12 Reverse Culture Shocks as an American (After 4 years in Europe)
What reverse culture shocks might you experience returning to the US after living abroad?
After 4 years in the Netherlands (Europe), I'd like to share the culture shocks I experience whenever I return to California (USA).
Cheers ????????
David
⏰ CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
00:29 Homelessness
01:56 American friendliness
03:06 Better Customer Service (At Times Too Much)
04:28 Tipping
04:55 Free Stuff
05:31 Obesity & Healthcare
07:06 Big Supermarkets
08:19 Big Driving Distances
08:58 Poor Public Transportation
09:52 Capitalism
10:18 Standing Out
11:36 Live to Work
12:36 Conclusion
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I'm David, a Californian living in Amsterdam. I grew up in San Francisco, studied and worked in LA, took a sabbatical around the world, and then packed my bags for Europe. I make videos about lifestyle design, hiking, and living/working/studying in Europe.
5 Things American Tourists Shouldn't Wear in Europe
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Heading to Europe & Not Sure What to Pack? Here are a few things that my fellow US travelers may want to avoid packing if they are traveling to Europe.
1. Baseball Caps: Europeans in general do not wear baseball caps, especially backwards. You would be better served to wear a more traditional hat. You will see an occasional NY Yankee hat, but why not buy the fancy hat you always wanted instead?
2. Athletic Wear: Europeans tend to wear athletic wear to do sports, not to wear around town. There is a trend of more athleisurewear in Europe, but it is not to the extent that there is in US.
3. Khakis: the omnipresent US male pant choice is not something you will see too often in Europe. Go for colored pants or jeans. If you want khaki like pants wear Chinos instead of Dockers. The pants you will see are a thinner cut or skinnier fit than in the US.
4. Oversized US University Sweatshirts.
5. Sport Shoes or High Heals: US sport shoes and white socks are not quite as popular in Europe as they are in the US. You may be better off with Urban Street shoes like Vans instead. Also, women should be careful with high heels as with all the cobblestone it is easy to hurt your ankles.
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Backpacking Through Europe: 5 Things You Will Love & Hate About Backpacking Through Europe
Thinking of heading to Europe for the summer and backpacking around? Here are the 5 things you will love and hate about backpacking through Europe, from Eurofunk and your smelly clothes to churches blurring together to the fantastic Europeans you meet and the great sites.
Filmed in London, England
Copyright Mark Wolters 2013
Backpacking Through Europe: 5 Things You Will Love & Hate About Backpacking Through Europe
Eurorail vs interrail vs cheap flights. If you want to know more leave a comment below and I will do my best to get back to you.
HOW I SEE THE USA AS A EUROPEAN (after 6 months)
Cultural shocks? Differences between Europe and the USA? Regrets, struggles, positive surprises? In this video, I want to share with you some of my impressions of the United States after spending 6 months travelling the country. So, do you reckon I should come back?
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Culture shock entering Eastern Europe
Belgrade, Serbia.. the grand city. This is THE place that the youngsters come to paRTY .. (not me as I already feel like a grandma). In the next vid, I finally meet my friend whom I haven't seen in 4 years ????
How I see the US after living in Europe for 5 years
What is America like after experiencing life in Europe? BIG. Consumerism. Gun violence. The homeless. The police. What do you do for work?
This is how I see the US after living in the Netherlands for 5 years. Sometimes it takes leaving a place for one to truly understand the pros and cons of a place. There are things I love and dislike about the US. Hope you enjoy this short movie!
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All The Ways That Americans Are Traveling Wrong In Europe
My favorite thing about American tourists is.... nothing.
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What Americans Should Know Before They Visit Europe
Heading to Europe for the first time and not sure what to expect? Well here we have a video that goes over a lot of the things that first time visitors to Europe might need to know before they come. From hotels in Europe, to toilets in Europe, to eating in Europe, there is a lot of great tourist advice for first time visitors to Europe
Filmed in Salzburg, Austria
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Some of Our Favorite Travel Videos We Think Other Travelers Would Love
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Germany: 10 Culture Shocks tourists have when they visit Germany
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Heading to Germany & Wondering What Things May SHOCK You as a Tourist, Traveler or Vacationer? Here we have the list of ten things that SHOCK tourists when they visit Germany. From cracks in the bed and toilets with shelves to friendly people you would never expect.
Filmed in Bamberg, Germany
Copyright Mark Wolters 2015
We travel with a Microsoft Surface everywhere we go. I edit my videos on it & use it to backup my pictures and vides while we travel. It’s light and the best travel laptop on the market in my opinion.
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We use Manfrotto Tripods. They are compact, travel well, and honestly I would not use another tripod for my nice cameras.
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10 Things That Annoy Travelers - The Worst of Europe
Traveling or backpacking around Europe or round the world is a wonderful experience. But sometimes things may start to bother you. Here we have the 10 things that will annoy you about traveling around Europe (for a long time).
Filmed in Venice, Italy
Copyright Mark Wolters 2013
Parody of Best of Europe videos. Please watch the video tongue in cheek, some things are very true, others are a bit funny. But everything could annoy you about Travelling Europe.
Reverse Culture Shock After 1 Year In Europe
We're back in the USA after 13 months in the UK, Germany, and France! But despite America being our home, we've been whacked with some severe reverse culture shock since getting back. Here are some of the biggest culture shocks we've experienced after 1 year living in Europe!
