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American Expats Reveal Their Wildest Reverse Culture Shocks Upon Returning Home (50 Stories)
Anyone who’s lived abroad for a long time will likely go through a reverse culture shock when they return to their home country. The experience may be akin to relearning how to ride a bike and getting used to the old ways you’ve moved away from for quite a while.
For these American expats landing back in the United States, it was a mix of positives and negatives. Some were taken aback by the music blasting in restaurants, while others felt a sense of relief upon remembering that tap water was safe to drink.
A few of these responses may hit home if you’re a US citizen returning to the motherland after some time away. Feel free to share any similar stories in the comments below!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
After many years in Europe:
How many more overweight people there are.
How many churches there are.
How Americans assume everyone wants to hear their opinion.
How little we value being informed or educated in order to have a strong opinion.
UKGrandad 1 year ago
You have two ears and one mouth; use them in the same proportion. - my grandad.
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BWC 1 year ago
Pick any city on google maps, search churches, and watch them fill the screen. Even suburban and rural areas are full of them with names like the 3rd universal, apostolic church of the divine redemption. Most are scams to live tax free. Buy property. Build a church. Build a big house next door and rent it to the pastor(you) and pay nothing to the government.
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RELATED:
#2
Returned to the US from Korea. It gets talked about all the time, but just how unnecessarily complicated and inconvenient our healthcare system is.
To go from a system where you can go see a doctor/specialist any day of the week without an appointment, to know you will be covered, and to have the peace of mind that you'll spend probably less than $20, to then go to whatever we have here...it's just absurd to me.
I also pay twice for my healthcare here than I did in Korea. We are so duped for a system that is openly robbing us and not keeping us well.
Wingsofwrath 1 year ago
You know, it's almost as if the system was actually designed to make a few rich people richer instead of actually bennefitting the people it claims it serves... Because profits, amirite? /s
frederick clause 1 year ago
What else would you expect when your politicians are bought and paid for by lobbyists?
Load More Replies... Sven Horlemann 1 year ago
Yeah, but you are free to buy a gun. And get rid of all the migrants, so just follow the new rightwing TV personalities that will form 2025's government. The US made their choice. A pity, that is.
Scott Rackley 1 year ago
Not only that, the ones so vehemently against it are the least intelligent. Actively against what would benefit you the most.
Hugh Crawford 1 year ago
It's that whole delusion that you will pay for someone else abusing the system. Never mind that you would pay less then if you are only paying for yourself. Health is too big a money maker in the USA
Sue 1 year ago
Except most of the ones who vote against it are the older people, especially on Medicare. They dgaf about the younger people. And right now there are more boomers than other generations.
Load More Replies... Rich Black 1 year ago
Why not free food, clothing and shelter too? People shouldn't have to worry. Life is already too hard.
#3
The scam that is the for-profit healthcare system in the US. Truly pathetic that the richest country in human history can't provide universal coverage for all its citizens. Medical bills, medical debt, insurers deciding which procedures you really need, doctors and hospitals being in/out of network....all foreign concepts to most developed countries.
We talk a lot about freedom in the US, but it's usually about positive freedoms (i.e. the freedom TO own a gun) but we forget about negative freedoms, the freedom FROM something, such as medical debt, student debt, etc. In that sense, we lack many basic freedoms enjoyed by other countries.
Wingsofwrath 1 year ago
Eeeeexactly. Ironically, I'm writing this from a hospital bed in my crummy East-European country while undergoing cancer treatment. Were I to have been in the US it would probably have saddled me with a lot of debt, but, instead, the most I'll pay is a 10-lei (about 21 US cents) copay. Say what you will about growing up in Romania in the 90s, but I'd never have thought I'd get to say "thank god I'm not American".
Load More Replies... E.V. 1 year ago
It's all a scam. A lot of hospitals have tax free privileges as long as they give back to the community. BS.
BWC 1 year ago
Or they have been bought up and marginalized by greedy hedge fund investors that charge outrageous fees while, literally, squeezing the life out of the patients and workers.
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axle f 1 year ago
....we would have had universal coverage starting in the 1920's....but the AMA put on what at that time was the most expensive PR campaign in history to get it voted down. They flat out said they were against it because of the negative financial impact it would have on medical professionals....and WON the argument.
Abe Hartman 1 year ago
The entire system is broken and if we want any sort of functioning universal healthcare it'll have to be rebuilt from the ground up. We need our s**t together with a functioning congress that isn't a bunch of out of touch 80 year olds voting for whatever there staff just out of college tells them to.
Geoffrey Scott 1 year ago
True, but the one thing I will defend Obama on (as his foreign policy left a lot to be desired) is the ACA. He is still reviled by the GOP for pushing through the most basic coverage for those who toil for low wages but are "too rich" for Medicaid. As a 62 yr old, I was reticent to draw SS early, but for $180/mo with dental, I went. The dig on foreign policy I mentioned was the 'world wide apology tour' he went on after taking office.
Sue 1 year ago
I was hoping to retire at 62 using the ACA, but it looks like it's already being targeted. It would have been nice to give a decent paying job to a young person who needs it, but I'm working for insurance at the moment. Both my parents died at under 60. I'm 61. I probably won't see retirement.
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#4
In the US, if I suggest we walk the five blocks to our destination on a beautiful, sunny day, I’m met with incredulity, outrage, and a glare appropriate for puppy torturers.
Walking as transport is, apparently, a sign of homelessness and failure at life. .
Wingsofwrath 1 year ago
Yeah. I live in a big European city, and, unless we're in a hurry or the weather is inclement, both my wife and I like to walk to where we're going and we do it because we both enjoy walking. When I lived in the US in the early 2000s I got literally stopped by police because they saw me walking and considered that "suspicious". Of course, as soon as I produced my passport there'd be rolled eyes and shared glances between officers saying "oh right, European, they're mad as a box of frogs over there"
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Lilly's Mom 1 year ago
I don't know anyone who would express incredulity at someone walking 5 blocks.
Remi (He/Him) 1 year ago
Remember the story about a mom who got arrested for letting her son walk a distance like that
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Debby Keir 1 year ago
Except in New York (and I assume other major cities) where most don't have a car and either walk or use public transport.
