So after more than a decade in Spain, I have decided to return to the US. My reasons? Well, I know there is a lot of US bashing here about how "terrible" it is but I actually think Western Europe is in worse shape.
1. Forget about "intellectual life" in Spain or "intelligent discussions". Sure, I know that in the US most people aren't walking around having "deep" discussions of any sort, but believe me the level of debate is far higher in the US or the UK compared to Spain. I have lived here for ages now and most people are VERY PASSIVE and don't really care either way about what's happening. I know many people here will tell me Americans are dumb or ignorant. That may be the case, but then, so are MANY Europeans I have met. Most people in Spain not only don't have any deep debate, but whenever there is a deep discussion people get VERY VERY offended in ways that make even the worst US sjw look conservative. There really is no debate culture here. Take that as you will. In the US, there may be a lot of idiots, but you have many more options if you REALLY look for it and want to have discussion on this or that topic. There are forums and groups for everyone there.
2. Spain is very cheap by London, Paris or New York standards. Outside Madrid and Barcelona, you can really live a relatively comfortable existence (NO LUXURIES THOUGH) for about 1000 euros/month. That may sound nice, but of course, the salaries are among the lowest in the world. You can easily work (as is my case) for 40 hours per week and make 1000 € net pay. So you get "free" healthcare (you pay for it and your employer through taxes, so it's not really "free"). Rents are cheap where I live. But if you even think about being promoted or changing jobs here, FORGET ABOUT IT. You need to have really good connections for that. Yes, yes, I know the US is becoming the same but it is nowhere near as bad as it is here, believe me. That's ok if you want to do a brief stint here, but it's not a future I want.
3. Shallow culture. If all you like is sun, party and tapas, sitting outside all day and drinking beer or whatever, then yes, by all means come to Spain. But for me there are other things in life. Sure, Spain has history. So what? If you want history you can always travel to it and take it in briefly. The US may not have centuries and centuries of history, but there are many historical places. I do not accept European scorn or arrogance...especially when it is a continent that cannot do anything without looking to the US for help. Europeans will lecture you about how awful the US is, but they ignore their own very serious problems. Western Europeans are in no condition to lecture Americans on most topics except, perhaps, violence (but violence is also the sign of a more dynamic society in some ways)...of people who take a stand. Believe me, looking out your window and seeing the same people everyday sitting outside, laughing and rotting without any hope of fixing the future gets old real fast. If you even mention these things to Spanish people A LOT OF THEM will say "qué pesado" - which translates as "you're so annoying and negative!" I've even mentioned this to some Spanish people who do think and they agree with me that this country is for the most part herd mentality, shallow, superficial and not a place for people who want to "perfect" themselves.
4. Women: Women here are just as feminist if NOT MORE than in the US.Trust me, you're not going to find "traditional" women here. I'm not going to get into the physical aspect because that's a matter of personal taste, but I don't really care for Spanish women either way.
5. Climate: People tell me oh but the weather where I'm from in the US is terrible, but so what? USA has a climate for all tastes: you can get tropical, Mediterranean, continental....it's a non issue for me at this point.
6. No true democracy: Yes, yes, I know the US system "sucks" for many people and probably a lot of guys here will tell me it's terrible over there but trust me, when you see how Spain's political system works you will think the US is a paradise when it comes to legitimate representation. I am a federalist and hate Spanish centralism and of course, European Union diktats. This is a HEAVILY PRO EU country but that's not surprising considering how passive the Spanish really are. I dare anyone to call me out on this one. Most people who stay to live in Spain and come from England or some other Northern European countries OR the US, tell me they agree with me on this issue.
These are obviously just my opinions and I don't intend to convince you that it is the Gospel on Spain. But I am convinced after many years that it's not the ideal place to live if you want to improve yourself. The country is majority Beta, certainly not Alpha in any way.
The difficult thing for me is going to be finding a job in the US. Getting hired over there seems to be much tougher for my profile. But I can't go through life without taking risks and at least trying something new. There are many more reasons as to why I am leaving this place eventually, but I don't want to bore you with a long post. We can discuss more if there is a good discussion.
