67: Why moving to Europe will solve a lot of your life's problems

I know this sounds like an over promise, but hear me out! Moving to Europe will actually solve a lot of your life's problems (maybe even some problems you're not even aware of!) In this episode, we dive into how moving to Europe solves your life problems—from financial stress and burnout to healthcare costs and work-life balance.

We’ll explore why so many Americans feel stuck in an endless cycle of overwork and high expenses—and how Europe offers a refreshing alternative with affordable healthcare, shorter workweeks, and a focus on quality of life. Plus, we’ll break down the benefits of safer cities, stronger social safety nets, and a culture that values community over consumerism.

If you’ve been dreaming of a life that feels more fulfilling and less overwhelming, this episode is for you! Tune in and discover if a move to Europe could be your next big step.

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Website: jordangiberson.com
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Transcript

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So I'm not going to say that Europe is just going to fix all your life's problems and there's not going to be new problems that will surface. I love the European lifestyle and I think that. A lot of these things are really positive and do make life easier and better in a lot of ways that the US doesn't have. Hey, my name is Jordan Giberson. I'm a Texas girl living and thriving in London. The best thing I've ever done? Moving abroad, hands down. And I'm passionate about helping others do the same. Are you curious about finding a job abroad? You're in the right place, friend. I'll teach you the tried and true secrets of how to make moving abroad a reality for you and how to live a fulfilling life once you get there. We'll cover topics like choosing the best visa for you, how to get a job offer in another country, how to get over your fear of moving abroad, and how to live a life you love once you get there, this is The Move Abroad Podcast. Hello, and welcome to another episode of the move abroad podcast. Today, we're going to be talking about why moving to Europe will solve a lot of your life's problems. Sounds pretty good. Doesn't it? Well, living in Europe is not perfect, but it will help you have a more balanced lifestyle deal with some of the financial pressures that are in the U S but are in Europe to deal with burnouts, to deal with the different food options. And so many other problems really that we have in life as Americans living in the United States. And then whenever you move to Europe, honestly, a lot of those problems are alleviated because of the different way that they live life than we do in the U S so today we're going to be touching on all of the different. Ways that actually living in Europe will solve a lot of the problems that you have in your life, and what those are and, and how it really is different from the U S so, if you're looking to be further convinced of why living in Europe is better than living in the us, then this is a perfect episode for you because today we're going to be talking about how living in Europe is going to solve a lot of those life problems that you have. But before we jump into it, I have a request of you, if you are really enjoying listening to the move abroad podcast, and you have a friend that, you know, has mentioned talking about moving abroad, can you send them an episode? So it probably is, you know, one or two people in your life that has talked about moving abroad before if those people come in mind or even one person that comes to mind that, you know, they've talked about moving abroad in the past, I would so appreciate it. If you would send this episode to them, I. I think this one's kind of a funny one to send to them as well, because it's about solving all of your life problems by moving to Europe. So if you wouldn't mind sharing this episode and sending it to a friend of yours, then I would greatly appreciate it, but we'll go ahead and get started with today's episode with that behind us. One of the ways that I think moving to Europe will solve your life's problems is financial stress. So one way that financial stress is less in Europe is because there are lower healthcare costs. A lot of European countries have affordable or universal healthcare systems, which eliminates the financial burden of high medical expenses. We'll dive into that a lot more later in the episode as well. Another way that Europe alleviates financial stress is through education affordability. Universities and Europe are often free or a whole lot cheaper than in the us reducing student debt and the debt that. And the debt that people carry on for years. And if not, decades, I think this topic of financial stress is actually woven throughout the episode and different categories that we're going to talk about, like healthcare costs and access. We'll go a bit deeper on that one and also talking about, parental leave and being able to be paid for a longer period of time where your job is more secured touching on that. and just the credit card debt that Americans have. There's a lot more debt in the US than there is in other countries like Europe. So the US has. One of the highest, you know, deaths per person. So, I do think that, you know, there's less financial stress living in Europe because there's a different lifestyle with lower healthcare costs, the education affordability with more work-life balance. Employment laws in Europe often have mandated vacation days, sick leave and parental leave, which makes it a lot better for families and sharing better financial and personal stability with the work-life balance in mind. So the us has the most credit card debt than any other country in the world. The median credit card debt is 5,915 us dollars. So I found this really interesting. I actually got into such