My daughter couldn't walk 2 blocks to school alone in LA. In Australia, she takes the train by herself.

Detailed summary

I moved from Los Angeles to Sydney with my daughter. She's growing up with more independence, affordable healthcare, and less fear.

In 2018, living in Los Angeles, I spent nearly a year hustling to get my daughter into day care. I waited, I begged, I paid a small fortune, and finally grabbed a spot. It was a lovely center with actual grass. I felt like I'd won the parenting lottery, even if it cost more than a university education. As she grew up, and unable to afford private school, we moved to a nice neighborhood. Turns out the local public school didn't have enough space for all the students in the catchment area, so I found myself waking up at 4 a.m. to try to get a spot. Even the local commute was fraught. Parents drove their kids to school, just two blocks away.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Business Insider. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.