In summary, I will just say Europe is no paradise. No place on earth is a true paradise, but many people in the US seem to think that about Euroland.
1. Forget about "intellectual life" in Spain or "intelligent discussions". Sure, I know that in the US most people aren't walking around having "deep" discussions of any sort, but believe me the level of debate is far higher in the US or the UK compared to Spain. I have lived here for ages now and most people are VERY PASSIVE and don't really care either way about what's happening. I know many people here will tell me Americans are dumb or ignorant. That may be the case, but then, so are MANY Europeans I have met. Most people in Spain not only don't have any deep debate, but whenever there is a deep discussion people get VERY VERY offended in ways that make even the worst US sjw look conservative. There really is no debate culture here. Take that as you will. In the US, there may be a lot of idiots, but you have many more options if you REALLY look for it and want to have discussion on this or that topic. There are forums and groups for everyone there.
2. Spain is very cheap by London, Paris or New York standards. Outside Madrid and Barcelona, you can really live a relatively comfortable existence (NO LUXURIES THOUGH) for about 1000 euros/month. That may sound nice, but of course, the salaries are among the lowest in the world. You can easily work (as is my case) for 40 hours per week and make 1000 € net pay. So you get "free" healthcare (you pay for it and your employer through taxes, so it's not really "free"). Rents are cheap where I live. But if you even think about being promoted or changing jobs here, FORGET ABOUT IT. You need to have really good connections for that. Yes, yes, I know the US is becoming the same but it is nowhere near as bad as it is here, believe me. That's ok if you want to do a brief stint here, but it's not a future I want.
3. Shallow culture. If all you like is sun, party and tapas, sitting outside all day and drinking beer or whatever, then yes, by all means come to Spain. But for me there are other things in life. Sure, Spain has history. So what? If you want history you can always travel to it and take it in briefly. The US may not have centuries and centuries of history, but there are many historical places. I do not accept European scorn or arrogance...especially when it is a continent that cannot do anything without looking to the US for help. Europeans will lecture you about how awful the US is, but they ignore their own very serious problems. Western Europeans are in no condition to lecture Americans on most topics except, perhaps, violence (but violence is also the sign of a more dynamic society in some ways)...of people who take a stand. Believe me, looking out your window and seeing the same people everyday sitting outside, laughing and rotting without any hope of fixing the future gets old real fast. If you even mention these things to Spanish people A LOT OF THEM will say "qué pesado" - which translates as "you're so annoying and negative!" I've even mentioned this to some Spanish people who do think and they agree with me that this country is for the most part herd mentality, shallow, superficial and not a place for people who want to "perfect" themselves.
4. Women: Women here are just as feminist if NOT MORE than in the US.Trust me, you're not going to find "traditional" women here. I'm not going to get into the physical aspect because that's a matter of personal taste, but I don't really care for Spanish women either way.
5. Climate: People tell me oh but the weather where I'm from in the US is terrible, but so what? USA has a climate for all tastes: you can get tropical, Mediterranean, continental....it's a non issue for me at this point.
6. No true democracy: Yes, yes, I know the US system "sucks" for many people and probably a lot of guys here will tell me it's terrible over there but trust me, when you see how Spain's political system works you will think the US is a paradise when it comes to legitimate representation. I am a federalist and hate Spanish centralism and of course, European Union diktats. This is a HEAVILY PRO EU country but that's not surprising considering how passive the Spanish really are. I dare anyone to call me out on this one. Most people who stay to live in Spain and come from England or some other Northern European countries OR the US, tell me they agree with me on this issue.
These are obviously just my opinions and I don't intend to convince you that it is the Gospel on Spain. But I am convinced after many years that it's not the ideal place to live if you want to improve yourself. The country is majority Beta, certainly not Alpha in any way.
The difficult thing for me is going to be finding a job in the US. Getting hired over there seems to be much tougher for my profile. But I can't go through life without taking risks and at least trying something new. There are many more reasons as to why I am leaving this place eventually, but I don't want to bore you with a long post. We can discuss more if there is a good discussion.
In summary, I will just say Europe is no paradise. No place on earth is a true paradise, but many people in the US seem to think that about Euroland.