UKGrandad 1 year ago
Blocks are oblong; on the long side there are about 8 blocks to a mile, 16 to a mile on the short side. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_block
Load More Replies... #5
Coming back from Norway, I was shocked at how little paid time off Americans get. Had to readjust to the whole 'living to work' mentality instead of 'working to live.' Still bugs me.
tori Ohno 1 year ago
I won't get any time off for a year where I just got hired on. But, a majority of other places are exactly the same. You're lucky to get 2 weeks vacation time after being there for 5 years.
Nikole 1 year ago
That’s terrible! And I’ve said this before, but at my job in the U.S we actually get a lot of PTO, however our parent company being based in the Netherlands might be a factor.
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After returning from living in India, I woke up parched one morning and realized that I didn’t have any bottled water in the house. I got all distressed because it was early and stores weren’t open and it was cold and dark…imagine my joy when I remembered I had potable water FLOWING INTO MY HOUSE.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
Under Trump we can soon expect lowered standards for toxic chemicals in our water supply. As I recall, during his first term he raised the amount of arsenic allowed.
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Bored Trash Panda 1 year ago
I don't know why you got downvotes cause that is the truth. Majority of states I have lived (Washington, Nevada, Hawaii, Colorado, and Texas) the water was horrible. Not sure about the rest of the country, but I have heard stories. I mean, look at Flint, MI.
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Tipping. I lived abroad for a while and my first day back in the US, I just genuinely forgot to tip a bartender on a single beer and she told people at the bar that I stiffed her. It’s such a ridiculous system.
B Hobbs 1 year ago
My personal biased slanted opinion: The US should declare that all tips belong to the business owner and have to be declared as business income. All employees must be paid at least minimum wage, tips are not part of their wages. What the owner does with the tips is up to them. If the owner decides to give the employee the tips, the owner has to declare that explicitly and still pay the full wage. I recall that some countries frown on tipping.
#8
The food! Lived in Canada from 2006 to 2014. You don't really notice it going the other way, but coming back holy s**t. Everything is loaded with salt and sugar. Everything. It is jarring. I gained over 20 lbs my first year back. I get that people do not want to hear this because we all love our dino nuggets and cheap frozen pizza. But damn, they really are trying to kill us with our food. At the very least they truly do not care if they kill us so long as the profit margins are high.
Related to that, the sheer number of truly obese people. Kids, in particular. I lived in Toronto and it was incredibly rare to see a person who clearly weighed over 300 lbs. Like maybe once a year. Coming back it was just shocking how big the average American had become. I pretty much lay that at the feet of the food thing.
Michael Largey 1 year ago (edited)
My wife has to watch the salt; I have to watch my sugar. Not much for us to order in most US restaurants.
B Hobbs 1 year ago
My understanding is that the US government saw there was more corn being produced than being consumed a few decades ago. They encouraged development of alternate uses. Corn syrup in just about every processed food in the US. Apparently obesity is not as important as over production of corn.
Des 1 year ago
And cheese! There's a whole cheese lobby that people don't know about to process all the milk that's overproduced bc farmers need to make their quotas.
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Barbara Wilcock 1 year ago
I never understood why they put so much sugar in bread. Its bread !
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
Granted, Toronto is somewhat like New York City in so much that a lot of people do walk or use public transportation, cities where people walk more you tend to get more exercise you tend to be skinnier....
Carrie B 1 year ago
Or salt. Or portion sizes. I'll take insults about our diets from a lot of countries, but not from the Canucks lol
Load More Replies... Carrie B 1 year ago
Um, Canada isn't much different than the US regarding food and diet. I've visited Canada at least 3 times a year for 30 years.
Scott Ferguson 1 year ago
Yes, it is. I've worked in the US a lot. Texas, Arkansas, West Virginia, North Dakota, Colorado, Washington, etc. Canada has healthier food. We do NOT have biscuits and gravy. We serve juice and milk in restaurants.
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Richienotsorich 1 year ago
Then above someone saying their friends won't walk 5 blocks, and you wonder why there's so much obesity and bad health!
#9
Not being able to just go to the doctor when you feel sick or notice something wrong. In Taiwan you just rock up to the hospital, pay a US$6 registration fee, tell the registrar what ails ya, get sent to whichever department fits your symptoms, wait for an hour or so, and see a doc.
Government healthcare: hell to the YEAH! It's not communism, Americans.
Wingsofwrath 1 year ago
No, no, you don't get it, anything that doesn't directly serve to move as much wealth from the bottom of the society to the very top is "communism". /s
Michael Largey 1 year ago
Or, for some people, any government program that helps people who don't look like them is communism.
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#10
Pharmaceutical commercials on TV was the most shocking. Smiling happy people talking about taking a pill to counteract the pill they were taking for (insert issue). Side effects may include mass m*rder, jumping from bridges, and uncontrollable diarrhea… At least you’ll be smiling while you deal with all the side effects.
Dan Holden 1 year ago (edited)
Living in Canada, I always know if I'm watching an American channel on TV because of the constant d**g commercials. The funny thing is they aren't allowed to say what the d***s are for so they'll just show some happy people living happy lives to happy music and then an upbeat voice saying "ask your doctor if _______ is right for you!". It's all very absurd. Do Americans really go to their doctor and say "I don't have any particular illness, but should I be taking _______?"?
Sue 1 year ago
They used to be illegal. However, I've seen some people find helpful medications that their doctor never recommended, because they saw the the commercials. Attorneys couldn't advertise in the past either.
Nikole 1 year ago
Agreed. I think they “educate” people in that we then know what’s out there.
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Richienotsorich 1 year ago
Then at the end they race through all the side effects so quickly you can't even hear what they're saying!
notlikeyou1971 1 year ago
Usually the pill on tv leads to side effects. That leads to more doctors. More pills after that . Then it starts again. Big circle. It's a win win for everyone. Well expect the patient ,who now is really sick and overly medicated like a pharmacy. They are also facing a lot of medical bills because of the new medical issues and doctors and specialists they had to visit. Gee and it all started with a pill a pharmaceutical representative gave to your doctor to try on patients and now you are having commercials popping up or on tv all the time to annoy you. Great deal for medicine and doctors $$$$$$$$$. Not so much for us
#11
Taxes not being included in price on the sign.