a big rabbit hole and we probably could do a whole podcast episode just on this alone. But the United States is a global economic powerhouse and a cultural melting pot as well. And there is a lot of credit card debt in the United States. So there is a credit card debt of 5,915 US dollars. That's the median and America actually tops the list of the most credit card debt in the whole world. Many Americans often find themselves trapped in this cycle constantly of having debt and having financial insecurity and living paycheck to paycheck. So the country has a very consumer driven culture. Not that other countries don't have this at all, but the United States, I would say, has this really woven so deeply into it? Is this consumer driven culture and having this, you know, got to keep up with the Jones's lifestyle and then coupled with the very easy ability to get credit. And there is very aggressive marketing tactics by financial institutions to get credit and get credit cards. which contributes to the problem as well. So a lot of people have credit card debt and just a lot of debt in general. But, I would say that there is a bit more financial stress in the U S and there are in other countries just because of this. Economic powerhouse and a very consumer driven culture. So I think that the keeping up with the Jones's mentality and the U S and making sure you have the nice car and kind of showing off and having this, really big. Consumer driven mindsets And culture, it makes the credit card debt go up and for other reasons as well so anyways, the fact stands that the us has one of the highest credit card debts in the world, their median credit card debt, like I said, is almost$6,000. So, you know, at stanza show, the U S has a lot more credit card debt, and there's more financial stress in the U S to keep up than in other countries where they don't have this constant debt and stress over keeping up with the Joneses. Another way that moving to Europe is going to solve your life's problems is around burnout and overwork. In Europe, there are shorter working hours, many European countries emphasize having a 35 to 40 hour work week with France, Germany, and the Netherlands leaving in shorter hours in the United States. I feel like people work so many hours and it is expected. Even if you are supposed to be working a 40 hour work week, you will be working way more than that. And it's, you know, not just appreciate it and saying, oh, thank you so much for working extra this week. It's just expected that you'll be working. More than 40 hours a week. I think it does really depend on the company you work for the industry that you're working in the manager and you know, the culture of the team and the company and just what the industry is in general. So anyways, I think it really does depend, but I think the US compared to Europe, They emphasize more of work-life balance and shorter working hours. Not because they're lazy, but because they value having life outside of work. So that is one thing that I have noticed in being in Europe, but also I feel like London is probably the closest to the United States in terms of work-life balance. And again, it really does depend on the industry, your manager, the culture, blah, blah, blah. But I do think that overall Europe does have a lot more relaxed mentality in terms of yes, work hard and yes, we're going to get a lot of work done and we're going to be proud of the work that we do, but we're not going to sacrifice our whole entire lives for that and sacrifice our family time for that. So that is something that I do really appreciate about Europe and it's been a noticeable difference to me. And along the same lines, they do have a very generous vacation policy and European countries as well. Workers often receive four to six weeks of paid vacation annually, which promotes, you know, better mental health and wellbeing and spending time with family and friends outside of the workplace. And people take their vacation. I feel like in the us all the time, people are almost proud. Like they wear it as a badge that they work so many hours a week. So they're just a really hard worker and they don't take all their annual vacation days. And honestly, that makes me feel really sad for American culture because you know, people aren't going out and enjoying life. They're sacrificing everything for a company. That doesn't really care about them. I'm sorry. But a lot of corporate organizations don't really care about you. Um, and that's maybe my pessimistic opinion, but I've seen it time and time again, where people are just fired like so quickly, all of a sudden, after working years and years and slaving away and working more than 40 hours a week, and they're working so hard for this company. And then all of a sudden they're gone the next week. Like they don't even blink an eye or care. So I honestly think that you have to take your time. You have to, don't kill yourself, working a crazy work week and not taking your paid vacation days. Like I take all my vacation days and I am a really hard worker. Like I. Well, um, you know, I'm speaking for myself, but you know, I do work hard and I, you know, I do a good job at what I do and, you know, but I still take all my vacation days because I want to enjoy life and not look back. You know, saying, oh, I like worked a few extra days at work and I worked really hard, but you know, what is the payoff for that? Or like, what is the benefit of doing that? So, Anyways, I think that burnout and overwork, I have noticed a really big difference in the culture, like just in, I was in the us a few weeks ago and I was, you know, walking onto a plane. And everyone like in the front few rows or working diligently on their laptops, like outside of working hours, like everyone was so focused on working, getting on this flight and it wasn't even in working hours really, but everyone was just so focused on working. Or