Why This American Family Left The US And Settled In Germany: "Cost Of Living Is Reasonably Priced"

A US family now based in Germany has shared why they chose to leave America and how their lives have evolved since. The couple, married since 2005, had been settled in Colorado and never planned to leave. However, life had different plans for them. Their journey, which began after a layoff in 2017, highlights a growing trend of "transatlantic brain drain" where tech professionals seek better stability and work-life balance in Europe. 

According to CNN Travel, Geoffrey and Sarah moved abroad in 2017 after Geoffrey lost his job as a software engineer. Geoffrey says the 2016 US presidential election left him depressed and led to reevaluating his life in the States. "That sort of pushed me over a ledge. I wanted some emotional distance from what was happening around me, and that meant geographical distance," Geoffrey told CNN. 

Because Sarah had Irish citizenship by descent through her grandmother, Ireland topped their list of potential new homes. They started exploring opportunities there, as well as in the US. When Geoffrey landed a job offer in Dublin, it felt like the right moment to make the move.

They kept their US home as a backup and moved to Ireland in 2018, initially living on a houseboat in Malahide before shifting to a small home in Dublin. They spent around five years in Ireland.As their family grew, they began seeking more opportunities and eventually looked beyond Ireland.

"When we were expecting our child, we decided that living on a boat in the Irish Sea was maybe not the best place to have an infant running around," explained Geoffrey.

The Move to Germany

Familiarity with Germany and the language drew them there, and after visiting Freiburg im Breisgau in 2022, they chose to settle in nearby Breisach. "We're old, and it's hard to learn a new language at a later age," said Sarah.

They purchased a two-bedroom apartment and relocated about a year later.

While they were warmly welcomed, their young son initially struggled to adjust, taking several months to settle into his new environment. She says it took about five months for him to adjust to life in Breisach, and his behaviour became disruptive at times. Sarah admits they didn't expect a three-year-old to struggle so much with the move, noting it was extremely hard on the entire family.He later joined a Forest Kindergarten, where he adapted well.

Now, two and a half years, the family says they feel at home in Germany. Geoffrey works remotely for a US company, and they value the strong sense of community in their new town.

Life in Germany

On cultural differences, Geoffrey says he still struggles with how direct Germans can be and has to remind himself not to take offense. They both feel some anxiety about the German education system, which they've found very different from the US. Geoffrey says the whole school system is still a mystery to him. Sarah added that she sometimes worries about communicating clearly with their son's teachers since she isn't as fluent in German as her husband.

On the upside, they think adults in Germany are more tolerant of children in public spaces and more willing to step in and engage with kids when their behaviour affects others. 

"In the States, you might get a glare from somebody. But here they'll just take it upon themselves to go and try to make a connection with your child, which I think is a nice approach," said Sarah.

When it comes to cost of living, the couple finds Germany reasonably priced and are often shocked by restaurant and food costs in the US during visits home. Sarah said it seems unaffordable, especially eating out, though she notes Breisach may be cheaper than Germany's larger cities. Geoffrey joked that after living in Dublin, one of Europe's most expensive cities, Breisach sometimes felt like things were being given away for free.