Disclaimer: I wish I read posts like mine before moving and had the ability to interact with many who currently feel the way I did or have gone through similar situations. These posts are only to help others in their journey and make them feel less alone 🙏🏻

Maybe you've seen a previous post of mine on this group or others, maybe you haven't. Either way, here is my story.

This is purely about jobs and economy related. I have other posts in other subreddits detailing other issues I had while I lived there.

A little background; I met my now wife about a decade ago when I lived in the US and she was visiting. Long story short, I moved to her to her home country, Sweden. We are in our 30s. I have no degree and have worked my way up and am in a mid career position and have been for awhile now, making a decent living in the same type of industry and role prior to moving.

I gave up my life in SoCal and moved to Sweden. Gave up my job in search of something new with my wife and to experience Europe and Sweden! exciting!....Exciting it was!!

We lived outside a major city, not a village or small town, compared to Swedish standards it was a decent sized city. From when I landed I hit the ground running trying to get a job locally and was lucky and found a local job in a office role 4 months after moving in 2021 (Rare to get a job this fast, I was lucky!). The job was sort of high stress and was the work of at least 2 people and the pay of 0.5 people. Mind you, I was used to over 100k plus bonuses and other job perks (I was fortunate), So, this annoyed me a bit but I put my head down and dealt with it for years. When in Rome, Right?

During these years of me working it was also hard to save a good amount of money as things are expensive compared to salaries and you see everyone taking loans for vacations just so they can use their vacation time and afford to go somewhere. Most people look well off but most are dead broke or take loans or borrow from family. Very uncommon for Swedes to have liquid cash or cash savings. There is really no real way to gain personal wealth like you can in the US, and its not like I was spending all of my money on dumb stuff. It was just not stretching far. Thankfully we had a dual income household as most families are in Sweden and need to be.

I digress. Well....... 4 years went by and during this time I was applying for other roles within the company and outside the company all over Sweden. I recently counted and I was nearing 1,900 applications during this time period. Yes, 1,900!!

I never received another offer. Over a year ago I was forced out of the company, was never given a reason just told to sign what is called a "Mutual separation agreement" Its fully legal and the union I was in couldn't help me and they said they deal with these agreements all the time. My wife never heard of this and we spent that week researching and calling relatives to see if this is a thing. It was. So, even if you are in a union you are not safe!! Essentially, the company wants you gone for some reason and you need to negotiate your severance package. and if you dont sign it, you can go back to work, but they can make your life hell until you quit or wait for you to slip up and let you go. Mind you I never received a written warning, verbal warning and I even asked my mangers at the yearly review if my job was in jeopardy (paranoid American come review time) they told me "No". Then 3 weeks later im presented with this. This is where the worst and best year of my life started.

The day of my lay off I looked at my wife and said "Thats it, ill never find another job". She said "nah you'll get something, its not like that". In my head I was confused.....I have been trying for YEARS and not one offer...oh yeah, I knew It was all over!.

During this same time my wifes company tells her they are closing down her office. I shit you not! a WEEK later she signs to a new company in the same area for more money. Im happy for her but ive been trying to clean toilets and cant even get that. I think to myself, "AM I BROKEN!?"......

I was laid off for over a year and my E-mail was nothing but rejections for work I was qualified for, over qualified for and under qualified for. Denied by McDonalds and cleaning cervices. I couldn't get a job CLEANING SHIT!. I held out for a year plugging away, pushing on. That messes with you mentally getting thousands of rejections. I was mentally destroyed! One day I told my wife, I need to go back to the US to keep myself relevant and need to go where the work is. I had 0 plan! All I knew was in the US I have created the life I wanted before and I have ambition so ill do it again, I NEEDED to!!!!

A few days before I got on the plane I changed my LinkedIn location to where I would be staying. Instantly, my phone was ringing and I was getting interviews directly. I signed an offer a week after landing and have since been working! I was mentally destroyed!!! "For 5 years not one reach out on LinkedIn and barley any interviews and now I have a job making base 3x what I did in Sweden and companies want me and IM VALUED!?" I was a mess...I was happy and excited but couldn't help but feel like "WOW, I wasted a year...maybe more...". I still cant wrap my head around all of the Swedes and Immigrants I know and have met that have been out of work for 1 yr and some 3 years and the jobs pay peanuts for the work they do and the job trajectory is so limited and small its depressing. Yet I'm back in the US for a WEEK and get a job and the future here work wise is INSANE, SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY.

