Tipping culture in the US has always mistified me, as someone who was born, and still lives, in Europe. Your boss is supposed to pay you enough to survive. Tips are gifts for excellent service, they’re not needed for the waiter to have a roof over their head the next month. You’re not supposed to rely on them to buy groceries. Your paycheck SHOULD be enough to get the basics.
Absolutely true! I am Italian and I always thought US tipping culture is workers exploitation, plain and simple. If I devote my time to one job, that job should cover at least the basic needs, since time is one of the most precious resources a human being has got and it is not renewable. US tipping culture means considering waiters' time worthless, as if they were lesser people, and this is just disgusting.
Would you believe that americans who also think the same are crucified by other americans for this opinion? Tipping culture is BAD in america to the point servers will be unpleasant with you and even tamper with your food. Safe to say i dont eat out anymore unless i know someone else will be covering the tip.
@@cremepuffle If I had to pay for the dubious privilege of serving you, I wouldn't be very nice to you either. Under US tax structure, waiters are taxed on 10% of sales - not the actual tips received. If their overall tax rate is 25%, and federal minimum wage is $2.13, then they have to PAY to work on any bill over $86. ($2.13 X 4 X 10). Worded another way, 25 cents comes out of their paycheck for every $10 they sell. If you don't want to tip - it's better that you don't go out rather than fuck over your server.
The irony is that such a tipping culture just like the American GoFundMe Healtcare trend are practicly taxes on being good to others, those who try to be humane and share are disproportionally burdened by the US system while the greedy get further ahead. Shouldnt surprise anyone that the American society is such a mess with good people falling off the ladder left and right, while the worst kind of people climb to the top.
@@kdeuler Read 'Draghi Report'. From 2008 US economy doubled. Chinese economy went even further. EU barely moved by a few percent. EU have a choice (according to Draghi), either become competitive, or become irrelevant within generation - if lucky, or a decade - if not. He gave EU 3 years to react. We are almost half way into second year - and nothing. Europe lives on credit. And payment is comming due soon. Inheritance and other people money are about to run out. I live in the EU country.
The American Dream is well and alive in Europe in Asia in many different parts of the world! 🌎 For those that can play this system it’s one of the few in the world that can make you insanely rich. Most of us want to live and thrive but not actually to be so rich we can buy a small country. The living and thriving is actually quite difficult in the American system and that’s currently the problem!
😂😂😂 Buddy I don't think u've lived in an actual third world country before. America's definitely got issues that seem to be getting worse but let's not get carried away.
@@archlectoryarvi2873We could agree on that it’s a “B” country. Not 3rd world but certainly not 1st either.
7 днів тому+1
@@archlectoryarvi2873 Well, both the USA and underdeveloped countries have in common that the rich lock themselves away in Gated Communities and the like.
This is in covey's seven habits I think. Babies are dependent, we learn independence, but to be really successful we develop interdependence. The skills of delegation, trust, etc.
Indeed. Take it one step further. Self reliance is a lie, making you work hard, while you can't organise together and have strong unions, let alone fight for universal healthcare.
I went to a huge joinery factory in Portugal that employed 250 staff. when we broke for lunch we were told we would be eating in the company canteen. My heart sank because I was hoping for a slap up business lunch. The company canteen ended up serving restaurant quality food and had wine bottles on every table. I said jokingly to the owner ‘I bet your workers don’t get all this’ making reference to the bottles of wine and multi/course meal. He put his arm round me in a fatherly way and led me through two big doors which took us into the workers canteen. Every table had bottles of wine and the food was exactly the same as the managers were getting. I ended up with huge respect for this humble and egalitarian millionaire. Europe is different.
I visited an American paper making mill and we also were fed in the company canteen, it was hamburgers that day, and they were some of the best I have ever had. They had different meals each day.
@@AndreiTupolevpeople in southern Europe are enjoy wime but very little. 1 or 2 Glasses of Wine and it's fine. They have no problems with drinking. Being drunk would be socially most inappropriate. In Germany for contrast, being drunk is part of the culture.
I know this is a joke, but it's kinda true... Americans think we live like kings, when in reality, our standard of living is that of a developing country. American infrastructure is falling apart, cities are rundown, and wealth inequality is massive (just to name a few examples)
@@Velociter I don't think many Europeans would see this as a joke. I think many of us believe that Amricans mostly live with some kind of psychosis and embrace a form of Capitalism that more and more resembles a slight variation of Feudalism. You serve your lords, which aren't monarchs, but still inherit their power via wealth from their parents. And they don't directly force you to work for them, but they trick you into believing you have to and you depend on them. The end result is the same, though, you basically live in soft Feudalism. Other countries have moved on from that.
This has me in tears. I want out of the U.S. immediately. However, I am the caretaker of my very elderly bed-bound mother, so I'm stuck. I know with every fiber of my being that Texas is NOT where I'm supposed to be. I hope I get out of here before I die. So depressed, but happy for others who've found their way out.
from what I can see there is a growing awareness that the USA needs fundamental changes. perhaps joining a maker-space or other creative group can give you respite? I know caring for an ageing relative is all consuming though. ❤
While you are taking care of your mother you can learn. Read about different countries. Decide, where you want to live. Learn the language. Do research on the country and the people you want to live with one day. You are not stuck. You are in preperation. All the best to you. 🧡
@@chrissmaerz And learn about their economies and crime as you don't want to move somewhere far from your hometown and be in big trouble. And I say all this having lived abroad and moving back for family too. God Bless you! I know you will do what's best for yourself.
I left the US 10 years ago. I hope I never have to go back. It would feel like a terrifying punishment. So many toxic things are normalized and people live with more stress than they realize. The threat of medical debt, gun violence, doing everything alone, few social networks within our political systems, the tasteless and chemical filled food that makes people sick, etc., I could go on and on. Socializing in the US is very unsatisfying. People are looking at their watch the entire time ready to run off to the next thing. When we moved here we had a play date with our daughter and some new friends. We chatted with the parents and the kids played. I thought it would last an hour or two but we ended up ordering pizza and stayed until after 10:00 PM! Talk about culture shock. When they socialize, they sink their teeth in and give their companions their full attention in a relaxed and joyous manner. I love it. We don’t know how to live in the US. There is no work life balance. People take pride in not taking vacation time and our US vacations are pathetic as it is! No thank you. I’m glad you got out. Especially now.
Title should say "living in Spain." As Europe is by no means a monolith. Spain is nothing like the UK or Germany for instance, but probably very similar other Southern European nations. And possibly some parts of Latin America too
Really,is living in Wales the same as North Ireland or Scotland or England? I was under the impression those countries that make up the United Kingdom and are somewhat different to each other lol
@@drewbranch7700 All those countries are in the same region, North-West Europe. Regions are mainly categoried by geographic location and cultural overlap. Variation WITHIN countries or continental regions exists but tends to be far less than ACROSS continental regions or continents as a whole. Its completely nonsensical to compare living in the USA to living in Europe, as one is a country the other is a continent with several countries, and a significant level of variation across regions!
“As Europe is by no means a monolith. Spain is nothing like the U.K “ I concur the continent of Europe is not a monolith,but where we deviate at is the United Kingdom part,sure Spain is nothing like the U.K,but are countries that make up the U.K a monolith. Sure it’s the same region,but it’s intellectually dishonest to claim or infer that they are all the same. Your logic there was flawed,and I have been to most of the countries that make up the U.K,so that’s why I thought it was such a vacuous statement. I don’t think it’s nonsensical for someone to say they live in a continent per se without being specific about where they actually reside;unless of course,you are dealing with a pedantic individual. I have heard people say,”are you from across the pond”;it doesn’t bother me,I then asked them if they could expatiate on the meaning. Some people could have thought of loads of things or even countries,so have some patience and realize things don’t always have to be perfectly stated according to your liking all the time. Don’t have a monolithic mindset and try to expand on your thoughts.
The title is probably more for the American audience who wouldn't understand the differences in Europe. But more would be interested in learning about living in "Europe" rather than just "Spain". It's a good catchy title.
No, I would love to immigrate elsewhere. But if you are an american from one of the poorest areas, it is nearly but not completely impossible to get away.
Freedom in the USA is freedom to be the opposition party n not get locked up for it, china, Russia, for example, locks up critics, its not financial freedom, thats it.
We are ALL, to a greater or lesser extent, trapped in mental prisons, built by the powers that be in our societies, and maintained primarily by media empires and educational institutions, along with any other authorities we encounter. The USA has been steeped in a culture strongly biased towards maintaining the dominance of those at the top of the hierarchy; a pervasive and oppressive conformity was all but inescapable until the fifties, when the beat generation started a pushback which culminated in the counterculture of the sixties and largely fizzled at the end of it, when the pendulum began to swing back hard with the authoritarian war on drugs and televangelist radicalisation of the bible belt; abortion used to be fine with these people, for instance. When blanket oppression failed, the emphasis shifted to divide and conquer. If you zoom way out and squint, all you can see is the dynamic of a tiny sliver of the populace perpetuating their dominance through whatever means which get the job done, with the ill effects on the populace and the world at large disregarded at best, or perhaps more likely considered a feature rather than a bug by the vile ruling class. The world is dying for their demented sake. Top-down organisation is toxic insanity - our only salvation can be anarchy (the political definition, not the ignorant synonym for chaos).
“American Exceptionalism” is another cruel myth. I live in Canada. I find so many Americans just assume that their way of doing things is best, even that it is has God’s stamp of approval, that they were chosen for a special destiny. I saw the cruelty of the myth most strikingly as a boy during the Vietnam war. The confidence that American governments had in their power to re-make another nation half-way around the world was misplaced, and conscripted military service tore apart the lives of a million families.
I am embarrassed that I didn’t mention the millions of lives in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos that were torn apart. The colonialist mindset is hard to shake.
@oldpossum57 isn't more than just a colonial mindset. It's pure Western greed but also narcistic scycopathy. Dealing whot the west is like dealing whit a person whit a narcistic scycopathic personality disorder. No matter what you say or what you do, that person is always looking for ways to intervere in your life. To meddle in your affairs one way or the other.
Absolutely nailed it. Merican exceptionalism - we're the best. Our systems are the best - let's face it - EVERY country today took on board the US system of 3 separate but co-equal branches of government. Australia & Canada took more - like the US, we're a bunch of colonies of the UK that came together to form a modern nation in 1840 (Canada) & 1901 (Australia). You Mericans have your heads up yo butts in many cases. You think you're so good that you literally can't see just how bad your system is. From an overseas perspective - oh, it's super bad. And we wonder what it's gonna take for you to see how bad it actually is.
This is the same thing I hate so much about Russia. Though to an extent every major geopolitically relevant nation/culture seems to have this sentiment.
They still do, and to some degree, the Brits, who still think in terms of Empire. A few years ago, some Brit commented about Kurds being abandon in Iraq, Syria etc... after the war, he say why don't we just draw the map for them. Conveniently forgetting or ignoring that most of the world conflict was precisely because the colonist drew the maps which only benefitted the West that cause so much problem to these day.
2:31 "The mid break allows me to be more productive". Such an American thing to say! Feeling good is not enough, it must also make you more productive in order to be worth doing. As a recovering workaholic, I understand the feeling. Live and learn!
Yeah, I got a little sad listening to that. People have a hard time getting away from that overworking culture. Things have to be productive to be worth it for them
What a breath of fresh air you are. I am a retired/disabled veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and had to mostly withdraw from society. I have not worked since retirement and being 100% rated by the VA; spending my day doing as I please has led to many people scrutinizing my way of life. I got tired of the negativity and presumed jealousness - been called lazy, continually reminded that I have no job, etc. Thanks for this.
Yes! Enjoy your retirement and thank you for your service to our country. You have nothing to feel guilty about! I'm 8 years retired and love every moment of it. My health is a bit compromised but I'm able to get around on my own. So many people I knew died within a year of retirement.
@@jerrydavila5647 yes! So many of my friends that retired from the armed forces, younger and older, are already gone because of service connected ailments. I’m glad that you and others have your health after retirement
This reminds me of a quote I read in “The Hedonism Handbook” by Michael Flocker: “In America, you are all in this mad race to be number one. And you know what? You win! You can be number one. Here [in Europe], we would rather enjoy our lives.” This has always resonated with me.
I grew up in the UK with a similar mindset and by 2014 [44] I was worth €6 million - and I was not happy once the novelty wore off. Its not like the movies and that is exactly what you are expecting. I suffered brain damage in a mugging and lost everything, which was a blessing in disguise - it allowed me to admit it was no MY dream I was chasing it was society's dream that had been programed into me. I could never have admitted that without losing everything - you cant admit you have wasted 25 years of your life chasing a pointless dream you dont even want. I now live a tiny minimalist life doing the things I enjoy.
I'm European, and I can tell you, that there is a massive difference between countries in Europe. Can't just call it Europe as if all you're saying about Europe is the same all over. Massive difference between Norway, Great Britain, Serbia and Spain just to pick a few countries.
From an inside view, the are massive differences even within the regions of each country in europe. She provides an outside view: Your "massive difference" shrinks massively down when seen on her US background.
Yeah I was thinking the same, but for americans, most european countries will be a majour step upwards in terms of quality of life. (also they love to sometimes think EU = Europe = a country
Looking at the comments of Americans moving to Germany and other European countries, while each culture is different, the shift from the American mindset to the generalized European mindset is similar. The same could be said of different states and regions of the US, such as living in NYC vs a small rural town in the west, but from a European perspective, they’d be pretty similar in many respects.
Exactly. I live in Hungary, which is the poorest country in the EU. An expat with US or Western European money will absolutely live like a king here, but for many hungarians, life is miserable. Many live paycheck to paycheck, our wages are terrible, food prices are high, and most of the food you can buy is shit. The healthcare system barely functions. The infrastructure is shit, especially our railways. We're probably moments away from a massive railway disaster. Education is shit. The goverment is the most corrupt in all of Europe. The people are miserable. With that, I'd still wouldn't live in the USA, but I just want to examplify that there are shitholes in Europe too.
You nailed everything. I’m an immigrant who’s been living in the USA for 26 years and I’m moving to Spain at the end of the month and renouncing U.S. citizenship. I’ve become repulsed.
gesture of satisfaction or approval made by kissing the fingertips of one hand and then spreading the fingers with an outward motion. I'm referring to how well it reframes the "gun debate". In Europe we very much prefer "the freedom from gun violence" to "the freedom to bear arms" @@JRspeaking
@Lightw81 perhaps, but I can imagine it's not as tiresome as hearing about the deluge of "thoughts and prayers" after yet another school shooting knowing that neither of these will make your children any safer when they leave for school in the morning.
We left the US 5 years ago when we got the opportunity and decided we didn't want our daughter to grow up there. I'm so grateful that she is being brought up in a more kind and (dare I say it) culturally free place where we are now. My nephews in the states are that same age as her and already suffering anxiety attacks from homework overload- tonight my daughter has to chop garlic and onion to bring in tomorrow because they are baking bread, and she has already surpassed them in maths and science. I love your channel, your presentation is so calming.
