u/Proffeshional

Wife and I purchased the ikon base pass for next season. She had a fall at the end of last season that we didn’t learn was an ACL tear till she got an mri this summer (she skied another 5 ish days after the injury without realizing). Surgery is coming up in a few weeks, so she won’t be skiing this winter.

I thought it was no big deal and we could just defer her pass but alas… they got rid of that option this year.

We would love to cancel, defer, or “sell” the pass to someone else and transfer ownership but it seems none of those options exist.

Is there anything we can do? Some option I’m missing? Tips for how to get value out of an ikon pass for someone who won’t ski at all?

Hi all,

My wife and I currently live in the US, and we are looking for places to move so I can complete a PhD.

I am in communication with some faculty at DTU which is very compelling academically. I expect my salary would be about 38k dkk based on the scales I’ve seen.

I would also get a $1100 USD (~7k dkk) monthly living stipend from my past US military service. This is tax free if attending a US university, but I am not sure if it would still be tax free in Denmark.

So that puts me at 45k DKK monthly salary before tax.

My wife and I intend to start a family shortly after starting my PhD, so she is choosing to not work during this period.

Is that enough to reasonably support a modest lifestyle for myself, a stay at home spouse, and 1-2 future children?

It seems I can find modest 3 room living accommodations near ish to DTU for 15k dkk, which “seems” like it leaves enough leftover for a modest lifestyle.

Is this doable?

I'm a mechanical research engineer at a U.S. national lab working on opto-mechanical design and R&D. By the time I'd start a PhD, I'll have around five years of experience and an M.S.

I've always liked the idea of doing a PhD. The chance to really dive into one technical problem for a few years instead of constantly chasing changing priorities sounds awesome to me. For a long time I figured it just wasn't in the cards because I couldn't justify living on a typical grad student stipend.

Recently I found out that some European universities, especially DTU in Copenhagen, hire PhD students as employees. The pay seems pretty reasonable relative to the cost of living, and from everything I've read, the work-life balance also seems a lot healthier than many U.S. PhD programs. I've found a few professors doing research that's closely related to what I already work on and could see myself really enjoying.

Specifically, I have DTU in Copenhagen, NTNU in Trondheim, KTH in Stockholm, TU Eindhoven, and Upsalla on my list. These schools were selected based on perceived WLB, perceived pay relative to cost of living, and interest in living in those locations. I have some semblance of what to expect culturally due to spending a lot of time with Swedes for work, but I recognize it's a small sample size, and Swedes ≠ Norwegians ≠ Danes ≠ Dutch and so on.

I also lived in Germany for a few years as a kid, and I've always wanted to go back. The idea of spending 3–4 years there with my spouse, and starting our family there, sounds like a really unique opportunity.

Long term, I want to stay in research but eventually move into technical leadership. I'd plan to come back to the U.S. after finishing the PhD.

The catch is that I'd be around 28, married, and we'd probably be looking to have our first kid during the PhD. The alternative is a healthy U.S. salary, and putting roots down where we want to be long term.

One thing I'm struggling with is that I'm not really expecting the PhD to unlock a bunch of career opportunities that I'd otherwise never have. I already work in research, and I expect I could continue down that path without one.

The draw for me is more personal than anything else: getting to spend a few years immersed in my research, living in Europe again, experiencing academia, and doing all of that without taking the kind of financial hit that most U.S. PhD programs would require. If anything, I suspect I'd come back with experiences that would make me at least as competitive as if I'd stayed in industry.

Is that actually a good enough reason to do a PhD? Or will I end up regretting stepping away from industry?

NOTE: I polished up the post with AI, but the base draft was written by yours truly.... sue me.

Hi all! I have been waiting for a buy a battery, get a free tool deal to appear for either Bauer or Hercules to start my power tool collection. With the deals on both brands in the upcoming parking lot sale, I am torn on which way to go.

I am looking at getting an electric ratchet, and a 1/2 inch drive impact gun to start. I was leaning Hercules until I saw that Hercules has a split between 12v and 20v tools, meaning I will need two *different* batteries to cover both tools. This makes me lean Bauer so I can just use Bauer 20v batteries for everything I buy.

I have a few Bauer corded tools already, with mixed feelings. I have the corded orbital palm sander, detail sander, and 5 gal shop vac. The shop vac is kinda terrible, and the sanders are "fine." So I don't have the best impression of Bauer, but they have all been good enough.

So, is Hercules worth having multiple types of batteries, or is Bauer good enough for a typical amateur automotive mechanic like myself?

Notes:

- I already own a Dewalt 20v drill and impact for home repair stuff. Don't want to go full dealt though due to costs.

- Not sure what other tools I will be interested in long term, but future expansion is in my mind as well.