10 More Differences This American Notices between Europe and the USA

Last time I traveled to the US from Europe, I saw some differences and I thought I thought of all of them. Well, I'm back in the US and I've found some more differences! Again, I am doing the unspeakable by lumping all the countries in Europe together, haha.

How are the US and Europe different?

1. In the US, prepaid cell phone plans are robbery. The cheapest I've found is about $30 for unlimited calling/texting and 1GB of data. In Spain, I paid 7€ ($8.50) for 50 minutes (never used any), 200 texts (again, unused) and 1GB of data. In Belgium, I paid 12€ ($14.50) for unlimited calling/texting and 2GB of data.

2. In the US, it is legal to pass on the right side in a car. In Europe, this is unthinkable and dangerous. 

3. Europe has limited options on custom license plates, usually limited to subtle designs. In the US, you can customize the words, add pictures, among other options.

4. When new tech is released, the US gets it right away and  it's cheaper - tvs, phones, drones, headphones. Currently, the Galaxy Note 8 costs $929 (779€) and in Europe it's $1204 (1009€). The iPhone 7 took almost a month after the US had it in stores, to arrive to Europe stores. The Galaxy Note 5 was never for sale in Europe.

5. Customer service in a department store in the US, 15 different people will offer to help. In Europe, you have to set off an alarm to get someone to look in your direction. 

6. In the US, it is very easy to buy over-the-counter medication, and in large doses, that normally you have to have a prescription for in Europe. 

7. The US has free bathrooms in most stores. Europe is a mixed bag, but many times, you incur a ridiculous expense.

8. After living in Europe and documenting a year of wine in Spain, I have a new appreciation - and expectations - for wine. In the US, a glass of wine is super expensive, and the American wines are not that good to be paying a premium.

These are more specific to my personal behavior

9. When I see something - a statue, monument, landmark - in the US with European heritage, especially a country I've been to, I get so excited. In Europe, when I see something with an American name, there's no feelings. 

10. Piggybacking on the last one, when I see something - a statue, monument, landmark - I take photos and do handstands in them. When traveling in the US, even if it's something new, I'm a lot slower to pull the trigger on a handstand and a photo. 

Skopje, Macedonia

Bonus. WiFi is readily accessible almost everywhere in the US - restaurants, parks, businesses, etc. In Europe, there is often WiFi, but you have to track someone down and get a password, if they even know it and are willing to exercise #5 above.

What do you think?

Do you agree or disagree with my list? More to add? Dispute? Have you noticed these differences? Check out the first article in this series here!

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This American's Basketball Career in Europe

So, I've lived in Germany, Belgium, Spain, and have visited many of the countries in Europe. But how did I come to live in Europe? Basketball. 

For those too lazy or uninterested to read the entire post, here is an infographic that sums it all up:

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8 Things This American Misses About Europe

8 Signs That I’m Becoming European (the alternate title)

After three weeks in the US, I was noticing all the wonderful things that I had missed about my country. However, now that I'm back in Spain and readjusting to the Spanish lifestyle, I'm noticing the things that I missed about Europe while I was in the US. It's only appropriate, right? Plus, I have to say good things about Europe too, or they might not let me continue living here. So, without further ado, I present the meat and potatoes of this post. (Or, the chorizo and bread, for my Spanish audience.) 

1. The metric system is just easier. Enough said. 

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11 Differences This American Notices between Europe and The USA

As a follow up to my recently posted 13 Things This American Misses About The US, I've come up with some differences that I noticed between the Americans and the Europeans (yes, I continue to lump all of those different countries together). These are purely observations, and not a post about who does things better or worse. I have plenty of those already. So, these are differences I notice between the US and Europe.

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16 Even More Random Things This American Has Noticed About Spain and Europe

First, I noticed 14 random things about Spain and Europe. That was like, whoa, Random City, population, me. Then, I noticed 21 more random things. I felt like arbitrary things were following me just so I could notice them. And, now, the whimsical bug has bit me once again, as I present 16 even more random things that I have observed, noticed, judged it to be random, wrote it down, organized it, and now I am sharing it with you. That's how the process works.

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Guest Blog: Realizations of an Expat in Europe

By Stephanie Condon

She is married, with one son, living in Europe (Germany and Belgium) for the last 13 1/2 years. Works at NATO. Loves to travel and experience other cultures, especially the cuisine. Speaks English well, and can get by in French, German, and Dutch.

After living in Europe for 13.5 years, I've made some observations. Here are a few.  Have you noticed the same things?

Life as an expat realization #1 
There is no such thing as personal space. Get used to it. If you need it, move back to America. Maybe Ohio.

