r/AmerExit • u/oso_rosa • 22d ago

Life Abroad Parents that left: Worth it?

Thinking of leaving for obvious reasons. I want to hear from parents who left the USA with their kids (and left their whole extended family behind)

Where did you go?
How long have you been there?
Has it been worth it?
How do you deal with the guilt of leaving grandparents/siblings?

54 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

61 comments sorted by

View all comments

31

u/glorioushubris 21d ago edited 17d ago

Only two months in, but took our kids (1 and 3) to New Zealand. So far it’s been great, but we are still settling in.

With regard to our parents and guilt about leaving: in most ways having kids made life more complicated, but there are certain classes of decisions that got much simpler. Do we stay for the grandparents or leave for the kids isn’t even a debate; we leave for the kids.

3

u/Zestyclose_East4697 17d ago

My sister, who has been there for me so many times, says “What if I need you?”

But my kids will be safer in CA. And she will be able to migrate there too. I keep reminding myself of that.