20 Differences Between the US & Europe

Does anyone else think culture shock is fun? Because I, for some odd reason, revel in the awkward moments of discovering my perspective and way of life is not the only one out there. As an American expat in Europe, the best part about living abroad is observing the differences in cultures. I was surprised to find many between these two western cultures. These differences between the United States and Europe* are just a start.

*Europe is incredibly diverse and very difficult to put in a single bucket. These are my personal and generalized observations.

---

1. Men are smaller Sorry, European men. I come from the land of McDonald's and American football. I'm used to being around tall, massive men.

2. Dogs are smaller All the small dogs! Europe has a higher concentration of big cities. Smaller dogs are more suited for city life. Be prepared for cute overload.

3. Everyone has good style Men and women dress nicer here. This is my favorite difference between United States and Europe. ​

4. Food portions are smaller

Well, since I am comparing them to American beach-ball portions, I should say that they are "more appropriate."

5. Wider variety of food I had tried new meats, fish, cheeses, and vegetables that I had never even heard of before I came to Europe.

6. Europe is not vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free friendly Europeans love their bread, meat, and dairy products, and they don't make much of an effort to cater to special dietary restrictions.

7. Less obesity The population, as a whole, is in better shape. The sight of anyone obese is few and far between. Ironically, though, exercising is not as prominent in their culture.

8. Toilets are not convenient Bathrooms are difficult to find, the sinks are the size of salad bowls, and you often have to pay to use one.

9. You'll also pay for water at restaurants & bags at the store Yes, these complimentary items in the United States are not free in Europe.

10. Cars are smaller Which makes sense because the streets are smaller too. You won't find many Ford trucks here.

11. Cities are pedestrian friendly Cities are walk-able, bikes are common, and public transit is accessible. Taking a car somewhere is often more cumbersome than convenient due to constant traffic and limited parking.

12. Lots of areas reserved just to enjoy being outside Little parks are everywhere, and restaurants will post-up on sidewalks if it means they can fit four tables outside. And, believe me, those tables will fill up first even on a cold day.

13. Smoking is popular & not frowned upon This makes being outside a little less pleasant for non-smokers. This is definitely my least favorite difference between the United States and Europe.

14. Work is not the priority The work, life balance is more important, and taking vacation time is encouraged! In July & August, most businesses close, or reduce hours, in anticipation that most of their staff will be on vacation. In the rest of the year, Catholic holidays are sprinkled everywhere for extra days off.

15. More awe-worthy structures The Renaissance, Gothic, and Victorian eras produced some truly impressive architecture. You will be snapping selfies everywhere.

16. Deeper history Europe has gone through so much change, and it has uniquely influenced each culture and country. You can feel and see the history, which is the best part!

17. Multiple languages There are 23 officially recognized languages in the EU, so almost all Europeans are multilingual.

18. Kisses instead of handshakes Prepare to lean in intimately to kiss the cheek of people you don't know. Kisses are not sacred here. They are shared in abundance. To make it even harder for an outsider, the number of kisses depends on where you are. IE: Belgium = 1, France = 3, Spain = 2.

19. Coins are valuable Coins come in 1€ and 2€ currency (about $1.17 and $2.35). A pocket full of change could end up buying your groceries instead of just a candy bar.

20. Confusing numbers Kilograms, meters, liters, oh my! What are these strange measurements? And if that wasn't enough, they also write their times and dates differently. Be sure you know exactly when your train ticket is.

Thank you for reading! Many of these topics I will expand on in the near future. Be on the lookout for more. Leave a comment below if this spurred any thoughts or questions, and subscribe to my blog to never miss an update. See you next time!