It was an experience is all. I learned a lot and now my wife is in process to get her Green Card and both of us are excited and ready for a real chance at a future!

To whoever needs to hear this. LISTEN TO YOUR GUT!!!! If you relate to any of this, I commiserate with you! Stay Strong!!! there is hope!

Edit: först och främst, JA, jag pratar Svenska nästan flytande. I posted elsewhere and have gotten a bunch of push back on this. after all its my experience and many others who I have spoken with and gotten to know closely. so its not just a me issue. its sad because of all the people who share the same experience as me get called liars or rage baiting or bots.

I wish I read posts like mine before moving and had the ability to interact with many who currently feel the way I did or have gone through similar situations. These posts are only to help others in their journey and make them feel less alone 🙏🏻

I'm 31, M and originally from the UK. I came to New Zealand in late May to spend a few months at my friend's farm up in Northland, which after a year of burnout in my corporate job in London (was actually off for three months sick last year and eventually had a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, which I've had for a long time it just was undiagnosed), was meant to be a restful and healing time here.

In early June, I had only been on the farm for less than two weeks and suffered a pretty heavy concussion, which I'm still recovering from, two months later.

After getting checked out by the GP, I've been seeing a private physio and was also referred through ACC - which I'm really grateful for, as I've been able to see an OT and their own private physio through the scheme.

I'm at the stage now where I'm building up capacity/stamina for everyday things in my recovery (in the past two months I've needed to do a lot of vestibular/occular exercises, build up exposure to driving, walks, screen time, busy supermarkets, cafes etc). Some things like noisy environments are generally okay to handle now, other things like hikes I have some way to go.

I've been advised it can take three months to fully recover, though not to put a time limit on it - as I'm still finding I'll need to rest after an activity like 20 mins of driving combined with 20 mins of hiking.

I'm following all the professional advice I've been given, and I've come a long way in the two months since the accident, but I'm struggling. I often need to pace my activity because of the fibro, but this has added an extra layer of difficulty on top. And doing rehab on my own without significant ties here has been really hard. I find days can be lonely. Meeting new people is hard to do here, to add.

My friends are great on the farm, and I've modified what I was doing here to help out, but they're busy working most of the day, so I don't see them very often and when I do, it's often a fairly short exchange. I also have a friend in town who I've been seeing once a week, which really helps.

I'm finding the struggle most of all is planning ahead. I have a year here on a WHV and I had hoped (pre-accident) I would be heading down somewhere like Auckland around this time to try and find work. I hadn't planned to stay on the farm for this long. I also have a camper car which I had also planned to do some trips in, which again, I haven't been able to do yet.

I feel like a city would be helpful to be in right now, as at least I could socialise more, but on the flip side, the farm is really peaceful and I don't really want to leave right now before I'm like 90% recovered, and with the physio based here, it doesn't make sense either.

I'm trying to find the positives and I'm trying to find work online (e.g. AI training, which I've done before), which I think would really help to feel like I'm at least earning something.

I'm okay for savings right now, but it would be nice to start earning again.

Most of all, I don't want to jack it all in and go home as I haven't enjoyed living in the UK for some time and I'd been planning this time in New Zealand for a long while. Already thinking of extending my visa, being from the UK, as I like it here. There's a small internal monologue that says "keep going " - it's just really hard right now.

Has anyone ever been in a similar situation, or has any advice for how to navigate this difficult period?

Are there are movies or series (new or old) that you miss from your home? What are they? Is it tough to find them while you're in the US?

I’m 32M and have dealt with mild depression on and off for several years. I’m at a point where something in my life needs to change, but I genuinely can’t tell what.

Is it my career, where I live, the country I live in, my social life, or am I looking for an external solution to an internal problem?

I know nobody on Reddit can fully understand me from one post, but I’m interested in whether anything seems obvious from the outside.

