Honest advice on US to EU plan
My wife [33F] and I [33M] are considering leaving the US on a trial basis (1 year+) to give a real shot to something we’ve considered for a while: leave the American hustle culture, politics, and lack of consumer protections for somewhere at least somewhat more civilized, where work doesn’t feel like everything, politics aren’t cartoonishly extreme, and simple pleasures in life haven’t been crushed by commodification.
Some facts about us:
-1 child (6mo), 1 cat
-VHCOL, ~2.5m NW, $800k+ annual HHI in tech and insurance
-US / EU dual citizenship via France, wife is US / UK
-I speak proficient French and Spanish, intermediate Italian, wife speaks English only
Why we want to switch things up:
-We are both very burnt out of our corporate jobs and while we love our city, the money we’re making is really just giving us a lifestyle we don’t need.
-We want to spend more time with our son and have better work-life balance in a place where that is part of the culture (vs fighting against it)
-We want to see if a lifestyle change (incl potential part time work) and living in a new place is something we’re truly interested in, while we still have just one young kid (risk/complexity will only increase from here). If we were ever to try this in earnest, now is probably the time.
-We can probably afford it; we could likely budget $100k-$200k to float us for a year if we didn’t get jobs, but my wife is already at the offer stage for fairly flexible 6-figure USD remote job
What we want to do:
-Move to a city likely where English is commonly spoken enough for my wife to be able to get by (eg, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin but open to suggestions)
-She takes this job and I find something in my field (and/or part time work to bridge), but generally we work less than we do now and subsidize from a predetermined portion of savings as needed while the rest of our nest egg continues to grow
-We spend more time with our son, take small trips, try to live at a slightly slower pace as a family
Why this could be a bad idea:
-Opportunity cost: we’re both doing great in our careers at the right time in our lives, and it could be hard to return to the same level if we leave for too long. My wife would have an easier time, but tech is a brutal market right now.
-Rose-colored glasses: we’ve spent a lot of time all over Europe, but maybe we’re romanticizing this. Even with our resources, this move will be complex and stressful, especially with a child. We’ll miss family and it will take a while for us to make friends and adjust. Life is still life outside of the US.
-Something happens: we lose our jobs, there’s some sort of political or health crisis in the world, etc and we are not in as stable a place to weather it
What we value:
-Culture with a good balance of work and life
-Walkable cities that are close to nature or at least excellent parks
-High quality of life (eg, well-regulated food industry, cheap high-quality healthcare, social services)
-Travel and proximity to other cultures
-Ideally some ExPat community
-Ideally decent weather but I know this is harder for our target locations
I would love any candid advice on what else we should be considering, blind spots (I’m sure there are plenty), locations that could be a good fit, opinions on this decision, etc. - thanks!
Edit: Thanks all for the candid advice - largely a mixed bag of for, against, and neutral which actually makes it more useful IMO.