at least that's what it felt like that they were working because they were kind of diligently typing away on their computers before we were taking off. And I don't know, I just, it just felt kind of odd to me because in Europe you would never see that, like, people are just more kind of laid back and kind of focused on war work-life balance. So anyways, I am kind of going on a bit of a spiel on this one, but I definitely have noticed a big difference in the culture around. Not getting burnt out and not overworking and not feeling like you have to be a constant work horse all the time that you can also, you know, enjoy life. And you don't have to feel guilty for taking your vacation days because you weren't rewarded your vacation days. Like it's something that you should. Take advantage of, so anyways, Burnout and overwork is one way that it will fix your life's problems because you'll be able to guilt-free. You don't take off and not be working more than 40 hours a week. Another way that you grew up is going to solve your life's problems. If you moved to Europe from the U S is the healthcare costs and access in general. So in Europe they have comprehensive healthcare, public healthcare. So there is access to high quality healthcare at little to no out-of-pocket costs. Which I feel like the American brain is just uncomprehensible. So they really just focus a lot more on preventative care as well. A lot of European healthcare systems, they emphasize prevention and catching health issues early and reducing stress for patients. And. Kind of, working on health in general, instead of there being like a disease or a problem because someone is obese or has this, and the other issue, after not living a healthy life. So I think in Europe, they focus on that more. I was actually speaking with a friend and I haven't fact checked this, but I was speaking with a friend the other day. And she was saying that her mom is very involved in Belgium healthcare. For some reason. I can't remember exactly why, but she was saying that in Belgium, if a child is, over a certain weight and starting to get obese, the parents will be brought in and they'll talk to the parents about getting the child on a plan to stopping obese. So that they're eating more healthy and having a more active lifestyle. And this helps a lot down the line because as a child is developing than they probably will carry on those tendencies as they get older and then they're really obese throughout life. And then they get a lot of chronic conditions and health issues. So that was just one of the things that she was telling me about, but I was like, wow, that's really crazy. And almost feels kind of controlling. But then whenever you think about it, it's kind of, sort of an education issue for families or, people and children as they're growing up. So I found that really interesting that, the school would get involved they would be brought in if the child was, you know, over a certain weight to make sure that. That the country is. Has healthy people so that there is less of a focus on healthcare and less costs in healthcare. So one thing I found really interesting, and again, this could be a whole podcast episode. I went down a rabbit hole and I was like, okay, Jordan, you got. You got to stop, but it was so interesting because I was looking into the U S and you have to do your own research, but in the U S there is so much money in healthcare. So much money in health care that these organizations make that hospitals make and, you know, different health care organizations, and the us spends an extortionate amount of money on healthcare. So they almost benefit from people not being healthy because then people are required to spend money to fix themselves after they are ill. which is something that I was finding really, really interesting. Because in European countries. They don't have to pay for healthcare, you know, as a citizen, you don't have to pay,healthcare. it's way less out of pocket, even though you have more money taken out of your paycheck, for example, than you went in the U S. At the end of the day, you were not spending nearly as much on health care because one people don't need healthcare as often, because they're typically a bit healthier in general. Whereas the average us citizen spends a lot more on healthcare in general because they're overall a bit less healthy than a lot of people in Europe, which I was finding so interesting. So. On this one, I started doing a ton of research and I was like, okay, this is getting a bit much, like it's a huge rabbit hole that you could go down and learning about this, but this is a really huge difference in Europe. And the us is just the healthcare. Situation and conversation. So just a few things that I was kind of looking into. So in the U S healthcare spending, both per person and a share of GDP. Continues to be so much higher in the us than in other high income countries. But the us is the only country that does not have universal healthcare as compared to the other high-end countries, which I found really interesting and is kind of an obvious point of what we're talking about. But it is interesting that it's, you know, one of the only other high-income countries that does not have health care for all. The other thing is that the us has the lowest life expectancy at birth, but the highest death rates for avoidable or treatable conditions and the highest maternal and infant mortality. And among the highest suicide rates as well. And the us also has the highest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions and an obesity rate twice the O E C D average, the O E C D as an international organization that works to establish. Evidence-based international standards and build better policies for better lives that is straight from their website of what they do with the OECD. So basically the U S which you can probably tell that if you've ever been