ScrapieChick 1 year ago
I get the different rates of sales tax thing but can see no sensible reason why the taxes can't be includes on the price tag/shelves, it's just so much more convenient
B Hobbs 1 year ago (edited)
"Because we've always done it this way!" Bang! "Frank, Craig, please remove the body. Does anyone else have something stupid to say?" The US Congress could pass a law that all interstate businesses have to list the full and complete price for a product or service. Local businesses will probably follow. I don't care what the business has to pay in taxes, that is something they have to deal with, not me. "But, but different states and cities have different tax rates. How can we advertise products nationwide with so many different prices?" "Advertise the highest price and say 'or less depending on location'."
CK 1 year ago
It's because different states and cities have different sales tax rates and many of the prices are MSRPs or chain store prices set for the whole region.
liam newton-harding 1 year ago
Except…and hear me out here…computers. The stores already print out their own price stickers…it’s very, very easy to add local tax rates to those prices, before printing.
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#12
Coming back to the US after living in Japan for 7 years. Everyone seems so angry and selfish all the time. Public places like parks, streets, restrooms are just a disgusting mess that no one takes care of.
Also, groceries were super cheap and fresh. I could get a weeks worth of groceries for a family of 3 for around ¥10000 yen, that's not possible in the US.
Leanne Hailes 1 year ago
In Canada $65 might be enough for 1 meal for a family of 4 😥
Load More Replies... Rich Black 1 year ago
Japan is the suicide capitol of the developed world. All the angry people may have already opted out.
antoinette maldari 1 year ago
Funny...on every other "listicle" about the US, we are TOO friendly. Smiling at strangers or even saying "hi, how you doing, hey,"
Amelia Jade 1 year ago
I lived in Japan for 10 years. The culture is so calm and polite, that anywhere you go in the US seems angry and and selfish by comparison. It was a complete culture shock when we moved back. I hated it here and thought everyone here was so mean. They weren't. But, like I said, in comparison to how extremely polite, and considerate people are in Japan, it just seems that way in the US if you're not used to the US culture.
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After being In India for a while, coming back to the USA, the feeling of having personal space and not being stared at all the time, such a relief.
UKGrandad 1 year ago
I think that was the point, returning from such a high density population to a relatively lower one, and not being stared at in America. White people aren't really a common sight in India.
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Seeing how obvious it is that we have a serious obesity problem in the U.S.
#15
Going from Japan customer service to US customer service is a colossal downgrade.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
Yes, it involves calling a person in India who can barely speak English.
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#16
Returned to the US from India. Sat down to eat at a restaurant at the airport and the waiter immediately brought me a glass of ice water. It took me a moment to realize that this was safe to drink here.
Glix Drap 1 year ago
Cows roam around in some of the green spaces in Cambridge, UK (since 1381).
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UKGrandad 1 year ago
But relatively few bacteria that'll make you shìt yourself inside-out.
Load More Replies... #17
Depending on where you lived abroad, the return to car culture is probably going to be the biggest shock. Get ready to drive everywhere again.
sbj 1 year ago
This is probably due to the fact that in most cases there is no good or convenient alternative to the car
Michael Largey 1 year ago (edited)
The oil and auto industries assured this in the last century by destroying public transportation.
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B Hobbs 1 year ago
Being on the winning side can cause problems. After WW2, a lot of Europe was in ruins, infrastructure and factories destroyed. Automobiles are expensive. Trains and buses to move lots of people. In the US, what to do with these intact, fully operational aircraft and tank factories? Hey, let's make lots of inexpensive automobiles! Probably not quite that simple, but along those lines. Hmm, maybe the US needs an invasion like the movie Independence Day?
Nicole Weymann 1 year ago (edited)
Didn't quite work like that over here. The first thing the rebuilders in post war Germany did was make room for cars (okay, and cheap mass housing): broad streets were houses used to be, going right through the middle of old towns (or their remains), and shiny new parking lots/decks. And the first thing people bought when they had the funds were cars. They were the symbol of the new, modern times, of wealth and progress. The tides are/have been turning away from cars as the preferred mode of transport, but there's a lot yet to be done.
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sweetrottenpeaches 1 year ago
My whole life revolves around the train departure times. If i miss the train, well it sucks. I don't kniw if that is better. I wish I had a car and the freedom it gives.
Serial pacifist 1 year ago
True, but I must also highlight great highways as a plus side to it.
Tams21 1 year ago
They're big alright but I wouldn't go so far as to call them great.
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#18
How uncommon it is seeing people smoking cigarettes in the US.
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
In some states they do a lot of chewing tobacco. I went into a gas station and behind the cashier was a wall of what I thought was round cans of shoe polish but I knew it couldn't be. Nobody needs to polish that many shoes. No they were cans of chewing tobacco.
Heather Menard 1 year ago
I have noticed it has decreased significantly just in the past ten years. You aren't walking around smoking someone else's cigarette.
Sven Grammersdorf 1 year ago
I live in Indiana and over 10% of the adult population smokes, myself included
notlikeyou1971 1 year ago
Pretty restrictive in a lot of areas these days. I quit cigarettes unintentionally by accident ( hard to explain what I mean but I still quit cigarettes) about 6 months ago. Still vape some though. People give cigarette smokers a very hard time. Even where I am staying currently we hear gums flapping because my man smokes cigarettes. They are always trying to get him to move away from where we stay . Not in front of the apartment,not here, not there. Always pushing people away from places elsewhere. Big signs everywhere. Unless you go to certain places, depending on where you are, you are limited. When it comes to my vape,it doesn't look anything like a cigarette. The only thing I have ever heard was questions about what the flavor was and what it tastes like and which shop I got it. It's not like I do it all the time but my doctor is happy I quit cigarettes because I told everyone including him that I never would quit cigarettes and that they would have to basically pry it out of my hand. Who knew that this weird situation would happen and the cigarettes would be gone? Wasn't medical either.
#19
The massive amount of advertising and upsells. As soon as you get on a plane back to the US, it's all "sign up for this credit card" and "watch these ads before and after the safety briefing" and "you can pay later for all this, no payments today."
It absolutely screams into your brain at every opportunity.
Ni Na 1 year ago
There is no difference in Tokyo. The subway, the bus, Shibuya etc. everything is full of ads and music.
Remi (He/Him) 1 year ago
I still don't know how the people working in Bic Camera survive without that jingle driving them mad...