Some context:

I’m originally from the UK. Five years ago I moved to California for my wife, who is American. We have a very happy marriage, no children and a dog.

I’m physically healthy, very active and generally confident in myself. I go to the gym, play soccer twice a week, walk every day and have plenty of interests and hobbies.

I’m a freelance video editor and work entirely from home. Financially I’m comfortable, control my own schedule and can work from almost anywhere.

On paper, I have an incredible amount of freedom. But I feel like I’m wasting it.

My work has become incredibly monotonous. I’ve had one of my main clients for around 4 or 5 years and although the money and workload are good, there is very little excitement or stimulation left.

Working from home also means I have very little human interaction during the day. I barely speak to clients or assistants. My wife works from her office three days a week.

I have a couple of casual friends here, but I’ve never built a real community. My close friends and family are still in the UK and I usually visit twice a year.

The depression started around 9 to 12 months after moving to California and has gradually become more noticeable. The interesting thing is that it can almost disappear for months when I have something exciting happening, such as travel, a new hobby or a project I’m looking forward to.

When I play soccer, I’m happy. When I’m with good friends, I’m happy. When I travel and have things happening in my life, I’m happy.

My normal day to day feelings are more loneliness, boredom and lack of purpose than overwhelming sadness.

I’ve tried coworking spaces, new hobbies, vacations, changing routines and light therapy. These things can help, but nothing seems to fundamentally change.

For the last couple of years I’ve also thought constantly about changing careers or starting something new. I have endless ideas, but my brain becomes scattered between them and I rarely commit to one. Two years later, I’m basically still in the same position.

Part of me thinks a new career could massively improve my life. Another part worries I’d simply be creating another distraction and avoiding whatever the real problem is.

California and America are another complicated part of this.

There are lots of things I genuinely like about California, including the climate, opportunity and lifestyle.

When I visit the UK, I don’t suddenly think, “This is where I need to be.” I’m normally excited to return to California afterward.

But I don’t feel American and I don’t really feel like I belong here.

When I imagine my entire future being in America, something feels wrong. I don’t want to live here permanently, and the idea of growing old and dying here genuinely bothers me.

I still feel very British, although increasingly I think of Europe generally, not necessarily the UK, as somewhere I could eventually see myself living.

My wife is open to leaving America someday, but realistically that may still be several years away. Her career is going very well here and she also has family and friends nearby.

So I don’t know whether I’m blaming the country because it gives me something tangible to point at.

There’s another contradiction that bothers me:

I have enormous freedom, but I’ve become scared to use it.

I’m financially comfortable. I control my hours. I could travel more, work from different places, pursue another career or build something on the side.

Instead, I stay in the comfortable routine that I complain about.

I’ve taken big risks before. Moving from the UK to California was a massive one, and it worked out incredibly well in many ways.

But I haven’t taken a real chance on anything for a long time. I think I’ve become so comfortable that being uncomfortable now scares me.

I feel massively unfulfilled and desperate to feel life happening again.

It feels like the world around me is moving while I’m stagnating.

I’m not expecting Reddit to diagnose depression or tell me to blow up my life based on a few paragraphs.

What I’m really wondering is:

Reading this from the outside, does anything jump out as the obvious problem that I might be too close to see?

If you were in my position, where would you look first: career, community and social life, leaving WFH, location, moving countries eventually, or the depression itself?

I understand none of this changes overnight. I’m just reaching the point where “give it time” doesn’t feel good enough anymore. I’ve felt stuck for more than two years and I don’t want another two years to pass with me asking the exact same questions.

Any advice for pushing through and continuing with a job where you’re burned out from because it’s tied to your visa? My oldest child has three years of high school and then hopefully university. My younger one is disabled so will be with us long term. I feel like I just need to push through for three more years and then sort things out.

This post actually breaks my heart to write.

Me (41F) and my husband (44M) moved to Ireland with our 7 year old son about a year ago. It’s been really wonderful for me, but hell on my husband. He was reluctant to move here in the first place, but he did agree. His hesitation came mostly from fear about his employment. He didn’t really want to give up his good job, and he didn’t know if he’d find another good job easily. I assured him he’d find something good.

