Perhaps you’ve lived in Europe or have spent enough time there to know that moving to America can come with its set of struggles. Though it’s hard to put all Europeans on the same boat, I think we can agree on a few things that still trip us up, no matter how long we’ve been here. And for those who who know a European or are planning on visiting someday, hopefully this will give you a little glimpse into our our world.
1. Smiling
We can be hard to approach sometimes because frankly, we don’t have that polite smile thing figured out. We just don’t get it. Why are you smiling at me? Do I know you?! Am I supposed to smile back? By this time, the stranger will have passed us and we’re forever remembered as the one with the glare.
2. Fast food & serving size
Why is this "small" cup bigger than my face?! And wait, if we get refills, why are you getting a large? What is Bojangles? So you never go to McDonald’s? We miss fresh fruit markets and non-greasy fries. We’ll also pretend to hate all your restaurants, until we try your beloved Chick-Fil-A.
3. Customer service
“How can I help you?” Who are you and what do you want from me? We're not used to having customer service people help us... or even talk to us. We'll think you're automatically trying to rob or hit on us, because there's no other reason why you'd be this nice.
4. Not dressing up to go out
Wait, so I can wear a t-shirt to your party? And workout clothes in public? At first we’ll think this is crazy and completely out of place, until we understand the comforts of wearing sweatpants to Starbucks, or slippers to Target.
5. Sidewalk life
We dearly miss the metro and the city bus we catch at the corner of our street. We miss stopping by the bread shop on our way to the fruit shop, and then all the way to the park where we hang out with our friends. We simply miss the cobblestoned, side-walk life.
6. Taxes & the Euro
One of the deepest pains we feel is getting to the cashier and not having enough money to pay, because tax. We miss the simplicity of the Euro coin, and how putting one on the table after eating was optional. We’ll also always opt for using a dollar, because for the life of us, we can’t figure out the difference between a nickel and a dime.
7. Guns, drinks & driving
Yes, I said it. Forgive us when we brush away the subject of guns. We don’t really understand this, so we rather talk about something else. And what do you mean I can’t order a drink?! I drove here.
8. On-the-go
It’s only 10PM, what do you mean you’re leaving?! We don’t like schedules, and we don’t like being on-the-go. If you ask us to hang out at 8PM, we’ll block out the rest of the night to spend time with you, even if it means just sitting around past midnight.
9. Cultural ignorance.
It’s easy for us to bash you because you might have trouble locating Luxembourg or have never heard of the Cantabrian Sea. We apologize for acting proud. It’s easy for us to forget we had to learn all these things in elementary because frankly, our country was probably smaller than your state. (But yes, there are trees in Portugal, and no, they don’t speak Australian in Austria.)
10. We love America.
Yes, this is a struggle. It’s hard for us to admit it, because we like to be seen as the posh Europeans who just drink coffee and smoke cigarettes all day- always too cool for Americanisms. But, though we have our differences and we like to make fun of you, we actually love your Pop-Tarts and ball caps, TV shows, and country songs. We love your supportive environments, your overall kindness and creative innovation. And though we miss our beloved Europe and some of us wait eagerly to go back, we'll also admit, we love living in America.
