I lived and worked in different places of the world (Bay area, MA, middle east, Japan). For me, Europe is simply the best environment if you have a family and you care about your freedom, privacy, and comfort. Decisions made by EU authorities have significant implications on everything, but the way it works it's really democratic process, with long term implications and with significant transparency. In some regard living in Germany is similar to Bay Area, but with much more emphasis on social well being of the whole society which in fact affects your everyday live, your safety, your comfort, your family.