I'm a Canadian and my wife has some relatives in Texas. We went for a visit some years back and they are very nice, hospitable people. Some time after our visit to Texas, I had a job in Calgary and invited them to come have a look at Alberta and experience the Stampede. Three things stuck with me about the American culture, they couldn't seem to shake while they were in Canada. We mentioned that we had the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp) and it was supported by the government so there was a certain amount of Canadian content on the TV. They were genuinely gobsmacked that we wouldn't just want all our TV to be American. They believed that everyone in the world wanted to be American, but the poor dears had the misfortune to be born in another country. When we went to the Stampede, we took the train to downtown as parking would have been impossible. On the way back the train was packed and there were some drunks causing a ruckus. Some people near them suggested they shut up and things settled down without a major incident. The next day my wife's cousin felt it necessary to mention to her that they felt we had put them in danger by taking the train at night. Di said "No one on that train had a weapon and the worst case the loud mouth might have gotten a punch in the face." They couldn't believe that with the number of people on the train, no one would have a gun. We took them for a trip around the Canadian Rockies and they were impressed, especially there granddaughter when we saw a moose. We suggested going to Drumheller where there is a world class museum full of dinosaur skeletons. They declined because the world was only 6000 years old and Gawd made it. They really didn't want their granddaughter to see scientific information that might shake her Christian indoctrination. My wife and I not being Christians, were like "Wow, that is some serious denial."
Greetings! Calgarian here, now living in BC. I married an American 15 years ago. ALL his friends in Washington, DC cooed and gushed with relief, "Whew, now you can get an American passport!" "NO THANKS!" I said, to their complete disbelief. Marriage didn't last. He hated it when I cheered for Canada during the Olympics - or when I stood politely/respectully, but didn't sing the US national anthem at hockey games...
Thanks for the story about the Texans. Yes, creationist and fundamentalist Christianity have had a dreadful impact on the United States, and it’s disguised by the fact of accomplishments elsewhere in the United States. The Texans believe their country is the “greatest”, but they ignore that ALL its contemporary greatness depends on its technological and scientific achievements - which wholly eschew creationism!
"Nobody ever gave me a handout. I got where I am through hard work!" Says every worker living paycheck to paycheck in a run down rathole. That's the worst thing about the American dream. It teaches self reliance and ruthlessness where community and compassion would be a hundred times more effective. People would rather accept poverty than help because they think it makes them weak. Our strength lies in our bonds, not in isolation.
its the old GOP playbook for poor people who hate other poor people that don't look like them. "Bubba, the reason why you're working two jobs and still living in a trailer is because of all those poor OTHER folk you already dont like. They are what's keeping you down, not my at the golf course with my friends thinking about how I can squeeze more hours out of you for less pay.". This trick has worked on poor desperate white people in American for the past 100 years. Last time I checked there wasn't really any blacks, muslims, hispanics or gay people running fortune 500 companies screwing little Bubba and Peggy Sue over. But this is what they have been brainwashed to belive.
That explains why Americans, especially those living in rural areas, always vote against their own self interests. I've seen the poverty for myself and wonder HTF do they accept this?
There is a training exercise I've seen used. A group is broken up into 3 teams and the rules are simple. There are going to be 5 rounds worth $$ . Each round you simply choose to maximize your profit, or cooperate. If everyone maximizes their profit, everyone makes $50. If everyone chooses to cooperate, then everyone gets $100. If it's not unanimous, then everyone who chooses to cooperate makes $30 and anyone who choses to maximize makes $120. Round 1 is done blind, then there is a meeting before round 2. If you do the math, the way to make the most total money is to cooperate every round. Americans are the absolute worst at this game and about 90% of the time will break the cooperation deal on round 5.
It keeps people divided so they are easily subdued by a stronger entity: a big company or the government. The more extreme case of absolute individualism is Russia. It has what a century of supposed collectivism turned the country to: extreme "look after yourself without ever looking sideways" ideology. This allows the government and companies to pluck people one by one, why the rest just ignores what happens. Until it is their turn, but they think it will never be their turn.
We just moved to Spain 2 months ago. I’m still adjusting from working in NYC for 35 years. I do love it here and I’m learning how to slow down. I’m grateful.
Would you mind please to shed some light on your status? Type of visa? How long did entire process take? Did you hire Spanish lawyer to assist with immigration process?
@holmbergaudio Which is why Americans are so stressed. They have the biggest government, claim to love small government, yet theirs gives them nothing. It's sad, and that's why they have among the highest stress levels among developed nations.
American expat living in the UK here, I will say that the UK is far from perfect but I do definitely relate to what you’re saying about breaking away from a lot of toxic ways of thinking about social connections and work life balance. Where I live in the UK, no one asks me about what I do for a living, they ask what I like and am interested in. If my current job is getting me down, I have a tea break, or I go to the pub afterwards, and on top of it all I don’t have to stress about paying for health insurance. It’s a huge relief and is something I’m quite thankful for.
As a UK born person who has moved away and doesn't like the "Americanisation" of British culture, your comment is really interesting. I suppose everything really is relative.
Whereabouts in the UK? As an English northerner living down south, I find the London commuter belt rat race so much more like America than eg Manchester or Leeds
@ I am an immigrant, I have no problem admitting that. I tend to use those words interchangeably, though you’re right I should probably not use expat for that reason.
Great 👌 I lived in the US for 13 years but was so thankful when it was time to come home to the UK. I got to walk around the streets again; pass the time of day with strangers, not feel like I was on a roller coaster of stress and enjoy my life again. Agree with everything you said XX😊
Here in Europe people who work in restaurants generally earn enough to live. In the US the customers are in essence paying the waiters wages through tips as the employer pays next to nothing. And the customers don't bat a eyelid. They suck it up. It's just another good example of hyper capitalism gone mad.
Europe has more rules and regulations to keep things more fair in society. Americans have been brainwashed to believe that regulation is bad so the system takes advantage of that. This behavior becomes the norm and is easily accepted throughout the generations. in essence, Americans have less freedom than Europeans because they’ve become beholden to the capitalist system (without reflecting on reality) and those in government who maintain it.
The ugly truth behind American tipping is that it started after slavery. Many freed slaves sought work in what they were familiar with... being a nanny, service staff, farm work. Tipping was actually started in Europe, and brought back by the wealthy... and it was a perfect way for employers to pay freed slaves a pittance. When minimum wage was being proposed, the South would only vote for it if those jobs were left out, or drastically reduced... because they didn't want minimum wage to apply to blacks. Oh, 'merica...
@@Kelly_BenOmg, that it so not true. What is 'tip' an acronym of? 'To Ensure Promptness'. It had fuck all to do with post-slavery and everything to do with lazy tourists. And yt children were benefitting from tipping long before the abolition of slavery. Like, have you ever read Horatio Alger, ffs? And your claim makes no sense anyway...it's not like there were minimum wage laws in the 19th century. An unscrupulous employer could pay anyone a pittance, regardless of color. Jaysus, I'm a liberal, but that shit was clearly just polemic hysteria you heard somewhere and just accepted at face value.
Just back to Europe from a holiday in the US. The 'almost compulsory' tipping culture is sickening to the core. Waiters/waitresses/hosts, whatever you want to call them, are human beings who deserve to be paid by their employer for their valuable work. It saddened me to see tired people in their later years on their feet almost begging for scraps to survive. It's not right.
Friends of mine from Europe have been saying this to me for years. It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to live in Italy for almost a year that I saw how true it was. It’s not perfect, but no one is saying it is. There are real challenges, just like any other place. But the sources of stress are different when for example you don’t have to stay in a job you hate just because it provides you with health insurance. When health insurance is free, you get your life back not to mention a whole bunch of money stays in your pocket.
I lived in Sweden for 10 years and moved back to Texas two years ago. You couldn’t pay me anything to live in Sweden again. The cold and the dark was too depressing.
@kimberlyberggren3440 Swede here. Yes, the cold and the dark _is_ depressing (Swede here), but, personally, I would rather take dark and cold any day over a society that is run by Greg Abbott and his likes. Besides, Sweden is a long country. The difference between Kiruna, Östersund, Stockholm, and Malmö is quite big. Southern Sweden isn't so bad (although it's nothing like Texas). Priorities, priorities...
@@elisaa9981 As someone who grew up in Malmö and now lives near Stockholm, the -20°C is a huge difference to me in the worst of winter. I was used to dealing with the deepest of winter with just a t-shirt and a wind breaker jacket, because down to -5 isn't that bad. But in minus 20 I have to layer up so much... I'd rather live in Australia where even the cute animals are venomous (even the platypus) than Texas any time, though. Or any other US state.
Wonderfully well said, thank you. I’m a Canadian who has lived in Italy for 40 years. And not to mention cooking every meal from fresh produce and readily available quality ingredients! Such a simple but life changing aspect of everyday living in Europe.
Consider climate and consider trade practices. In Europe, neighboring countries trade freely with one another. In America, which is Continental system comprising many nations (countries, states) trade is controlled by …. Yes, you guessed it …. The US. The US deploys embargoes and tariffs (at a rate of 100% now, thanks to the recent triumph of an elected dictator) to ensure that cooperation and collaboration are impossible. The US uses trade to punish and control and to politically interfere. Imperialist in mindset. Buying groceries in Canada is affordable outside of corporate stores. Few talk about this. Don’t believe what you see on the internet.
I've only been to the US once and it was a shock to the senses. I could not get over the amount of obesity and the amount of older people who had poor mobility. I also did not feel that safe. It felt like a sick nation. Houses looked poorly built and the infrastructure was terrible. It also felt behind Europe in a lot of ways and having to work out the tax on purchases was crazy. Tax is added before you buy in Europe and service is part of your bill in a restaurant. Your not obligated to leave a tip but we often do if the service is good. I would rather pay my higher taxes for better healthcare, infrastructure and a house that won't blow down.
The amount of obesity has noticeably increased in my lifetime. And the saddest part is that "body positivity," whatever good intentions it may have originated from, has degenerated into learned helplessness -- and in extreme cases, even science denial, as they pretend that weight has no bearing on health.
Houses are DEFINITELY poorly built in the US. Wood and plastic. They last 40 years if you're lucky. In England there are still functioning buildings that were built over 1200 years ago.
@@damianjblackMost of the houses in my neighbourhood are from the 1600s-ish. Obviously some repairs or changes have been made (new roofing material, added insulation etc.), but the base housing build and materials haven’t been touched. I sometimes watch historical stuff and it’s so strange when I hear americans call a 150-200-yr-old building “old”!
@@damianjblack I suppose if you live in the hurricane and tornado parts of the US there's little point in building a house to a high standard if you know if going to blown to pieces every couple of years.
Hello "American who moved to Europe". Your video, albeit only scratching the surface is enjoyable, and says a lot. Allow me to point out a couple of things. One is in Europe people working, say in restaurants do not work for $2.19 an hour, but are paid minimum wage, at least. Still though I always give at least something as a tip. You might want to elaborate on the mid-day "break" i n Spain. I think most Americans will not understand this is a matter of hours rather than half an hour. for lunch. I left the US several decades ago. Have lived in England, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Holland and Sweden, as well as seven years in South East Asia. I will never return to the US to live. Americans for the most part live in a bubble of self delusion, perpetuated to a large degree by the powerful and wealthy who fear people might demand real change if ever they found out life outside that bubble has a lot to offer. Good luck in Spain. Live a good life.
One, wiithout America paying your bills, Europe is in for a rude awakening. I really hope we withdrawal form Nato and you guys have to pay for your own military. Also I hope we hit you with tariffs, you are a welfare state of America. Two, mass immigration WILL surely and quickly change Europe, and the quirky culture you cam to enjoy will if the past. You vote for it, you got it.
I’ve got this same connection to Taiwan. I just got back, I was terrified when I landed at JFK, the aggressive vibes scared me after being in a country that values the common good and respect for others.
The aggressive vibes are the same in Canada, but they don't scare me, they piss me off. And I don't like to be pissed off. I love the communal spirit of Asia. I lived in many countries, Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, but never Taiwan.
I hear what you are saying. After growing up in Minnesota, years ago I expatriated in Germany. I am still discovering how good my life is here. I never made a better decision. As time continues I realise how out of step I am with the American plutocracy, that you describe, not being a plutocrat myself. MAGA calls us here (decadent) socialists and communists without understanding what these scare words mean. That is their way of trying to justify American kleptocracy. Good luck my American brothers! But aside from 5% of the population, your future looks gray.
May I ask why you use the word 'expatriated' instead of immigrated? (genuine question 😊) I'm glad that the quality of life has improved so much for you. I personally really like our German neighbors(I'm Dutch) so good choice in country. 😊 Warm greetings from the Netherlands. 🌷
@@BabzVexpatriate usually means you are not permanently going to stay in that country but rather are there for work for a couple of years/ months. The original commenter sounds more like an immigrant to me since they say they moved “years ago”. ;)
Nice video, but I think many of the things you explain are unique to Spain (I'm a Spaniard) and not only that, Spain in a small sized city or village. Dinner time in most of Europe starts at 18:00 or 19:00 depending where you at, siesta is not even common in all Spain, it strongly depends on your work schedule and times. The trend in Spain is to adopt European work times, from 8:00 to 17:00 with 1 hour for lunch, but it is true there are still many jobs with the "split" work time from 8-9 to 12-13 and from 15-16 to 19-20 which allows a 30 minute siesta after a 90 minutes lunch. This is much related to the North-South axis: the Southern regions, due to summer temperatures, will have work times around the hottest hours of the day. The community vs individualism is sadly another thing that is progressively being lost, specially in medium-large sized cities. We still have many local festivities but they are more focussed in the business behind them than in creating a community, but again, that depends. From this video I take you might be in a Southern region of Spain, in a small/medium sized city or even a village where life is really slower.
Ssshhh if Americans find out that there is a better qualify life out there, there will be thousands of American inmigrantes in Europe Property is becoming expensive enough. )))
Yes, I encountered the whole debunking of the busyness myth when I became a Librarian. Before that I was always being pushed to be busy, do the most, be productive, even when I didn't have anything in particular to do. In my current department, my supervisor specifically sat me down and said: Slow down. What you're doing is important, but not life threatening. Its just books. Nobody is going to die so there is no need to rush to get it done. Working faster isn't going to help you be more productive, and the other departments aren't going to move any faster either, so slow down, take your time and be thorough, instead of doing the most work all the time.
@@laraf.111 hard to slow down in usa when the norm is to always working, making money, consuming. Slowing down is not only about less stress , its also about connecting with people/the life. Really hard to reach this goal with the toxic culture of USA about work/life balance
@laraf.111 but slowing down creates space for reflection, creativity, new ideas etc. And apart from that we humans aren't built to be fully focused for 8+ hours a day. Add on distractions like emails, calls etc and there you have your reason to regularly step back and pause 😏
Nice video! I moved to the Netherlands and experienced many of the same things you experienced moving to Spain: more connection, less isolation, a slower pace. One thing that struck me when I last visited the U.S. was how sterile the cities were. People don't live there. A Dutch city street has much more activity. I find life much more liveable here, much more geared toward people's needs.
You are so right I have friends from Indonesia, the Philippines, I show them videos or pictures of the city or the suburbs where I work and the streets are empty and they’re always commenting. “Where is everybody how come the streets are empty? “ the suburbs are the most depressing. You go in the garage sit in your car. Open the garage door. Leave for work. Sit all day at work. Go in your car. Come home. Open the garage door park your car close the garage door walk into your house. You’re never on the street in the neighborhood, you’re not even in the driveway
Thank you for sharing this. I feel the same way as an expat. My husband is Irish so we moved here and life is so much better. Kids are safe, no guns or gun violence, affordable healthcare, great eduction that is way better than the US system hands down, time for a cuppa with friends. Things that really matter has changed for me. I still work and pay the bills but it's so much better here.❤
From the UK there are many things I admire about America but also some things I don't. The "I worked hard so deserve to keep what I earn" mentality ignores the degree luck plays in everything. Tim Minchin nailed it in his honorary doctorate speech as UWA. If you had asupport to get your degree you were lucky to have that environment. If you didn't have that support but made it anyway you were lucky to have that something inside you that overcame that lack. On a basic level if you are not born with something like cystic fibrosis, if you do not suffer from multiple sclerosis, if you don't carry the gene making you 80% likely to develop breast cancer you are already ahead of the game but crucially through NOTHING that you have done. The world is unfair but it has already been unfair in your favour and there are a million different ways in which this can work. So success is never self made. It relies on others. There is no self made millionaire. Everything is collaborative. An inventor needs a sales team. An investor needs a successful manager. America is great if you are the winner but it sucks if you just want to play rather than compete.