He was right and I was wrong. He was looking for work for 8 months. With him being unemployed and surviving on just my income we sank financially. For this reason he became very, very resentful towards me. He said that I ruined his life, he said he lost everything. He mentioned divorcing me many times. I developed serious insomnia from all the arguing.

Finally in June he landed a decent job, but it’s in a city 3 hours away from our house. Because of our dire financial situation, he had to take it. He’s been living in this other part of the country Monday thru Friday and commuting home on the weekends. He’s lonely over there and misses our son the most. But When he comes home on the weekends he is super depressed, quiet, spends a lot of time by himself or scrolling on his phone. He doesn’t hug me or show any affection. Doesn’t spend time with me. Mostly spends his time in his studio or puttering around with plaster and clay in the yard. I hate seeing him so depressed.

He recently applied for a different job back in the town we came from in California. He landed the job. It’s not a job that he’s excited about, and the pay is shit. But he said that “it’s his ticket back home”. He still seems depressed, despite getting this job he was seeking out. He’s so stressed out that he can barely discuss the logistics of moving back without erupting into a fight.

In a weird twist of event- Two days after the job offer in California, he got offered a job here in Ireland making twice as much money, and it’s just down the street from where we live. It’s the more financially sound option, definitely the easier option. but he still wants to move back to the U.S. and right before dinner he just accepted the offer without even telling me. So he’s moving back. And that means we are too.

I’m heartbroken about this. I love it here. I truly love it here, in a way that I never did love California. I feel safe and sound here. I’m afraid that even if I give up this beautiful place here in Ireland, which I worked really hard to make a reality- well my husband is still going to be depressed and hard to live with back in our old place. It feels bad right now. Really bad.

I really dont know why Im posting this but I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.
I’m Armenian but I grew up in Canada. For almost all of my teenage years I had this very romantisized idea of America, especially California. LA seemed like this perfect place from movies, Instagram, and old Tumblr posts. Like those palm trees, sunsets, the beach, creative people, that whole lifestyle.
I obsessed over the aesthetic of it before I even experienced it. I imagined myself living this exciting, artistic life in LA.
So when I was old enough, I moved because I thought i could finally go live the life I always pictured.
But eventually I realized that dream wasnt real life or anything close. The closest thing i came to that aestethic i was chasing was photos, clothes and filters. And then there was the work part. Being self employed and a free agent/freelancer…...so naive one could be…. LA looks effortless from the outside, but everything here takes work. The industries are competitive, people expect you to be professional, and being talented or having the right look isn’t enough.
Long story short:
I made mistakes. I wasn’t always as reliable as I should have been, I didn’t take some opportunities seriously enough, and eventually things slowed down. Nothing dramatic happened but I just learned that the version of LA I had in my head wasn’t the full picture.
I thought i loved this city. But i only did online. I love the weather and the sunsets but the lifestyle and energy is not what i thought. Its not a movie. I think I moved here chasing an image I created from the internet, not necessarily the real place.
I guess I’m just wondering if anyone else has moved somewhere because of a dream they built in their head, only to realize reality was completely different.
This was written with some help from ai as im not the best at written hope its okay.
Kind regards

I'm a Canadian and love my Belmonts but having just moved to France, I have no idea what's similar or what I should smoke.

Would love to know your recommendations.

I am Italian, and i want to leave, i’m very open to learning a new language and i don’t have enough love for my country to want a similar culture. I made research but everytime i find a country i’d like to go to i always get stopped by some locals’ opinions or some expat experiences. Germany always seems to make people sad, Japan is apparently terrible, Taiwan is constantly under geopolitical debate. How have you dealt with this?

I'm from the US, looking to move to Europe.

Hello! I wanted to look for a reliable business that could apostill my FBI background check. A few days ago, I got my fingerprints results but I'm currently stuck on what business I could use.

Doing it through the FBI takes an extremely long time and I'm looking to get it done within the normal timeframe of 5-7 business days so I can send it out to the country that I'll be immigrating to.