Load More Replies... Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
And commercials at the gas station, I found that to be so weird and funny and invasive! Like literally you've paid and you're ready to pump the gas / petrol and then all of a sudden a full color full volume TV screen that's inserted in the gas pump right at your eye level, usually approximately 15x15 CM (six and a half by six and a half inches) it's really something. Never seen this before except in the states
#20
Was floored by the massive portion sizes when I came back. Also, people are super chatty here compared to Germany! It felt weird at first, but now I kind of enjoy those random small talk moments with strangers.
Papa 1 year ago
I often have more than I can eat at restaurants, so I generally take the leftover portion home to eat later.
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Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
And ranch dressing LOL to me ranch dressing is just one option of salad dressing you might put a small squirt of on your salad, but in a lot of American restaurants, ranch dressing goes on everything, it's for French fries, it's for burgers, it's for chicken, it's for everything. And I have to say, I've got a bit of a taste for it.
Buttrnutsquash 1 year ago (edited)
Spent 3 weeks in Poland and believe me, their portion sizes were much larger (compared to Canada) in restaurants! But, it was fresh, locally sourced, farm to table food, nothing processed. Made all the difference.
#21
I lived in Japan for a year. Coming back to the states made me realize how dirty it is here and people are lazy and disrespectful when it comes to taking care of the city and eachother. In Japan it’s a collective effort. Public restrooms are clean. If you have trash you put it in your pocket or purse and hold on to it until you can find access to a trash can. Here? People will drop it on the ground because they cannot dare to be inconvenienced. I’ve seen people at stop lights open their door and leave bags of McDonald’s trash on the street and drive off so they can have a clean car. Of course one of the first public restroom experiences when I came back home was in a store where there was a drainage grate in the floor and a woman had her kid taking a p**s in the grates instead of the toilet.
And don’t get me started how if they even have the sniffles they wear a mask in public to be courteous but here people like to cough directly into the wind.
Dar Mal 1 year ago
American: How dare you expect me to think about anything or anyone else other than ME!
Adz86 1 year ago
On a few cooking subs on reddit and its appalling how normal being extremely wasteful is for Americans.
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Geoffrey Scott 1 year ago
Do NOT be afraid to compliment the staff of any business where the restroom does not look like a science experiment. I get some odd looks, but they invariably are flattered by the compliment.
Ace 1 year ago
Sounds like me the first few times I went back to the UK after getting used to how clean everywhere is in Switzerland.
ScrapieChick 1 year ago
Going to sound a bit odd but even the tap water tasted cleaner in Switzerland, I noticed that the air in the UK felt different when I came back too, somehow heavier
Load More Replies... #22
Music in restaurants is SO LOUD.
Fat Harry (Oi / You) 1 year ago
We *sometimes* have this problem in the UK. Thankfully not too often, but I will actively choose a pub that doesn't have piped in music over one that does. However... I would also choose a pub that has live music over one that has piped in music.
#23
How everywhere in the world has to pay attention to what happens in the United States, but people in the US don't have a clue about anywhere else. I doubt 1 in 100 could name the president of Mexico, for instance.
Michael Largey 1 year ago
One difference is that the president of Mexico doesn't frighten the rest of the world.
Broadredpanda 1 year ago
To Americans (not all but most) America is the only country on the planet, or the average American believes that America is the greatest country on earth! It's not and good luck to the fools who voted a disgusting POS to run their country. It's laughable!
Jaaawn 1 year ago
They honestly think they live in the land of milk and honey. Maybe they did at one point but it's long turned sour. 'Land of the free,' Free what?
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Inés Olabarria Smith 1 year ago
My grandfather used to say that “when the US sneeze, the world has high fever”. Don’t know if that’s the case anymore but surely many times the shoot first and aske later.
Abe Hartman 1 year ago
Of course the world pays attention. The US has its problems but it is the arguably the most powerful country.
#24
How huge everything is. The flags, the people, the portion sizes.
#25
After living in Korean and Japan, I will always forever appreciate the independence/individualism of American cultural.
Especially in Korea, it felt like I joined gang/cult when I realized even the simplest of tasks required the consensus of the entire office. I saw a 46 y.o feel like he didn’t have enough authority to paper in the printer, so we had to wait and ask the office superior hours later.
It’s hard to describe in a small post. I just feel like there’s a certain kind of autonomy that exists here that doesn’t exist over there.( with regards to work).
Papa 1 year ago
There are two different attitudes. One is that if it's not specifically allowed it's forbidden, and the other is that if it isn't specifically forbidden it's allowed.
Nicole Weymann 1 year ago (edited)
Taken to the extreme one leads to people not exiting a burning building because they're afraid to step outside without permission, and the other leads to (my fabrication) people suing microwave companies for déad pets because "Fluffy was wet! You didn't tell me I couldn't dry him in there!" I'm a big fan of moderation.
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Dav Carro-Ripalda 1 year ago
It took me a while to understand "expats" mean returned emigrants...
#26
I lived in South Korea for a few years. When I returned to my hometown, St. Louis, very little had changed. You can't walk anywhere in St. Louis County, and for the first time, that fact really got to me. My friends were also very sedentary and incurious, not wanting to go anywhere. I would go to a friend's house and they just wanted to watch Netflix, and I was so used to being a very active person. Lastly, when anyone asked me about Korea, they couldn't help but slip in a racist joke or 2. I had changed overseas, but my hometown didn't.
Panda McPandaface 1 year ago
I like the idea of young people travelling and working in other countries for a couple of years (yes. I know. the money) experiencing different places, learning a bit of a different language, coming to understand that people may be different in some ways but everyone for the most part just wants to get through life with as few problems as possible. We all really are much more the same than we are different.
#27
Getting yelled at and herded around like cattle by US customs and immigration as soon as I arrived back home. It’s a huge shock to see how everyone with even an ounce of authority in the U.S. acts after being abroad where you’re treated like a human.
ScrapieChick 1 year ago
I've been lucky to travel a lot and customs in the US was definitely in my top 5 scariest customs experiences
Pernille 1 year ago
The only thing I've tried that was worse was Israel. Last time I went to the US I considered just turning around. The worst is that I can't imagine how horrible it must be if one happens to be brown skinned. I'm happy that I don't ever have to go there again.
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Papa 1 year ago
I'm surprised to hear this. I've only traveled internationally once, but upon returning to the US my experience with customs at Bush Intercontinental in Houston wasn't at all unpleasant (other than having to wait in the long line).
medcrest 1 year ago
Traveled internationally many times over 15 years and never had a problem, but we took the time and the effort to get Trusted Traveler and Global Entry. Landed in Detroit, we were the only ones with Global Entry. We were in wheel chairs. The kiosk takes your picture. We were below the camera and so it took pictures of the two young black men pushing the chairs. We are old and white. The customs guy saw it and just laughed.
