Would you ever return to your home country?

Com'n. Really - have not met any German who has not been to this "beautiful place"? ha for God's sake. You are full of sh*t.

I'd move back in a second if I didn't have three other people to worry about.

I have lived in Germany and now I live in Austria. I am American and would go back to America to live again in an instant if I could convince my European spouse to move! Our child is dual and I think would adjust to life in America (or anywhere, really) rather quickly.

Don't get me wrong, I think there are a lot of lovely things in this part of the world-- but I think that daily life is easier/more convenient in the States, for many reasons, based on my personal experience.

Also my career is basically non-existent over here and I could easily find a better job that would pay me better than what I got here plus use my education than what I have experienced over here. And emotional as it is, there is more family/relatives in North America than here.

Just found out to day for sure that my boyfriend is off the hook for military service! WOOOHOOO!

Plans can now be full steam ahead to go home! Beaches and gas station pies here I come!

I remember asking my sister this when she was living in Bangkok and she said that it would have to be a great offer for her husband. Well what do you know, the offer came, they moved back to blighty and now they just want to get the hell out again.

Note the bold face type in my quote Liebe. And I stand by my word, I've been here since April and have not yet met a German who does not want to or has not already been to where I'm from. Why is that full of shit?

I can second that 100%.

As for the original question: going back would mean a much better quality of life for us (yes, including the spectacular supermarkets!) But alas, moving is not in the cards at the moment.

Assuming they know to go in the first place, I could believe this. It really is incredibly beautiful there.

I cannot really imagine ever going back to live in my "Home " country. I've lived here a long time and this is home.
Before I came here I was planning to go to the States, but because of visa problems at the time it wasn't possible. In 2005 I went to the States and visited some friends who did manage to get Visas, at a later date I have to add, and although they have a nice life there, I was quite happy to come home to Germany. I did think, that might not be the case when I went there, but the good points about America, and there are many, were out weighed by the good points about Germany. I can't rule out a change of country completely, I'm a freelancer and the work could dry up next week, but if I had to change countries, I would go to Holland, not just because of my Family connections, those of you who know me know about those, but just because I like the place.

Yeah, I was actually complimenting Virginia Beach by comparing it to Santa Cruz. Not that Santa Cruz doesn't have its filthy bits, but it's *much* nicer.

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Then you just have not met enough of them. Do not know what kind of Germans you are hanging out with. Working in the Canadian embassy - giving visas?. It is just a blantant lie. If you are living in Germany and you tell everyone else that all Germans you have met have been in Van. then that is lie. If you live in Van. and have never left it then it is true. Sense!!! Where do you live? Live in Germany - then you are missing out. Com'n thought Caandians were supposed to be not liars. Where do you really live? What life are you leading?

Beautiful in some sense yes. But Alas!!! Oh My God!! Do not kid anyone!!! Do not know which places in the world you have been!!
For Godness' sake!! Patriotic or what??? Where have you been in the world?? Sure, you have not seen theworld that much too!!! Oh yayayyayayyaya!!!

Liebe, did you forget to take your meds or what?

Nope. In IT. But the jargon you encounter there is almost as bad as in marketing.

Liebe, its against the rules to attack someone personally on this website.

So why are you asking a question, then attacking someone so viciously for giving their opinion?
Do you know anything about that person or their background?
No?
Well then, don't jump to conclusions and resort to petty insults.

LOL, I was wondering the same thing.

Was that an Adidas or Nike neighborhood?

Dear Liebe,

I will be going back to my birthplace in the next 2 weeks and that happens to be San Francisco! I haven't been back to the US in 4 years and my family is estatic that I might be coming back to the States for good. I will be having a second interview there to eventually work at a dream job...something I have been waiting for in Germany for 4 years...it's been a very long and hard journey.

But with the knowledge of having direct contact with the European market and exposure to vastly different cultures, I'm now able to continue working in an international setting. My strategy is to conduct the interview and come back to Germany. My target is to only to stay in Germany another for 3-4 months and "still wait eternally" for my current position to decide if they want to hire a multi-kulti in a very Bavarian setting.

Truthfully, my chances as an American in California are much greater. It's easier to establish contacts rapidly in an upscale environment and this is what I enjoy...In Germany, there have been so many obstacles and especially for me... being raised in friendly family oriented Iowa...a caucas state, Bavaria has typically been a little too cold and negative for me.

I wish you luck in your new home away from home. You will definately learn a lot here, always look to the positive even when people here can be at worst short sighted, stubborn or rude.

