American Living In Germany Lists All The Reasons Why She Wouldn’t Go Back, And It’s Painfully Accurate
Interview With Author
There are roughly 300,000-350,000 Americans living in Germany. Aly is one of them.
The woman moved to Europe due to love — her husband is German. She now resides in Munich, the capital of Bavaria and a city that’s home to about 1.5 million people, and often shares the differences between the countries on opposite sides of the Atlantic on TikTok where she goes by the nickname ‘USA Mom in Germany.’
Her account is full of comprehensive videos where Aly gets real with her 722K followers about her life but a good starting point is a clip in which she responded to another TikToker, Brittney Ariane Vela, who asked expats from the United States what are some of the reasons why they would not go back.
Recently, one TikTok user wanted to hear from American emigrants who are happy to have settled abroad
Image credits: usa.mom.in.germany
And a woman who goes by the name of ‘USA Mom in Germany’ gave an extensive answer
@usa.mom.in.germany #stitch with @v.brittney Why I would never choose to go back to the USA. #germanyvsamerica #livingingermany ♬ original sound – Aly (USA Mom in Germany)
Providing plenty of firsthand experiences
Image credits: usa.mom.in.germany
Aly began considering leaving the United States after she got engaged to her partner. “We created a pro/con list regarding moving to Germany and/or moving to the US,” she told Bored Panda about the beginning of it all.
“The most significant selling points for moving to Germany were universal healthcare, tuition-free education for our children, lower crime rates, and the lower cost of living, which were all at the top of our list.”
In fact, the content creator has a separate video where she goes a bit more in-depth about the thoughts she had when making this choice.
“The purpose of my TikTok account is not to slam, drag, or put down the USA,” Aly told Bored Panda
Image credits: usa.mom.in.germany
“My videos are meant to combat U.S. propaganda that sells the USA as the best country in the world and, through this rhetoric, discourages a realistic view of other countries who often have social systems that function better for their people”
Image credits: usa.mom.in.germany
Overall, Aly loves living in Germany and her favorite thing about this corner of the world is the slower pace of life, compared to the US.
“But there were many things to get used to, including overcoming the language barrier, which affected life in many ways outside of daily conversation and temporarily affected my autonomy and ability to operate independently,” she said.
“One of my biggest realizations had to do with gun culture in the USA and how conditioned I was to be afraid of guns in daily life. I know many other TikTokers [who are] Americans [living] abroad [and] who have shared similar experiences. On a lighter note, I also had a variety of culture shock experiences around the relaxed attitudes toward drinking and nudity.”
People had a lot to say about her video
However, the fact that Aly loves living abroad doesn’t mean that she hates everything about her native land. “There are several things I miss about the USA!” she said. “Aside from my family back home, I miss a lot about Southern US culture. I was a competitive two-step dancer in Texas, so I especially miss country music and dance halls. I also miss Kansas City BBQ and good Mexican and Tex-Mex food.”
Again, she explores this multi-dimensional topic in one of her TikToks.
To paint a clearer picture of the way her new life differs from the one she had in America, ‘USA Mom in Germany’ has released more videos on topics like taxes
@usa.mom.in.germany Tax Myths: USA 🇺🇸 v. Germany 🇩🇪 #germanyvsusa #germanyvsamerica #universalhealthcare #storytime #taxes #socialism #immigrant ♬ Comical and a little silly carefree music(831995) – Etsuo Kawasaki
Postpartum care
@usa.mom.in.germany Postpartum Care: 🇩🇪 v. 🇺🇸 #americaningermany #fürdich #livingingermany #fyp #schwanger #momsoftiktok #germanyvsamerica ♬ At My Worst – Pink Sweat$
And shame culture
@usa.mom.in.germany Reply to @devbirgit Shame Culture: USA 🇺🇸 v. Germany 🇩🇪 #shameculture #livingingermany #germanyvsusa ♬ Ratuj – Smolasty & Tribbs
And for those of you who still have doubts, here’s a TikTok where Aly explains why she is a credible source
@usa.mom.in.germany Why am I qualified to compare the #USA 🇺🇸 v. #Germany 🇩🇪? #germanyvsamerica #germanyvsusa #momsoftiktok #academicsoftiktok #phdsoftiktok ♬ Bonjour Madame – Mozzik & Noizy
It’s a way to get around the TikTok filter that doesn’t like the word killed
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There are wonderful people and wonderful things in and about America, but the way we don't look at the future of our world/nation by making education and healthcare free is *not* on that list. Not. (Oh, to switch that defense budget to education and healthcare!)
That never gonna work. How they gonna bring 'democracy' to other nations 😉
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Watch out, Europe! I’m coming over full force as soon as I’m out of high school.
It is on TikTok, if you don't want to be filtered.
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I feel like even though there are 34 objectively better/safer/happier countries to live in, Americans are just flat out brainwashed with how they are the only country with "freedom" and don't don't even THINK of leaving.
That's a pretty specific number. Is there an actual list?
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How easy is it to get citizenship? How are the taxes? How easy is it to start out there with no education no skills as an adult and get a career?
