3 reasons I chose to LIVE IN GERMANY over the usa

For many people, deciding where to live is hard. Being in an intercultural relationship enhances that even more. In 2018 after years of traveling a living out of a backpack, we decided to station ourselves more permanently in one place. Here is how we made that decision and the key factors that brought us to Germany.

Cheers!

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
1:25 Safety
4:53 Family
5:55 Value of Time

[peterhomann]

I am a German living in the US, I am a Health Care Professional and would return to Germany on the drop of a hat if my personal situation allowed it. I will share my thoughts on the Health Care System in the US but other issues like education, safety, work-life-balance (which you all touch upon in your video) are all handled much better in Germany than in the US. And YES, it is a political matter. The US is a country ruled by the super-rich for the super-rich, even multimillionaires like Warren Buffet or Bill Gates say this openly and demand changes but the Trumps, Koch-brothers, DeSantisses and other powerful reactionaries stand in the way. But back to your video:
The "up front" charges to be payed by the patient before the insurance covers health care services are called deductibles and they can be astronomical. A friend of mine had an "insurance" that required her to pay 14.600 Dollars (like in fourteenTHOUSAND) Dollars before coverage began and that is for EVERY calendar year, meaning when January 1st rolled in her deductible payed in the prevous year went "poof" and she started at 0. Long story short: unless you already payed 14 G in the given year the insurance will cover next to nothing. Now this is an extreme case but even I have a deductible of 7.000 annually. Another big issue is the absurdity of employer based Health Care Insurance: If you loose your job you loose your Health Care Insurance, if you change jobs it will change to another insurer. Not only is this system difficult to navigate but it also places many obstacles into any consistent delivery of care and a new insurer has the right to refuse patients for a "pre-existing condition", so if you have diabetes or high blood pressure a new insurer may reject you, charge you even higher premiums or deny coverage for the "pre-existing condition". Fortunately "Obama Care" prevents this to some degree but the powerful insurance companies find sneaky ways around it.
Two more points: Covered services have consistently decreased over the 30+ years I live and work in the US while premiums have consistently increased, well above inflation rates. The US Health Care System is better described as a Health Avoidance System, it requires enormous out of pocket expenses from the patient and consequently people avoid seeing their doctor, go to a hospital, get their mammogram or colonoscopy...

[wora]

I am a retired German and there is one subject I like to add: Rente/Pensions
My parents were always looking forward to the day when they would not have to work any more because they would receive their pensions. Being forced to pay into pension funds in Germany looks bad while you are earning money by working. When you get older and less able you start appreciating this a lot more.

[karstenbursak]

The channel "black forrest family" made an interesting four part series about taxes and costs of living in Germany vs the US

[RustyDust]

Hi Stacey. Happy to have you here.
I totally get your instinctive reactions. My last visit to the USA was more than 25 years ago, yet I had the same feeling as you explained here back then already concerning public safety.

Does that mean that Germany is perfect? Heck, no. Far from it. We've got more than enough problems here as well.
Yet the overall package is a pretty damn good offer. You can always find room for improvement.
Satisfaction with what we got is something that us Germans have to be reminded of now and again. Otherwise we Germans tend to moan and groan about every little thing that goes wrong.
Complaining seems to be our secret national sport. 😁
That's why people like you are so wholesome for us.

Greetz from a German in Hamburg.

[gretan]

I also moved to Germany permanently for similar reasons. Additionally, as a woman I feel a lot safer even while walking alone at night in Germany

[drau]

"... I permanently look around where's the exit..." If the behavior as a civilian is the same as a soldier after been a few weeks in combat than something goe's the wrong way with a society.

[NateLawson]

All of the exact same reasons why my family and I are planning to move back to Germany (my wife's home country)!

[JoeScylla]

Stopped before your 3 reasons. My guess is:

1. you dont get shot in Germany. 2. Healthcare. 3. Work-Live-Balance

[albin]

I lived in the US off and on for years. It's gone so far downhill over the last 20 years, that I fear for what the next 20 might bring.

[lordofnumbers]

I recommend the youtube channels "The Black Forest Family" and "My merry messy german life". That's US-americans moved to Germany. They can help you with informations and their experiences. For your decision and your video: 👍

[broetchenahoi]

Interesting to hear your reasons for deciding to move to Germany! One thing you didn't mention that I think is key is that apparently it's pretty easy for Americans to move here in terms of visas, work permits, etc. If you were from an Asian or African country that would probably be a very different picture, unless you're a highly skilled IT person, etc. I witnessed this dramatic incident where an elderly lady from the Philleppines wanted to travel to Rome to visit her sister there and take part in a service at St. Peter's dome etc. (as a devout Catholic). Although in long term employment and with more than sufficient funds, she was not even granted a tourist visa and felt devastated. In contrast, people with American passports can simply "weigh options" and decide whether or not to move to Germany and/or to try it out for a couple of months. What a privilege!

[_Gato.Negro_]

3 reasons I chose to live in Germany over the US:
- Reason n°1: Germany is not the US
- Reasons n°2 and n°3: Are they even necessary?

[hy-drenalin]

Your german is pretty good! Well done.

[Roger-npwi]

It is only the beginning of April 2023, and firearms alone have caused over 4, 500 deaths in the U.S. to date, including 200 children and youth, and over 8, 000 injuries. And the statistics clearly show that the number is growing every year.
This point alone is worth leaving the homeland.

[helfgott]

Yes dear Lady the taxes are more but in the USA, but at t he end it pays of. i had to put a gun in my hands because i was drafted ( in 1980)to the german military. I never since touched a gun and why should I ?
Here is something I like:
Two guys meet at a wood chopping competition
So they are apart but they can hear the chopping. One guy is chopping like crasy but he can hear the other one chopping for 45 min and 15 min of not chopping. at the end of the day the one who took a 15 min break had more wood. How comes ask the guy you took a break every hour? No i wasnt taking a break I was sharpening my axe 😃😃

[LpTroop]

The word 2:42 is maybe "Selbstbehalt" in Germany. So what you have to pay until an insurance comes to the table. 😊

[RickTheClipper]

Clever decision, Your chances to get older, not shot or robbed, and enjoy a better life balance

[beyourself]

Yes german health insurance system is indeed a blessing. I pay around 250 Euro a month but the insurance did pay at least a million Euro to make my life possible; there was a problem from day one on.

I still don’t understand why US Americans prefer a healthcare system based on non solidarity. That people need to die because public healthcare is not covering expensive meds to save a life is very shocking for us to see in documentaries. Overall the US culture once was a blue print for us in Europe Today its a culture which most of the Europeans would describe with the term “disgusting.”

I am super happy not life in a country where I have to worry if my kids may get killed in a school shooting by someone who is just a mirror of a pure performance culture, without enough free time to tank up my soul, to see my needs, or not having the financial resources to choose a good psychologist/therapist.

I wish the citizens in the states that the latest developments lead to a slow, but consistent change to become a society which is, in psychological terms, functioning and relaxed. 😮

[VinylLS.]

Hi Stacey! I wanna emigrate to US, but I think it's very difficult now to do that. It's easier to move from US to Germany - or what do you think?

[Phoboss]

Hopefully, you’re also prepared to integrate yourself into German society by learning German language and culture.
Because I know many foreigners who are living here and don’t wanna learn German. They rely on the Germans English language speaking ability.