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[expatinuk]

However, for some reason I do not relish the idea of ultimately becoming elderly here.

I think that's one of the issues that I have as well. The Brits seem to put anyone over the age of 60 in the category of 'old age pensioner' and it's really scary. It's only been the last year or two that academics were ALLOWED to work past the age of 60. Now you have to get permission to work to age 65, and you can't work beyond that.

This will probably change legally because of EU laws concerning age discrimination. But there's a huge difference in the law and the culture.

[scotia]

However, for some reason I do not relish the idea of ultimately becoming elderly here.

 It's only been the last year or two that academics were ALLOWED to work past the age of 60.

That is an urban myth. The last two universities I have worked in have had a retirement aga of 67 (for both men and women) - and I have two friends over 67 who have very nice university pensions and choose to remain doing the bits of the job they enjoy while not having to grade 200 undergraduate exam papers.

[zharkov]

Sikora, if you had the chance for Holland or Belgium, choose Holland. It's a real country, whereas Begium is not.

Actually, the Netherlands is a real country, and strictly speaking, Holland is a region of the Netherlands. Nice place, lots of people speak English, I've never been to Belgium so can't compare.

I used to think about moving and working in Europe, but after working with Europeans, I don't think I'd fit in.  "The right way to do things" seems like a strong cultural trait, and American culture seems more "do your own think." I used to joke with my Brit pals/coworkers that a Brit doesn't need much encouragement to tell you the *right* way to do just about anything. 

The Euros also seem to have a lot of rules, but maybe it is my perception.  Case in point, the Paris Metro had a sign next to the seat by the door:  This seat is reserved for, in the following order, disabled veterans, other disabled people, elderly people, and mothers with young children.
 

[northernacademic]

The Euros also seem to have a lot of rules, but maybe it is my perception. 
 

I don't think there are necessarily more rules in any of the Western European countries, but when you haven't grown up with them you have to be more conscious of them. Many of the rules in the US we merely take for granted because we grew up with them (kind of like English grammar).

Speak to any European academic or student trying to go for a professional or study visit about all of the rules in the US. For example, high school students going to the US for a 10-week exchange need to do an interview at the American embassy in order to get their visa on top of finding and filling in the right forms for the specific kind of study visit they are making.

[normative_]

Sikora, if you had the chance for Holland or Belgium, choose Holland. It's a real country, whereas Begium is not.

Actually, the Netherlands is a real country, and strictly speaking, Holland is a region of the Netherlands.

True, but that's just pedantic.

I certainly fall into the economic migrant category. I moved away first to get my research done, and then stayed abroad for economic reasons. The job market was thinner than usual when I graduated, and there were jobs in Europe. At the time, there were more jobs in the US than in Canada, where I grew up, and I fully expected to end up there. I did live in the Mid-Atlantic area for a while, but it didn't last.

I've now been 'away' for well over a decade, and I've found that the home country has changed so much that I can barely consider myself part of it either. So I was born in Canada, and the socialisation I received was a major influence I'll never shed nor want to shed, but I've really moved on. Every place has its good and bad points, and it's best to simply look at the mix and choose the place that best suits your personality. I wouldn't go back to the region of Canada I grew up in. But other areas, if the price is right, might lure me back.

I frequently get asked by my students whether it would be better to settle in Canada or the US. I tell them that if they want a society that places more emphasis on security and is less individualistic, then they should choose Canada and be prepared to pay higher taxes. If they want more individual opportunity, and are willing to take higher risks, then they should choose the US, and perhaps get to pay lower taxes (before health insurance premiums).