Questions on expatriation

So my wife and I have decided to flee the country...

Not really, but you've got one life to live, why not experience as much as you can, right?

I work for a global company and my business unit's major overseas facility is in Huerth, Germany outside of Cologne. We have a number of other foreign locations but most are customer care sites; Huerth is the only other facility with a major engineering focus.

So, for reasons of simplicity, Huerth is the obvious choice as I wouldn't have to change companies (I really enjoy my job).
Can anyone speak to this area, Germany, or expatriation in general?

My brother came to the US on a temporary work permit in 1983 and liked it so much that he stayed. He was just 23 on arrival and was planning to go back after a year - that made it easy to emigrate because it started without intent of permanent commitment.

I was 33 on arrival in the US and had sold almost everything that I had - the rest I gave away. I closed all my accounts and statted off with an immigrant visa. This was a commitment to a new life and was a much bigger deal.

Having the continuity of the same job and family will help you. Especially if you keep your life intact on this side so you can come back if you don't like the "experiment". At least you would have the US to come back to - the South Africa that I left does not want me back.

If you plan to make this a long term thing, then local policies that may be quant otherwise might become irritating - so check out matters that are important to you and don't assume everything over there will work like is does here.

You should ask yourself where you would like to retire - I have feeling that you are mid-way into your career now and may not think such questions important, but they will help with perspective.

As the US seems hell-bent on emulating a Third World country with its borrow, print, tax and spend policies, I've been asking myself recently, where is a better more stable place to go? New Zealand perhaps...

Originally Posted by DAQman

So my wife and I have decided to flee the country...

Not really, but you've got one life to live, why not experience as much as you can, right?

I work for a global company and my business unit's major overseas facility is in Huerth, Germany outside of Cologne. We have a number of other foreign locations but most are customer care sites; Huerth is the only other facility with a major engineering focus.

So, for reasons of simplicity, Huerth is the obvious choice as I wouldn't have to change companies (I really enjoy my job).
Can anyone speak to this area, Germany, or expatriation in general?

I don't know anything about Hürth but Cologne is a really nice city that few dislike. It's the fourth largest city in Germany and with around one million inhabitants in the city and three millions in the county.

Germany is a little bit like the US. Some parts are very conservative and some parts are very very liberal. Cologne is in the middle I would say. You can be both liberal and conservative and still like it. Cologne is not extreme in either way.

What kind of person are you? What do you enjoy to do? Why not take a trip there on vacation and see for yourself? You can fly quite cheap from the US to Cologne or Düsseldorf. Another good idea is to search "Cologne" in the European Delivery forum here on Bimmerfest. A lot of members have been there during their deliveries.

Btw, I did like you but the opposite. I lived in Germany but decided to take the opportunity and studied a year in the US during collage. I recommend it to anyone to take the chance and live in another country if you can. We live in a modern world, so if you don't like it, you can just go home again but this time with an experience more.