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21 More Random Things This American Notices About Spain and Europe

The millisecond after I published the article 14 Random Things This American Notices About Spain and Europe, I already had new ideas for a follow up list. This one is new, improved, and even more random than the first list. These things are interesting to me, to you, and to everyone you have ever met in your entire life, with all of whom you will share this. That is all. Enjoy.

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14 Random Things This American Notices About Spain and Europe

I am learning something new everyday here in Navarra; usually it's a new Spanish word that I immediately forget or the name of someone I've just met. My brain is always working, whether actively to help me reach my goals, or passively causing me to zone out in Spanish class and think about unrelated things. Whenever I think of something, I write it down so I don't forget it. Well, if you do that enough, you end up with a list of random things that you decide to share with people via a blog. Here's that list:

Spain related things

1. I have no idea why (and if anyone wants to chime in and explain, please do) but Spanish gas stations have plastic gloves for use while pumping gas. I have not seen this outside of Spain and I have never used the gloves.

2. It seems it is taught in Spain that there are only 6 continents. North and South America are not individual continents because the are connected, unlike Europe and Asia... I also learned that in the past, people were taught there were only 5 continents (hence 5 Olympic rings) as Antartica is just a block of ice and not land. I'm sure there were some offended penguins somewhere.

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12 Doses of Culture Shock for This American in Europe

When you move away from your country and customs and social norms, you expect a bit of culture shock in whatever new country you are visiting. Sometimes that culture shock is an amazing new experience and you wish your home country would adopt that custom. Sometimes the culture shock is so offensive that you can't possibly condone it and you try to avoid it while in the new country. And other times, the culture shock is just what it is, you get over it, and over time you just learn to accept it as a normal way of life.

Photo credit: ww.EnglishGenie.com

Here are 12 doses of culture shock this American has received while living and traveling around Europe. Of course, being an American, most of these revolve around food.

Carbonated ice tea (canned/bottled)

When I moved to Germany, I ordered an ice tea at a restaurant. I was confused when I saw bubbles in my drink, and once I drank it, I realized that it was carbonated. Fluke? No. Traveling around Europe I've discovered many of the countries serve ice tea, exclusively with bubbles. There is no ice tea "without gas" option. However, in the supermarkets and stores you can get regular ice tea.

When I was in the US, I never even knew it was possible to carbonate tea. After living in South Carolina for several years, I became a sweet tea fanatic. The method of making it is simply filling the container half full with sugar, and then adding tea. Sometimes people add lemon, and sometimes people need an insulin shot. But, in all my years of sweet tea-in', I never had it carbonated.

Misleading "American" adjective

While playing basketball in southern Belgium, some teammates of mine invited me over for some food. They assumed that the American would want filet americain. So, I say sure, and dig in. After the first bite, I am confused as to what I'm eating and why it doesn't taste as delicious as I hoped. Well, that's because filet americain is raw American beef. Raw, as in uncooked. Not sure why it's raw, as I've never met an American who eats their beef that way, but that's what it is.

Another time, while eating at a restaurant, I know to avoid the filet americain and I get something else. After a delicious meal, the waiter asks if I want coffee and I agree, but he asks what kind. There is more than one kind? Looking at the menu, I decide, why not, let's try a café americano. That is straight black coffee. Milk and sugar aren't even offered along side. Unless you work at a missile silo in South Dakota, most Americans put cream, milk, sugar, and other things, with just a smidge of coffee.

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15 Things This American Notices While Driving in Europe

I've driven all around Europe, but mostly Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, and there are some things that I've gotten used to, and some things that still just don't sit quite right with me. Most of it is not really bad or good, but just interesting and different. So, without commenting on driving in the U.K., which will take its own article, here are 15 things this American notices while driving in Europe.

1. Higher speed limits

It didn't really click until I went back to the U.S. and I was in Maryland, on a very nice 13 lane interstate highway (kidding, it was only 6 lanes), there were no potholes and the road was well maintained, but the speed limit was 88kph (55mph).  Most local highways in the EU are between 90 and 100kph (56 - 62mph) and on the major highways its 120 or 130kph (74 - 81mph). In southern Belgium, you are cruisin' at 120kph and dodging huge craters in the road. On the world famous autobahn in Germany, there are many sections where the speed limit is "as fast as your car can go", inviting the 200kph+ (124mph) crew out to play. There are few things more emasculating than a smart car flying by you on the autobahn. In most EU countries, the neighborhood speed limit is 60kph, which is almost as fast as some U.S. highway speeds.

2. Lane courtesy, everyone move to right

In the U.S. we can pass on either side. Here, people must pass on the left. It's an unwritten law, and the guy doing 190kph behind you will ride all the way up to your bumper and flash you and have his left blinker on in the left lane, encouraging you to get over to the right. However, most people know to get over before all that happens, and it actually works quite nicely. When I'm in a rush, I know I can jump in the left lane and everyone in front of me going slow will get out of my way.

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