Michael Valentine
- Two Gen Xers who moved to Austria from the US said they had more freedom and fewer anxieties.
- The move has given the two dads more time to spend with family and travel across Europe.
- Many Americans have recently moved to cities such as Vienna and Innsbruck for work opportunities.
When Michael Valentine was laid off in 2018 from his leadership position at a robotics company in Michigan, he was devastated.
But after some thought, the 53-year-old decided to move up his retirement plans and relocate to his wife's home country of Austria.
Along with their daughter, the couple opened a women's fashion store in the city of Innsbruck, where everyone gets a minimum of five weeks guaranteed paid leave and frequent holidays. He said he's relieved the nation's work culture was less intense.