Load More Replies... Richienotsorich 1 year ago
I'm guessing the job must really suck or they just seem to pick the most humourless, self-absorbed, authoritarian people they can find.
Mary Kelly 1 year ago
ahem, i was patted down in the middle of the amersterdam airport in a manner reminiscent of a thorough breast exam and rectal cavity search...and, the same when traveling back from s. america, but they do it behind a curtain...and, there are armed guards (w/ machine guns) everywhere in the s. american airports...also, customs in india is a highway robbery situation...tldr: airports are no fun anywhere you go
CaliPanda 1 year ago
American here and I would agree. I’ve traveled extensively and have never had a bad interaction with Customs & Immigration upon returning to the US.
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#28
The difference in how the food affected my whole body in a positive way after being away from the US for almost 2 years.
My wife and I both had physical withdrawals when we arrived in South America from the difference in the food for atleast the first 2 weeks. Couldn’t figure it out at first until our bodies adjusted.
Both immediately lost weight without trying and our whole physical appearance changed for the entire duration in a very positive way. Never felt so good in my life.
After a few months back in the US it all came back no matter how good we tried to eat. It was very eye opening to say the least.
Edit: Typo.
Roxy222uk 1 year ago
This is a reaction to all the ultra-processed food. It's more than just eating high fat, high sugar, and high salt food. The UPF food contains additives that are being discovered to affect the body in unexpected ways, such as killing beneficial bacteria or feeding unhelpful bacteria in the gut. Ultra-processed food is very different to processed food (such as cheese)
featherytoad 1 year ago (edited)
I guess I'm glad that I will never go overseas. I wouldn't want to get used to good food and then come back to our c**p. What I don't know, I won't miss.
Rich Black 1 year ago
So you're saying you can't make good food choices, and want things you can't resist outlawed?
#29
Coming back to the US from Cairo, it was not needing to be so alert all the time. There’s a lot to like about Cairo, but it is a tourist city and a lot of the businesses and locals take advantage of the tourists. It’s a little thing, but you have to be ready to argue vehemently about every price and service. I didn’t realize how much that was stressing me until I came home.
Broadredpanda 1 year ago
Until you came home and your wallet was emptied because you got a chest infection and could barely afford to see the doctor, never mind paying for the antibiotics!
Surly Scot 1 year ago
The posts of people going to unsafe middle eastern and asian countries then so surprised they feel safer walking about the streets in the West....These are the idiots that required us to have warning labels on everything.
Max Robitzsch 1 year ago
Hardly what they said. This blog is talking about what you feel when your context changes. And this person said they noticed that difference big time.
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#30
Central. F*****g. Air. Conditioning.
Outside of places like more affluent/developed Middle Eastern countries like UAE, Israel, and Kuwait, or like Singapore, A/C is an absolute luxury. A lot of people in the US do not appreciate how good our HVAC capabilities are.
Serial pacifist 1 year ago
We don’t appreciate many things, such as clean running water, electricity, hygiene, housing, numerous sets of clothes…are all a luxury (unfortunately and shockingly enough) in many parts of the world, for billions of people still.
Zaach 1 year ago
I donate to water.org to try and help the rest of the world
Load More Replies... Papa 1 year ago (edited)
Anywhere within 100 or so miles from the Gulf Coast.
Load More Replies... Richienotsorich 1 year ago
It's not a luxury. Outside of those countries we realise that AirCon is very expensive, not in anyway environmentally friendly and is only needed for 2-4 weeks of the year!
#31
Having to drive everywhere. Dublin isn’t the most bike friendly place, but living there for several years and being able to hop on my bike and get across town in 20 minutes is something I will always miss. After being back in Illinois for 2 years I still hate that I have to drive 2 miles to target bc that’s the only option for getting there and home in one piece
ETA: at no point did I say I live in Chicago. I don’t have city public transit and resources, thus my comment.
notlikeyou1971 1 year ago
Where we live it's impossible to walk or bike to most places because they are too far away from where we are. I couldn't anyway because I am disabled and it would be a hassle and uncomfortable. The only thing close to the apartment is a d**g store and that's possible but the rest is a Lyft or asking for a ride . I order groceries or ask someone to take me because things aren't as easy as they used to be and things are waay too far away. No car ,no cash, no bike,bf tries to walk for small things but he has health issues too. So when your area is a " food store desert" it's harder. Lol
HappyBink 1 year ago
at no point did they say they lived in CHICAGO!!!! 🤣
Load More Replies... #32
All the sugar in the food.
Surly Scot 1 year ago (edited)
And the salt. The sugar and salt levels alone could account for all the health conditions every american seems to have, that's not counting all the health problems from the chemicals and fillers in the food. If you live in a 'food desert' in USA you're f*cked for anything to eat. Whole Foods stopped selling a lot of the allergy-free stuff I used to use, i'm now limited to being able to buy about 30 items from the store to eat (thats basic stuff like cheese, milk, bread). I have to move away from here because i'm becoming malnourished.
Orange Panda 1 year ago
I've worked in a food desert a couple times. It's really sad.
Load More Replies... Geoffrey Scott 1 year ago
I now have "discovered" lightly salted chips. Taste like chips did in the 60's/70's. My 5yr old grandson wanted one..."these are VERY tasty".
notlikeyou1971 1 year ago
When you are careful like I am,you can eat whatever you want. I still fit into teen sizes and am one of the few thin people in my whole relatives. 80% are fat and unhealthy and it's a motivation for me NOT to end up like that. It's your responsibility to make the choice. I'm not used to a lot of junk food. Maybe soda but anything else is once in a blue moon. Scares me the idea of watching certain relatives sticking themselves when they do their diabetes tests and shots. NO THANKS
Nikole 1 year ago
I agree. I do have some thin relatives… My mom’s side is “small-boned”. I’m 5’7” and weigh 126 (also I’m 44). I don’t stuff myself, don’t eat c**p, and I exercise. Unless you’re taking a medication that makes you gain weight or you have a thyroid problem, that combination isn’t exactly a magic formula.