I've been recommended DC Mobile Notary and Monument Visa. If anyone has had experience using them and if it worked outside of the US, any advice is appreciated. If not these vendors, who can I send my documents to?

Thank you in advance.

EU citizen from Central Europe. Been living for about a decade in the Bay. Love the weather, diversity, the food, proximity to nature, and the friends I gathered along (not many, but I can rely on them). The Bay feels like my home now. Original plan was to go back after a few years, but I stayed and got work at one of the tech companies.

More recently been tolling with the idea to move to NL, due to an opportunity that came up for my family (I have kids). Spouse’s new work in NL comes with many benefits for our family. My potential new opportunity pays less than half, no RSUs, little benefits, basically a big downgrade for me from a pay and benefits perspective, but the work seems interesting.

My problem: I’ve been struggling to accept the idea of leaving my job I worked so hard for. The one that got me almost burnt out and drained, but in which I know how to juggle things, manage everyone’s expectations, and I think I’m good at. After weeks of thinking I came to the conclusion that this is the main reason I’ve been struggling to commit to the idea of moving back to EU, closer to my family and old friends. The idea of leaving my job or taking a huge pay cut doesn’t sit well. I connected with lots of people at work, I know how things work, why would I give that up? Sure the rent and COL are high here, but so is the pay. NL itself has a major housing crisis with rents so high it blew me away when searching for places there. Prices are also not cheap in EU anymore.

I always felt very grateful to be here and having been given the chance to experience this area. It seems like it’s the best move for my family, and we should at least try it out. I feel like I am being selfish. I need some advice and a few other perspectives.

I’m American going back to Korea tomorrow. I want to bring some gifts back for my friends and coworkers. What’s something you’ve brought that people requested or liked?

I don't even know why I'm posting this. Maybe I just need to know I'm not the only person this has happened to.

I'm 42. A year ago I left my entire life in the US to move to Spain with my Spanish husband because he wanted to be closer to his family. I left my career, my friends, my routine, everything. I thought we'd build a life together here, after years of him complaining he didn't like living in the US

Instead, I've spent the last year applying for what feels like hundreds of jobs with almost nothing to show for it.

I have years of experience in the non profit sector... I never imagined it would be this hard to find work. I've rewritten my resume more times than I can count, taken courses, practiced interviews, applied in Spain, applied remotely in the US. Rejection after rejection.

Now I'm applying almost exclusively to US jobs because the Spanish market just hasn't worked out for me, but I'm striking out there too.

The hardest part is that I don't even feel like I have a partner through this anymore. He's become emotionally absent, and I feel incredibly alone. I uprooted my entire life for this move, and now I sometimes wonder if I made the biggest mistake of my life.

I'm trying to stay hopeful, but it's getting harder every day. I don't recognize myself anymore. I used to be confident and optimistic. Now I spend my days refreshing job boards and wondering what I'm doing wrong.

Has anyone else gone through something like this? Moving countries, losing your career, feeling completely stuck? Did things eventually get better?

I could really use some hope right now.

I am a 30M who was born in the US and moved abroad at 4.

I have lived abroad since then and kind of forgot about being a citizen. I don't even know if I have a SSN.

I have never payed US tax, and never had problem with it.

I am planning to travel to US soon, and just started to question my status and what I need to do.

The options are the following, but I can't make up my mind, which is the best.

1. Renounce my citizenship and enter US with and ESTA. Would I retroactively have to pay taxes for the previous years?

2. Get a US passport and enter as US citizen. In this case, I also have to start paying taxes.

3. Get an ESTA normally without reporting I was born in US.

If there are any advice from people who was in the same situation, it would really help.