I got my Masters degree but I have 6 figure debt I will take to my grave. The masters degree is general because the field I went to school for did not work out. I was unable to secure a full-time job. I have a an invisible disability so getting hired is difficult for me. Mostly due to lack of experience and the fact that due to the high student loan debt, I cannot go back to school to change careers. So I am stuck. Due to the terms on my student loan, I do not qualify for forgiveness due to not having worked full time. I feel like I am being punished for difficulty finding work. In America, you only qualify for employment assistance if your spouse does not make too much money. I need help but my insurance does not cover career advising. Only mental health counseling. I need a coach to help me every step of the way to find a full time job. But I am not destitute so if I can't pay out of pocket for help I'm screwed. I have a Masters degree but I am not fine. I am disabled but not disabled enough to qualify for forgiveness. You must prove you are completely unable to work. If you can lift a finger and you can work any job, your disability does not qualify. So I am both stuck and screwed. We want to move to another country but cannot find out what the best course of action would be to get out.
@sewlove33 I am so sorry to hear about your position and I hope something works out. I had what others might consider a successful career but at the age of 58 I was assessed as autistic. I had the technical skills to be good at my job but not the interpersonal skills to deal with marketing and office politics. So I did well but not as well as others who were not as technically skilled but could work the system better. So on balance I got a good deal from life but also recognise the limitations that were part of my package. Without my technical skills I would have been sunk. I am not arguing that we should ditch capitalism as I have never seen even a concept of a workable alternative but unrestrained capitalism seems to be as bad as unrestrained communism. Both end up with a power structure where those in charge care nothing for the individuals struggling to get by each day. What matters is power and control. There are jobs here in the UK for those with good qualifications. It isn't easy but maybe it offers a possibility 🤞
I think the relative safety and civility in some European countries as opposed to the danger and incivility of the Deluded States surprises a lot of Americans who move here. Add this to a generally educated population that doesn't believe it is the center of the universe, and you have a beautiful new society into which you can integrate. Many blessings from an ex-Californian living in Germany.
Wow - Wow & Wow! I am Hispanic, and all th pluses that you outline fell by the wayside when I moved to the USA. Now it's dinner, alone at 6PM. I have neighbors who tense up when they hear "hello". I have an excellent gathering dust in the garage because road-rage is so provocative. I live in a city where it seems that people are incapable of of negotiating sidewalks and crosswalks without the aid of a phone. On the plus side, I putter in my well-organized. I keep dog treats and stainless steels water bowls for dogs. The latter have turned my garage into a must stop on their walks, so their humans now have two options; speak to me, and interact with others who stop to comment on motorcycles or the garage itself. I am teaching young motorcycle friends how to properly dine - slow eating and conversation is a must. I'm 74, so going somewhere else isn't that feasible. Thanks for an excellent explanation about life from a different perspective.
@Ramon51650 - Thanks for sharing your story 🤗 When I visited Guanajuato, MEX, for the Festival Internacional Cervantino, I was seduced by the pace of each day! Practicing marching bands heralded most mornings! Early lectures & tours gave way to quiet siestas. Evenings were for performances & concerts and dinner was had at 8 or 9 or 10! Music was being made everywhere by everyone. Students filled the streets and women sold handmade art crafts and paintings. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all roses. There were children begging & selling chiclets, the plumbing was tragic and there was refuse alongside the roads . . . But people _LIVED_ as well as worked.
@ Ramon- re 'I'm 74, so going somewhere else isn't that feasible' Well even tho' I'm an atheist I know I could be wrong, but even if so about that, I am sure you will be express delivery heaven-bound 'somewhere else' for all the kindness you are spreading!!😀
Look. I studied abroad for 3 months in Europe and college and that completely changed the way I lived my life today. America has it so backwards.We are not as bad as japan, but pretty close
@@momshouldve Unfortunately, those with power in the US make intentional efforts to quell curiosity and interests in activity that don’t make money of status. When you keep telling people that your country is number 1, that makes the locals believe that any outside information/ outside perspective are useless.
@@HomeFromFarAway Japan has a terrible over-working culture although this moreso has to do with extreme collectivism and deference to authority/ seniority as opposed to the US’s extreme individualism. Basically, Japanese workers are socially pressured to stay in the office until their boss leaves, and even then should the boss want to go onto after work drinking parties, you are also pressured to attend until he (and bosses there are practically always men) wants to leave as well. This leaves people VERY little if any free time for themselves to rest and recuperate.
I’ve known this my whole life, as I had European parents & spent a lot of time in Europe growing up. Americans have really crappy oppressed lifestyles where it’s all work & no play & then they get nothing in return. The average working class European has a far high standard of living than the average American, & crime is low, schools are great, society is just so much better in Europe… like America was a hundred years ago. Yet Americans are constantly brainwashed into thinking “America is the greatest” and most never travel and never see what they’re missing. It’s sad & pathetic.
I think 40 years ago there was a justification in Am3ric4 that the trade-off was a MUCH higher material standard of living and salary than Europe, but that has been eroded and eroded so that all that is left is the work and a lower standard of living.
My cousin who lives in Baltimore asked me this summer, "How do you have time to learn slacklining?" 😅 Idk. It was summer in Stuttgart, I had my leave, and it was a free program provided by the city to get people to the parks...
@@keithbartlett-y8e My friend in the US is exceptionally upper middle class. She was having to cut back on her spending and cancel subscriptions - thats how expensive life had got. She has worked at the same company for 35 years she was fired by SMS whilst in the airport going on holiday, along with her entire team - they outsourced the entire IT operation. About 145 people just binned with no notice, locked out of the building. She has a company pension they gave her a settlement per month - she accepted it and then they "made a mistake" its actually $1,250 less per month than they quoted her so she has had to cough up about $50k for a solicitor to fight that and it will take about 5 years and $250k they estimate. Her health insurance now she is not working is $1,500 a month so thats $18,000 a year. Her adult son had an accident that needs dental work - its not covered for reasons I dont understand but that's going to be $50k for implants. For the dental, the solicitor and 1 year medical she could buy a large villa with a swimming pool in my country and get the dental work done for free and free healthcare. Its getting completely crazy in the US.
Wow - Switerland is reckoned as the ultimate case of the community-driven society (as opposed to an individual-centered one), even by us, Europeans (a Hungarian myself) - must have been an even harsher culture shock for someone coming from the US...
US “culture” is just a shame and punishment system for those who won’t or can’t conform. The idea that it’s about freedom or individuality is laughable.
So...in case you are from the US... why do you not retire on your home continent America, like probably in Brazil, Argentinia, Chile or Mexico, Canada...? When you do not want to retire in the US?
@@dankarubarth7678 Probably because he just said he lived in Europe for 15 years, so that's an environment he knows, and even if he didn't lived in Europe he wants to retire in Europe, why would you proposed him to go to other countries he doesn't want ??
That was amazing!!!! I have been living in Germany for years and I really dont see me returning to the US its just so relaxed here and I am never in a rush to go anywhere or do anything. I just feel free. Thank you for for sharing your story.
Would you mind please to shed some light on your status? Type of visa? How long did entire process take? Did you hire German lawyer to assist with immigration process?
@@sunshadow9704 I work for the US government, and I never have to leave because of my work status. If and when I stop working for the government, I have a German partner, so I could quickly get a resident permit. When I retire one day, I have to prove that I don't need anything from the German government, and they will grant me a residence permit. Many retired military and non-military personnel have residence permits here in Germany.
I use to live in Frankfurt working at the US embassy Germany was a dope spot for this Miami native. Great food, good times, and traveled all over. Not sure if it’s still the same but it was enjoyable day in and day out.
As a Northern European with a Spanish dad, I know that within Europe cultures differ from country to country and that the difference between north and south, east and west is big. In other words, this is but one example.
Yes absolutely they are... but from someone who moved from the US to Germany... the difference inside of Europe are in the details (other than language of course) it really doesn't matter if you have 25 or 33 paid vacation days... both are at least 25 more than most people in the US have... it doesn't matter if the Healthcare if paid by the state or by your employer... you won't go broke because you sneezed one too many times... i have traveled Europe quite extensively in the 5 years i've been here... Public transportation is great everywhere... and yes i mean even tiny villages where the bus only comes every 2 hours.... that's still worlds better than the US... safety anywhere in Europe is miles better because you don't have to expect guns everywhere... as a gay black man... the Police is a million times more friendly and less dangerous... i have NEVER committed a crime... i was arrested 9 times in the 2 years before i left the US... i spend over 2 weeks in prison without ever being charged with anything... not even speeding... You can not imagine the pain and fear so many of us live with every day in the US and how different anywhere in Europe is
@@LoFiAxolotl hey, just a small note: I'm Polish, "every 2 hours" kinda seems like a lot for a tiny village (at least not counting school buses, though I have seen non-students board those) - but still, I'm not sure how many places there are over here that don't have public transport at all
@siliconsulfide8 Okay to be fair i have no visited that many villages outside of Germany, France and the Netherlands... so i was generalizing there... but in any city under 25000 in the US you can be sure there is no public transportation AT ALL whatsoever... and under 300k people there's probably one or two bus routes... and even if you compare Cities like Berlin and the 5 times bigger New York... Berlin has A LOT more public transportation and it's a much more sensible layout... and that's very unique to Germany as far as i know... but for 49€ you can get a monthly ticket that you can use ALL public transportation in germany.... that's insanely cheap... I can take the Train from Berlin to Cologne for free... (granted it takes like 7 hours with those regional trains but still... it's "free")
I am from Germany. I have a few Spanish co workers. They say spain people Are a touch less Stressed. I could say spain represent all of Europe but we Are all the Same in values for live. I like to call me european more than german. I apericiate our close and far away neibours a lot.
Growing up in Miami we would often drive up to Orlando and visit Disney. On the way my favorite pass time was looking at license plates to see what states were visiting. Living in an idyllic port town in Spain I can do the EU version now. The ones I see the most come from France, Germany, Ireland, and UK (Europe not EU). Each place is very much different yet so similar.
So I do ! I am German/Italian, born and living in Germany, but speaking both languages and spent some time in Italy for holidays (Father was Italian). This Mixture of different cultures ( but on a similiar base) it is fantastic. Also to see how EU grow together step by step. Travelling through Europe is so great as there no controlled frontiers and most have samer currency. If I like to live in another culture I easily can do that. My pension can be deliverd quite everywhere. Europe was a great idea.
Worst thing the right wing tories did was to tale UK out of the EU. Whilst in, we enjoyed close ties, easy trading, educational, business and social links to name but a few. Inhope we can return some time.
*EXCEPTIONALLY ELOQUENT LADY* with a wonderful way of explaining things. Just listening to you was a pleasure. EDIT: Im English living in Bulgaria in an apartment block with 85 other families - I know EVERY SINGLE PERSON in this apartment block, in the UK I didn't know the name of my next-door neighbour.
This s spot on. As an American expat living in Spain for 2 1/2 years, I agree and feel I couldn't have made these points better myself. If you're thinking about moving here, a couple additional thoughts: Think hard about your motives. Don't make the move just to save money or to transport your American habits to another country. Come because you seek the lifestyle and cultural immersion, and be prepared to adapt regarding the pace, the values, the customs and the language because that's where the rewards are. If you come with that approach, you will be immensely grateful for the experience and will automatically show gratitude to the locals, which is the other necessity.
After several travels abroad that started in my 40s I came to realize just what you share. It is so true and prevalent in American society to the detriment of living a happy life. We are wired by propaganda to work hard, toil, achieve success (?), and be heavy consumers. What a bunch of bologna! I was on the hamster wheel and just now at 60 trying to jump off! My son has lived in Sweden for some time and he also has discovered how different life can be when you don’t have to worry about your basic needs and work isn’t the most important thing, it’s living! Thank you for sharing your words of wisdom and experience.
Kenyan-American living in Croatia here... The US's great at marketing... everyone wants to go and live there... Spend a season, then make up your mind, it's a billboard of Southern Charm with a realism of Idiocracy... Thanks but, no thanks.
As an American who is currently working in London for a month, and also having the pleasure of working in Spain two years ago for a few weeks, this statement is spot on about the reality of living in the US. Thank you for this video! I am slowly plotting a course to make my way over here permanently.
They kept talking about communist or fascist propaganda but no one does propaganda like the US. Just look at commonly known "stories" about their founding fathers, most of it is marketing, so it start since the beginning. Their form of propaganda isn't hiding the truth, but burying it with so much more BS.
And I really appreciated the way you expressed yourself - contrasting independence with its shadow side, isolation, for example, is both pithy and poetic. You have a gift my dear, and I wish you every success.
I don't know why I got recommended this video, but I have to say: great, wholesome content, put forward by a fine lady. Those things are pretty rare on YT, actually. Thank you.
A wonderful insight into different ways of living your life and so beautifully presented. I live in a small town in the far north of Scotland. It's the sort of place where if you have an appointment that is a 10 minute walk (yes, I walk) from your home you have to leave 30 minutes beforehand because you will meet so many people on the way that just want to say hello; see how you are; tell you their stories and generally just have a nice blether. It is wonderful to have the warm arms of your community around you and it's so soothing to the soul. Whatever needs done will get done:- just don't make yourself ill trying to do everything now.
I agree with all of what you said apart from Europe ‘prioritising people over profit’. They are not mutually exclusive, and we prioritise both- in fact if you have healthy, educated people with stable lives, you get productive, creative and innovative employees.
That's the thing, though - creativity and innovation were never what got profit in a captured market. Squeezing people and throwing them away does. Corporations have been steadily making people pay more for less for decades now.
Wow you articulated this message in such a heartfelt and gentle way while dispelling every American misconception of what our hearts are really longing for. Actually having a life is truly living the American dream and you went abroad to discover that for yourself and courageously shared this epiphany. Thank you for this revelation of what truly matters in life, living.
I’m thankful every day that I’ve never live in the Excited States of America. I also like living in a county that has Medicare and doesn’t normalize gun violence. That’s how normal countries show their patriotism by focusing on what is good for society.
@4:42, here in Ireland we have a political party literally called “People Before Profit”. They made some gains in this election last week. I hope they do well and gain more following in the future.
It is also very clean in Spain. The streets are clean because they have people sweeping them with brooms and picking up trash. I have noticed the same in other European cities in Denmark and in Norway.
