It could be as simple as just enjoying your 40 hour workweeks and 2-4 weeks of vacation, which many western European countries have written in stone / law. The

It could be as simple as just enjoying your 40 hour workweeks and 2-4 weeks of vacation, which many western European countries have written in stone / law. The counterpoint to that will often be "But, why not just work extra hard in the US for 10-20 years, and then retire? I'd much rather work hard now, and then live my life at [30/35/40]" which is probably also a valid point, but Americans will soon notice that Europeans are in a much less hurry to "retire". It all comes down to labor laws, and work/life balance. There are TONS of talented workers in Europe, that live just fine as it is. And many just truly enjoy a relaxed, easy, and predictable lifestyle.