25+ Former Americans Share the Biggest Differences in Their Life After Leaving the U.S.

If there’s one thing that you hear a lot about in the United States, it’s the large portions that Americans tend to serve and eat.

When this person first moved out of the United States, they were surprised at the portion sizes. They’re much smaller and, in time, it led to them eating less. Now, those portions at home look pretty big to them too after they’ve gotten used to smaller servings.

When you live in one place for a long time, it’s easy for you to get caught up in the bubble you’re in. That’s something this person noticed about many Americans.

They weren’t excluding themselves either! They noted that once they moved to a new country, the history, culture, and general diversity they were exposed to really changed their perspective. It taught them a lot about the world they weren’t sure they’d have learned otherwise.

Achieving a balance between your personal life and your work life isn’t always easy. Many Americans are familiar with working multiple jobs or having a side hustle.

As for this person, their move to Switzerland came with a simplified approach to this concept. With the mindset that more time off gives workers more time to de-stress, leading to higher productivity, there’s plenty of time to go on holiday.

Getting around seems like it would be generally the same everywhere. After all, you just have to go from point A to point B, right?

Well, if you don’t drive, you might find a lot of parts of the States hard to get around with ease. This person found that when they do drive, there’s less stress surrounding it. On the contrary, if they want to take public transport, there are a lot more options than in the States.

This person grew up in the United States and later made their way as an American who moved to Australia. As it turned out, it was a great choice!

This person realized that they’re a lot more stress-free after their move than they were before. They’re happy to see more respect coming their way from their employer and that they can take more time off than when they dealt with American employers.

We’ve already touched on it but there’s really something to be said for how important reliable, accessible public transportation is. You probably already know this if you’ve ever been somewhere without a car.

Not every part of the United States is as connected by public transport as the last. Especially in rural areas, it can be hard to find. With cheaper takeout too, this person has found themselves exploring a lot of new restaurants too.

We all want to find the best quality of life for ourselves as possible. After all, why would you not want to enjoy your life as much as you possibly can?

In their new home, they’ve found that the people around them are much friendlier — both to people and to animals. To them, it seems like Turkey — specifically the west side — is better than they had expected.

Moving from the United States to Japan is no small transition for an American to make. Any move to the other side of the globe would include a lot of change!

One thing that really stood out to this person as they got adjusted was the matter of healthcare. Having access to help when you need it can be truly life-saving. In Japan, they also found that, despite the language learning curve, they had more time for their studies.

There’s a big push in the United States that having a side hustle or extra gig to earn money isn’t just a good idea, it’s fully encouraged.

That’s not something that this person saw carried over when they started to get settled in their new country. Here, they found that maintaining a healthy work-life balance was not only valued but encouraged. So, they had the chance to pick up a few new hobbies.

There are some procedures that tend to be rather expensive although the coverage and cost can vary depending on where you are in the world.

If you’ve ever tried to conceive via IVF in the United States, you know that it’s not often something that comes at a low cost. When this person wanted to become a parent in New Zealand, they were expecting the same but found that the country offered it for free to qualifying residents.

At this point, we’ve taken a few looks at how surprised people were about the differences that you can see in healthcare from country to country.

It’s not just your physical health that you need to work on, though. It’s just as important to take care of your mental health as well! That’s something that this person found a lot easier to do after they moved. Plus, the room they have to handle their physical symptoms isn’t anything to scoff at either.

Odds are that if you move to an entirely new country, no matter what your starting or ending country is, you’re going to see a few things that surprise you.

After 16 years in England, this American had a few things to note. For one, they were happy to see their quality of life go up. Of course, we all have some complaints about where we live. For them, it was the fact that there wasn’t a whole lot of sunshine to enjoy.

If you move from an English-speaking country to one where the national language isn’t English, you might be nervous about fitting into your new home.

That’s why when this person moved to Germany, they thought they’d meet a much higher learning curve when it came to actually learning German. However, what they didn’t expect was to see such a change in their own quality of life. That’s what you hope for from any move, right?

In the United States, a lot of people get their insurance through their employers. It’s one of the benefits that you might keep an eye out for when starting a new job.

That isn’t always easy when you’re a freelancer or otherwise self-employed. With no employer over you, it can lead to a lot of anxiety about these traditionally-offered benefits. Plus, it helps that they make more in the same role in their new country versus their home state.

Other countries often have a few things they’re surprised about when it comes to American diets and lifestyles surrounding food.