As a son of Spaniards, who spent his child hood summers in Spain, but grew up in NYC, I love this video. For years I heard my uncles and aunts who live in Spain tell my father that we were living to work, while they worked to live. My father passed away at 59. His older brother and sister are still enjoying life each over 80 years of age. They're happy, well rounded and content. They may not have as much wealth or money as we have, but I often ask myself, what does that wealth give me? They are happier with less and things are easier and more enjoyable in European cities. They don't live in their apartments or homes. They live at pubs, restaurants, groceries, local shops, in parks and other outdoor places where they can socialize with neighbors and friends. I have a property in Spain that I inherited, and try to visit at least every other year. And when I go, I completely leave my US East Coast, go go go life style in the US and instantly become unburdened and relaxed. I leave my laptop and phone off the entire time I'm there. I'll sit at a table in the street at a pub and have a beer in the afternoon with local friends, while watching my kids play with theirs at 1:00 in the afternoon. No one judges me, and it's not the least bit odd. In the US you couldn't find a bar anywhere near a kids playground. Because here we associate it with binge drinking and drunkenness. In Europe it's common to have a glass. a wine, a beer, or just coffee or a water at a bar in the afternoon. And most kids parks will have one in sight distance, where you can grab some tapas and a drink and relax while keeping an eye on them. The life style is so different. I love it. The only reason I come back is because of my friends and family here. Wish I could take them all with me and live in Spain forever. Great video! @momshouldve .
@@teejay3272 Period. 💯✔️ Especially Millennials-we prioritize self-care but also put in work. However, we do NOT live to work-especially in 2024🙅🏿♂️🙅🏿♂️🙅🏿♂️
@@kenneththevoicethat’s about it, yet your lifestyle is consumerism 101 - if you have never lived abroad you’ll never understand what she is talking about…you’re in the American millennial consumption / mobile phone addition rate race … you’re living a pseudo self-care lifestyle, she however talks about communities…as I said, you don’t seem to understand a thing of what she meant - too young, too privileged too narrow minded
As a German I was nodding along the entire video, agreeing (almost) 100%. Maybe not to the 3 hour lunches (those are more a Belgian or French thing from my experience rather than German). But the rest? Heck, yes. The USA as an entirety has to escape the rat race, take a good long look at what needs fixing, and then get down to doing it.
Still in the states and retired a few years ago and I’ve slowed down, a lot. I get a reality check when making appointments and everyone seems so rushed. My hubby still run, run, runs and says to do nothing is not healthy - which isn’t what I said, but he’s an all or nothing kinda person. Ha ha ha We both watched your video and it really resonates. We were in Bilbao (and Motril, Barcelona and Palma) last year. They all felt safe and were super clean. Glad you discovered and appreciate quality of life while you’re still young - kudos to you.
I am an American living in France, near the Swiss and Italian borders. It is truly impossible to imagine living in the U.S. after integrating into the culture here. I couldn't name a single aspect of American culture that provides better quality of life.
i can think of one... social change... Europe is much more reluctant to the idea of change... (i mean half of the US is too)... there's no major civil rights movement in Europe and many of the social problems that plague the US are also a thing here it's just swept under the rug better because well there's no civil rights movement trying to hold the government accountable
@LoFiAxolotl I wouldn't go that far. There isn't the same civil rights movement because many of those rights were guaranteed in the countries individual Constitutions, unlike the U.S. They have has civil rights movements, the majority came at the end of WWII, but they weren't as violent or political as the movement in the U.S. because the governments did what was right without the need for a public uprising. Take France, just last year adding abortion rights to their Constitution in response to America's political nonsense. Or the EU views on climate change, those are all modern and light years ahead of the U.S. I can name many others if you need.
@@jacobbaran France also has legislature forbidding wearing burkas and other head scarves... Germany literally has in their constitution that it's a christian country and you pay church taxes.... 2 years ago German police was called because a teenager was in a mental health crisis... he didn't have a weapon but over a dozen police officers decided to shoot at him and he was literally executed by a firing squad... Germany is the biggest user of brown coal in the entire world... which is by far the biggest pollutant... and not a single European country has hit their climate goals... the same problems the US has the rest of the world has too... the only thing that is maybe more unique to the US is guns on the street... though there's plenty of countries where that problem also exists
@LoFiAxolotl Just to add, you really should research this. A majority of European countries had individual civil rights movements as well as European Convention on Human Rights. To say otherwise would be to assume segregation or patriarchy are legal here, and I assure you that they are not. Much more so than the U.S.
@@jacobbaran I know people love to ignore problems here... but that doesn't make them go away... no large scale civil movement exist in Europe... segregation ESPECIALLY in France very much exists... The European Convention on Human Rights is not a civil rights movement but a government body... very much the opposite of a civil rights movement and they're also concerned with HUMAN RIGHTS not CIVIL RIGHTS... A patriarchy is legal anywhere in the world i don't know what kind of nonsense that's even supposed to mean... there's no legislature against any organization being run by a man.... stop smoking crack and maybe stop using words you do not understand?
I like the way you explain your experiences. What you see now is not the same all over Europe, but health care and education are very affordable or free almost everywhere. Of course there are private hospitals and private schools, but the basic services are free. That is quality of life. We hear the terrible stories of people facing bankruptcy because of hospital treatment.
The private health insurance I had here was 88 euros a month and it covered everything. I had this before I was on the national system. This price was full coverage. No co-pays. Choice of physicians. The difference is truly striking.
Wow! I can't add anything to add to your comments. You are ABSOLUTELY 100% on spot. I was born in a former French colony but I lived in the U.S. all my life, starting a the age of 2. However, my life and home education was based on the French/European model/culture....I've been naturalized U.S. citizen for over 45 years;. I'm literal American in thinking and work ethics, but I always felt there was something always missing in my life. I worked as a U.S. Civil Servant overseas for over 30 years, and I felt at home, or should I say I was comfortable and happy of being with the cultures and people I met while working overseas. Name a nationality, I had friends and acquaintances form their respective countries. Now I retired and decided to move to France, because, as I mentioned previously, I was raised as a French/European even I lived and became a U.S. citizen. To mirror some the video producers comments, I realized it was an American "mindset" I lived all my life; work, culture, thinking, ....those were the parts of my life that I could not totally immerse myself in. I would like to quote a businessman and UA-cam personality, Mr. Andrew Henderson, who's motto is: "go where you're treated best." Now to the present, I live in France and do as the French do, and I realize this is the part of my life that I was always missing, but I couldn't understand what it was until I moved to France. I don't have any recollection of the French colony where I was born, but my French/European upbringing let me to believe/feel that the U.S. is not my home. Worst thing about its, I didn't know where home was all my younger day professional life. I wanted to be free to do and live a free life without having to pursue fame, money, power and or anything beyond spiritual well being. My grandmother told me before she died, son: "you can be as rich, famous, powerful as you want in life, you can't take none of them with you when you are 7 feet under." Live your life as if it was your last day. I chose the spiritual, freedom, society without guns being the first response to anger. Every morning I go walking around the nearby lake, and every passerby says good morning or salut. Wow! This is the life everyone should life; free, safe, amicable, helpful, .. I'm now home! .
Thank you for making this video! As a US expat/immigrant who left 15 years ago for Europe, this is exactly how I have felt for years, but could not put it into words. 👍
I wish a lot of us in the U.S. really have that option to live abroad. A lot of us, myself included, are overworked and underpaid, and it's pretty much living to work.
As an American who has had more than my share of overseas life and travels - and who now is determined to stay and fight to make things better here in whatever way I can - I'm PLEADING to all the expats to keep voting!!! Most expats don't bother voting and we need your votes!!! All the info you need is online except for the actual ballot...
0:15 " ... some of the things I grew up believing in... are not universal truths ... " we dont need to leave our town, city, state, country, or continent to realize that, do we? 🤔
The thing about hyper-induvidualisn is it makes us individual Americans think we're the center of the universe. Something can't be true unless we think it is.
@jeffersonclippership2588 maybe some, but I've experienced everything this video is about by moving from a city into a smaller town. (I even get free Healthcare from the government.)
The biggest American myth is that America is "the greatest country on earth", because most of the people who say this have never travelled the world. Guess what America, keep aspiring to it.
Wow! Thank you 😊 I've lived in usa for 52 years but traveled to developng countries for business. I've been looking for the answers to why the people in less developed countries seem to live happier and more caring than Americans? You nailed it! "They live to work while Americans work to live" 😢
I guess you messed your last sentence up a bit. The saying (the way I know it) is exactly the opposite: Americans 'live to work', while in other cultures it is more the "work to live" attitude.
This is a lovely video, as a European who loves America, l'm really glad you have found good things and well-being on European shores. Warmest from Cyprus
Amen! I've been living in Europe (Germany) for the past 36 years, and I visit Spain, Italy and Croatia often. Europe has helped me "recover" from so many "American" issues.
A great video ❤ I lived in the States for 2 years. You could not pay me enough to ever set foot in it again. Everything felt fake somehow. I feel truly sorry for those Americans who are chasing the “American Dream” without realising that happiness is based on peace and friendship and community. Not the right to own a gun, or being scared to get sick and lose all your possessions due to health debt.
Well said, they are misguided to think “ the American dream “ is everything, it’s more a nightmare. I did travel nursing for a few winters in America and would never live there even if they pay me to. I came from a country with universal health care and was appalled at the lack of affordable health care for the masses. The wealthy own the health insurance companies and the poor are unable at times to get coverage for their illnesses.
I had the same experience visiting Bilbao in 2000 when I was 16, back when they still used pesetas. I figured there was no way their social norms could have survived through some of their economic shifts over the past 24 years. I'm really happy that you posted this - it gives me hope that sanity has prevailed at least somewhere.
Your last point I found to be a Mediterranean lifestyle type of thing, Greek, Italian, French and Spanish. Breaking bread with others in a casual familiar way is such a blessing. You’re now an immigrant. Suggestion for you. Walk one on the Santiago de Compostela routes there. Life changing experience for sure. Very happy for you and Spanish experiences.
I’m happy for you! I lived in Spain some time and it’s a very beautiful lifestyle! Weather is great, food is healthy and delicious, and they are really friendly people
I am deeply aware that Europe has countries and Spain is one of them. I produced this video to share with those who need a different perspective.
KEY WORD, DREAM. MORE A NIGHTMARE!!! Well Said, AMEN
The hamster wheel only looks like a career ladder from the inside!
Very good 😂
I am going to share that!
Going to pinch that!
wow that is a great analogy!!
Man, that's so spot on!
Tipping culture in the US has always mistified me, as someone who was born, and still lives, in Europe. Your boss is supposed to pay you enough to survive. Tips are gifts for excellent service, they’re not needed for the waiter to have a roof over their head the next month. You’re not supposed to rely on them to buy groceries. Your paycheck SHOULD be enough to get the basics.
Absolutely true! I am Italian and I always thought US tipping culture is workers exploitation, plain and simple. If I devote my time to one job, that job should cover at least the basic needs, since time is one of the most precious resources a human being has got and it is not renewable. US tipping culture means considering waiters' time worthless, as if they were lesser people, and this is just disgusting.
Would you believe that americans who also think the same are crucified by other americans for this opinion? Tipping culture is BAD in america to the point servers will be unpleasant with you and even tamper with your food. Safe to say i dont eat out anymore unless i know someone else will be covering the tip.
@@cremepuffle If I had to pay for the dubious privilege of serving you, I wouldn't be very nice to you either. Under US tax structure, waiters are taxed on 10% of sales - not the actual tips received. If their overall tax rate is 25%, and federal minimum wage is $2.13, then they have to PAY to work on any bill over $86. ($2.13 X 4 X 10). Worded another way, 25 cents comes out of their paycheck for every $10 they sell.
If you don't want to tip - it's better that you don't go out rather than fuck over your server.
The irony is that such a tipping culture just like the American GoFundMe Healtcare trend are practicly taxes on being good to others, those who try to be humane and share are disproportionally burdened by the US system while the greedy get further ahead. Shouldnt surprise anyone that the American society is such a mess with good people falling off the ladder left and right, while the worst kind of people climb to the top.
@EricWeimer-ib4qs the person said they don't eat out anymore. Your vitriol is exactly what he's talking about with American tipping culture.
The problem is that “the American dream” is only a dream for the company _owners_ . For the workers, it’s a nightmare.
“That's why they call it the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it.” ― George Carlin
Yeah. America is good for employers. Europe is good for workers.
@@kdeuler Read 'Draghi Report'.
From 2008 US economy doubled.
Chinese economy went even further.
EU barely moved by a few percent.
EU have a choice (according to Draghi), either become competitive, or become irrelevant within generation - if lucky, or a decade - if not.
He gave EU 3 years to react.
We are almost half way into second year - and nothing.
Europe lives on credit.
And payment is comming due soon.
Inheritance and other people money are about to run out.
I live in the EU country.
The American Dream is well and alive in Europe in Asia in many different parts of the world! 🌎 For those that can play this system it’s one of the few in the world that can make you insanely rich. Most of us want to live and thrive but not actually to be so rich we can buy a small country. The living and thriving is actually quite difficult in the American system and that’s currently the problem!
The "American Dream" was nothing but an advertisement for consumerism after WW2.
Someone said: "The US is a third world country with great marketing". This feels more and more true every day.
😂😂😂
Buddy I don't think u've lived in an actual third world country before.
America's definitely got issues that seem to be getting worse but let's not get carried away.
Not really. The only ones taken in by the propaganda are it’s own citizens. The rest of the world looks on in horror.
@@archlectoryarvi2873We could agree on that it’s a “B” country. Not 3rd world but certainly not 1st either.
@@archlectoryarvi2873 Well, both the USA and underdeveloped countries have in common that the rich lock themselves away in Gated Communities and the like.
@@archlectoryarvi2873 Calm your eagles. It's obviously not meant to be taken literally.
America is not a country with citizens.
It's a business with employees.
Europe is a fiefdom with serfs
You made my heart drop. Your comment NAILED IT.
@ghostrider1827 The sad, disgusting truth of it all.
It's a country of consumers, customers and commodities.
How about a business with wage slaves.
"relying on others isn't weakness, it's humanity", it's community as well as society, we look after and care about each other.
Competition is the law of the jungle, but cooperation is the law of civilization
But do you trust them?
@@EricTD1995 Trusting people is an individual question for individual situations - of course. How else would it be?
This is in covey's seven habits I think. Babies are dependent, we learn independence, but to be really successful we develop interdependence. The skills of delegation, trust, etc.
Indeed. Take it one step further. Self reliance is a lie, making you work hard, while you can't organise together and have strong unions, let alone fight for universal healthcare.
I went to a huge joinery factory in Portugal that employed 250 staff. when we broke for lunch we were told we would be eating in the company canteen. My heart sank because I was hoping for a slap up business lunch.
The company canteen ended up serving restaurant quality food and had wine bottles on every table. I said jokingly to the owner ‘I bet your workers don’t get all this’ making reference to the bottles of wine and multi/course meal.
He put his arm round me in a fatherly way and led me through two big doors which took us into the workers canteen. Every table had bottles of wine and the food was exactly the same as the managers were getting. I ended up with huge respect for this humble and egalitarian millionaire. Europe is different.
Were they operating saws or other hazardous machinery after lunch? 😧
@@AndreiTupolevit's a factory do your guess
@@AndreiTupolev Are you trying to claim that the people working in factories in the US are sober??? That may be true some of the time.
I visited an American paper making mill and we also were fed in the company canteen, it was hamburgers that day, and they were some of the best I have ever had. They had different meals each day.
@@AndreiTupolevpeople in southern Europe are enjoy wime but very little. 1 or 2 Glasses of Wine and it's fine. They have no problems with drinking. Being drunk would be socially most inappropriate. In Germany for contrast, being drunk is part of the culture.
it's so heartwarming to see americans discovering the developed world.
*giggles*
Developed & Civilized World.
I know this is a joke, but it's kinda true...
Americans think we live like kings, when in reality, our standard of living is that of a developing country. American infrastructure is falling apart, cities are rundown, and wealth inequality is massive (just to name a few examples)
Or that the 'undeveloped' world is just developed in another way.