Have you ever left your home country for a long period of time? What reverse culture shocks did you experience when you went back? Let us know down in the comments!!
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Europe in Winter - 5 Love & Hates about Traveling Europe in Winter
From Amazing Christmas Markets & The Short Lines at Major Sights to the Wet Dark Weather & Limited Day Light & Shop Hours. 5 Things You Will Love & Hate about Visiting Europe in Winter, whether it is Christmas in Germany, Valentine's Day in Paris
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7 Things To Know Before Visiting Belgium
These 7 things to know before visiting Belgium are what I wish I knew before visiting Bruges and Brussels, Belgium.
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Americans Travel To Europe For One Year
Well folks, we did it! Watch how two Americans travel to Europe for one year. We did things a little differently like bringing our car and corgi along with us. Even though we had a rough start, it's moments like those that keeps us growing as individuals and as a couple. Keeps things fun and interesting, too. :)
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8 Things to Bring & NOT to Bring to Germany! (& Europe)
8 Things to Bring and NOT to Bring to Germany (and Europe)! Packing can be difficult and overwhelming!! In this video, we hope to at least give some advice and suggestions on what to bring when traveling to Germany. A lot of these things can be applied to other countries in Europe as well, but we focus on Germany advice in regards to power outlets, telecom companies, etc. Let us know if you know of anything else!
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Issues Travelers to Europe Will Face This Summer
European airports are back up and running and people are traveling again, but due to staffing shortages there will be long lines at check in and security points in a number of European airports. here are some things to consider when heading to Europe this summer.
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filmed in Turku, Finland
copyright Mark Wolters 2022
CULTURE SHOCKS IN EUROPE!: Backpacking Europe!
Hi, everyone!
I’ve discussed the Culture Shocks I experienced when moving from the US to Scotland, but I’d like to now tell you about some Culture Shocks Joe and I experienced while backpacking Europe.
1. I like speedos.
This was a shock indeed! I think some men look incredibly sexy in a speedo. In the US, guys in speedos are laughed at, but when we were in Greece Joe and I were both shocked to see how some of those guys were pulling. It. Off.
2. How safe we felt in Central Europe (central vs eastern).
Central and Eastern Europe don’t have as good of reputations as Western Europe does. In fact, after the movies Hostel and EuroTrip came out, Bratislava, Slovakia experienced a sudden drop in tourism by 75%. Joe was even surprised that these countries were prominent on my list of places to visit instead of France, Spain, and Portugal. When you first see the remaining communism buildings and graffiti, it came be intimidating, but look a little further and you’ll notice, you’re perfectly safe. We were less concerned about pickpockets, for example, in these countries than in London or Italy. I highly recommend visiting them and learning about their amazing histories.
3. Even if you don’t smoke pot in Amsterdam, you’ll smell like weed for days.
….for….days. …It was so strong smelling… Everyone thought we were pot heads….
4. Joe became an extrovert.
This was a very big shock. Joe can be quiet until you get to see and know his goofball self, like I’m privileged enough to. Enter backpacking Europe. Suddenly after a long day, I wanted to read in bed in the hostel and he was the one saying, “Let’s go to the common room and find people to talk to!” I have no idea what happened, but it was fun to witness.
5. American music was everywhere.
America spends so much money on it’s entertainment that it creates some high quality stuff. So maybe it shouldn’t have surprised us how far reaching those things would go. We were surprised, however, to hear American music in every country we visited! On buses, at restaurants, and in shops. It seemed to be everywhere, even if those countries and their people didn’t speak English.
6. Taxes in most EU countries are included in the price written on the tag.
This was an awesome surprise! In the US, since taxes differ from state to state, you won’t know the exact final price of your purchase from looking at the tag alone. The tag will say a price, and the tax will be added it to at the cash register. In many European countries, however, the price on the tag is exactly what you pay. How convenient!
7. Smoking indoors in some Central European countries.
In some countries in Central Europe, it is still perfectly legal and very common to smoke indoors, including in restaurants. We witnessed this in the US in some states that still had smoking versus non-smoking sections, and even that was a shock, but there weren’t even any sections in the Czech Republic, for example. We were lucky to have had great weather while we were there, because many of our meals were eaten outside so that at least the wind would help keep the smoke at bay.
Thanks so much for watching! I’d love to hear about some culture shocks you had while traveling so comment below with your stories! If you liked this video please give it a thumbs up and subscribe if you haven’t already. See you again soon! Bye!
People to People - European Discovery: Culture Shock
Entry for video contest: Culture Shock Alumni Video Challenge
My 10-day Eastern European backpacking itinerary will shock you.
Join us as we take you on a backpacking adventure through the culturally rich region of Eastern Europe. In this video, we'll provide a rough itinerary for a 10-day trip, including where to go, what to see, and how to make the most of your adventure. From the thermal baths of Budapest to the historic landmarks of Prague and Vienna, this trip is sure to leave you with memories to last a lifetime. So pack your bags and join us on this unforgettable journey!
Backpacking Across Europe 2023 - Part 3 - Edinburgh, Scotland
On June 8, 2023, I took a train from Liverpool to Manchester. From Manchester I took another train north to Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The train ride was very relaxing and enjoyable and took roughly 4 hours.
When I arrived in Edinburgh, I was able to check into my airbnb a bit early so I could drop off my bag. I spent the rest of the day exploring the lovely city of Edionburgh!