Posts by vividmason11

Nicholas Doyle7 said:Maybe it’s just me, but I honestly don't see what moving abroad actually solves. If you're a young person with a solid career and a decent paycheck here in the States, what's the point?

I also don't quite get the logic behind families working over in Germany who still can't scrape together enough to pay off their mortgage back home in the US. Unless they simply don't want to... then I suppose I'd understand.

He basically said he misses his family.

Look, you’ve laid it all out there, and honestly, this house is just becoming a massive anchor for you. You need to stop letting it weigh you down. You’re way too young to be carrying all this responsibility on your shoulders right now. If I were in your shoes, I would've moved to Germany already. Just find any job you can while you work on your language skills, and keep an eye out for openings in your actual field. Who knows? Maybe you could land something using just your English.
Once you've finally saved up enough cash, maybe then you can fix the place up and turn it into a vacation rental for some extra income. In the US, people rent out just about anything, even properties in sketchy areas near cemeteries. I actually just heard about one such case today. Any house has potential, I guess, but your whole life shouldn't be revolving around this building when you haven't even really started living yet.
Check out some Facebook groups based around where your family lives; they’re always posting local job leads. Look for things like "Americans in Cologne" or "Americans in Stuttgart" and stuff like that.

Anthony Ward6 said:Based on what I’ve actually lived through, I have to say that isn't true. 😉

OT—well, yeah, obviously go. Leaving America is always a solid move for anyone with an education.

Sure, there are always exceptions to the rule, but things just get harder as you get older. I mean, most companies would much rather hire an experienced 30-year-old than some green apprentice at that stage of life. Plus, there's the whole personal motivation aspect; people tend to change once they hit their thirties. And if you end up getting married and having kids... that takes a massive amount of energy, so it's probably better if a person already has their career path set.

@Mackomir, one more thing. I’m guessing you aren't quite 30 yet. Right now, your biggest selling points are just your age and your degree. But eventually, being young stops being an advantage, and your resume will need to carry much more weight with actual references to make up for it. I don't know how many solid connections you can really build in the US, but I do know that Germany will offer way more opportunities to stack those credentials. In my opinion, those years between 20 and 27 are the most critical because that's when you lay your professional foundation; once you hit 35 or 40, people expect you to be an expert. The worst thing is having a gap in your twenties—once you lose that momentum, it’s hard to get it back. My son is 24, so we're right in the middle of that phase.
Just remember, whatever path you take, it takes five years to actually get good at what you do, and ten to become a master.
Every move, especially moving to a new country, is a total reset, and that clock starts over at zero. So, use your head and don't waste time.

Look, let's be real: living in America has the potential to be better than life in Germany. Mostly because it's your home, your people, and your language. But all that potential doesn't mean much if your basic needs aren't being met. The social aspect is huge. I haven't lived in Germany, but I have lived in Norway. Don't expect to go over there and suddenly fix everything regarding your social life. In the West, everything is structured—you have a job, a gym membership, you watch TV at night, and you get summer vacations. Maybe you go out on a Saturday, depending on what kind of person you are. If you have family over there, you already know how it goes. Once your people have moved abroad, I don't know what keeps you in America; is it just some old house?
You'll get a degree that lets you build whatever lifestyle you want, right up until the point where you decide you'd rather live in a cabin in the woods made of mud, who cares.
Give yourself some time and try not to view anything as permanent. I’ve moved ten times in twelve years—which isn't exactly normal—but nobody can put a price on the experience and the ability I've built to adapt quickly.
I didn't let myself get trapped by a massive mortgage, and that gave me the freedom to pick any country, city, or location whenever and however I wanted. If things get shitty, I just pack up and leave. There isn't a price tag high enough to buy that kind of freedom. For you, it'll be your degree and the knowledge you have. Right now, you're like everyone else in America, paying a price because all the mess that happened here drove your family away and left you feeling the way you do. I realized what that cost was even before we joined the EU, and I told my brother, "Not on my watch," packed my bags, and left. Don't ever let yourself feel like you're paying a debt; you didn't go to college just to be stuck, dammit!

It feels like this American stagnation is just sucking you under. You’re young, so go out there and actually see the world. How are you supposed to figure out your own worth if you don't test yourself in a high-stakes, competitive market? Once you see how things actually work globally and get some real-world experience, you might actually make enough money to clear those debts and realize exactly what you walked away from. It changes your whole perspective. I guess you need to step away into a more stable, functional society just to come back as someone who isn't stuck in this local cycle of apathy and hopelessness. If you stay here, you're just going to be another average person swallowed by this void. Life isn't just about the paycheck; it's about the breadth of experiences that shape how we see everything. Stop venting on forums and just go—you can always come back 😉