@@Velociter I don't think many Europeans would see this as a joke. I think many of us believe that Amricans mostly live with some kind of psychosis and embrace a form of Capitalism that more and more resembles a slight variation of Feudalism. You serve your lords, which aren't monarchs, but still inherit their power via wealth from their parents. And they don't directly force you to work for them, but they trick you into believing you have to and you depend on them. The end result is the same, though, you basically live in soft Feudalism. Other countries have moved on from that.
This has me in tears. I want out of the U.S. immediately. However, I am the caretaker of my very elderly bed-bound mother, so I'm stuck. I know with every fiber of my being that Texas is NOT where I'm supposed to be. I hope I get out of here before I die. So depressed, but happy for others who've found their way out.
Oh Fran, my hope is that you are able to.
from what I can see there is a growing awareness that the USA needs fundamental changes. perhaps joining a maker-space or other creative group can give you respite? I know caring for an ageing relative is all consuming though. ❤
We want out too. This rats pace is killing us. We dream of moving abroad one day and having a slower and happier pace of life.
While you are taking care of your mother you can learn. Read about different countries. Decide, where you want to live. Learn the language. Do research on the country and the people you want to live with one day. You are not stuck. You are in preperation. All the best to you. 🧡
@@chrissmaerz And learn about their economies and crime as you don't want to move somewhere far from your hometown and be in big trouble. And I say all this having lived abroad and moving back for family too. God Bless you! I know you will do what's best for yourself.
“Leisure is not laziness. It’s living”. Damn
THIS!!
@@ThomasPaine-g6t and living isn’t working
Ahah it sounds like a revelation to you. But This is natural.
I left the US 10 years ago. I hope I never have to go back. It would feel like a terrifying punishment. So many toxic things are normalized and people live with more stress than they realize. The threat of medical debt, gun violence, doing everything alone, few social networks within our political systems, the tasteless and chemical filled food that makes people sick, etc., I could go on and on. Socializing in the US is very unsatisfying. People are looking at their watch the entire time ready to run off to the next thing. When we moved here we had a play date with our daughter and some new friends. We chatted with the parents and the kids played. I thought it would last an hour or two but we ended up ordering pizza and stayed until after 10:00 PM! Talk about culture shock. When they socialize, they sink their teeth in and give their companions their full attention in a relaxed and joyous manner. I love it. We don’t know how to live in the US. There is no work life balance. People take pride in not taking vacation time and our US vacations are pathetic as it is! No thank you. I’m glad you got out. Especially now.
Well said!
But now the proverbial economic bill is coming due.
European lifestyles cannot be sustained.
@@SK-lt1so Economic bill coming to whom?
@@baronmeduse
Uhhh...all of Europe
@@SK-lt1so Explain this mechanism to me.
Title should say "living in Spain." As Europe is by no means a monolith. Spain is nothing like the UK or Germany for instance, but probably very similar other Southern European nations. And possibly some parts of Latin America too
THIS. I'm from Poland and our life approach isn't as healthy as more Southern and Western Europe :
Really,is living in Wales the same as North Ireland or Scotland or England? I was under the impression those countries that make up the United Kingdom and are somewhat different to each other lol
@@drewbranch7700 All those countries are in the same region, North-West Europe. Regions are mainly categoried by geographic location and cultural overlap. Variation WITHIN countries or continental regions exists but tends to be far less than ACROSS continental regions or continents as a whole.
Its completely nonsensical to compare living in the USA to living in Europe, as one is a country the other is a continent with several countries, and a significant level of variation across regions!
“As Europe is by no means a monolith. Spain is nothing like the U.K “ I concur the continent of Europe is not a monolith,but where we deviate at is the United Kingdom part,sure Spain is nothing like the U.K,but are countries that make up the U.K a monolith. Sure it’s the same region,but it’s intellectually dishonest to claim or infer that they are all the same. Your logic there was flawed,and I have been to most of the countries that make up the U.K,so that’s why I thought it was such a vacuous statement. I don’t think it’s nonsensical for someone to say they live in a continent per se without being specific about where they actually reside;unless of course,you are dealing with a pedantic individual. I have heard people say,”are you from across the pond”;it doesn’t bother me,I then asked them if they could expatiate on the meaning. Some people could have thought of loads of things or even countries,so have some patience and realize things don’t always have to be perfectly stated according to your liking all the time. Don’t have a monolithic mindset and try to expand on your thoughts.
The title is probably more for the American audience who wouldn't understand the differences in Europe. But more would be interested in learning about living in "Europe" rather than just "Spain". It's a good catchy title.
And the saddest thing of all is that those Americans trapped in the American Dream believe they are free.
Nah some of us have no illusions about what we're dealing with. It's getting the rest of us to understand that's the issue.
No, I would love to immigrate elsewhere. But if you are an american from one of the poorest areas, it is nearly but not completely impossible to get away.
Freedom in the USA is freedom to be the opposition party n not get locked up for it, china, Russia, for example, locks up critics, its not financial freedom, thats it.
We are ALL, to a greater or lesser extent, trapped in mental prisons, built by the powers that be in our societies, and maintained primarily by media empires and educational institutions, along with any other authorities we encounter. The USA has been steeped in a culture strongly biased towards maintaining the dominance of those at the top of the hierarchy; a pervasive and oppressive conformity was all but inescapable until the fifties, when the beat generation started a pushback which culminated in the counterculture of the sixties and largely fizzled at the end of it, when the pendulum began to swing back hard with the authoritarian war on drugs and televangelist radicalisation of the bible belt; abortion used to be fine with these people, for instance. When blanket oppression failed, the emphasis shifted to divide and conquer. If you zoom way out and squint, all you can see is the dynamic of a tiny sliver of the populace perpetuating their dominance through whatever means which get the job done, with the ill effects on the populace and the world at large disregarded at best, or perhaps more likely considered a feature rather than a bug by the vile ruling class. The world is dying for their demented sake. Top-down organisation is toxic insanity - our only salvation can be anarchy (the political definition, not the ignorant synonym for chaos).
They are trapped in the dream because they're sleeping and won't wake up.
“American Exceptionalism” is another cruel myth. I live in Canada. I find so many Americans just assume that their way of doing things is best, even that it is has God’s stamp of approval, that they were chosen for a special destiny.
I saw the cruelty of the myth most strikingly as a boy during the Vietnam war. The confidence that American governments had in their power to re-make another nation half-way around the world was misplaced, and conscripted military service tore apart the lives of a million families.
I am embarrassed that I didn’t mention the millions of lives in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos that were torn apart. The colonialist mindset is hard to shake.
@oldpossum57 isn't more than just a colonial mindset. It's pure Western greed but also narcistic scycopathy. Dealing whot the west is like dealing whit a person whit a narcistic scycopathic personality disorder. No matter what you say or what you do, that person is always looking for ways to intervere in your life. To meddle in your affairs one way or the other.
Absolutely nailed it.
Merican exceptionalism - we're the best. Our systems are the best - let's face it - EVERY country today took on board the US system of 3 separate but co-equal branches of government. Australia & Canada took more - like the US, we're a bunch of colonies of the UK that came together to form a modern nation in 1840 (Canada) & 1901 (Australia).
You Mericans have your heads up yo butts in many cases. You think you're so good that you literally can't see just how bad your system is. From an overseas perspective - oh, it's super bad. And we wonder what it's gonna take for you to see how bad it actually is.
This is the same thing I hate so much about Russia.
Though to an extent every major geopolitically relevant nation/culture seems to have this sentiment.
They still do, and to some degree, the Brits, who still think in terms of Empire. A few years ago, some Brit commented about Kurds being abandon in Iraq, Syria etc... after the war, he say why don't we just draw the map for them. Conveniently forgetting or ignoring that most of the world conflict was precisely because the colonist drew the maps which only benefitted the West that cause so much problem to these day.
"Independance is powerfull but connection is transformative"
.... what a gem
2:31 "The mid break allows me to be more productive". Such an American thing to say! Feeling good is not enough, it must also make you more productive in order to be worth doing. As a recovering workaholic, I understand the feeling. Live and learn!
It's funny, but it's true. Sometimes doing less is actually more. You live better and you work better, no drawbacks.
Yeah, I got a little sad listening to that. People have a hard time getting away from that overworking culture. Things have to be productive to be worth it for them
What if productivity for her is exercise or a hobby? Productivity isn’t always related to work
@@AnnaBell033 She was talking about work, that's why.
It is an argument to convince bosses not to pressure their employees and not to view every break as laziness.
What a breath of fresh air you are. I am a retired/disabled veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and had to mostly withdraw from society. I have not worked since retirement and being 100% rated by the VA; spending my day doing as I please has led to many people scrutinizing my way of life. I got tired of the negativity and presumed jealousness - been called lazy, continually reminded that I have no job, etc. Thanks for this.
they hate that you get to enjoy yourself
I find that most of them are of the Maga type! maybe it's just me?
Yes! Enjoy your retirement and thank you for your service to our country. You have nothing to feel guilty about! I'm 8 years retired and love every moment of it. My health is a bit compromised but I'm able to get around on my own. So many people I knew died within a year of retirement.
@@jerrydavila5647 yes! So many of my friends that retired from the armed forces, younger and older, are already gone because of service connected ailments. I’m glad that you and others have your health after retirement
Thank you for your service, your sacrifice. You deserve that "you" time now. Her advice to reach out to others is good advice.
I live in Spain too and moving here it was wild how quickly the daily fear i lived with as a gay man melted away
I am genuinely happy for you. Best wishes!
I am so happy you made the move.
@ my husband is Mexican, we did it right after the Jan 6. We just had a sense things would continue to get worse there. Zero regrets
As a European, this makes my heart very happy that you feel comfortable here
@@user-pr2xj1bm4u My husband is now Spanish & I will be in another couple years, we are proud and grateful to be here
This reminds me of a quote I read in “The Hedonism Handbook” by Michael Flocker: “In America, you are all in this mad race to be number one. And you know what? You win! You can be number one. Here [in Europe], we would rather enjoy our lives.”
This has always resonated with me.
Some consider it the rat race, others consider it hustle culture. It’s definitely the best way to miss out on what truly matters.
@@momshouldve Even Rats relax at times.
"Leisure isn't laziness, it's living."
I grew up in the UK with a similar mindset and by 2014 [44] I was worth €6 million - and I was not happy once the novelty wore off. Its not like the movies and that is exactly what you are expecting. I suffered brain damage in a mugging and lost everything, which was a blessing in disguise - it allowed me to admit it was no MY dream I was chasing it was society's dream that had been programed into me.
I could never have admitted that without losing everything - you cant admit you have wasted 25 years of your life chasing a pointless dream you dont even want.
I now live a tiny minimalist life doing the things I enjoy.
@@piccalillipit9211 Peace of mind is priceless.
I'm European, and I can tell you, that there is a massive difference between countries in Europe. Can't just call it Europe as if all you're saying about Europe is the same all over. Massive difference between Norway, Great Britain, Serbia and Spain just to pick a few countries.
From an inside view, the are massive differences even within the regions of each country in europe. She provides an outside view: Your "massive difference" shrinks massively down when seen on her US background.
Yeah I was thinking the same, but for americans, most european countries will be a majour step upwards in terms of quality of life. (also they love to sometimes think EU = Europe = a country
Looking at the comments of Americans moving to Germany and other European countries, while each culture is different, the shift from the American mindset to the generalized European mindset is similar. The same could be said of different states and regions of the US, such as living in NYC vs a small rural town in the west, but from a European perspective, they’d be pretty similar in many respects.
Exactly. I live in Hungary, which is the poorest country in the EU. An expat with US or Western European money will absolutely live like a king here, but for many hungarians, life is miserable. Many live paycheck to paycheck, our wages are terrible, food prices are high, and most of the food you can buy is shit. The healthcare system barely functions. The infrastructure is shit, especially our railways. We're probably moments away from a massive railway disaster. Education is shit. The goverment is the most corrupt in all of Europe. The people are miserable.
With that, I'd still wouldn't live in the USA, but I just want to examplify that there are shitholes in Europe too.
@@tesznye6992Sorry to hear, I didn't know things were that bad in Hungary.
You nailed everything. I’m an immigrant who’s been living in the USA for 26 years and I’m moving to Spain at the end of the month and renouncing U.S. citizenship. I’ve become repulsed.
Safe travels!
Bienvenido! Were you originally Spanish?
@patrickortiz2898 oh the irony....
@@patrickortiz2898 you proved johnsilver’s point
@@patrickortiz2898 You can't handle the honesty.
"Your freedom from gun violence is protected" chef's kiss
What's a "chef's kiss"?
gesture of satisfaction or approval made by kissing the fingertips of one hand and then spreading the fingers with an outward motion.
I'm referring to how well it reframes the "gun debate". In Europe we very much prefer "the freedom from gun violence" to "the freedom to bear arms"
@@JRspeaking
@@JRspeaking a tiresome meme.
FOOL @@Lightw81
@Lightw81 perhaps, but I can imagine it's not as tiresome as hearing about the deluge of "thoughts and prayers" after yet another school shooting knowing that neither of these will make your children any safer when they leave for school in the morning.
"Your freedom from gun violence is protected." Lol, love the phrasing! Not sure many non-Americans will have caught that.
How are they protected from gun violence? What protects them?
Yes, we caught it. We are very well aware of the excuse American’s use to “protect our freedom to own guns”.
Not having the US constitution protects us. That thing is a bin fire on paper.
It is blatantly obvious to non-Americans.
you bet we do
We left the US 5 years ago when we got the opportunity and decided we didn't want our daughter to grow up there. I'm so grateful that she is being brought up in a more kind and (dare I say it) culturally free place where we are now. My nephews in the states are that same age as her and already suffering anxiety attacks from homework overload- tonight my daughter has to chop garlic and onion to bring in tomorrow because they are baking bread, and she has already surpassed them in maths and science. I love your channel, your presentation is so calming.
I'm a Canadian and my wife has some relatives in Texas. We went for a visit some years back and they are very nice, hospitable people. Some time after our visit to Texas, I had a job in Calgary and invited them to come have a look at Alberta and experience the Stampede. Three things stuck with me about the American culture, they couldn't seem to shake while they were in Canada. We mentioned that we had the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp) and it was supported by the government so there was a certain amount of Canadian content on the TV. They were genuinely gobsmacked that we wouldn't just want all our TV to be American. They believed that everyone in the world wanted to be American, but the poor dears had the misfortune to be born in another country. When we went to the Stampede, we took the train to downtown as parking would have been impossible. On the way back the train was packed and there were some drunks causing a ruckus. Some people near them suggested they shut up and things settled down without a major incident. The next day my wife's cousin felt it necessary to mention to her that they felt we had put them in danger by taking the train at night. Di said "No one on that train had a weapon and the worst case the loud mouth might have gotten a punch in the face." They couldn't believe that with the number of people on the train, no one would have a gun. We took them for a trip around the Canadian Rockies and they were impressed, especially there granddaughter when we saw a moose. We suggested going to Drumheller where there is a world class museum full of dinosaur skeletons. They declined because the world was only 6000 years old and Gawd made it. They really didn't want their granddaughter to see scientific information that might shake her Christian indoctrination. My wife and I not being Christians, were like "Wow, that is some serious denial."
Greetings! Calgarian here, now living in BC. I married an American 15 years ago. ALL his friends in Washington, DC cooed and gushed with relief, "Whew, now you can get an American passport!" "NO THANKS!" I said, to their complete disbelief. Marriage didn't last. He hated it when I cheered for Canada during the Olympics - or when I stood politely/respectully, but didn't sing the US national anthem at hockey games...