around in the U S and then you travel to Europe, you will see that people are not as obese. I, no lie was in the US very recently. And I was spending a day out in a small town with my mom and Texas. And I stopped her and I was like, I really hope this doesn't come off the wrong way. But I honestly, I've been living in London for, five years, a little over five years. And I was telling her like, how, if this doesn't come off the wrong way. But I've honestly been really caught off guard today by how many people are so obese here. Like, I think. I knew that, but then seeing it, was almost shocking to me, which sounds weird to hear, because I literally grew up in the U S I grew up in Texas, but then I don't know, being in that environment again, after being away, sometimes whenever I come back, some things like really kind of surprise me and I have almost like. Reverse culture shock, which is another really interesting phenomenon that happens whenever you move abroad. And then you come back to the U S and you're like, whoa, like, I can't believe we do that. Or, or some things in a positive way, like, oh, wow. Like, I do really miss this. like air conditioning, being everywhere where you can set it as high as you want it as low as you want, it's really easy. Or having ice everywhere, whatever, you know, those videos that people share of all the things that are so great about the U S and. The us is amazing in so many ways, and I'm not anti American or anti us by any means. But anyways, I was just really surprised by just how many people who were obese. And the US has the highest rate of people with chronic conditions, which means that people need to spend more money. the whole healthcare costs and access thing is so interesting. And really you could go down a rabbit hole and I do need to move on to the next topic. And again, there literally could be a whole episode on healthcare costs and access and. You know why Europe does things better? And I will say that nothing is perfect. Like in, you know, In the UK, there is what they call like a healthcare crisis, where sometimes it is really hard to get an appointment. With the public health care system, you can't just get an appointment immediately or a surgery immediately. Like sometimes it does take a bit longer to get a surgery because sometimes there's not as many slots of time. that they can have a surgery or as, you know, many doctors as they would need to keep up with the demand. Um, so it's not perfect, but I have been through the UK healthcare system and it is really great. And then if you want to pay for private health care in the UK and in a lot of other countries as well in Europe, Then you can choose to pay a little bit extra per month and it's like, I'll be like 50 euros, a hundred euros or something like that. If you want to pay for extra, my company actually pays for my health care, so I don't actually pay anything, but I do have private healthcare through my employer. You can get that if you want to. And it's so much cheaper than in the us. but anyways, again, You could keep going on and on about health care, but that is one thing that. Europe will solve a lot of your life's problems. If you do live in Europe, especially if you have. Really serious healthcare issues and you spend a lot of money. Just, I mean, the amount of money that you have to pay to have a child in the U S. The amount of money that you have to pay to call an ambulance in the U S like, Everything that you have to pay for, even with insurance, you have to pay so much money out of pocket in the UK, in European countries, it's taken care of. You don't have to worry about paying for. You know, all the cancer treatment, all of the, you know, your ambulance, you had to do the nights that you have to spend in the hospital for whatever reason, like that's not out of your pocket. So you don't have to have that constant stress of feeling like. You might be hit with this 20 grand bill or something where you're thrown into debt. Like, I don't know how some people in the U S cope with the healthcare and with the bills and the debt that they have to deal with. With how the U S is structured. So anyways, again, I'm going to have to move forward because I could go on and on. But,, I think that that is one of the biggest ways that moving to Europe will solve a lot of your life's problems. Number four of why moving to Europe will solve a lot of your life's problems is safety and security. In Europe, there are lower crime rates, so many European countries experience a lot less gun violence and safer urban environments compared to the U S in general, I will say in Europe, there's a bit more pick-pocketing probably than in other countries, but just in general, there is a lot lower crime rates and there is not gun violence, nearly as crazy as there is in the U S you can look up the stats on gun violence, but it's absolutely insane like the gun violence and the deaths and the injuries caused by gun violence in the us versus Europe. I will say I grew up around guns. You know, I'm very used to being around guns, but, I do feel, safer in Europe sometimes because I don't have to be worried that people are going to have guns or, I don't know. It's something that I didn't realize that I was fearful of until I moved to Europe and and I almost felt a sense of relief. So if being around guns is something that scares you or makes you feel uncomfortable or worried as you're, going out in the evenings or, you know, sending your kids off to school. It's something that I have felt so much safer actually, which my brother and dad would be disappointed that I'm even saying that, because again, I grew up around a family that, has guns around. Like it was very normal for me growing up. And my brother's a huge hunter and, he would. Every year he kills a deer or two and we grew up, you know, cooking venison. And that was like a normal part of life. And, we, eat that meat