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#33
Lived in Russia for 18 months (this was over 10 years ago), when I came back to the US I spent a week in NYC and was taken aback at how nice everyone was and how s****y the subway is.
#34
Had a layover in Salt Lake City on my way home from living in China for six months… “How did all these people get permission to have so many children?!? Oh…right.”.
Michael Largey 1 year ago
If you're a Mormon, you're forbidden to do so many fun things that you have to concentrate on the few that are allowed.
Penguin Panda Pop 1 year ago (edited)
Some extra info about the one child policy for anyone interested: many Chinese families still only have one child now because kids are expensive. During the one child policy, people not from the majority Han ethnic group (Han Chinese are around 90% of the pop.) were permitted to have more than one child. (source: me - I live in China and my wife is from the Tujia ethnic group.)
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#35
Coming back from Germany / Europe and the customer service at US restaurants was SO intrusive and annoying. You cannot just sit and enjoy a meal with someone, you are constantly interrupted while talking, and while mid-chew. How is everything? Doing alright? Can I get you another drink? Etc. I get that some people like this type of service because they're used to or expect it, but it annoyed me to no end how the server constantly interrupted my meal.
Pernille 1 year ago
At least they should accept that you don't answer, or is it ok to speak while chewing in the US? If an European waiter was as intrusive as a US on there would be no tip.
SirWriteALot 1 year ago
If I need something I'll tell you. Leave me alone. Same with stores ... can't just browse without someone trying to "help" me.
ScootyPuffJr 1 year ago
At some stores, they're most likely making commission on their sales, and have to SELL.
Load More Replies... Mary Kelly 1 year ago
i prefer not having to hunt the waiter down for a drink or the check or a fresh napkin...it's nice!
Erik Biesemeier 1 year ago
Japan has the best solution I've found; many restaurants have a button on the table that you press for service, and otherwise they leave you alone.
notlikeyou1971 1 year ago
You should be happy you're getting good service but also understand that the people in the US depend on tips. So they are giving good service in hopes that they will receive a good tip at the end of the meal.
Nicole Weymann 1 year ago
The definition of "good" service also depends on your customers' tastes. In Europe "unobtrusive" is good - in the US you'd likely call it negligent. I prefer to eat and converse with company without being interrupted for small talk or assurances. "Good" American service is too intrusive for me. 🤷
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#36
Lived in Baden Württemberg Germany, when I returned I realized how awful our bakeries are. Also I realized how much grass we mow around public roads. In Germany they just let it grow out.
Petra Peitsch 1 year ago
Bread is life! At least in german bakeries. Sure, you can find also here those paper-thin toast-slices in the grocery stores, but at least they are not sweet. As for the grass, is mowed here too, but not every week.
[>.<]/ 1 year ago
In Germany, as well as The Netherlands, grass on the side of the road is not mowed that often to preserve wildlife and insects..
Load More Replies... Rich Black 1 year ago
Wait. . . What? German bakeries are better than French and Italian? Whi knew?
Panda McPandaface 1 year ago
Bread in a lot of European countries is so much better than many other places - except Spain in my experience (more precisely the Balearic Islands), the bread is basic at best, but at least is isn't chock full of preservatives. You can tell this by the fact that it goes rock hard in less than 24 hours . The Spanish are not good at cake either.
notlikeyou1971 1 year ago
You should see how much they mow the lawn where I stay. The grass shouldn't exist. Landscape service for this place is here at least 3 times a week. We find it ridiculous. You don't get a moment's peace from the noise and I see no reason for the frequency of the service
#37
Going into an American grocery store after years abroad is overwhelming but also glorious.
Glix Drap 1 year ago
13 cereals of s**t on the shelf to choose from (think Pink Floyd).
Load More Replies... Broadredpanda 1 year ago
Overwhelmed with fructose syrup and its sister...sugar. Some people are just plain oblivious ffs
Nikole 1 year ago
My mom NEVER bought sugary cereal for us when I was a kid. We had things like Cheerios with cut up strawberries. The sugary cereal has always basically been candy to me… I realize this is not the norm though.
Load More Replies... Michael Largey 1 year ago
When Boris Yeltsin, then the leader of the Soviet Union, visited an American grocery store, he said he realized that the diversity of offerings made him realize that his side had lost the Cold War.
UKGrandad 1 year ago
He did, but he wasn't the leader at the time. Gorbachev was still the leader in 1989. Yeltsin was a member of the Supreme Soviet, analogous with being a government cabinet minister
Load More Replies... Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
Oh they are! American grocery stores are like my version of a theme park. So much fun to see all the different products!
#38
The lack of public gathering spaces. I tried sitting on a bench for more than 5 minutes in a park and a police officer came to “check up” on me
Edit; to me he acted hostile while asking for some “more information “.
Westy 1 year ago
Pretty sure cops in the US don't have the authority to demand information from someone just sitting on a public park bench, so this experience was probably more about a bad cop than a reflection of the US.
Mary Kelly 1 year ago
my guess is that you are not white and more particularly "arab-looking"...and that blows if i'm correct
Debby Keir 1 year ago
On a trip to Disney (Florida) Hired car - 3 kids arguing in the back almost coming to blows over who got to 'sit by the window'. Huibby (driver) gets cross and frustrated, so pulls in to a mall, gets out of the car and sits on the kerb to just regroup. Pounced on by cops as 'he looks drunk' (lifelong teetotal) Explains that it's fatherhood rather than booze, but as he has a Brit accent they luckily accepted this.
#39
Prescription d**g commercials and strip malls, two things I never missed.
#40
How poorly Americans dress. Massively oversized (or sometimes undersized) shirts / pants, graphic tees / sports jerseys, sweatpants and hoodies everywhere. Coming back home from Scandinavia was eye opening. I now buy clothes that actually fit and make an effort to not look like I rolled out of bed.
Westy 1 year ago
I wear sweatpants to the grocery store because I'm going to the grocery store, not a movie premier. I don't get dressed up to go to tavern or take my dog to the park, either. It's not the prom, it's a frickin dog park. If that makes me inferior to Scandinavian people, well, OK.
Nikole 1 year ago
I wear sweatpants to CVS all the time. Am I going to the opera??