Doh! Just dawned on me why they have had to import scientists!!!
I’d have asked them if they thought the Flintstones were a cartoon or a documentary?
@@David-p9y9c Yup, and pretty sure Republicans mistook "Hand Maid's Tale" for a manual not a novel.
Thanks for the story about the Texans. Yes, creationist and fundamentalist Christianity have had a dreadful impact on the United States, and it’s disguised by the fact of accomplishments elsewhere in the United States. The Texans believe their country is the “greatest”, but they ignore that ALL its contemporary greatness depends on its technological and scientific achievements - which wholly eschew creationism!
"Nobody ever gave me a handout. I got where I am through hard work!"
Says every worker living paycheck to paycheck in a run down rathole. That's the worst thing about the American dream. It teaches self reliance and ruthlessness where community and compassion would be a hundred times more effective. People would rather accept poverty than help because they think it makes them weak. Our strength lies in our bonds, not in isolation.
its the old GOP playbook for poor people who hate other poor people that don't look like them. "Bubba, the reason why you're working two jobs and still living in a trailer is because of all those poor OTHER folk you already dont like. They are what's keeping you down, not my at the golf course with my friends thinking about how I can squeeze more hours out of you for less pay.". This trick has worked on poor desperate white people in American for the past 100 years. Last time I checked there wasn't really any blacks, muslims, hispanics or gay people running fortune 500 companies screwing little Bubba and Peggy Sue over. But this is what they have been brainwashed to belive.
That explains why Americans, especially those living in rural areas, always vote against their own self interests. I've seen the poverty for myself and wonder HTF do they accept this?
There is a training exercise I've seen used.
A group is broken up into 3 teams and the rules are simple. There are going to be 5 rounds worth $$ . Each round you simply choose to maximize your profit, or cooperate. If everyone maximizes their profit, everyone makes $50. If everyone chooses to cooperate, then everyone gets $100. If it's not unanimous, then everyone who chooses to cooperate makes $30 and anyone who choses to maximize makes $120.
Round 1 is done blind, then there is a meeting before round 2.
If you do the math, the way to make the most total money is to cooperate every round. Americans are the absolute worst at this game and about 90% of the time will break the cooperation deal on round 5.
you think it's any different anywhere else???
It keeps people divided so they are easily subdued by a stronger entity: a big company or the government. The more extreme case of absolute individualism is Russia. It has what a century of supposed collectivism turned the country to: extreme "look after yourself without ever looking sideways" ideology. This allows the government and companies to pluck people one by one, why the rest just ignores what happens. Until it is their turn, but they think it will never be their turn.
We just moved to Spain 2 months ago. I’m still adjusting from working in NYC for 35 years. I do love it here and I’m learning how to slow down. I’m grateful.
Would you mind please to shed some light on your status? Type of visa? How long did entire process take? Did you hire Spanish lawyer to assist with immigration process?
@holmbergaudio Which is why Americans are so stressed. They have the biggest government, claim to love small government, yet theirs gives them nothing. It's sad, and that's why they have among the highest stress levels among developed nations.
American expat living in the UK here, I will say that the UK is far from perfect but I do definitely relate to what you’re saying about breaking away from a lot of toxic ways of thinking about social connections and work life balance. Where I live in the UK, no one asks me about what I do for a living, they ask what I like and am interested in. If my current job is getting me down, I have a tea break, or I go to the pub afterwards, and on top of it all I don’t have to stress about paying for health insurance. It’s a huge relief and is something I’m quite thankful for.
As a UK born person who has moved away and doesn't like the "Americanisation" of British culture, your comment is really interesting. I suppose everything really is relative.
Whereabouts in the UK? As an English northerner living down south, I find the London commuter belt rat race so much more like America than eg Manchester or Leeds
Ex-pat is just a cope word so you don't admit to yourself you are an immigrant
@ I am an immigrant, I have no problem admitting that. I tend to use those words interchangeably, though you’re right I should probably not use expat for that reason.
@@lukacvitkovic8550 It's just a word invented by white people who don't want to call themselves immigrants.
Great 👌 I lived in the US for 13 years but was so thankful when it was time to come home to the UK. I got to walk around the streets again; pass the time of day with strangers, not feel like I was on a roller coaster of stress and enjoy my life again. Agree with everything you said XX😊
I've lived in the USA since 1982. I'm from Cambridge, but would like to move to Spain or France.
Welcome to the free world, glad to have you onboard! Best regards Dan in Sweden 😊
Thanks Dan in Sweden! It’s such a pleasure to have healthcare!🤣
True freedom - not the fake, manufactured freedom they're selling in the States these days ☹️
Loved this!
I think she forgot the myth that the US is supposed to be a democracy
Best wishes from Norway, Spain its a really nice country. I really like Malaga ,its so many nice places in Spain
Here in Europe people who work in restaurants generally earn enough to live. In the US the customers are in essence paying the waiters wages through tips as the employer pays next to nothing. And the customers don't bat a eyelid. They suck it up. It's just another good example of hyper capitalism gone mad.
Europe has more rules and regulations to keep things more fair in society. Americans have been brainwashed to believe that regulation is bad so the system takes advantage of that. This behavior becomes the norm and is easily accepted throughout the generations. in essence, Americans have less freedom than Europeans because they’ve become beholden to the capitalist system (without reflecting on reality) and those in government who maintain it.
Unless the owner or manager steals their tips which is often .
The ugly truth behind American tipping is that it started after slavery. Many freed slaves sought work in what they were familiar with... being a nanny, service staff, farm work. Tipping was actually started in Europe, and brought back by the wealthy... and it was a perfect way for employers to pay freed slaves a pittance. When minimum wage was being proposed, the South would only vote for it if those jobs were left out, or drastically reduced... because they didn't want minimum wage to apply to blacks. Oh, 'merica...
@@Kelly_BenOmg, that it so not true. What is 'tip' an acronym of? 'To Ensure Promptness'. It had fuck all to do with post-slavery and everything to do with lazy tourists. And yt children were benefitting from tipping long before the abolition of slavery. Like, have you ever read Horatio Alger, ffs? And your claim makes no sense anyway...it's not like there were minimum wage laws in the 19th century. An unscrupulous employer could pay anyone a pittance, regardless of color. Jaysus, I'm a liberal, but that shit was clearly just polemic hysteria you heard somewhere and just accepted at face value.
Just back to Europe from a holiday in the US. The 'almost compulsory' tipping culture is sickening to the core. Waiters/waitresses/hosts, whatever you want to call them, are human beings who deserve to be paid by their employer for their valuable work. It saddened me to see tired people in their later years on their feet almost begging for scraps to survive. It's not right.
Friends of mine from Europe have been saying this to me for years. It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to live in Italy for almost a year that I saw how true it was. It’s not perfect, but no one is saying it is. There are real challenges, just like any other place. But the sources of stress are different when for example you don’t have to stay in a job you hate just because it provides you with health insurance. When health insurance is free, you get your life back not to mention a whole bunch of money stays in your pocket.
I live in Sweden.. I’ve been living abroad for almost 12 years now. You couldn’t pay to move back to the U.S.
I lived in Sweden for 10 years and moved back to Texas two years ago. You couldn’t pay me anything to live in Sweden again. The cold and the dark was too depressing.
@@kimberlyberggren3440 come to Australia, we've got all the sunshine, too much of it really! :P
@kimberlyberggren3440 Swede here. Yes, the cold and the dark _is_ depressing (Swede here), but, personally, I would rather take dark and cold any day over a society that is run by Greg Abbott and his likes. Besides, Sweden is a long country. The difference between Kiruna, Östersund, Stockholm, and Malmö is quite big. Southern Sweden isn't so bad (although it's nothing like Texas).
Priorities, priorities...
@@elisaa9981 As someone who grew up in Malmö and now lives near Stockholm, the -20°C is a huge difference to me in the worst of winter. I was used to dealing with the deepest of winter with just a t-shirt and a wind breaker jacket, because down to -5 isn't that bad. But in minus 20 I have to layer up so much...
I'd rather live in Australia where even the cute animals are venomous (even the platypus) than Texas any time, though. Or any other US state.
@@catwatts6352…which is best for Black Americans:
Sydney or Melbourne?
Wonderfully well said, thank you. I’m a Canadian who has lived in Italy for 40 years. And not to mention cooking every meal from fresh produce and readily available quality ingredients! Such a simple but life changing aspect of everyday living in Europe.
Imagine how much they would charge for these ingredients in Canada.
A lot. We like to have a glass of 🍷 with dinner, a decent Primitivo is about €6.00 here, but about €22 in BC
Milk €2.33/L, vs. About €1.09
Consider climate and consider trade practices. In Europe, neighboring countries trade freely with one another. In America, which is Continental system comprising many nations (countries, states) trade is controlled by …. Yes, you guessed it …. The US.
The US deploys embargoes and tariffs (at a rate of 100% now, thanks to the recent triumph of an elected dictator) to ensure that cooperation and collaboration are impossible.
The US uses trade to punish and control and to politically interfere. Imperialist in mindset.
Buying groceries in Canada is affordable outside of corporate stores. Few talk about this. Don’t believe what you see on the internet.
I've only been to the US once and it was a shock to the senses. I could not get over the amount of obesity and the amount of older people who had poor mobility. I also did not feel that safe. It felt like a sick nation. Houses looked poorly built and the infrastructure was terrible.
It also felt behind Europe in a lot of ways and having to work out the tax on purchases was crazy. Tax is added before you buy in Europe and service is part of your bill in a restaurant. Your not obligated to leave a tip but we often do if the service is good. I would rather pay my higher taxes for better healthcare, infrastructure and a house that won't blow down.
The amount of obesity has noticeably increased in my lifetime. And the saddest part is that "body positivity," whatever good intentions it may have originated from, has degenerated into learned helplessness -- and in extreme cases, even science denial, as they pretend that weight has no bearing on health.
Houses are DEFINITELY poorly built in the US. Wood and plastic. They last 40 years if you're lucky. In England there are still functioning buildings that were built over 1200 years ago.
Spot on👏👏👏💪🏴@@damianjblack
@@damianjblackMost of the houses in my neighbourhood are from the 1600s-ish. Obviously some repairs or changes have been made (new roofing material, added insulation etc.), but the base housing build and materials haven’t been touched. I sometimes watch historical stuff and it’s so strange when I hear americans call a 150-200-yr-old building “old”!
@@damianjblack I suppose if you live in the hurricane and tornado parts of the US there's little point in building a house to a high standard if you know if going to blown to pieces every couple of years.
Hello "American who moved to Europe". Your video, albeit only scratching the surface is enjoyable, and says a lot. Allow me to point out a couple of things. One is in Europe people working, say in restaurants do not work for $2.19 an hour, but are paid minimum wage, at least. Still though I always give at least something as a tip. You might want to elaborate on the mid-day "break" i n Spain. I think most Americans will not understand this is a matter of hours rather than half an hour. for lunch. I left the US several decades ago. Have lived in England, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Holland and Sweden, as well as seven years in South East Asia. I will never return to the US to live. Americans for the most part live in a bubble of self delusion, perpetuated to a large degree by the powerful and wealthy who fear people might demand real change if ever they found out life outside that bubble has a lot to offer. Good luck in Spain. Live a good life.
Well put.
One, wiithout America paying your bills, Europe is in for a rude awakening. I really hope we withdrawal form Nato and you guys have to pay for your own military. Also I hope we hit you with tariffs, you are a welfare state of America. Two, mass immigration WILL surely and quickly change Europe, and the quirky culture you cam to enjoy will if the past. You vote for it, you got it.
And that minimum wage is a reasonable wage
@@sarahmitchell821 Its a living wage, as such so called tipping is not necessary.
@@roscored1000 Exactly. It's a reasonable wage and not one that puts you below the poverty line unless topped up by tips
I’ve got this same connection to Taiwan. I just got back, I was terrified when I landed at JFK, the aggressive vibes scared me after being in a country that values the common good and respect for others.
The aggressive vibes are the same in Canada, but they don't scare me, they piss me off. And I don't like to be pissed off. I love the communal spirit of Asia. I lived in many countries, Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, but never Taiwan.
Taiwan is part of a five thousand year old sivilization with great values.
Taiwan only exists because of American protectionism.
@@holmbergaudio conservatives aren't exactly sunshine and roses either 😂
Many Americans see respect for the common good as an infringement on "personal freedom".
I hear what you are saying. After growing up in Minnesota, years ago I expatriated in Germany. I am still discovering how good my life is here. I never made a better decision. As time continues I realise how out of step I am with the American plutocracy, that you describe, not being a plutocrat myself. MAGA calls us here (decadent) socialists and communists without understanding what these scare words mean. That is their way of trying to justify American kleptocracy. Good luck my American brothers! But aside from 5% of the population, your future looks gray.
May I ask why you use the word 'expatriated' instead of immigrated? (genuine question 😊)
I'm glad that the quality of life has improved so much for you.
I personally really like our German neighbors(I'm Dutch) so good choice in country. 😊
Warm greetings from the Netherlands. 🌷
@@BabzVexpatriate usually means you are not permanently going to stay in that country but rather are there for work for a couple of years/ months. The original commenter sounds more like an immigrant to me since they say they moved “years ago”. ;)
Nice video, but I think many of the things you explain are unique to Spain (I'm a Spaniard) and not only that, Spain in a small sized city or village. Dinner time in most of Europe starts at 18:00 or 19:00 depending where you at, siesta is not even common in all Spain, it strongly depends on your work schedule and times. The trend in Spain is to adopt European work times, from 8:00 to 17:00 with 1 hour for lunch, but it is true there are still many jobs with the "split" work time from 8-9 to 12-13 and from 15-16 to 19-20 which allows a 30 minute siesta after a 90 minutes lunch. This is much related to the North-South axis: the Southern regions, due to summer temperatures, will have work times around the hottest hours of the day. The community vs individualism is sadly another thing that is progressively being lost, specially in medium-large sized cities. We still have many local festivities but they are more focussed in the business behind them than in creating a community, but again, that depends. From this video I take you might be in a Southern region of Spain, in a small/medium sized city or even a village where life is really slower.
This deserves more views.
Thank you so much. Please share it with someone who needs to see it. 🤍🤍
I agree!
Ssshhh if Americans find out that there is a better qualify life out there, there will be thousands of American inmigrantes in Europe Property is becoming expensive enough. )))
Then keep sharing this video with your family and friends and acquaintances.
@@iberiano-ls2rv😂
Yes, I encountered the whole debunking of the busyness myth when I became a Librarian. Before that I was always being pushed to be busy, do the most, be productive, even when I didn't have anything in particular to do.
In my current department, my supervisor specifically sat me down and said: Slow down. What you're doing is important, but not life threatening. Its just books. Nobody is going to die so there is no need to rush to get it done. Working faster isn't going to help you be more productive, and the other departments aren't going to move any faster either, so slow down, take your time and be thorough, instead of doing the most work all the time.
Often slowing down feels so alien. I know it's hard to do. It's a blessing that you supervisor has the wherewithal to know what's best.
I'm trying to slow down too, but then I feel guilty, like I should be more productive. 😕
@@laraf.111 hard to slow down in usa when the norm is to always working, making money, consuming. Slowing down is not only about less stress , its also about connecting with people/the life. Really hard to reach this goal with the toxic culture of USA about work/life balance
@@laraf.111never feel guilty. Be cool.