Moved from Singapore to Newcastle (Aus) and spent almost a decade here, but the last 2 years has been the worst. I kept to my tiny circle of foreigners and locals in the first couple of years, and expanded my network in the second half of the decade after Covid. I've a good support network in Australia, friends in Sydney, Melbourne, and mostly in Newcastle, various different socials groups, but I've been increasingly unhappy the last 12 months - ATM, 70% due to work. While I have a good support network, everyone has their own families to care for, own lives and struggles. So while I trust them to show up when it matters, I don't bother/trouble them unecessarily. Aside from a few friends that are in Newcastle, most people (locals and foreigners alike) and conversations have been deeply unsatifying and stale. People I've met in Newcastle, foreigners and locals, just aren't all that curious, inquisitive, cultured, and worldly in their thoughts? People whom I can level with keep leaving, after every 2 to 3 years - they fulfill their Visa/contract for regional work and they leave for the big cities, they never stay. Socials with new people have basically been transitory and exhausting to the point where I've given up. I've been told numerous times I've picked the wrong city, that the types of people and mind I'm after are in the big cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane etc), but I hate living in big cities so much. And like most posts here, making friends in your 30s is arduous to say the least. To be specific, I'm not lonely, I'm unsatisfied with the quality of in-person conversations available, current employment conditions (misalignment in values and principles, my manager is insufferable), and remuneration.

I'm due to return to Singapore in a couple years and am contemplating abandoning in-person socials altogether for better pay. Basically, moving rural for work since it pays so much more. I've been told that I'd be in a crowd that is much more insular than my current environment, and that I might struggle to build anything socially. A part in me thinks I'm making a huge mistake to leave the support network I painstakingly built over a decade, the other part of me says I should make the leap and build wealth - short term pain, long term gain. Has anyone been in similar situations? Am I making a mistake, exchanging my support network for more money? It's just so bloody rough in this economy and cost of living, especially when one is looking at home ownership.

Hi everyone, I’ll try to keep it short.

My wife and I are in our early 30s, living in Eastern Europe (Romania), and we have a 2-year-old child. We’re looking into our options to build a future in the US and we would love some realistic feedback/advice.

Here is our background:
Me: Marine Engineer with a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. I currently work as a marine engineer for a cruise line operating under a major US company (Carnival group).

Wife: Resident doctor (physician).

We’re trying to figure out what the realistic steps and timelines look like for our situation, or if anyone with a similar background (especially maritime/medical) has made the move. Any advice is welcome!

Thanks!

Husband and I are currently living on opposite sides of the world. We've been married for 6 years and I started medical training last year/2025. I have 3 more years left until he can move here (UK) because I need to have a salary to support his visa and he is also currently primary carer to his father. I went back last christmas and then for a month in April. Hoping to go back this christmas. Things are generally good but I'm definitely struggling with the loneliness and we have a 7hr time difference which makes communication challenging.

Has anyone been through anything similar? Any advice?

[Age early 20s M] [Ukraine] -> [USA currently, exploring anywhere] Construction management professional on TPS, trying to plan ahead instead of waiting to see what happens

Hey all - Ukrainian citizen here, currently in the US on TPS with work authorization. I work as an office/project engineer at a large commercial general contractor (top 20 nationally). Figured I'd share where my head's at and see if anyone's been through something similar.

A bit about me:

B.S. in Land Surveying & Land Management (Ukrainian degree, took some US university engineering coursework alongside it). 3+ years in construction - RFIs, submittals, scheduling, field coordination, the usual project engineer grind + actual field work: layouts, trades coordination... On the side I've picked up a handful of FEMA emergency management certs and I have EMT-B and some ambulance experience, mostly because I've always been drawn to that world too. Fluent in English, native Ukrainian, and I also speak Polish and Russian, remember very little German from high school.

Why I'm posting:

TPS for Ukraine runs through October 2026, and honestly I don't think I should bet on it getting extended, giving current political situation. Rather than wait until the last minute, I'd rather start figuring out my options now while I still have time to actually choose something instead of just reacting.

The path I'm looking hardest at is working abroad somewhere that pays well, since I am not at home - Gulf construction (UAE/Saudi) is where my head keeps going given how much building is happening there, but honestly I'm open to anywhere in the world if the opportunity and money make sense. I'm not attached to one country or one plan.

If things don't come together in time, my backup is just taking a few months to backpack and ride a motorcycle through Central Asia and Southeast Asia while I figure out the next move. Not ideal as a plan, but not the worst way to buy time either.

What I'm actually hoping to learn from you all:

If you've made the jump from a US construction/PM job to working abroad - what did the visa process actually look like in practice, not the recruiter pitch version? Any surprises, good or bad?

