[cameronperot]

I'm an American (Texan) who has been living in Germany for the past 6 years. I would suggest to consider the culture and lifestyle more than the work, as those will play a much larger role in your happiness and satisfaction. It sounds cliché, but money doesn't necessarily buy happiness.

I enjoy living in German/European cities significantly more than I did living in big cities in Texas (I can't speak for the East Coast). I value the culture of being able to walk or bike pretty much anywhere in the city in a reasonable amount of time. I value feeling safe even in the "bad" neighborhoods here in Germany. I've never once come across a situation where I was worried about my safety here, I can't say the same for the US. I value a society that isn't so extreme (wealth inequality, political ideology, etc.).

As for what I miss about the US, it's mostly the food (TexMex, BBQ) and nature (so much more to see and do, but you need a car). There's also the work culture which is a bit different, particularly in terms of startups and innovation; Germany definitely lags behind in this aspect. Some things are more convenient in the US as well, such as stores being open later and on Sundays.

Germany isn't perfect, but I think it's better than the US in a lot of quality of life aspects.

Before moving, I would recommend going to visit the city and see if it's something that might fit you. Try to talk to locals and explain your situation, I'm sure there would be people happy to show you around and give you some good insights from a less touristy perspective.

Of course, all of this is hard to weigh if your wife will be living there for certain, as long-distance relationships can be tough.

[koevet]

Hey thanks for your comment, I feel this thread is turning a bit into a US vs. EU pitfight.

We are going to be in NYC in a couple of weeks and we plan to spend one day in Princeton, as you suggest.

Regarding the long term relationship, if we move we are going to move as a family (2 kids included :))

[heavyset_go]

> Regarding the long term relationship, if we move we are going to move as a family (2 kids included :))

Have a plan for covering your family members' health insurance. You can use this website to compare NJ's individual marketplace for health insurance plans here[1].

Get the details of what your partner's employer is offering for health insurance, including what the costs are for each additional member of your family. Find out what the total cost of coverage is for COBRA should your partner be laid off and you want to keep your healthcare coverage. Health insurance rates skyrocket when it comes to covering family members if your employer isn't paying your premiums and deductibles for you. Family plans can have deductibles alone of over $14k every year, with premiums in the thousands of dollars per month.

Once you know the details of the offered plans, use the insurance company's website to see if there are any providers that take the plans in your area, including hospitals and emergency rooms. I say this because even if you have health insurance, that doesn't mean healthcare providers will take it. It's especially important with kids, because if you need to take them to the emergency room, you will be paying a large premium for doing so even if you get little to no care at all. It's very easy to walk away from a emergency room visit with a bill for tens of thousands of dollars for even minor emergencies.

You'll also need separate vision and dental insurance plans.

If you or anyone in your family has disabilities, or are at risk of becoming disabled, really, really consider if you want to leave a place with relatively cheaper and sane healthcare for another place without it. The US is not a kind place for those with disabilities or chronic illness.

[1] https://www.nj.gov/getcoverednj/getstarted/compare/

[cameronperot]

Happy to contribute what perspective I can :). I didn't mean to put it as a hostile US vs. EU thing, just wanted to state my reasons for going the other way.

I saw in another comment that you said it would only be for a few years. In that case it's a bit different as I was going off of the assumption it was long-term/permanent, so it could be a more worthwhile experience.

I would say that it could even be beneficial for the kids in terms of their English skills and getting a more worldly experience. Most Germans I know speak good English, but some of those who have done study abroad programs in the US have definitely mastered the language and accent, which is especially useful in STEM as almost all research is done in English these days.

[koevet]

yes, the English learning experience for my kids is the first thing I thought when this opportunity started to became concrete.

Sorry, I didn't mean your comment was polarized, the opposite. Yours was one of the few balanced comments in this thread so far (also don't want to discount other HNers comments, this is hugely useful for me)

[serjester]

As a counterpoint I had a knife randomly pulled on me earlier this week in Munich. I’m sure this could have happened in the US too but I wouldn’t call Germany free from violent crime.