Load More Replies... notlikeyou1971 1 year ago
It's not a fashion show in the places that I go. Nobody really cares what I look like at a store or a Doctor's office or the few other places that I go. I have Nobody to impress and I sure prefer my comfort over what other people say. If anyone has something to say I will say 1 of 2 things 1 - " if you think my clothes are so bad, are you going to buy me better ones?" OR 2- F**k off ! If you don't like what I am wearing, don't look at me. It's not your place to judge me.
#41
I grew up in the US but have spent my whole adult life in the UK and Austria. There are so many unique or nearly unique things about the US.
Everything in the US is huge. I'm in the US this week and just visited a friend in Chicago -- she was apologising for a cramped flat, but it was palatial by middle-class western Euro standards. Only thing we've got on Americans in that department is super high ceilings. It applies to food too, of course. I just saw a pack of Reese's cups at Target that was more than a meter high. Diabolical.
Lots of stuff is super sweet when it shouldn't be. Coffee, bread (!), sauces. It's kind of icky once you start noticing it.
Especially in Austria shops and offices have very limited hours by comparison. I forget this sometimes and find myself planning around not being able to get anything on Sundays or after about 19.00.
Tip culture as it is in the States wouldn't be tolerated in Austria (the UK is *slightly* closer to the American model but not much). They're quite forward in asking for it (it should of course be given, but it ought to be presented like a choice, IMO).
"No guns" signs on business doors. That's a stark reminder when you've been away.
This probably runs counter to the common narrative, but I find lots of Americans are quite rude, in that they're not really aware of other people around them. Flying in this week I was shocked by the fact that people just splay their stuff out on an escalator and block the path. You're supposed to stand on the right side and leave the left lane open for people in a hurry. There's also stuff like playing music out loud on buses and trains (this happens everywhere but seems more common in the US).
The amount of space given over to cars. There are so many parking garages, it's a ridiculous waste of space and they're invariably ugly as sin. We have them in Europe but not as many and at least in the big cities they're generally subterranean.
SirWriteALot 1 year ago
Nobody asks to be tipped in Austria. When you pay cash they like to rummage around their gigantic purses to give you a few moments to "remember" to tip but that's it.
Jaaawn 1 year ago
Nor would anyone in the UK, they wouldn't dare as that's so rude!
Load More Replies... Mary Kelly 1 year ago
you did not see a bunch of businesses with "no guns" signs...that is bullsh!t...you didn't...maybe at courthouses and airports, but not reguar businesses...you just didn't
Panda McPandaface 1 year ago
"Nearly unique"? Something is either unique or it isn't - that simple.
Westy 1 year ago
A "No Guns" sign on a door in the US serves as a reminder that a No Guns sign doesn't really prevent people from bringing their guns inside. (Schools tend to have those signs plastered all over the place. How's that working out?) It may prevent gun owners from wanting to be a customer of that business, though. In most cases, unless there's a metal detector or physical pat-down involved, No Guns signs are basically useless - more of a political statement than anything else.
Nicole Weymann 1 year ago
Well, if nothing else it's a excuse to get someone escorted off the premises if they're being problematic (in case you actually WANT to go after an aggressive customer who came in armed). But I think OP also got reminded that these signs do not exist abroad, because there's no guns around.
Load More Replies... #42
America feels like a bubble on another planet, American culture just feels so separated from every other group of people on the planet and the American zeitgeist is very isolationist.
Michael Largey 1 year ago
From 1600 to 1900, America was pretty isolated from the world, by geography and by choice. That has to affect the national outlook.
Westy 1 year ago
"American culture" is a bit of a misnomer in the first place (I'm not convinced there really even is such a thing). The 'culture' of a specific individual depends on a number of variables - their background (where they grew up, etc), family heritage, where they currently live, etc etc. On a regional scale, culture in the deep south, for example, is quite a bit different than culture in the Bronx.
Susie Elle 1 year ago
I got this feeling in Canada as well, but to be fair, towns even on a relatively small island such as Prince Charles' give off a feeling of isolation. I can't put my finger on why, but one aspect that doesn't help is that small towns rarely have anything going for them. No bars, no recreational activities to do, nothing. Just houses, a gas station. a convenience store and a church, that's it. As a result, there's no-one out on the streets at any point in the day, really. Where I come from, even the smallest villages will have a restaurant or snackbar or something to draw people out of their homes. Maybe it's a misconception of my part, but the little towns and communities all felt so quiet.
#43
It took me a second to remember that 1st floor is ground/lobby floor here every time I got in an elevator for a few weeks.
#44
Visiting a grocery shop and feeling overpowered by the sheer number of possibilities available for each and every item. How many varieties of ketchup do we actually need, really?
Geoffrey Scott 1 year ago
For God's sake, do NOT go down the soup aisle. I am convinced that is what is causing all the rage here (US). Try, just try, to find a particular soup in an unfamiliar market.
Marilyn Holt 1 year ago (edited)
or the cereal aisle : chocolate dragon chips with candy and an oat flake
#45
Two things were hard to get reacquainted with. One was that I had to start driving every day again. The other was that Americans really are a special level of fat. "Normal" fat Americans looked like spectacles to me for a few weeks even though I had lived here for most of my life.
#46
Moved from Singapore then back to the US.
Three biggest shocks
1) Unlike Singapore, I can't expect everyone to know English in California
2) An American striking a random conversation is normal
3) Mexican food is the most American food around.
notlikeyou1971 1 year ago
1 is becoming a BIG problem in Florida as well. The language barrier is getting in the way in the service industry. Lyft, groceries, delivery people stores,my mom's friend even had a private nurse come to her house that didn't speak a word of English. Today we were in a Walmart and needed help. We are 2 disabled people on scooters. It was an adventure going around the store trying to find someone who spoke English to help. I was with a roommate that time. I live with 3 other people. I sign for groceries when I get them delivered. The delivery people 80% of the time DO NOT speak English. Can't communicate at all. Lyft drivers. A lot of times don't speak English. Can't tell them where to drop you off and one got me lost in the middle of nowhere because of language barrier. I am not mean or a Karen. I get along with customer service representatives but end up suggesting that they hire more bilingual people because we get a lot of mistakes on orders and we can't communicate with them. I pay for things and can't afford to be ripped off. We need help here in my state
Panda McPandaface 1 year ago
In the 90s on holiday in Miami, after filling the hire car with gas, I needed to ask directions. Not a hope. After a bit of confusion the man behind me in the queue to pay kindly helped out. P.S. The Miami River Inn was gorgeous!