This person found that when they moved to a country that was more walkable, they found themselves naturally getting exercise without a gym membership to keep up with and fresher, healthier food was abundant. In addition, they were happy with the money they saved as well.

If you live in more than just the United States and another, non-American country, you’re going to notice differences in your time in each country.

After they started traveling, this person realized exactly how much easier it is to travel now that they’re in a different location. If you live in Europe, for instance, visiting another country is a lot faster than if you live in Oklahoma or Kentucky.

Living on a single income can be different depending on where you are. Some people find that it’s easy while others couldn’t possibly do it where they live.

This American noticed that when they moved to Japan, the money and means they had to support themselves went a lot further than the American money in the market they were used to. Then again, the more affordable healthcare didn’t hurt their opinion of their move either.

There are a lot of people out there that make just walking down the street difficult for others. A lot of people have their own horror stories to share.

Of course, nowhere is perfect but this American found themselves dealing with the problem much less in their new, unnamed home. We can only imagine that this would make you feel like you had a lot more freedom to go out without worrying about your safety quite as much.

If you moved across the world to Sweden as an American from Texas, no less, there would be a few things that you might think would give you a bit of a shock.

For this person, it was the weather. They didn’t bitterly hate the cold, though. Instead, this American was getting used to a pleasant summer that wasn’t quite as hot and humid as the summer in Texas can be. It’s not the place to be if you don’t like the heat!

This is another American who apparently appreciated the change in the weather. They couldn’t help but love the cooler weather compared to when they lived in the United States. Then again, not everything can be positive, can it?

You can love somewhere and still miss something about home. For this person, they just couldn’t quite get used to the lack of internet. At the very least, it made them miss the upload and download speeds back home.

As we’ve seen, Americans have things they love and hate about their new homes just like their old ones in the United States. You might still have one you prefer but neither is perfect.

While the weather might not be ideal and the taxes might be high and they miss their family, it wasn’t all bad. They found Canadians were really nice and a lot more thoughtful than they expected based on behavior they saw before. Plus, who could say no to poutine?

Many Americans are used to carefully counting their vacation days and asking for their boss’ approval before they plan any major vacations.

When this person asked an American they knew in the UK if she’d ever go back, they learned a lesson in the vacation time Americans weren’t offered. It’s a lot different from being told you have to take a mandatory vacation to make sure that you get time to relax.

Sometimes, there’s not just one thing that you can point out or even compile into a list of the things that you notice a difference in.

For some Americans, the difference was just in their overall standard of living. We’ve seen people point this out in a variety of different ways. For this person, though, it’s just the sense of peace they have in Canada that they didn’t feel in the United States.

Money can make a lot of difference in your quality of life. We’re not saying money can buy happiness but feeling comfortable covering your expenses can give you a lot of peace of mind.

As for this person, they didn’t get into exactly what their field was. However, they were more than ready to compare how they were paid in each country. We have to say that with a pay discrepancy like this, we can see what drew them to Sweden!

Speaking of making ends meet, in many fields, you need some internship experience to really get your foot in the door professionally.

The only problem is that if those internships don’t pay, you might find yourself studying, doing an internship, and working another job to keep yourself afloat. That’s why this person was so delighted to see that internships were all paid in New Zealand when they decided it was time to move.

We all get homesick after we move away. You might even feel it more if you moved further like Americans moving all the way to the UK.

This person found themselves in London for their education and couldn’t help but feel a little homesick from time to time for the weather and the food. Actually going home reminds them that they like themselves right where they are, though.

Learning a new language is no easy task and even though they say that immersion is the best way to learn, it comes with a steep and often anxiety-inducing learning curve.

Living in Moscow, this person only knew a smattering of Russian which led to some performative art to get their point across. They did say they moved there for an adventure and, while they probably aren’t going to stay, this definitely sounds like it fits the bill.

We’ve heard a few stories from Americans who moved to Germany. This is another American ready to give us a rundown of what their move was like.

They found themselves in a new country after marriage and the transition to a new country wasn’t — and isn’t — an easy thing to do. Without knowing the language, things like getting a job are hard. However, there were a few things that definitely counted as silver linings.

This person was a little tired of all the busy lifestyles that you can get caught up in in the United States. Then again, that might depend on where you live too.

Moving from a busy city to rural France would be a big change. Not to mention, who could possibly turn down the chance to relax in the French countryside and travel around Europe as they see fit? It doesn’t sound like a bad way to spend your time!