@laraf.111 but slowing down creates space for reflection, creativity, new ideas etc. And apart from that we humans aren't built to be fully focused for 8+ hours a day. Add on distractions like emails, calls etc and there you have your reason to regularly step back and pause 😏
Nice video! I moved to the Netherlands and experienced many of the same things you experienced moving to Spain: more connection, less isolation, a slower pace. One thing that struck me when I last visited the U.S. was how sterile the cities were. People don't live there. A Dutch city street has much more activity. I find life much more liveable here, much more geared toward people's needs.
You are so right I have friends from Indonesia, the Philippines, I show them videos or pictures of the city or the suburbs where I work and the streets are empty and they’re always commenting. “Where is everybody how come the streets are empty? “ the suburbs are the most depressing.
You go in the garage sit in your car. Open the garage door. Leave for work. Sit all day at work. Go in your car. Come home. Open the garage door park your car close the garage door walk into your house. You’re never on the street in the neighborhood, you’re not even in the driveway
Thank you for sharing this. I feel the same way as an expat. My husband is Irish so we moved here and life is so much better. Kids are safe, no guns or gun violence, affordable healthcare, great eduction that is way better than the US system hands down, time for a cuppa with friends. Things that really matter has changed for me. I still work and pay the bills but it's so much better here.❤
From the UK there are many things I admire about America but also some things I don't. The "I worked hard so deserve to keep what I earn" mentality ignores the degree luck plays in everything. Tim Minchin nailed it in his honorary doctorate speech as UWA. If you had asupport to get your degree you were lucky to have that environment. If you didn't have that support but made it anyway you were lucky to have that something inside you that overcame that lack. On a basic level if you are not born with something like cystic fibrosis, if you do not suffer from multiple sclerosis, if you don't carry the gene making you 80% likely to develop breast cancer you are already ahead of the game but crucially through NOTHING that you have done. The world is unfair but it has already been unfair in your favour and there are a million different ways in which this can work. So success is never self made. It relies on others. There is no self made millionaire. Everything is collaborative. An inventor needs a sales team. An investor needs a successful manager. America is great if you are the winner but it sucks if you just want to play rather than compete.
I got my Masters degree but I have 6 figure debt I will take to my grave. The masters degree is general because the field I went to school for did not work out. I was unable to secure a full-time job. I have a an invisible disability so getting hired is difficult for me. Mostly due to lack of experience and the fact that due to the high student loan debt, I cannot go back to school to change careers. So I am stuck.
Due to the terms on my student loan, I do not qualify for forgiveness due to not having worked full time. I feel like I am being punished for difficulty finding work. In America, you only qualify for employment assistance if your spouse does not make too much money. I need help but my insurance does not cover career advising. Only mental health counseling. I need a coach to help me every step of the way to find a full time job. But I am not destitute so if I can't pay out of pocket for help I'm screwed. I have a Masters degree but I am not fine.
I am disabled but not disabled enough to qualify for forgiveness. You must prove you are completely unable to work. If you can lift a finger and you can work any job, your disability does not qualify. So I am both stuck and screwed. We want to move to another country but cannot find out what the best course of action would be to get out.
@sewlove33 I am so sorry to hear about your position and I hope something works out. I had what others might consider a successful career but at the age of 58 I was assessed as autistic. I had the technical skills to be good at my job but not the interpersonal skills to deal with marketing and office politics. So I did well but not as well as others who were not as technically skilled but could work the system better. So on balance I got a good deal from life but also recognise the limitations that were part of my package. Without my technical skills I would have been sunk. I am not arguing that we should ditch capitalism as I have never seen even a concept of a workable alternative but unrestrained capitalism seems to be as bad as unrestrained communism. Both end up with a power structure where those in charge care nothing for the individuals struggling to get by each day. What matters is power and control. There are jobs here in the UK for those with good qualifications. It isn't easy but maybe it offers a possibility 🤞
@@BirkguitarsRespect total Respect 🏴👏👏👏🙏💪
I think the relative safety and civility in some European countries as opposed to the danger and incivility of the Deluded States surprises a lot of Americans who move here. Add this to a generally educated population that doesn't believe it is the center of the universe, and you have a beautiful new society into which you can integrate.
Many blessings from an ex-Californian living in Germany.
Thanks!
Wow - Wow & Wow! I am Hispanic, and all th pluses that you outline fell by the wayside when I moved to the USA. Now it's dinner, alone at 6PM. I have neighbors who tense up when they hear "hello". I have an excellent gathering dust in the garage because road-rage is so provocative. I live in a city where it seems that people are incapable of of negotiating sidewalks and crosswalks without the aid of a phone. On the plus side, I putter in my well-organized. I keep dog treats and stainless steels water bowls for dogs. The latter have turned my garage into a must stop on their walks, so their humans now have two options; speak to me, and interact with others who stop to comment on motorcycles or the garage itself. I am teaching young motorcycle friends how to properly dine - slow eating and conversation is a must. I'm 74, so going somewhere else isn't that feasible. Thanks for an excellent explanation about life from a different perspective.
Your comment starts on such a down & finishes on a high. Your not a victim anymore, the others are & you've given some of them a chance to change. 👍
@Ramon51650 - Thanks for sharing your story 🤗 When I visited Guanajuato, MEX, for the Festival Internacional Cervantino, I was seduced by the pace of each day! Practicing marching bands heralded most mornings! Early lectures & tours gave way to quiet siestas. Evenings were for performances & concerts and dinner was had at 8 or 9 or 10! Music was being made everywhere by everyone. Students filled the streets and women sold handmade art crafts and paintings.
Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all roses. There were children begging & selling chiclets, the plumbing was tragic and there was refuse alongside the roads . . . But people _LIVED_ as well as worked.
@ Ramon- re 'I'm 74, so going somewhere else isn't that feasible'
Well even tho' I'm an atheist I know I could be wrong, but even if so about that, I am sure you will be express delivery heaven-bound 'somewhere else' for all the kindness you are spreading!!😀
@@reflective5001 Thank you for the kind wishes; I too am an atheist inspired by Butterfly McQueen.
“Freedom isn’t isolation, it’s connection” ❤
Look. I studied abroad for 3 months in Europe and college and that completely changed the way I lived my life today. America has it so backwards.We are not as bad as japan, but pretty close
I wish more people would take the time to explore new cultures like you did and see that there are different ways to live life.
@@momshouldve
Unfortunately, those with power in the US make intentional efforts to quell curiosity and interests in activity that don’t make money of status. When you keep telling people that your country is number 1, that makes the locals believe that any outside information/ outside perspective are useless.
What did you start by saying look. ???
as bad as japan?... I am curious
@@HomeFromFarAway
Japan has a terrible over-working culture although this moreso has to do with extreme collectivism and deference to authority/ seniority as opposed to the US’s extreme individualism. Basically, Japanese workers are socially pressured to stay in the office until their boss leaves, and even then should the boss want to go onto after work drinking parties, you are also pressured to attend until he (and bosses there are practically always men) wants to leave as well. This leaves people VERY little if any free time for themselves to rest and recuperate.
I’ve known this my whole life, as I had European parents & spent a lot of time in Europe growing up. Americans have really crappy oppressed lifestyles where it’s all work & no play & then they get nothing in return. The average working class European has a far high standard of living than the average American, & crime is low, schools are great, society is just so much better in Europe… like America was a hundred years ago. Yet Americans are constantly brainwashed into thinking “America is the greatest” and most never travel and never see what they’re missing. It’s sad & pathetic.
I think 40 years ago there was a justification in Am3ric4 that the trade-off was a MUCH higher material standard of living and salary than Europe, but that has been eroded and eroded so that all that is left is the work and a lower standard of living.
My cousin who lives in Baltimore asked me this summer, "How do you have time to learn slacklining?" 😅 Idk. It was summer in Stuttgart, I had my leave, and it was a free program provided by the city to get people to the parks...
I grew up traveling internationally and still fell victim to it.
Now I'm understanding a little more how Trump got elected
@@keithbartlett-y8e My friend in the US is exceptionally upper middle class. She was having to cut back on her spending and cancel subscriptions - thats how expensive life had got. She has worked at the same company for 35 years she was fired by SMS whilst in the airport going on holiday, along with her entire team - they outsourced the entire IT operation. About 145 people just binned with no notice, locked out of the building.
She has a company pension they gave her a settlement per month - she accepted it and then they "made a mistake" its actually $1,250 less per month than they quoted her so she has had to cough up about $50k for a solicitor to fight that and it will take about 5 years and $250k they estimate.
Her health insurance now she is not working is $1,500 a month so thats $18,000 a year. Her adult son had an accident that needs dental work - its not covered for reasons I dont understand but that's going to be $50k for implants.
For the dental, the solicitor and 1 year medical she could buy a large villa with a swimming pool in my country and get the dental work done for free and free healthcare.
Its getting completely crazy in the US.
I hope you are very happy in your new home! -former American living in Switzerland, and loving it
Very...likewise.
Idem. Been living in Switzerland for over 4 decades, raised my 2 daughters here. I could never go back, especially now.
Wow - Switerland is reckoned as the ultimate case of the community-driven society (as opposed to an individual-centered one), even by us, Europeans (a Hungarian myself) - must have been an even harsher culture shock for someone coming from the US...
US “culture” is just a shame and punishment system for those who won’t or can’t conform. The idea that it’s about freedom or individuality is laughable.
I’ve lived in Europe for nearly 15 years and will retire here shortly…this is sooooo spot on!
So...in case you are from the US... why do you not retire on your home continent America, like probably in Brazil, Argentinia, Chile or Mexico, Canada...? When you do not want to retire in the US?
@@dankarubarth7678 Probably because he just said he lived in Europe for 15 years, so that's an environment he knows, and even if he didn't lived in Europe he wants to retire in Europe, why would you proposed him to go to other countries he doesn't want ??
Most of us live our lives blinded from reality. You are one of the few to break free of our brainwashing and propaganda. Well done :)
That was amazing!!!! I have been living in Germany for years and I really dont see me returning to the US its just so relaxed here and I am never in a rush to go anywhere or do anything. I just feel free. Thank you for for sharing your story.
Do you know Uyen Ninh? You have to watch her if you don't😂
Would you mind please to shed some light on your status? Type of visa? How long did entire process take? Did you hire German lawyer to assist with immigration process?
@@sunshadow9704 I work for the US government, and I never have to leave because of my work status. If and when I stop working for the government, I have a German partner, so I could quickly get a resident permit. When I retire one day, I have to prove that I don't need anything from the German government, and they will grant me a residence permit. Many retired military and non-military personnel have residence permits here in Germany.
I use to live in Frankfurt working at the US embassy Germany was a dope spot for this Miami native. Great food, good times, and traveled all over. Not sure if it’s still the same but it was enjoyable day in and day out.
@@tezzyboy79 I see. You're lucky one.
As a Northern European with a Spanish dad, I know that within Europe cultures differ from country to country and that the difference between north and south, east and west is big. In other words, this is but one example.
Yes absolutely they are... but from someone who moved from the US to Germany... the difference inside of Europe are in the details (other than language of course) it really doesn't matter if you have 25 or 33 paid vacation days... both are at least 25 more than most people in the US have... it doesn't matter if the Healthcare if paid by the state or by your employer... you won't go broke because you sneezed one too many times... i have traveled Europe quite extensively in the 5 years i've been here... Public transportation is great everywhere... and yes i mean even tiny villages where the bus only comes every 2 hours.... that's still worlds better than the US... safety anywhere in Europe is miles better because you don't have to expect guns everywhere... as a gay black man... the Police is a million times more friendly and less dangerous... i have NEVER committed a crime... i was arrested 9 times in the 2 years before i left the US... i spend over 2 weeks in prison without ever being charged with anything... not even speeding...
You can not imagine the pain and fear so many of us live with every day in the US and how different anywhere in Europe is
@@LoFiAxolotl hey, just a small note: I'm Polish, "every 2 hours" kinda seems like a lot for a tiny village (at least not counting school buses, though I have seen non-students board those) - but still, I'm not sure how many places there are over here that don't have public transport at all
@siliconsulfide8 Okay to be fair i have no visited that many villages outside of Germany, France and the Netherlands... so i was generalizing there... but in any city under 25000 in the US you can be sure there is no public transportation AT ALL whatsoever... and under 300k people there's probably one or two bus routes... and even if you compare Cities like Berlin and the 5 times bigger New York... Berlin has A LOT more public transportation and it's a much more sensible layout... and that's very unique to Germany as far as i know... but for 49€ you can get a monthly ticket that you can use ALL public transportation in germany.... that's insanely cheap... I can take the Train from Berlin to Cologne for free... (granted it takes like 7 hours with those regional trains but still... it's "free")
I am from Germany. I have a few Spanish co workers. They say spain people Are a touch less Stressed. I could say spain represent all of Europe but we Are all the Same in values for live. I like to call me european more than german. I apericiate our close and far away neibours a lot.
Growing up in Miami we would often drive up to Orlando and visit Disney. On the way my favorite pass time was looking at license plates to see what states were visiting. Living in an idyllic port town in Spain I can do the EU version now. The ones I see the most come from France, Germany, Ireland, and UK (Europe not EU). Each place is very much different yet so similar.
So I do ! I am German/Italian, born and living in Germany, but speaking both languages and spent some time in Italy for holidays (Father was Italian). This Mixture of different cultures ( but on a similiar base) it is fantastic. Also to see how EU grow together step by step. Travelling through Europe is so great as there no controlled frontiers and most have samer currency. If I like to live in another culture I easily can do that. My pension can be deliverd quite everywhere. Europe was a great idea.
Worst thing the right wing tories did was to tale UK out of the EU. Whilst in, we enjoyed close ties, easy trading, educational, business and social links to name but a few. Inhope we can return some time.
Interesting. A poster on a forum I’m a member of is in Spain. She is terribly stressed and hates her job. It’s affecting her health.
*EXCEPTIONALLY ELOQUENT LADY* with a wonderful way of explaining things. Just listening to you was a pleasure.
EDIT: Im English living in Bulgaria in an apartment block with 85 other families - I know EVERY SINGLE PERSON in this apartment block, in the UK I didn't know the name of my next-door neighbour.
I came to Spain from AZ 16 yrs ago. Although I miss people there, I am not going back.
I will share your video. Thank you
How were you able to move? How did you get residency?
This s spot on. As an American expat living in Spain for 2 1/2 years, I agree and feel I couldn't have made these points better myself. If you're thinking about moving here, a couple additional thoughts: Think hard about your motives. Don't make the move just to save money or to transport your American habits to another country. Come because you seek the lifestyle and cultural immersion, and be prepared to adapt regarding the pace, the values, the customs and the language because that's where the rewards are. If you come with that approach, you will be immensely grateful for the experience and will automatically show gratitude to the locals, which is the other necessity.
After several travels abroad that started in my 40s I came to realize just what you share. It is so true and prevalent in American society to the detriment of living a happy life. We are wired by propaganda to work hard, toil, achieve success (?), and be heavy consumers. What a bunch of bologna! I was on the hamster wheel and just now at 60 trying to jump off! My son has lived in Sweden for some time and he also has discovered how different life can be when you don’t have to worry about your basic needs and work isn’t the most important thing, it’s living! Thank you for sharing your words of wisdom and experience.
Kenyan-American living in Croatia here... The US's great at marketing... everyone wants to go and live there... Spend a season, then make up your mind, it's a billboard of Southern Charm with a realism of Idiocracy... Thanks but, no thanks.
As an American who is currently working in London for a month, and also having the pleasure of working in Spain two years ago for a few weeks, this statement is spot on about the reality of living in the US. Thank you for this video! I am slowly plotting a course to make my way over here permanently.