Yearning for the foothills, happiness and sunshine of good old Azerbaijan and Armenia, trying hard not to cry through yet another Oktoberfest...

Yes, I'll probably go back one day but I'm not in any hurry. The reasons would be for the seaside and my family.

I am sure your family would be delighted to hear they come a close second to some ground rocks and a bit of salty water.

The big question for me is, where is my home country? I don't think I have one. I originally came to Germany with a vague idea of staying here a few months, and now it's been more than 30 years... So my home country was the UK, but the UK of 30 years ago doesn't exist any more, and I'm not sure I want to live in the present-day UK. On the other hand, my home country is definitely not Germany, and I doubt it ever will be, although it's more liveable here now than it was 30 years ago. Give it another 10 years, and who knows? Anyway, by that time, I won't be far off retirement, so maybe I should start thinking seriously now about where I want my new home to be. Somewhere with plenty of sunshine, and where the natives are friendly, would be a good start.

Oh, another thing about returning to your home country after you've lived abroad for some time: It can be hard to fit back in with people who have never lived outside their own country, don't speak a foreign language, and generally have narrower horizons. A British colleague of mine returned from Munich to the UK, and found that friends, family and colleagues just couldn't relate to her experiences of life abroad, thought she was some kind of different, exotic creature, and not part of their world.

ok.. this is one of those "no point in responding to this person anymore" situations, but I just have to ask, where are you from Liebe? You either can't understand what I wrote or you're not reading it thoroughly. If English is your second language, then I can maybe understand the confusion.
I didn't say that every German I've met has been to Vancouver. I said that every German I've met (which generally leads to question of where I'm from) said they want to visit Vancouver, or, they actually have been there (so can't say they want to anymore).
Hope this clears things up. Probably just a misinterpretation, eh?

Hell, I am American and I want to head back to Vancouver! Not adding much to the course of things here, but just sharing in the Vancouver love.

FrogGirl pardon me. I am extremely sorry. I had not got it right. Thanks for the clarification. Do not mind about the "full of ..." I kind of use it back in US not in an offensive way context.

"Would you ever return to your home country?"
Absolutely - categorically YES! Munich is lovely and this is a fabulous adventure for our family, but long term, I most definitely want to raise my kids in a culture and with a lifestyle which I feel I can identify with. Can't wait to get back to the beaches, sun and friendly Aussies and for my kids to feel part of a big extended family again.

This is a question that for some it's impossible to answer, for some it's crystal clear and for some others it depends on the circumstances.

I guess I would put myself on the third group. I came here a bit more than three years ago to get a master's degree at the TUM. That's done already but I like it here and decided to stay. How long? Don't know. A few years for sure. But in the end it will depend on how it works out. If I settle down here and get a family and all of that then I may stay for good. On the contrary if I get a really nice job offer somewhere else I may as well leave.

Fact (for me) is right now I have no plans of going back permanently and there are very few reasons that I can think of which would make me take that decision. But you never know.

I won't.
I come from the Milan area so, please, no further questions.

Well, I'm new here (still unpacking) but I cannot imagine staying in Germany long term. My husband could work here indefinitely, but so far Germany is just not doing it for me. I don't know--is it the weather, the supermarkets, the people, the absolutely DEAD Sundays?I've lived in other countries where's there's no shopping on Sundays, so it's not just that. Perhaps I just need to settle in. Or maybe it's a foreign country too far (my fifth) or I'm just getting tired. Where to go next? I'm a Californian but the SD-LA is impossible--crowded and expensive. I'd like to go back to Seattle. We've been thinking about Australia, but that would mean Canberra. In the end, I'm afraid it is DC for us. We keep saying that we are finished moving, but we both start feeling the wanderlust. But really--the next move.is.it.

I can't imagine I would. Despite a few little niggles (mainly supermarkets and poor customer service...but don't you get that everywhere now?), I love living in Germany. I love the fact that, at the age of 22, I moved here to take up a well-paid job and could afford a lovely little flat in the centre of a nice city, with enough money left to eat out two or three times a week and enjoy a few nice holidays, while my friends back in the UK were stuck sharing dingy flats with about 3 other people and still paying astronomical rent.

I love going back to the UK on holiday - mainly for clothes and food shopping, but every time I do, I'm pleased to return back to Germany. I appreciate not seeing 16 year-old girls in white mini skirts throwing up on the street on Saturday nights, not having to feel like a failure because I don't own my own home (cries of "seriously, you mean you're still JUST renting?" come to mind) and generally not having to "keep up with the Joneses".

