America vs. Europe

two continents where I feel at home

In one corner we have the United States of America: my country, my culture, and the place I’ve lived the most.

In the other corner we have Europe: my ancestry, my continental crush since 2017, and the place I’m calling home for two full years.

What does each have going for it? What’s attractive? What’s repellent?

Ready… fight!

choose your cathedral

Public transport & bikeability

Europe stole my heart long ago with its trams, light rail, high-speed trains, and incredible cycling infrastructure (intercity, intracity, and long-distance). In Germany, the Deutschland ticket allows unlimited public transport across the entire country for €49($54)/month.

Some American cities have great public transport (NYC🗽👀), but most are abysmal. Cycling the USA involves too much fear and faith. I love not owning a car—3 years and counting—but such a decision is really only feasible in Europe.

Knock-out punch, Europe wins 🚲

Cost of living

Groceries and rent in America are out of control. In recent years I feel like I’m getting priced out of my own country. Europe has its own struggles with inflation, but they’re comparatively tame. Living here feels affordable.¹ But… it’s way easier to get paid more in the USA.

The solution? Make your money in America, and spend it in Europe!

It’s a draw 🤷🏻‍♂️

Wilderness

Western Europe essentially doesn’t have wilderness. Every little scrap of land is under human control. Reintroducing a few wolves doesn’t change that. The Alps are nice, but I never feel like I’m really “out there.” Eastern Europe may hold some treasures, but I doubt they’ll ever compare to the American West, most notably the Sierra Nevada and the Great Basin.

Winner: America 🦅

the greatest basin

Healthcare

I haven’t yet accessed the European healthcare system, but my comprehensive policy from the Netherlands costs €140($154) per month with a €800($880) annual deductible, and it covers me across the continent. Try finding that in America.

Winner: Europe 🧑‍⚕️

Dance

Dance may be more important for my health than healthcare. While both the US and Europe have great partner dance scenes, it’s easier to visit multiple scenes in Europe, and each is filled with a delightful mixture of language and culture.

Winner: Europe 💃

Charm

Cobblestones and castles and cathedrals and…
Ciao, ‘merica.

Winner: Europe 🏰

Culture

While I’ve made great friends on both continents, I do notice a certain deep-seated European obsession with security and conformity. America is a land of extremes: extreme wealth, extreme poverty, extreme people, and extreme possibility. It seems we have more variability in lifestyle and personality. If you’re good at sniffing out the more interesting pockets of weirdness (as I am), then America offers a certain je ne sais quoi that’s harder to find in Europe, where everything feels more balanced, homogenous, and predictable.

Winner: America… narrowly 🧑🏽‍🎤

to be clear: my European friends are glorious weirdos

Freedom

Finally, parallel to the cultural differences, I feel like Europe represents “freedom from” while America represents “freedom to.”

In Europe, you’re protected from all sorts of misfortunes, calamities, and risks. There are government-funded social programs for everything! Yet this privilege comes at the price of a certain kind of expressive, wildcat freedom.

In America, you’re more vulnerable to risk and failure, but you’re also more free to do your own thing. I see this evidenced in alternative education, outdoor dirtbag culture, and entrepreneurialism—all of which I deeply value.

There’s no winner here. (Or everyone’s a winner! That would be more American.)

I adore Europe. It’s similar yet different to America. It welcomes and invigorates me, and it has so much to teach me. Let’s see what another year and a half brings. 🇪🇺

1. “Europe” contains multitudes. In the western European countries where I mostly hang out, the cost of living feels reasonable. In Switzerland and Scandinavia, it’s very expensive. In southern and eastern Europe, it’s downright cheap.

A nice bonus: in Europe, the listed price is the price. Maybe you’ll add a 10% tip. In the USA, I’m stressed by constantly adding sales tax and tipping 20%.