and it's really healthy for you. It's great for you. And I'm not saying that hunting is really bad or that I'm not trying to make a stance on guns, but I will say that I do feel safer actually being in Europe. So. Safety and security. That's something that you might want to consider as well. And just social safety nets in general, there are very robust unemployment benefits, disability support, and other systems to make sure that basic needs are met during hard times for people. So this is something that I think is a really incredible thing that Europe does in the U S it's like, you have to support yourself. And if you know, you have a hard time in life, then tough. There's not really systems set in place to support people, but in Europe they do have those social safety net. So in terms of safety and security, Europe does have more robust. You know, systems for just people in general, whenever there are hard times for people and then lower crime rates in general. So again, this is something, all of these categories really, you could really go into a huge rabbit hole and learning about it, but safety and security might be one where it solves a lot of your life's problems. Another way Europe will solve a lot of your life's problems is the health and wellbeing. So we kind of talked about healthcare a little bit, but also just in terms of health and wellbeing, just in life, in general, outside of healthcare. In Europe, there are a lot of walkable cities, many European cities are designed for walking, cycling, and public transportation, which encourages an active lifestyle. So just for me to get to wherever I'm going to go to in London, I have to walk half a mile to get to the station. Some people are closer to the tube station. I'm a bit farther away. So if I'm going somewhere, I will easily walk at least one mile because I'm walking for 15 minutes to get to the tube station. And then whenever I'm getting to my destination, I might have to walk a five minutes from that tube station in central London. And then whenever I come back, then I have to walk another five minutes to the. Central or to the station in central London. And then, you know, whenever I'm coming home, I also have to walk back home from the station. So just right there, I'm walking like at least a mile and a half, like a mile, at least minimum minimum. So it's just really easy for me to get my walking in cycling is super common as well. So, whereas I feel like in the us, a lot of cities and roads aren't really built for cycling. And people on the road aren't used to seeing cyclists. So there is potential for more accidents. Whereas here cycling is so normal. So regular, I mean, Amsterdam is a bit of an anomaly, but in Amsterdam, cyclists rule the road, it is not people that walk. It is not people that drive. It is the cyclist. Like they are in charge of the road, but there's just more cycling cities and cycling paths like specifically made for cyclists and Europe in general. and public transportation is, you know, Available as well. So it's a lot easier to be walkable instead of parking in a parking lot. Whereas I feel like in the U S. I feel like. You know, whenever we're parking, we're like, oh, can we get a spot that's a bit closer? Like, cause we don't want to have to walk at all. Like we want princess parking right in the front. but in Europe I'm like, oh, it's just a 20 minute walk, no big deal. Or like, sometimes it's like, oh, it's just a 45 minute walk. I'm just going to walk. Like you just don't even think about it because cities are just built to be more walkable. And it's just a beautiful walk, like in the U S you're probably going to be walking along the highway or like a strip mall, like who wants to have that view? I'm sorry. I do love the U S and a lot of ways, but I will say that the walks in Europe are so much more beautiful. Typically like the walk is a lot more enjoyable and it's a lot safer or. If we're going to cycle. So, cities are just built around having that more healthy lifestyle of, you know, a walkable and a city and a lifestyle. It's kind of like easy to get around. Another way that Europe supports better health and wellbeing is through fresh and local food. There is a lot more fresh and seasonal and. just better foods in general that are a lot less processed. that supports healthier eating habits. Just in Europe in general, of course there are still like, bags of chips and, you know, bars that aren't the healthiest and candy and all those things, but there are a lot of strict, but there are stricter rules around food. Um, that the us doesn't have. So a lot of foods that have been tied to things that are very harmful for us, that we have in the U S so Europe, a lot of times you might have seen videos online where people say, like, I went to Europe and I wasn't having these crazy stomach bloating issues or like problems with my food, because. The food in the us is quite different than some of the food that's in Europe where there's, it's a bit fresher. seasonal and there's stricter laws around what can be added to food. So, this also supports, you know, better health and wellbeing and will make you potentially feel a bit better eating the foods that are in Europe. And then just connection to nature. This really depends on where you're living in the U S or whatever country you're from, compared to Europe, but there's typically just green spaces. you could be really close by the countryside and a lot of outdoor leisure activities. that are very easily accessible in Europe. So, again, it really depends on where living in the U S because there are a lot of great nature and green spaces there too. So it kind of depends on where you're living, but in Europe, there is a big emphasis on nature and spending time outside. So I will say, you know, in that way, there's a potential for better health and wellbeing in Europe. Another way that living in Europe is going to solve all