if you can watch german tv, you probably came across one of those emigrant-series, which are quite popular at present. the plot of every episode is nearly the same: a couple or family want’s to start a new life in a foreign country and therefore has to leave all behind. in many cases they have had enough of germany, are frustrated of their current job situation or their salary progression. with the dream of a better life in mind the breadwinners quit their jobs, sell all their disposable belongings and plan how to transfer their remaining stuff to their new home.
the whole story get’s interesting when the folks arrive at the new place. in many cases everything seems quite different to what they had expected earlier. the language barrier for instance is one of the reasons for quite a few problems. it becomes even serious for those families with only basic language skills and no assured job or income. in this context it really hurts to see, how naive some of them could be to think that all will work out without fundamental preparation. but there are also a number of really successful and impressing stories which demonstrate as well that you can achieve a great deal if you are willing to take some risk.
one of my good friends is in a comparable situation right now. he has left germany and moved with his wife from bonn to washington dc in the us. in his blog he documents his experiences in the form of a field report which is far more interesting and entertaining than the above mentioned tv series. try out the stories about the hollywood principle for finding a job or the garbage disposal…