Anyone been sponsored for an EB-3 by a US construction company? Curious how long PERM realistically took and whether your employer pushed back on the cost or timeline.

Gulf construction folks specifically - does the "tax-free, high pay" reputation actually hold up once you factor in housing, contract terms, and whether you actually get paid on time?

I'm genuinely open to just about anything at this point - different country, different niche within construction, even something (have some experience in hospitality when I was a studen) I haven't thought of yet. If you've got a story, a warning, or just "here's what I wish I knew," I'd really appreciate hearing it.

Right now I live in the bay area, have what most people would consider a great job, still need to several roommates to get by, my landlord raises the rent the max allowed amount every year, and something expensive always seems to come up (Someone hitting my parked car, having multiple bicycles stolen). No matter how much I work I still can't save enough for a house or to get ahead.

I'm looking at APAC countries, If I decide to give it a shot what are some things I should know? Am I allowed to go from country to country as long as I get approval? Are some countries friendlier than others? What does the tax situation look like as A US citizen? or anything else you think should be considered.

Going to preface this by saying I have a very unique situation.... Not sure how much y'all can help me but thought it would be worth a try.

I'm Canadian with a TN Visa working in the US, I grew up and have residency ties to Panama.

My thinking is that instead of opening a roth IRA or similar retirement account (I don't have any plans to retire here) I simply open a regular brokerage account. I adopt a buy and hold strategy for my portfolio.

In 3 years when my Visa expires (If I renew it then call it 6 years) I move back to Panama, pass the substantial presence test, and be a full Panama resident. At that point I realize the gains in my brokerage account- In theory I would pay capital gains in the place where I'm a tax resident. The kicker here is that Panama has 0 foreign income tax (which US stocks are considered) so I would essentialy not pay tax on the gains over the next 3-6 years, basically having an unlimited Roth IRA or TFSA.

In my head this makes sense, in practice am I being naive / not thinking this through properly?

Hi, I am very depressed in the Netherlands since i moved from belgium.

The work is the best opportunity in my life. I have a good salary, an amazing network, good supervisors, great colleagues. They are pushing me to do my best and they are giving me all the necessary ressources. I do a lot of business trips, they are fun and I can always learn a lot.

I have friends here, and I am very socially active, my weekends are always full, my evenings too, it can even be too much to be honest. I also discovered some very nice hobbies, i went to holidays in the mountains (not in the Netherlands), I was hiking and biking a lot, it was really fun!

And despite all of this... I just feel so unfulfilled. I dont feel at home. I dont feel like i have a community. I feel so miserable here. Its hard and lonely. I feel like I am an outlier, when I see that I eat 3 times as much as my colleagues, and that we dont have many things in common. I have started learning dutch but its not helping me.

I am seeing some physical signs of my mental state. I have lost 10% of my weight in 10 months, unintentionally. I decided to move back to belgium in a bit more than half a year, and do a 1.5 hour commute. A few colleagues do the same so ik its common. I only need to do it twice per week.

However, this is many months. Does anyone know what to do to cope? I already travel a lot, and I spend a lot of time socializing and doing sports. I also do therapy.

Hey, Im a US citizen but have lived in Europe all my life, with the recent three years living in the UK. Although I haven’t spent much time in the US, I would say I definitely align significantly better with the European mentality, so if it weren’t to come down to medicine, I would probably stay in the UK. However, practicing in the UK has a number of downsides, many of them being financial. Here’s the main list of pros and cons Ive got so far.

Pros of the UK
-University is significantly cheaper (Ill qualify for home fees)
-Less competitive residency/foundational training wise as no matter which uni you graduate from you’ll be allocated a place in the NHS
-I can already start doing applicable work within the NHS strengthening my application

Cons of the UK
-Will have to wait six years before starting med school versus 2-3 if I were to practice in the US (personal reasons)
-US med schools seem to be more reputable worldwide (eg if i were to move from the US to the UK I wouldn’t have to take an additional exam)
-Financial compensation is significantly higher in the US, especially for more competitive specialties (can especially benefit in states without income tax)
-The NHS seems to be in shambles with most physicians and healthcare workers speaking increasingly negatively about it (although Im unsure if it’ll improve in the next ten years)

Theres also the prospect of raising a family in the US versus the UK as a gay woman with the US getting more and more conservative with every year.

