia is that it’s actually very diverse here. The ethnic population is something around 40% in Sydney (I believe). There are McDonald’s, Subway, Hungry Jacks (Burger King), and massive shops like Kmart, Big W, Target so my point is that it’s very similar feel to living in the US.

The biggest difference is the pace is slower here. People appreciate their time off and actually use vacation time, called PTO here. It’s the opposite mentality from the US where you’re seen as loyal and hard working if you’re burning the midnight oil, where in Sydney for the most part, we go home at 5 so we can actually enjoy our lives and not worry so much. Don’t get me wrong, working late happens but there is much more value on your quality of life in Australia compared to the US.

Downside is that most shops close at 5 pm but you can still find the big box stores open until 8 pm if you really need something.

The mall culture is huge here. Most of my shopping is done in a mall and you park underground a lot of the time. Just something that I wasn’t used to with Walmart and massive parking lot, you don’t see that in Sydney.

The cost of living here is much higher though. Property is a premium and our 3 br townhouse was purchased for $1.5m, but you do make more wages here so it evens out a little.

Best is that you don’t have to worry about medical bills for the most part. I still have private health insurance but if just want to go to the dr when I’m sick or break my arm it’s pretty much taken care of by Medicare, although we are taxed higher than in the US. Still nice to not have so many worries about it.

Covid doesn’t exist, no masks except for a random few that’s extra careful. We are actually just given $100 each citizen to use on restaurants, movies, travel so help stimulate the economy, which is awesome.

Last, on the news you never hear of gun violence ever. No guns here. There are “bashings” here and there, like a robbery, but mostly very peaceful and news stories are typically more uplifting of focused on something stupid like a corrupt building owner or something like that. Nice to not have to hear about constant gun murders.

Come visit when you can! Weather is in the 70s-80s most of the year and the coldest is about 55 or so. Beaches are stunning and we love to have big nights out and get “pissed” (drunk). Oh and gambling is huge here, pokies and betting places everywhere if you’re into that.

Cheers!

I'm not the one who moved, but I live in Serbia and I've met numerius people from the US who came to Belgrade, Serbia either for professional reasons or they stumbled upon Belgrade in their travels, and amazingly, they all stayed.

Most of them have got married, have children... They are all happy, even more than that, they are amazed by the way of life here. Which is really surprising for most of us here, as no Serb will ever tell you they're happy living here, unfortunately.

The most interesting thing which is recurring pretty much every time I've spoken with an American living here is they mention they enjoy the "real freedom" of living here and the people. I've probably heard the exact term "real freedom" from three or four different people. This is interesting to me because the US boasts of being the land of freedom. Having never been in the US, I guess these expats seem to believe the freedom there is somewhat artifical?

I don't know, I wouldn't really say we have real freedom here in the sense of true democratic processes, but they seemingly mean the freedom of expression and living life your own way. I don't know, just found that very curious.

If you don't want to miss Costco, move to Australia. Pretty good other than being so far from everything, and too many people emulating America, the good and the bad. You be you Australia, or just copy it and make it better!

I lived in Switzerland for 5 years and Singapore for 2 (and now a digital nomad who’s been living in roatan, Honduras for 3 months).

You miss the convenience of America and the fact that you can get literally anything you want whenever you want it. You also miss being able to rely on the power/internet working (obviously, this is a Honduras problem and not a Switzerland/Singapore problem). That said, it’s nice to be insulated from the many problems in the USA as well as your new adopted home, as well as to experience a new culture/language/way of doing things.

Living in France and the cheapness and availability of healthcare is insane. When i first moved here i didnt believe my friends who told me that going to the doctor without insurance is 25€ for everyone...

I moved from the US to the UK 12 years ago. I have had an immensely hard time fitting in and finding friends. I firmly believe I will never truly be anything but a novelty here. Isolation is a huge problem for me here.

It's technically moving abroad but feels more like moving to a second home. I started living in South Korea after I graduated university, which was around the beginning of 2012. Both my parents are Korean, but my mom received her US citizenship while my dad always worked in Korea, sending money to the US. So there was this weird reunion when my family somehow all ended up being together again, except this time in Korea. And it's sort of been this way ever since.

It's good here, but I seriously miss America at times. The food, the multicultural atmosphere, the people. Everything. I often get nostalgic. I got married last year and things have gotten interesting, but there are some very Korean things I can't get over. I still really like it here, of course, and it definitely feels less like I moved to another country and more that I moved to an extension of what I'd call home.

I have loved ex-pat life. I've been abroad for almost a decade now, mostly living in China and Korea, and I've really enjoyed the new cultures, experiences, and people I've met. For me the hardest part is not the isolation, but the fact that so many of the close friends I do make move so often. Ex-pat life can be very fluid as people come and go. On the whole, however, daily life is not so different than it was back home. I wake up, go to work, exercise, and go home. The weekends can be a bit more exciting and the travel opportunities are much better than being back home in the states.

I have been living in Switzerland but am moving back to the US in a month due to three main factors: Better job opportunities, a language barrier, and social integration. I think everyone fantasizes about how great it is to move from the US, but they totally overlook the challenge of social integration and a worse job market. The US has one of the best job markets in the world, and I think that's overlooked. Although I make more money in Switzerland, the growth opportunities here can be limited. Worker's rights, though...that's another story.

I’m an American who moved to Russia (Saint Petersburg) about 5 years ago and I can say that it’s been amazing. Sure, there are a few things at home that I miss such as the food and the warm, sunny Florida weather but on the whole, not that much. Keep in mind that Saint Petersburg life is a lot difficult to small town life.

The good:
The public transport here is great. I say great, what I mean is that it isn’t a steaming pile of s**t like America’s public transport. It costs me less than a dollar to take the train the city center from where I live or to take any bus anywhere. There’s trams quite often and the metro is cheap too. My phone and internet bills together are about $12, I can walk to literally anything in my city if I want to. Night life is everywhere downtown. It feels like once Friday and Saturday night roll around, you can just continually walk around the center and find places to hang out that are good and fun. It’s super cheap to go to Europe, especially Estonia or Finland.

The less good:
People are less friendly than in america. It’s seems very common for people to try to cut you in line if they see any opening at all. People seem to be totally unaware of personal space in public places and smoking seems to be the national sport.