Would young people still want to move abroad today?

goldengull3 said:... but let’s be real: nobody is going to convince me that some average Joe in Austria lives the same life as an average Joe here in America. Just look at the cars they drive and where they go for vacation...

Exactly—I was specifically referring to the "average" worker. The "average" worker you're picturing in Austria isn't actually average. And just like him, my "average" worker isn't average for America either. Look, I'm glancing out at my parking lot right now—it filled up six hours ago (since the engineers don't roll in until after 8:00, it's easy to spot the blue-collar rides 😁): two Mazdas, two Mercedes C-Class models, and generally speaking—mid-range cars. Now, the engineering section (actually, the college-grad lot): a handful of Renaults, Chevrolets, Hyundais, and Fords. Looking at that spread, you'd think we all skipped school entirely—but the reality is that I'll pull those $1667 salaries at plenty of firms, whereas these workers will have a hell of a time finding anything anywhere else that pays what they make here. Even in Austria, they won't see this kind of standard.

goldengull3 said:And I believe having a few years of experience working abroad benefits everyone—from mastering a language to broadening one's professional horizons...

I couldn't agree more. Like I mentioned back on the first page, that would be my main priority if I were to leave.

Carl Cox, I’m with you on this. From what I’ve seen, plenty of people move abroad and fail to actually meet the average standard of living expected of locals. It isn't easy for an immigrant—not by a long shot. We shouldn't get blinded by those outlier success stories; money doesn't grow on trees out there. Unless you're living some high-flying lifestyle, everything is driven by the grind. Even if the baseline standard of living is higher than here in the States, that Western way of life—that constant hustle—is pretty much universal.

On the flip side, I get where goldengull3 is coming from. He knows his worth and he's only willing to move if a high-paying opportunity aligns perfectly with his career goals. Honestly? That’s a healthy mindset. It would be ridiculous for someone like him, who has already secured a salary that's considered top-tier by American standards, to settle for something mediocre overseas.

If anyone asked me what my biggest "gain" from moving abroad was, I’d tell them exclusively experience. I wouldn't even bring up the money. I won't complain about my earnings back home, but cash isn't the most valuable thing you can take away from moving abroad—even if you managed to earn three times as much.

And I don't just mean professional experience or the specific projects I've worked on. I mean the general insight gained from seeing how things operate in a much more developed economy than the one we have in the States. That's the priceless part—it gives you the clarity and resolve to decide your next move, whether you stay abroad or eventually decide to head back to the US. Because, in my view, you can live quite well and achieve significant things right here in the States—you just have to know how.

Back when I was younger, just thinking about leaving the country felt almost like a betrayal. It’s the easy way out, right? But now that I've aged a bit, the idea doesn't feel quite so alien anymore. To be honest, my finances give me about a 50% nudge toward moving, and the other 50% comes from the absolute state of this country. And let me tell you, things are grim. The justice system is a joke. You have some guy plow through two women with his car and he ends up getting a cushy research position in Switzerland and maybe a year in a minimum-security facility. It’s shameless. Not to get myself worked up here, but there are a million examples just like it. The politicians are nothing but bottom-tier thieves. Corruption, hypocrisy, and every other vice imaginable—it's all they do. I just don't have the energy to spend my entire life tilting at windmills. I want to actually live. I'm not looking to be loaded, I just want a decent life.
I'm not even dreaming about buying an apartment at this point. By the time I save enough for a 500-square-foot studio, we'll probably be staring down the barrel of a new Ice Age.