of your life's problems is just cultural enrichment. I mean, you get to experience a diverse. You know, history, art, cultural events that just offers, you know, a great way to grow personally and feel fulfilled and just grow as a person and just the ability to travel so easily to different countries and cultures and just experience this adventure of, being on a two hour train and being in a whole other country with a whole other language and different food and different ways of living life. It just, you know, can create great lifelong memories. And, just to be able to experience that travel at a lower cost. whereas in the U S I mean, the flights to get across the U S are crazy to get from state to state. Whereas in Europe, there are just a fraction of the cost to be able to catch a train or a flight. So in that way, it is easier to travel around. It just feel like you have freedom to travel around easier and. At less of a cost than you would in the U S where it's just so expensive to travel. So in that way, you know, this will solve some of your problems of just being able to have this. Ability to travel and, to learn from other cultures as well. Another reason why moving to Europe will solve a lot of your life's problems is because Europe has a bigger sense of community and connection in the U S there is a bit more individualism, whereas many European countries often prioritize community and family and connection over hyper individualism, which can make you feel a bit more isolated or lonely at times. And kind of going back to that topic that we talked about at the beginning of the episode is there is a lot more work-life integration. There's a stronger emphasis on taking personal time that fosters, you know, relationships and social interaction instead of just being focused on work, work, work all the time. So I will say in Europe, you know, there is a better sense of community and connection. I mean, just for me, whenever I go get my hair cut, I love, I just walked down the street and I go get my hair cut from. From my friend, Anna, down the road. And,, if I'm not getting my haircut and I'm just walking past, I'll look in the window and give her a wave. And then I go right next door to get a coffee. And I know the baristas there. And then I walked back home and then I'm walking in my neighborhood park and there's people that I run into there that are riding their bikes. They're like, oh, Hey Jordan, how is X, Y, and Z? So I get to talk with people in my neighborhood and I think there is just more of a sense of. Community, because you're more living amongst your community, your not driving to a strip mall from your driveway and, you know, going into the strip mall to go run an errand, you're kind of walking down streets. The high street is what they call them in London in the UK. So you're just kind of walking along the street to go run your errands. I walked to the shops for a lot of places that I need to go to, or like my neighborhood park, like I mentioned, or whatever. Like I think that there's just more of a sense of community and connection and Europe in general. So that could be something that, you know, is something you feel like you're lacking in the U S is this kind of. Aspect of community and connection with the community. Another reason why living in Europe will solve your life's problems is you might be. An environmentally conscious person. And in Europe, this is a really big focus for many European countries. There are a lot more just eco-friendly practices put in place a big one, being public transportation, recycling programs, and sustainable living in general that are just a really big part of daily life. So it makes people feel like they're contributing positively to the planet. So if this is something that you. Feel like is important to you then living in Europe will make you feel like you're fulfilling that in yourself because like, there is a recycling program here, you know, we recycle half our things and there's also just like,, food waste. there's like a food waste bucket. There's a recycling bin and there's also just normal trash. And just more public transportation in general., London actually has something where, you can only drive in central. If you, have like a certain like electric vehicle, you don't pay anything. And then if you have an older vehicle that has a lot of emissions, then you get charged an emissions fee. And then there's also just another fee just to drive in London as well. Just in general, you have to pay like per day because they don't want to put a bunch of people driving in London and. causing emissions. So it's just healthier. there's just so many different programs for those that are environmentally conscious. So there are just are so many different practices put in place, public transportation as well. Like that's so much better for the environment. Typically then each individual person driving their own vehicle. So anyways, if you're an environmentally conscious person, then living in Europe will make you feel like you're contributing positively to the environment. Whereas in the U S this is not as much of a focus typically. Another reason why your up might solve your life's problems is it's just an opportunity for you to reinvent yourself. You are starting fresh. It is a new start moving to Europe. I mean, you're so far away from the us. It just offers you a chance to escape any pressures that you've had. Anything that you really want to change in your life and in yourself because you are putting it in a totally new environment. I'm not saying that you can do this in the US, you could easily move to another state or another city in general and have a fresh start, but it is an opportunity to have, you know, a new start and to reinvent yourself as a person, because nobody knows you there. And you're starting from fresh. And they also focus on just quality of life in general. So you might just have