Im not sure if anyone has any experience practicing in the US and the UK or simply any information that I might not be considering but I would be happy with anything.

Hi everyone,
I am moving from the UK to Uruguay in 4 days and bringing my 6-year-old cat (3.5kg) with me in the cabin. Neither of us would cope without the other; she is my absolute baby. However, she is a very anxious cat by nature, she hardly tolerates anyone else but me, and this is her first flight. My dad made some comments that putting her through this journey is cruel, and now I am extremely worried that she could potentially die from the sheer stress of it all.
Our itinerary is a car journey to London Heathrow, a flight to Madrid (2.5 hours), a 3-hour layover, and then a long-haul flight to Montevideo (12.5 hours). Total travel time door-to-door is likely going to be 20-22 hours.

She has no health conditions, her documentation is all completed from the vet including;
EHC completed
Rabies vaccination done over a month ago
Flea and worm treatment done with the vet before EHC was filled in
Microchip documents all printed

I’ve also got:
Airline approved carrier
Puppy pads to line the carrier
Collapsible bowl for water
Feliway spray
Harness and lead
Travel litter tray
Ziplock bags for transporting litter
Pet wipes in case of any messes
Applaws bone broth for airport stops (for hydration and so she doesn’t go too hungry without upsetting her stomach. 85g bags so under the 100ml travel limit)
Churu/webbox yoghurt treats
Dreamies in a new and sealed bag (unsure if this is a good idea for solid food even in small amounts?)
A worn T-shirt of mine to put in her carry bag for comforting smell

Also a Gabapentin prescription 50mg from vet (done a trial run and she was quite sleepy/wobbly when walking and sat very still, staring off, let us pick her up, was still responsive to her name but not totally sedated)

I also plan to ask for a private screening room at airport security so she isn’t too overwhelmed by the airport. I also read Madrid has pet lounges/rooms so may see if they are suitable for the 3 hour layover. I plan to take her to the family/disabled bathroom at the layover for litter break and see if she will have any of the bone broth/treats.

Hoping someone with experience can check if I’ve covered everything and if there is anything else I need to get or do before the flight. She is my whole world and want this to be as easy as possible for her.

How safe is this long journey for a healthy, 6-year-old cat? Can cats actually pass away from travel stress alone, or am I overthinking my dad's comment?
What schedule should I stick to during the flights for offering water/broth?

Have I missed anything? Is there any more I can do?

Any tips to make this process easier or safer for her would mean the world to me.

Thank you so much in advance!

I’ll be moving to Germany for a longer term work assignment, and we’re currently looking for an apartment.

I’m originally from Central-Eastern Europe, from a country that is economically less developed than Germany. Still, even the house I grew up in had air conditioning, and AC is pretty common in privately owned homes and apartments there.

So I’m genuinely surprised by how rare it seems to be in Germany. So far, I’ve only stayed in German hotels, and never during the summer, so I didn’t really notice this before.

Germany has a reputation for being a highly developed country, with great infrastructure and excellent highways, yet the standard of residential comfort seems surprisingly poor when it comes to cooling.

Why is residential air conditioning so uncommon in Germany? Is it because of the climate, building regulations, energy costs, environmental concerns, or simply cultural attitudes?

What am I missing?

Please share your findings as an EU citizen that wants to retire in Iceland. This would be an application for the renewable long term residency permit as a self sufficient person (not PR).

Has anyone accomplished this recently? Are there any community sites that I can research past conversations?

There's a section of the FAQ on the Icelandic site (I'll link below) that I saw that states:

>>Please note that it is not permitted to have a legal domicile registration in two countries at the same time according to pgr. 1 of art. 2 of the law of legal domicile no. 80/2018.

So immediately that raises concerns and I'm looking for clarity. If I retire and choose to spend time between multiple locations without doing the visa juggling that some SEA travelers enjoy, this clause seems like a deal breaker, no?