This is another story from Americans who have moved from the United States to Canada. This is also another tale of moving for love.

With a slightly less long-distance relationship than before, this couple still studied at different schools. That decision led to a more permanent one later on, complete with wedding bells. Between the two of them, they’re staying in Canada rather than moving to the United States.

Being pregnant can leave a lot of couples excited to meet their little bundle of joy. That doesn’t mean that it’s an easy thing to go through, though. When you’re pregnant, you’re body is going through a lot of changes.

You’re growing a new life inside you, after all! Plus, babies need a lot of care after they’re born. This is something that this couple didn’t expect to have so much support with until they lived in the Czech Republic.

We’ve already seen that the hustle for money that many Americans find themselves in isn’t the norm in every single country around the globe.

Of course, you have to make a living but that doesn’t mean that you have to work yourself down to the bone, right? That’s what this person was introduced to with a much more forgiving workweek schedule than they had when they lived in the United States.

There were a couple of things that brought this American from his home country to Shanghai, China. For one, his wife was from China originally, so they were already interested in moving back.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, there was a financial gain to moving as well. The cost of living helped too since they were able to spend less and save more. With that money, they’re able to move closer to their goal of buying a house.

Just as there are plenty of Americans who move to other countries, there are plenty of people from other countries to the United States.

This person originally didn’t live in the United States but was ready to get their green card after living there for a while. It was a stack of medical bills that sent them on the move again to Canada where they found healthcare to be a bit more accessible.

When you’ve lived outside of the United States for eight years, you really get a sense of what it’s like to live in different places in the long term.

It was a want to see the world and experience it genuinely that drew this person out of the country. Yet, it was the job opportunities they saw outside of what American employers were offering. All in all, it seems like they found that leaving was the right move for them!

Making a big move like one from the United States to Dubai is no easy feat. This person wanted to move for years before they finally made it across the ocean.

Once they got there, they were happy to see that it was what they were hoping for. One bit of icing on the cake? Apparently, it saved them a lot of money when it came to paying taxes as well.

We’ve seen quite a few Americans who left their home country to see what life was like a little further north by moving to Canada.

From the sounds of it, this is another one of those happy Americans who doesn’t regret their choice. For one, they were happy to see how kind everyone is socially. On top of that, they weren’t about to give up Tim Horton’s.

There are times in your life when you just need a bit of a change. That’s what brought this American to South Korea after they decided they wanted to experience something new.

They weren’t disappointed with their choice either! Even after only a month of living in South Korea, they were happy with the food, the people they met, and the cultural things they had the chance to experience.

There are some things that you can’t help but appreciate due to their convenience. Who could say no to the chance to stop by a 24-hour store when you need something last minute in the middle of the night?

As it seems, Italy is the place where you aren’t going to find these stores. So, that really cuts down on convenience and adds to planning. On top of that, they noticed that the opening hours of stores weren’t exactly set in stone.

A six-month trip to Australia leaves you with a lot of time to explore the country and see nearly everything that you want to see.

Apparently, six months is also enough time to realize that you love Australia so much that you might not want to go back at all. They met new people and found their footing easily, even if they needed some time to catch on to all the new local slang.

Let’s be honest, we all need food to live. So, we all have a grocery bill to contend with and that can cause quite a bit of stress.

If grocery bills are one thing that you can’t afford to tighten up on, having the option of more affordable groceries is something that will really improve your quality of life just by virtue of making food more affordable. This leaves you with more money for other things, which is often immensely helpful.

If you fall in love with someone who doesn’t live near you and it’s working out well, you might even move to a new country to be together. That’s how this person ended up in Australia.

While they were in Melbourne, they noticed that the quality of life was much better than they remembered at home from wages to health care and even just getting around. Not to mention, it was much easier for them to move to Melbourne than for their partner to move to the United States.

Moving is often a daunting task that comes with a lot of change. It can be extra exciting when you have the chance to move to a new country with someone you already know and love.

Still, there were quite a few things that this person didn’t expect from their move. They were surprised to see that their visits to doctors are cheaper, the food is tasty, and that public transport is much easier to catch, even if it’s flawed.

There are a lot of things that bring Americans to new countries. Nothing quite prompts you to relocate like a request from work, though. That didn’t mean there weren’t a lot of silver linings to the move.

In fact, this couple found life in Germany suited them very well from long walks with their pets to the food they ate and the neighbors they made friends with — so much so that they’re ready to head back someday.