a bit of a shift away from materialism and towards just experiencing life and not focusing on material things. We talked about that a little bit earlier, just the U S focused on materialism versus Europe. So there is less of a focus on materialism, which is a bit refreshing. I know the way that Europe is going to solve a lot of life's problems is the reduction in political polarization. So I'm not going to get into politics, but. You can probably feel how tense it is in the us in terms of the political climate. A lot of Americans do find that Europe's political systems are a lot less polarized, which reduces a lot of stress and anxiety about the government and about just different people's thoughts on things and having huge fights at the dinner table, the families and people losing relationships with one another over politics. Like it's not like that over here. I don't know, like there's just not people have their own opinions of course, but it's so intense and it's so ugly in the U S whenever you take a step away and you look at it. from the outside, looking in, living in Europe, I mean, it just, it's so crazy how tense it is and how polarized and how intense that polarization has become over the past few years. So if you want to escape that and not have this really intense political polarization and live in that environment, then living in Europe, I mean, it's, it's a lot more relaxed. So that is something that's really nice about living here. Another way that you're at might solve your life's problems is just the opportunities for your children. I don't currently have children, but I do think about my unborn children more than I'd like to admit. But there is, you know, free or affordable education and a lot of countries, they offer really, really great affordable schooling options, from whenever the child is really young, all the way up through university levels, there is free or very affordable education. And there's also an option for your kids to have multilingual environment so they can,, learn English and another language, which is a great career and cultural advantage as well. So that's another opportunity for children that is really great. Kind of along the same lines of, you know, way that Europe will solve. A lot of your life's problems is parental leave after having a child. So you might not have a child now you might not plan to have a child, but if you do plan to have a child or you have children already, and you're thinking about having more. Than this is relevant. So, one thing that's really great is in Europe, you have a lot more time off whenever you have children. So in the U S you typically could have 12 weeks of unpaid leave, and it really, really depends on your employer. But in Europe, you just have so much more time off. It's so much more flexible. So just to give a couple examples in Sweden, their maternity leave. mothers can take seven weeks before the due date and up to seven weeks after, but most maternity leave is a part of a shared parental leave, which parental leave is on. The parents can basically share 480 days of paid leave per child. With 390 days paid at 80% of their salary. And then each parent has to take at least 90 days. So maternity leave is, seven weeks before due date, seven weeks after. And then paternity leave is fathers are entitled to 10 days of paid leave at the time of the birth, but then the parents share this paternal leave as well. So that's in Sweden. and just as one example in Europe, and then another example is Germany. So maternity leave is, 14. Weeks of fully paid leave starting at six weeks before the birth and continuing for eight weeks after, and then paternity leave. So fathers do not have a specific amount of leave, but they can share the parental leave. With the mother, because there is again, parental leave, which means both parents can share up to 12 months of leave with a possible two month extension. If both parents are participating and the leave is paid at 67% of the parents' income up to 1800 euros per month. So it's not a crazy amount of income, but they do have the option to do this. And to have time with the family and time with the child and their role is secured for the whole time. So you don't have to worry about losing your job. so it's a way that the government protects you as a parent. as you do have options to have so much more leave. And another thing that Europe does really well is the childcare costs compared to the U S so in the us, the average healthcare cost is like 9,002. Is 9,000 to 22,000 per child per year. That is a big chunk of change. And that really depends on the location and the age of the child. But in terms of just the percentage of income childcare often consumes. 20 to 30% of household income, especially for families with younger children. And this will obviously vary depending on, how many children and what the income level is. But typically, it could be like 20 to 30% of household income. And the government support is super limited in the U S so there are programs like the childcare development fund and different tax credits do exist. But they only help at a fraction of the way that Europe helps. There are people with childcare costs. So in Europe if we're looking at it typically instead of that 9,000 to 22,000 per year, per child, average healthcare average childcare costs and In Europe, it's more like 1000 to 6,000 per child per year. So it depends on the country. how much that is. But the percentage of income is more like five to 15% of household income. Whereas in the us, it was 20 to 30% and then the government has a lot more support systems set in place. So there are heavily subsidized childcare tax credits, or just direct government funding that reduces a lot of the out-of-pocket costs for families. So some examples of what this childcare looks like in a couple European countries is in Germany, the cost for childcare is free or low cost daycare with a lot of regions and Germany offering free childcare from age three. And then the government has fees that are income based with families paying zero to 300 euros per month for the child to be in childcare, which is pretty low. Which is pretty low. If we're going to be comparing it to the U S and Denmark the cost for childcare is basically 200 to 500 euros per month. And then additional children often have, ability to have a discount from that. And then the government will provide sometimes 75% or more of the healthcare costs, which is an incredible opportunity if you're looking to move to Denmark. And then another quick example is Spain. The cost of daycare ranges from a hundred to 400 euros per month, and then the government. We'll pay for childcare and free early education from age three. So if we're comparing this to the U S where it's 9,000 to 22,000 per year per child. 