In 2018, I left Dallas, Texas and moved to Copenhagen, Denmark to live with my Danish husband.
Now, at 30 years old, I am a mother, a teacher, and a permanent resident of Denmark. I have no plans to return to the U.S. and nowhere else I would like to go.
However, I sometimes feel like I’m missing American conveniences, like access to Amazon Prime and not having to constantly do price conversions in my head. It’s also hard to be away from friends and family.
However, there are some aspects of life in America that you should never miss.
When I was an elementary school teacher in Texas, my contract was for 45 hours, but I often worked closer to 55 to 60 hours a week. There wasn’t enough time in the paid workday to plan lessons.
However, the standard working week in Denmark is 37 hours. Although teachers work a few extra hours a week to make up for the generous amount of time off during summer and school holidays, most Danes work strictly on the day they get paid.
There is a concept of living to work rather than working to live. Employees here are encouraged to have strong boundaries so they can enjoy their personal time.
Labor unions are strong and respected and have gone to great lengths to ensure fair working conditions across the country.
When I moved to Denmark at age 25, I was still on my parents’ health insurance and always had excellent medical care. At first I didn’t know what to expect from the public healthcare system, but I’m very satisfied with my experience.
I experienced pregnancy and birth here and had some health concerns over the years. However, the healthcare system here is mostly funded by everyone’s income tax, so I’ve never had to worry about medical costs.
For example, all prenatal appointments were covered, including two ultrasounds and an overnight stay in the hospital, as well as an in-home nurse who visited me after the birth.
It’s very reassuring to be able to walk out of a hospital or clinic without having to fill out any paperwork or worry about surprise charges.
When I lived in the United States, I often worried about gun violence, especially as a teacher.
I will never forget the lockdown drill. Despite my own doubts, I assured my kindergarten students that this was just a practice and that they were actually safe at school.
I was also concerned about my safety as a woman. I always had my keys unlocked and my cell phone with me in case I was walking alone at night so I could call 9-1-1.
In Denmark, my fears more or less disappeared. Gun violence is basically not an issue and as a woman I feel much safer here.
Texas has no state income tax, so I paid only about 20% of my income in federal taxes.
Here, you pay about 36% of your salary in taxes. I pay higher taxes now, but the “extra” money I had in my bank account after paying taxes in the US didn’t go that far.
In return, I receive all sorts of benefits: high-quality public health care, well-developed neighborhoods and infrastructure, subsidized day care for my children, and a functional and efficient bureaucracy.
For the same quality of life in Texas, you’ll probably pay more out of your pocket. I would happily pay higher taxes if I knew what I would get in return.
Ilana Buhl I’m an elementary school teacher. She studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, and she instantly fell in love with the city. She currently lives in Copenhagen with her husband and her son and shares parts of her own life on her social media.follow her tick tock and Instagram.
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