Not so easy, you need to live here for some time (with a residency permit) and pass a test. High, but with a huge return (healthcare, education, state services, etc.). Not really, as a non-EU person, you will need to have a job before you arrive or you will only get a short-term visa.
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That thing with using unalived instead of killed reminds me of 1984's duck speak.
"The weather, the bad mooded people, the politics, the high prices to buy a house...", the total lack of U.S. news? Because has she seen any from her homeland, in the last decade?
Yeah, sarcasm doesn't come across very well online.
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I've been coming to Germany since 1966, sometimes 4-5 times a year, mainly for by profession. Not on the list - despite being an old, white guy - I would MUCH rather be stopped by a German cop than an American. My main reason for not retiring to Germany is that my German friends value my 1st hand observations of what is going on here. OK, also my wife's German is not so hot. And getting Medicare to pay in Germany is hard or impossible. So I think the speaker made a good choice. The only down-side for her is that I see lots of German men start 2nd families with younger wives. They don't have to fear the cost of education when their young children go to university when the father is 60 or 70.
I for one welcome everyone to The Netherlands. Which seems like heaven to many Americans too. Which it is not. It's a country with the exact same large issues as anywhere. Just because the us is a little more blatant about them, doesn't make climate change, the educational system, even immigration issues any less apparant here. Or did you think Brexit was just the Brits going bonkers?
So many Americans fall for the "Murica" line. I have loved ones over there, some born American, and some immigrants, and all I've discussed this with agree that a large proportion of their fellow Americans sincerely believe that the US is exceptionally fabulous. It's both frustrating, and kind of sweet.
1. Please stop with the tiktoks. 2. I almost got Crap-On-USA-Bingo but she didn't mention pharmaceutical ads or bathroom stall gaps. Maybe next time.
I think that, like everything in life, another woman could debate this one and blow her out of the water. "There is no reality, only perception." However, I think it's super that she is pleased with where she lives.
Americans: Some of the dumbest people on earth. So proud to have so little, other than free speech to scream "Let's go Brandon" and carry guns everywhere like a-holes.
Pointing out the real things is called now "bashing"?
Load More Replies...
It’s a way to get around the TikTok filter that doesn’t like the word killed
Load More Replies... There are wonderful people and wonderful things in and about America, but the way we don't look at the future of our world/nation by making education and healthcare free is *not* on that list. Not. (Oh, to switch that defense budget to education and healthcare!)
That never gonna work. How they gonna bring 'democracy' to other nations 😉
Load More Replies... Watch out, Europe! I’m coming over full force as soon as I’m out of high school.
It is on TikTok, if you don't want to be filtered.
Load More Replies... I feel like even though there are 34 objectively better/safer/happier countries to live in, Americans are just flat out brainwashed with how they are the only country with "freedom" and don't don't even THINK of leaving.
That's a pretty specific number. Is there an actual list?
Load More Replies... How easy is it to get citizenship? How are the taxes? How easy is it to start out there with no education no skills as an adult and get a career?
Not so easy, you need to live here for some time (with a residency permit) and pass a test. High, but with a huge return (healthcare, education, state services, etc.). Not really, as a non-EU person, you will need to have a job before you arrive or you will only get a short-term visa.
Load More Replies... That thing with using unalived instead of killed reminds me of 1984's duck speak.
"The weather, the bad mooded people, the politics, the high prices to buy a house...", the total lack of U.S. news? Because has she seen any from her homeland, in the last decade?
Yeah, sarcasm doesn't come across very well online.
Load More Replies... I've been coming to Germany since 1966, sometimes 4-5 times a year, mainly for by profession. Not on the list - despite being an old, white guy - I would MUCH rather be stopped by a German cop than an American. My main reason for not retiring to Germany is that my German friends value my 1st hand observations of what is going on here. OK, also my wife's German is not so hot. And getting Medicare to pay in Germany is hard or impossible. So I think the speaker made a good choice. The only down-side for her is that I see lots of German men start 2nd families with younger wives. They don't have to fear the cost of education when their young children go to university when the father is 60 or 70.
I for one welcome everyone to The Netherlands. Which seems like heaven to many Americans too. Which it is not. It's a country with the exact same large issues as anywhere. Just because the us is a little more blatant about them, doesn't make climate change, the educational system, even immigration issues any less apparant here. Or did you think Brexit was just the Brits going bonkers?
So many Americans fall for the "Murica" line. I have loved ones over there, some born American, and some immigrants, and all I've discussed this with agree that a large proportion of their fellow Americans sincerely believe that the US is exceptionally fabulous. It's both frustrating, and kind of sweet.
1. Please stop with the tiktoks. 2. I almost got Crap-On-USA-Bingo but she didn't mention pharmaceutical ads or bathroom stall gaps. Maybe next time.
I think that, like everything in life, another woman could debate this one and blow her out of the water. "There is no reality, only perception." However, I think it's super that she is pleased with where she lives.
Americans: Some of the dumbest people on earth. So proud to have so little, other than free speech to scream "Let's go Brandon" and carry guns everywhere like a-holes.
Pointing out the real things is called now "bashing"?
Load More Replies...
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