20 to 30% of household income, it is quite a big difference from some of the other countries in Europe. So I think just in general, in this conversation, I mean, there is just a lot more support for just families in general. So in talking about all of this, there is just a better opportunity for. Parents to have children where they do not have to pay a crazy amount for childcare. And they're able to have great parental leave, where they're able to bond with the child and spend time with the child. So I think this is one of the ways that Europe just does life rights and it does solve a lot of those problems around trying to raise a family and trying to still have a career and make money. But then all of your salary in the U S is going towards childcare. And you're like, why am I even working? Because all of my money is going towards childcare so I think that is one of the problems in the us for, growing families. So I think that is one of the problems that Americans have in the us that you wouldn't have in Europe. So, Europe does solve a lot of life's problems in building a family. and these couple examples that we talked about, and then one of the last ways I think Europe will solve a lot of life's problems. And we've touched on it a little bit already, is that there is less emphasis on keeping up with the Joneses and trying to keep up with trends constantly with fashion trends and trying to have the really nice car that you can't really afford, but you're paying for anyways because everyone has a nice car. I think that there's just a simpler living and a reduced focused on material possessions. Which just can relieve the financial stress and the social pressures around that as well. I'm not going to say that people don't care about having a really nice purse or a really nice car, but I think there's just less of a social pressure and focus on the materialism and consumerism in Europe in general. So I think that is something that Europe does a lot better. And something that, might be fixing a lot of your life's problems. So, and kind of closing us out, moving to Europe, isn't a magic fix for every life challenge, but I think that it does have a great alternative to a lot of the stressors and problems that a lot of Americans face living in the U S. I think living in Europe just has more of a focus on balance and community and quality of life. And Europe just provides an environment where people can thrive both personally and professionally still, you can still have an amazing career, but just not sacrifice your everything so, I don't think that living in Europe is going to solve all of your life's problems. But I do think that these are some of the ways that living in Europe is going to solve a lot of your life's problems. So it's not going to be the catch, all of fix all of the issues that you have. But I do think that you can move your life in a positive way and it will actually solve some of these problems that we discussed during this episode. So I do hope that this episode was helpful for you and seeing some of the ways that Europe might be able to provide you that lifestyle that you want, and just feeling like a lot of those problems that you do have in daily life because of the way that American life is structured. That you might be able to solve a lot of those problems. And I also will say that I love the U S I love America. I do miss being in the U S for certain reasons. And there are certain things that, you know, obviously we don't have here that you do have in the U S and I do love America. So please don't take this as I think America sucks. Because I don't think that America sucks. I think America definitely has its problems, but many countries also have their own problems, just different problems. So I'm not going to say that Europe is just going to fix all your life's problems and there's not going to be new problems that will surface. But I don't think there's any like huge surprises about Europe that I'm like, oh my gosh, don't come because of this. I think that, I love the European lifestyle and I think that. A lot of these things that we've discussed. Are really positive things and do make life easier and better in a lot of ways that the us doesn't have. And so I think it does solve a lot of your life's problems. If you do. Deal with some of these problems in your life. but anyways, I hope that you found this episode helpful. And again, if you don't mind sharing this episode with a friend that, you know, has talked about moving abroad, or if you haven't left a rating or a review for this podcast, I would so appreciate it. It means the world to me. but that should be it for me for today's episode. I, again, hope that you found this episode encouraging and helpful and just kind of spurs you along in your journey of wanting to move abroad and make it happen for you. This. Year or soon if not this year. So thank you so much for listening to another episode of the move abroad podcast. I will catch you here again next week. Same time, same place. I'll catch you then.