I wish I could say I had a more concrete reason than “I visited the city and really liked it,” but that’s exactly what happened. I didn’t fall in love or get a dream job or fulfill a lifelong fantasy of moving here. What did help, though, was being able to test-drive the city while working out of my then-job’s Berlin office and moving here during a time when both the job and rental markets were pretty manageable.
If you’re wondering what the things I actually liked about the city were, they were things I had been missing in NYC: green space, a slower pace of life, universal healthcare, ease of travel to countries across Europe and Africa, and lower cost of living*.
During mentally challenging times, it helps to think about my practical reasons for moving here. It usually grounds that quarterly jolt of midnight panic I get, wondering if I’ve made a horrible mistake and if I should have just stayed put.
FAQs About Moving From US
