I wish I would have met a German girl to merry and eventually move to Germany with. It’s crazy that workers aren’t protected more in the US, I don’t understand that at all!Thank you Tom. Great comparison between the two countries, especially the bit about the workers rights in both countries! I love to drive long distance and enjoy the wide open space of the United States. There is food stamps, and now basic healthcare (no dental), but no help to keep a roof over your head. Expatica helps make your expat journey the experience you've always wanted.
But one of the differences between Germany and the US politics that stuck out to me the most is how much more polarized political opinion is.
Some are different. I have to admit that I sometimes suffer from the “the grass is greener on the other side syndrome”. First, I’ve called beautiful San Diego my home and after a short stint in Beijing, I moved to San Antonio, and now I am back in San Diego.During this time as an Expat in the US, I’ve seen and experienced the differences between living in Germany and the US firsthand. No questions asked return policy like at Costco? But I think this diversity is what makes this world such a great place to live in and explore.No, my family is from Germany and I grew up there.
As an Indian who lived in the US the differences were shocking, of course – but your comparison is an eye opener.Thank you Vaibhav. Despite this, it is worth noting that salary levels are also significantly higher that other areas in Europe. Language is a big barrier in Germany but the benefits Germany provides makes us overlook about the language.Portion sizes, definitely. It has a significant and powerful economy that affords expats living there a high quality of life. I always planned to move back to Germany once I graduated. Send us your questions about living and working in Germany in German or English. Germany is a beautiful country and we enjoyed our 3 years stationed in Kitzingen.What a small world. Would be nice though, woundn’t it? It is not that Germans are talking dirty all the time, but they tend to see it more as a matter of fact and a natural thing. Attaining a German visa proved too difficult, and I never met my German princess… in the end, I fell in love with an American girl, got married and am now expecting a child. Germany had just as much beautiful nature and much more culture within any German’s close range.
Now that I am thinking of starting a family, it does matter to me. The cars, the houses, the grocery stores and everything in it is just ginormous. Especially as a Puerto Rican, I was lumped in with all the Spanish kids with whom I could not relate to either. Think about it, if you live in a nice condo in San Diego, with the ocean close by, pool, gym, tennis courts, with the possibility to take weekend trips to marvelous places like Lka Jolla, Carlsbad, Laguna Beach, why would you need to travel elsewhere so often? Due to low down payments and relative easiness to get a home loan, buying a house in the US is something many young adults can already achieve.People also tend to buy homes for their current situation rather than waiting for their “Forever Home”. Millions have learned with Living Language®.
I was amazed to see a woman sweeping the sidewalk and street outside there home. The cost of living in Germany can vary according to the city in which expatriates are based. An American neighbor said to me in my first year that in each state things and people are different, which makes sense , in Germany its the same, I never could get the beer I was used to from frankfurt in wuerzburg , sometimes I thought I would be better suited for California , at least there, no one would tell my 10 year old son to get a haircut, lol now he is grown up and has constantly a military haircut.In my 73 years of living in the US I have never know of any grocery store in the US where guns are sold.Hi Mary Ann, it may be different from state to state, but Walmart sells guns here in Texas.Thank you for the interesting article.
Unfortunately, vacation is considered a benefit and not an entitlement. But in other things, the US beat Germany as well.My wife[50 years together] are traveling to Germany for our anniversary. After all, German is spoken in most companies. I was fortunate to have lived in California, Texas and Louisiana and have traveled to over 30 states and it really opened my eyes.I always find it interesting to see what differences there are between countries and cultures. One other thing I found strange, in the states, that some parents wanted that their kids say sir and mam to them .
And for some reason, doing so in the presence of a child is pure blasphemy – I lived with Germans in Leipzig who wouldn’t even joke about it.Yet this is also the habit that you are most likely to take home with you, without you even realising.This is one stereotype that is 100 percent true: Germans love rules. I am German born and grown up in Frankfurt . If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. I am neither German nor American, though. So benefits for me are another big difference between the 2 countries.I think it is worthwhile to mention, that education is very cheap in Germany.