Load More Replies... #47
Coming back from Italy, the biggest shock was definitely the portion sizes and just how much more friendly people are in casual interactions. Also, driving everywhere felt so strange after being used to walking or taking public transport. It took a while to adjust back!
#48
Refills for drinks being free.
Broadredpanda 1 year ago
Huge portions of food and free refills are why Americans are one of the most obese nations in the world. Cut both of those and you can at least pay a decent living wage instead of servers that feel entitled to at least a 18% tip and those who don't have on many occasions had their server being rude to them. The entitlement if off the chart crazy! Who do those people think they are? Get another job instead of relying on money that your boss won't pay you, but you get angry at us? Misdirected anger btw
#49
Tipping culture; I spent several months in Latin America once and in many countries, the tip is not only included in the bill, but tips are shared among servers. That meant that if I needed to order something or pay my bill, I didn’t need to wait for “my” server; any server in the restaurant could help me.
(Tax is also included in prices too, so what you see is what you pay.).
#50
Flying from Shanghai back to Dallas was the biggest culture shock for me. Shanghai makes Dallas looks like a ghost town. And the maglev train that runs over the city gives you a sense of scale like no other (imagine being in a jet flying over a city that just seems to never end).
Westy 1 year ago
Shanghai is the third largest city in the world. Of course Dallas looks like a ghost town by comparison.
Erik Biesemeier 1 year ago
It's not population, it's density. Dallas seems empty because there's so much wasted space, and basically nobody outside, because you have to drive everywhere.
Load More Replies... What do you think ?
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
I am not an American but I am a next-door neighbor. Americans (as a group of people), American culture and the country itself truly are a fascinating place to get to know. TV / movies / news, these are not realistic reflections of this country or its people. Whether you are an American or whether you're from somewhere else, if it ever becomes within your means to, I heartily suggest that you visit this country, do it by road trip if at all possible, avoid the larger cities and just drive through as many states as possible, visiting as many local diners / eateries, local attractions, local parks, local events as you can. Talk to the people. Yes, United States is different from other countries. Well guess what? Parts of every state are different from parts of every other state. America is a gigantic place. Oregon is extremely different from Arizona which is really different from Georgia which is really different from North Dakota which is really different from vermont. Fascinating place
nottheactualphoto 1 year ago
This is true even in small places. Western Massachusetts is quite different from Boston.
Load More Replies... UKGrandad 1 year ago
Bill Bryson wrote about this after living in England for 20 years and returning to America. The book, 'Notes From a Big Country' (published in America as 'I'm a Stranger Here Myself') begins with him describing the culture shock of returning and how he and his English wife viewed America through very different lenses.
ScrapieChick 1 year ago
Dispite a few people getting knickers twisted I don't think this is an American bashing post, not least because these are comments made by Americans returning to the US after living elsewhere. Things they took as everyday while living in the US aren't always everyday things in other places. I'm lucky to have lived all over the place and it can be quite shocking at first and then you acclimatise and when you return to your home country it can take a moment to re-acclimatise back
olaff 422 1 year ago
"Expat" is just gentrified "migrant." White people are never immigrants, but are always called expats. So stupid.
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
You know what's funny, you hear the word immigrants, and occasionally (but not often) I hear the word expats... I think you're right. Expat is a gentrified migrant. Thank you for your comment, you've given me something to think about
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Surly Scot 1 year ago
As a foreigner, the one major thing I wish i'd known before moving to USA: this is not a country, this is a BUSINESS. Would have made things a lot easier for the sh*tshow I walked into.
Justin Tyme 1 year ago (edited)
Bored Panda continues its campaign to separate the USA from the rest of the world - when they are not too busy libeling boomers.
Jaaawn 1 year ago
The US does that itself! Articles like this only prove the point that you genuinely believe you live in the best (and only) country on the planet because you can't take criticism. These points were written BY Americans so how on earth is it a campaign to seperate the USA from the rest of the world?! Your latest election shows you've lost the plot.
Load More Replies... Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
I am not an American but I am a next-door neighbor. Americans (as a group of people), American culture and the country itself truly are a fascinating place to get to know. TV / movies / news, these are not realistic reflections of this country or its people. Whether you are an American or whether you're from somewhere else, if it ever becomes within your means to, I heartily suggest that you visit this country, do it by road trip if at all possible, avoid the larger cities and just drive through as many states as possible, visiting as many local diners / eateries, local attractions, local parks, local events as you can. Talk to the people. Yes, United States is different from other countries. Well guess what? Parts of every state are different from parts of every other state. America is a gigantic place. Oregon is extremely different from Arizona which is really different from Georgia which is really different from North Dakota which is really different from vermont. Fascinating place
nottheactualphoto 1 year ago
This is true even in small places. Western Massachusetts is quite different from Boston.
Load More Replies... UKGrandad 1 year ago
Bill Bryson wrote about this after living in England for 20 years and returning to America. The book, 'Notes From a Big Country' (published in America as 'I'm a Stranger Here Myself') begins with him describing the culture shock of returning and how he and his English wife viewed America through very different lenses.
ScrapieChick 1 year ago
Dispite a few people getting knickers twisted I don't think this is an American bashing post, not least because these are comments made by Americans returning to the US after living elsewhere. Things they took as everyday while living in the US aren't always everyday things in other places. I'm lucky to have lived all over the place and it can be quite shocking at first and then you acclimatise and when you return to your home country it can take a moment to re-acclimatise back
olaff 422 1 year ago
"Expat" is just gentrified "migrant." White people are never immigrants, but are always called expats. So stupid.
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
You know what's funny, you hear the word immigrants, and occasionally (but not often) I hear the word expats... I think you're right. Expat is a gentrified migrant. Thank you for your comment, you've given me something to think about
Load More Replies... Surly Scot 1 year ago
As a foreigner, the one major thing I wish i'd known before moving to USA: this is not a country, this is a BUSINESS. Would have made things a lot easier for the sh*tshow I walked into.
Justin Tyme 1 year ago (edited)
Bored Panda continues its campaign to separate the USA from the rest of the world - when they are not too busy libeling boomers.
Jaaawn 1 year ago
The US does that itself! Articles like this only prove the point that you genuinely believe you live in the best (and only) country on the planet because you can't take criticism. These points were written BY Americans so how on earth is it a campaign to seperate the USA from the rest of the world?! Your latest election shows you've lost the plot.
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