Is It Worth Leaving Romania? Voices of Those Who Regret Not Emigrating Sooner and Those Who Returned

A Reddit thread exploring the experiences of Romanians who have emigrated has surfaced a wide spectrum of opinions. Some individuals express profound satisfaction with their decision to leave Romania, with one person stating their only regret is not emigrating earlier. This sentiment is echoed by others who have achieved professional success, financial stability, and built families abroad.

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No. I wouldn't return. Any regrets? Perhaps only that I didn't leave Romania sooner.

One Romanian, who has lived in Oslo for seven years, detailed a successful career progression, homeownership, and family life, concluding, "I wouldn't return. Any regrets? Perhaps only that I didn't leave Romania sooner." Another, now living in Spain after four years in England, described a relaxed IT career, financial freedom, and a less stressful life compared to Romania, where he feels returning makes him stressed.

Financial reasons are not the sole driver for emigration, nor are they always the primary factor for staying abroad. A Romanian in Germany, despite receiving job offers in Romania with comparable salaries, refused them due to what he described as Romania's "sick system." He expressed a desire to return but doubted it would happen.

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I can afford absolutely anything and I have no worries other than the care of my family and my own job, which is very relaxed and permissive. I work in IT. Every time I go to Romania, I come back stressed.

However, the narrative is not uniformly positive. Some Romanians who spent decades abroad, like one individual in the UK for 18 years, found that dissatisfaction with one's home country is a common human trait, regardless of location. After integrating into British society and forming friendships exclusively with locals, he observed that "wherever you go, if you integrate fully into that culture, people will complain about the situation in their country."

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Financially they were close to Germany. I refused both offers only because of the "sick" system in Romania. Although I would like to return, I don't think it will happen anymore.

This individual eventually returned to Romania with his wife, finding contentment through quality relationships and a decent job, suggesting that personal well-being is achievable in most European countries. Similarly, a Romanian woman in the UK noted that "the more languages I learn and the more people I talk to, the more I realize that people and problems are the same everywhere." Another Romanian, after six years in Sweden, called his return to Romania "the best decision of my life," stating he lives much better now.

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After 18 years in the UK, I can tell you that wherever you go, if you integrate fully into that culture, people will complain about the situation in their country. In the last 10 years I lived there, I didn't have any Romanian friends - they were all British.