That aside, job prospects are far better for me here and my fiance is German, so I guess that helps!

We lived in Singapore for two years and I'd definitely go back there though...

There is no such thing as a home country for me anymore just a place where I get a better tax return.

My home country are 3 home countries. It doesn't matter where I am, I sometimes get homesick for somewhere else. Probably why I've been yo-yoing between them so much.

Kind of what GreenTea said. Could identify with that post so much...

This is one of the many things I love about Germany, a peaceful - rather than 'DEAD' - Sunday. So different to the greedy excess and madness which is Sunday in the UK. Long may Sundays remain special in Germany - the rest of the week is manic enough

I would go home when I can no longer handle the 'beering', 'whoring', lack of sleep and bad living...soon enough then !!

I too like visiting Britain, go back there a couple of times a year on average. But Im always glad to come back to Germany. England`s a nice place, but you wouldnt want to live there!

Agree with enchanted_mind - things like housing are much better over here, and that impacts everything else - better quality of life, more money in your pocket which means you can do more.

Also I think the assumptions behind the question are to some extent flawed. Why should we have to stay in one place, or return to the same place. Its just some tiny little fleck on planet earth. The earth`s a big place. We humans place walls around our spaces and around our thinking as well. Home town, home village, home country. Centuries ago few people ever left their home village. If you went to live in the next town you were considered highly unusual. If you went to live in another part of the country it was regarded as exotic.

In the patchwork quilt of 30 odd countries in the western peninsular end of Euro-Asia we`re slowly changing our attitudes, with EU, Schengen, Euro etc, world travel, internet, globalisation, etc. But the mindset still prevails. Ive been in Germany now for getting on for 20 years, but I still get people quizzing me on "why I came to Germany", "will I stay here for ever", "will I ever *go back*" etc etc. I like reminding them Germany isnt the only country in Europe, nor the world. You can move around. Get out of your Dörfchen!

I`d go back tomorrow if it was possible, life here is nothing compared to Cornwall. Just got to change hubby`s mind about Germany being so wonderfull.

I actually made a point of saying that shopping had nothing to do with it. I've lived in Spain and Italy and it was not dead in either of those countries on Sundays. Besides, I'd rather deal with shopping on Sunday than the double-frenzied craziness of Saturdays where they have "blue laws". in effect..

This is true, although I suspect you don't mean it in the way I do! (My bother lives in Cornwall, nice place for a holiday)

This cracks me up.
Why single this one out? This one is cheap compared to what I come across on TT everyday.

Exactly! I like to think of the whole of Europe as my "home country". It certainly broadens the chances of finding a nice place to live.

Maybe in a few centuries' time, the question will be: "Would you ever return to your home planet?"

And how many days would that be?

This post is making me think.

@Kay: RedRayX may have been lurking around for a while before deciding it was safe to sign up.

That's interesting. My post was addressed to RedRayX. So, is GringosAreBack your second account in as many days?

Edit: Too late to edit your post now, you've been found out.

@GT
I know that. I just wish he'd stayed in lurkerland if what he's posted so far is an indication of the kind of contribution he intends to make to the forum. Nice first post:

Sounds like Liebe, RedrayX and Gringosareback are the same person.

I'll never be interested in heading back to the States, there's nothing there for me. I love Europe!!!

I first came on this website around a year ago asking for advice on moving to Germany.

The website was really, really helpful and although you shouldn't take too much out of what strangers on the internet tell you, I did it and moved to Germany five months ago.

It's the best thing I've ever done - Cologne is just wonderful, in my opinion.

The German is hard... but I'm getting by!

So, this thread is interesting to me as I feel like I'm at the beginning of my particular journey - so, would I ever return to the UK?

Yes, but please... please... not yet.

I like this idea too... when I moved to Germany I was moving "home" as I wanted to be in Europe (Northernish Europe), but it isnt that important which nations boundaries I fall within. My friends are scattered and there isn't one specific town I identify as "home". These days I don't know that many folks in my hometown and my parents moved away, so their place will never be "home". I would have considered jobs in a number of countries and applied for a few things, half seriously, in a few. If I had a free choice, which means assuming the same professional opportunities in each place, I would pick a capital or larger city in a Nordic country. For now, having only been in Germany for a matter of months, I am happy enough here and that's what counts

Thanks guys for sticking up for me when I was being attacked the other day over a misenterpretation. We've actually cleared things up now so it's all good between Liebe and me.
I must say I feel rather important though, to passively be the root reason of a new conflict.
Nothing a bonding Glühwein and some cheer won't fix though, eh?

Cheers