Croatia of all places! I am from Croatia, but living in the UK. How did you choose Croatia?
Why not go to Kenya?
They kept talking about communist or fascist propaganda but no one does propaganda like the US. Just look at commonly known "stories" about their founding fathers, most of it is marketing, so it start since the beginning. Their form of propaganda isn't hiding the truth, but burying it with so much more BS.
@@trawsoza2926 Because for Americans, the US is 'home'. So why don't you want to make your home better, instead of telling people to leave?
You should have a gig in broadcasting. Your diction is just perfect! By far the best I've heard on UA-cam!
She has a beautiful voice.
And I really appreciated the way you expressed yourself - contrasting independence with its shadow side, isolation, for example, is both pithy and poetic. You have a gift my dear, and I wish you every success.
I don't know why I got recommended this video, but I have to say: great, wholesome content, put forward by a fine lady. Those things are pretty rare on YT, actually. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
A wonderful insight into different ways of living your life and so beautifully presented. I live in a small town in the far north of Scotland. It's the sort of place where if you have an appointment that is a 10 minute walk (yes, I walk) from your home you have to leave 30 minutes beforehand because you will meet so many people on the way that just want to say hello; see how you are; tell you their stories and generally just have a nice blether. It is wonderful to have the warm arms of your community around you and it's so soothing to the soul. Whatever needs done will get done:- just don't make yourself ill trying to do everything now.
I agree with all of what you said apart from Europe ‘prioritising people over profit’. They are not mutually exclusive, and we prioritise both- in fact if you have healthy, educated people with stable lives, you get productive, creative and innovative employees.
That's the thing, though - creativity and innovation were never what got profit in a captured market. Squeezing people and throwing them away does. Corporations have been steadily making people pay more for less for decades now.
Dream on
In biotech, medicine, pharma...the productivity comes from the USA, not Europe.
@@SK-lt1so "Productivity"?
@@Timeskipper-g2n
Uhhh, yeah-like the major products medications,, research, Nobel prizes, medical devices...
"Productivity" by any definition
@@SK-lt1so Well well well, is that so? Do you happen to have any stats?
Wow you articulated this message in such a heartfelt and gentle way while dispelling every American misconception of what our hearts are really longing for. Actually having a life is truly living the American dream and you went abroad to discover that for yourself and courageously shared this epiphany. Thank you for this revelation of what truly matters in life, living.
Welcome to Spain, sister. I hope you stay for a long time and enjoy our peaceful lifestyle.
I’m thankful every day that I’ve never live in the Excited States of America. I also like living in a county that has Medicare and doesn’t normalize gun violence. That’s how normal countries show their patriotism by focusing on what is good for society.
As a Canadian, I concur.
@4:42, here in Ireland we have a political party literally called “People Before Profit”. They made some gains in this election last week. I hope they do well and gain more following in the future.
Thank you for this! And…
Freedom from gun violence!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
It is also very clean in Spain. The streets are clean because they have people sweeping them with brooms and picking up trash.
I have noticed the same in other European cities in Denmark and in Norway.
As a son of Spaniards, who spent his child hood summers in Spain, but grew up in NYC, I love this video. For years I heard my uncles and aunts who live in Spain tell my father that we were living to work, while they worked to live. My father passed away at 59. His older brother and sister are still enjoying life each over 80 years of age. They're happy, well rounded and content. They may not have as much wealth or money as we have, but I often ask myself, what does that wealth give me? They are happier with less and things are easier and more enjoyable in European cities. They don't live in their apartments or homes. They live at pubs, restaurants, groceries, local shops, in parks and other outdoor places where they can socialize with neighbors and friends. I have a property in Spain that I inherited, and try to visit at least every other year. And when I go, I completely leave my US East Coast, go go go life style in the US and instantly become unburdened and relaxed. I leave my laptop and phone off the entire time I'm there. I'll sit at a table in the street at a pub and have a beer in the afternoon with local friends, while watching my kids play with theirs at 1:00 in the afternoon. No one judges me, and it's not the least bit odd. In the US you couldn't find a bar anywhere near a kids playground. Because here we associate it with binge drinking and drunkenness. In Europe it's common to have a glass. a wine, a beer, or just coffee or a water at a bar in the afternoon. And most kids parks will have one in sight distance, where you can grab some tapas and a drink and relax while keeping an eye on them. The life style is so different. I love it. The only reason I come back is because of my friends and family here. Wish I could take them all with me and live in Spain forever. Great video! @momshouldve .
americans live to work, in europe we work to live.
I'm an American. I don't live to work. MILLIONS don't.
@@teejay3272statistics show otherwise
It's the same in Britain.
@@teejay3272 Period. 💯✔️ Especially Millennials-we prioritize self-care but also put in work.
However, we do NOT live to work-especially in 2024🙅🏿♂️🙅🏿♂️🙅🏿♂️
@@kenneththevoicethat’s about it, yet your lifestyle is consumerism 101 - if you have never lived abroad you’ll never understand what she is talking about…you’re in the American millennial consumption / mobile phone addition rate race … you’re living a pseudo self-care lifestyle, she however talks about communities…as I said, you don’t seem to understand a thing of what she meant - too young, too privileged too narrow minded
As a German I was nodding along the entire video, agreeing (almost) 100%. Maybe not to the 3 hour lunches (those are more a Belgian or French thing from my experience rather than German). But the rest? Heck, yes. The USA as an entirety has to escape the rat race, take a good long look at what needs fixing, and then get down to doing it.
That's a brunch, lunch and afternoon tea combined! More people should try that 👀
It’s not a brunch . Since when drink Belgians and French tea after lunch . We drink coffee and digestive after lunch .
Germany😅
3h just an special celebration.
Never in workdays
Birthday
Christmas
Not so common
I wouldn't cope with 3h lunch at work. Give me 30 minutes and I'll spend the other 2,5 at home, after work.
I'm Swedish, btw.
Still in the states and retired a few years ago and I’ve slowed down, a lot. I get a reality check when making appointments and everyone seems so rushed. My hubby still run, run, runs and says to do nothing is not healthy - which isn’t what I said, but he’s an all or nothing kinda person. Ha ha ha We both watched your video and it really resonates. We were in Bilbao (and Motril, Barcelona and Palma) last year. They all felt safe and were super clean. Glad you discovered and appreciate quality of life while you’re still young - kudos to you.
I am an American living in France, near the Swiss and Italian borders.
It is truly impossible to imagine living in the U.S. after integrating into the culture here. I couldn't name a single aspect of American culture that provides better quality of life.
i can think of one... social change... Europe is much more reluctant to the idea of change... (i mean half of the US is too)... there's no major civil rights movement in Europe and many of the social problems that plague the US are also a thing here it's just swept under the rug better because well there's no civil rights movement trying to hold the government accountable
@LoFiAxolotl I wouldn't go that far. There isn't the same civil rights movement because many of those rights were guaranteed in the countries individual Constitutions, unlike the U.S.
They have has civil rights movements, the majority came at the end of WWII, but they weren't as violent or political as the movement in the U.S. because the governments did what was right without the need for a public uprising.
Take France, just last year adding abortion rights to their Constitution in response to America's political nonsense. Or the EU views on climate change, those are all modern and light years ahead of the U.S.
I can name many others if you need.
@@jacobbaran France also has legislature forbidding wearing burkas and other head scarves... Germany literally has in their constitution that it's a christian country and you pay church taxes.... 2 years ago German police was called because a teenager was in a mental health crisis... he didn't have a weapon but over a dozen police officers decided to shoot at him and he was literally executed by a firing squad... Germany is the biggest user of brown coal in the entire world... which is by far the biggest pollutant... and not a single European country has hit their climate goals...
the same problems the US has the rest of the world has too... the only thing that is maybe more unique to the US is guns on the street... though there's plenty of countries where that problem also exists
@LoFiAxolotl Just to add, you really should research this. A majority of European countries had individual civil rights movements as well as European Convention on Human Rights.
To say otherwise would be to assume segregation or patriarchy are legal here, and I assure you that they are not. Much more so than the U.S.
@@jacobbaran I know people love to ignore problems here... but that doesn't make them go away... no large scale civil movement exist in Europe... segregation ESPECIALLY in France very much exists...
The European Convention on Human Rights is not a civil rights movement but a government body... very much the opposite of a civil rights movement and they're also concerned with HUMAN RIGHTS not CIVIL RIGHTS...
A patriarchy is legal anywhere in the world i don't know what kind of nonsense that's even supposed to mean... there's no legislature against any organization being run by a man.... stop smoking crack and maybe stop using words you do not understand?
I like the way you explain your experiences. What you see now is not the same all over Europe, but health care and education are very affordable or free almost everywhere. Of course there are private hospitals and private schools, but the basic services are free. That is quality of life. We hear the terrible stories of people facing bankruptcy because of hospital treatment.
The private health insurance I had here was 88 euros a month and it covered everything. I had this before I was on the national system. This price was full coverage. No co-pays. Choice of physicians. The difference is truly striking.
Such a powerful video! Thank you for addressing these myths. 💚💚
Wow! I can't add anything to add to your comments. You are ABSOLUTELY 100% on spot. I was born in a former French colony but I lived in the U.S. all my life, starting a the age of 2. However, my life and home education was based on the French/European model/culture....I've been naturalized U.S. citizen for over 45 years;. I'm literal American in thinking and work ethics, but I always felt there was something always missing in my life. I worked as a U.S. Civil Servant overseas for over 30 years, and I felt at home, or should I say I was comfortable and happy of being with the cultures and people I met while working overseas. Name a nationality, I had friends and acquaintances form their respective countries.
Now I retired and decided to move to France, because, as I mentioned previously, I was raised as a French/European even I lived and became a U.S. citizen.
To mirror some the video producers comments, I realized it was an American "mindset" I lived all my life; work, culture, thinking, ....those were the parts of my life that I could not totally immerse myself in. I would like to quote a businessman and UA-cam personality, Mr. Andrew Henderson, who's motto is: "go where you're treated best."
Now to the present, I live in France and do as the French do, and I realize this is the part of my life that I was always missing, but I couldn't understand what it was until I moved to France.
I don't have any recollection of the French colony where I was born, but my French/European upbringing let me to believe/feel that the U.S. is not my home. Worst thing about its, I didn't know where home was all my younger day professional life. I wanted to be free to do and live a free life without having to pursue fame, money, power and or anything beyond spiritual well being. My grandmother told me before she died, son: "you can be as rich, famous, powerful as you want in life, you can't take none of them with you when you are 7 feet under."
Live your life as if it was your last day. I chose the spiritual, freedom, society without guns being the first response to anger. Every morning I go walking around the nearby lake, and every passerby says good morning or salut. Wow! This is the life everyone should life; free, safe, amicable, helpful, ..
I'm now home!
.
Welcome home! Thank you for sharing your story with me.
Why have I not discovered you sooner? I just felt my body exhale at the thought of living in a slower paced environment. Thank you for your channel.
Thank you for making this video! As a US expat/immigrant who left 15 years ago for Europe, this is exactly how I have felt for years, but could not put it into words. 👍
I wish a lot of us in the U.S. really have that option to live abroad. A lot of us, myself included, are overworked and underpaid, and it's pretty much living to work.
As an American who has had more than my share of overseas life and travels - and who now is determined to stay and fight to make things better here in whatever way I can - I'm PLEADING to all the expats to keep voting!!! Most expats don't bother voting and we need your votes!!! All the info you need is online except for the actual ballot...
It's long past time to fight. America is circling the drain.
0:15 " ... some of the things I grew up believing in... are not universal truths ... " we dont need to leave our town, city, state, country, or continent to realize that, do we? 🤔
The thing about hyper-induvidualisn is it makes us individual Americans think we're the center of the universe. Something can't be true unless we think it is.
Only if your 🧠 is small
@jeffersonclippership2588 maybe some, but I've experienced everything this video is about by moving from a city into a smaller town. (I even get free Healthcare from the government.)
The biggest American myth is that America is "the greatest country on earth", because most of the people who say this have never travelled the world. Guess what America, keep aspiring to it.
“..it’s called the American Dream.. bc you hafta be asleep to believe it.” ~ George Carlin
American dream is nightmare for a European. So Georg was right
Wow! Thank you 😊 I've lived in usa for 52 years but traveled to developng countries for business. I've been looking for the answers to why the people in less developed countries seem to live happier and more caring than Americans? You nailed it! "They live to work while Americans work to live" 😢
What European country is 'less developed' than USA? I think you have a very USA-centric view of what 'developed' means.
@@sufferable They didn't say that they traveled only in Europe.
I guess you messed your last sentence up a bit. The saying (the way I know it) is exactly the opposite: Americans 'live to work', while in other cultures it is more the "work to live" attitude.
@@sundayoliver3147 exactly 💯, thank you 😊 🙏
@@gerohubner5101 lol! 😁 you're right! Thank you 😊 🙏
As a German I've never understood how Americans think they're a free country. Just basic human rights are non-existent.
So true.
This is a lovely video, as a European who loves America, l'm really glad you have found good things and well-being on European shores. Warmest from Cyprus
Hands down, one of the best videos I’ve seen all year. Thank you so much. This is just confirmation for me.
It's my pleasure. All the best to you. Get on your background check ASAP, the FBI is already slow and they are promising to make it slower.
A lot of Americans need to see this!
Amen! I've been living in Europe (Germany) for the past 36 years, and I visit Spain, Italy and Croatia often. Europe has helped me "recover" from so many "American" issues.
Thanks for sharing!
A great video ❤ I lived in the States for 2 years. You could not pay me enough to ever set foot in it again. Everything felt fake somehow. I feel truly sorry for those Americans who are chasing the “American Dream” without realising that happiness is based on peace and friendship and community. Not the right to own a gun, or being scared to get sick and lose all your possessions due to health debt.
So true….its an awful place compared to Europe and Scandinavia….so backwards…
Well said, they are misguided to think “ the American dream “ is everything, it’s more a nightmare. I did travel nursing for a few winters in America and would never live there even if they pay me to. I came from a country with universal health care and was appalled at the lack of affordable health care for the masses. The wealthy own the health insurance companies and the poor are unable at times to get coverage for their illnesses.
I had the same experience visiting Bilbao in 2000 when I was 16, back when they still used pesetas. I figured there was no way their social norms could have survived through some of their economic shifts over the past 24 years. I'm really happy that you posted this - it gives me hope that sanity has prevailed at least somewhere.
Your last point I found to be a Mediterranean lifestyle type of thing, Greek, Italian, French and Spanish. Breaking bread with others in a casual familiar way is such a blessing. You’re now an immigrant. Suggestion for you. Walk one on the Santiago de Compostela routes there. Life changing experience for sure. Very happy for you and Spanish experiences.
Forgot: Croatia, Slovenia, Albania, Cyprus, Portugal, Monaco and Malta.
I live along the Camino de Santiago. I see so many pilgrims, especially during the summer.
I’m happy for you! I lived in Spain some time and it’s a very beautiful lifestyle! Weather is great, food is healthy and delicious, and they are really friendly people
Normalized stress, inequality and fear. So good to hear this- I am sometimes profoundly lonely- eating and talking can be healing.
This sounds beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing. I’ve seriously been thinking about a move to Spain (and I’ve never even been there 😂😂).
Yes, never forget to live ! Greetings from Hamburg
Great video. I hope you don't get too much grief from your country people. Appreciate the honesty
It's been wild. But I guess that's what I'm in for being on YT