As a recent returnee from the US, I'd like to add some feelings: although both countries have their advantages, the US are certainly the better place if you want to work.

- in the US you are rewarded when you want to achive something. It's running into open doors and I found only support. In Germany I have to apologize if I work late and it's a steady fight against "but!"s - new projects mean more work for the others, which is not appreciated

- I found Americans very willing to accept new ideas and try new things. Although it certainly has some downsides like genetically altered food in the supermarket, I stronlgy prefer it to the negative attitude of many fellow Germans. Sometimes we are like vultures, recklessly looking for the weak point of an idea. However, this might make us very good, because only excellent ideas and very strong personalities survive this encounter ;-)

- for my feeling, in Germany everything tends to be complicated and fragmented - every rule has an exception (that's our main rule!). Tomorrow is a holiday in Bavaria, but not in Brandenburg (our many holidays can be really stressing if you have to meet some deadlines). Our library has many units which are scattered over the university with different opening times. Especially now as this week is (again) a holiday week in the university. One library unit is open 10-14 h, one 12-17:45, one closed, but nobody knows all the times (even not in the central library unit). Every library unit has a different book-ordering system (which has already driven me into madness). Of course you may ask a librarian for help, but only Mondays from 9-12 and 15-17 h and Wednesdays from 10-12 h :-).

- I think this our library is quite representative for Germany. Money is not the point - the "Mittel" have always been short if not absent. It's our attitude and all the exemptions.

So in fact, although there's no question that I feel to belong here, I can well imagine to spend my most productive years in the US... - not to speak about the fact that the actual academic laws force us to keep eyes open for foreign jobs (a chance not to be missed if you want to dedicate your life to science)