Moving to the U.S. after living in Europe is like jumping from a quiet indie film into a Michael Bay movie. Everything is louder, faster and bigger. For me, after years of adjusted expectations, cultural recalibration, and slow-paced sidewalk strolls, returning stateside felt like reverse culture shock with a side of waffle fries.
Here’s what I learned and experienced coming back:
Convenience Is a Lifestyle
1. Everything is drive-thru or delivery. Convenience culture is king.
2. Portion sizes are still absurd.
3. Ice in your drink? Automatic. No questions asked.
4. Customer service here is both a blessing and a performance.
5. Sales tax still isn’t included in the price because math is fun at checkout, I guess.
6. Americans talk LOUD. In restaurants, in stores, on FaceTime, on speaker. Always.
7. Grocery store aisles are big enough to land a plane.
8. Everyone is “sooo busy” but still finds time to binge watch 4 shows a week.
9. Tipping culture has spiraled into madness. (No, the iPad doesn’t need a 20% tip for self checkout.)
10. “How are you?” is a greeting, not an actual question.
Health, Safety & Sanity
11. I forgot how expensive healthcare is until I got a bill for $600 for a band-aid at Urgent Care
12. Everything has a warning label. Even your water bottle and yoga mat.
13. I have suddenly missed pharmacies that sell actual medication and not just candy and cosmetics.
14. Everyone carries a giant water bottle now like it’s a personality trait.
15. Wellness here is an industry. There’s a cream, a powder, and a serum for literally everything.
Social Vibes & Small Talk
16. Strangers talk to you here and sometimes overshare.
17. People smile at you for no reason, and I spent two weeks wondering what they wanted.
18. Work is everything. Rest is guilt.
19. You’re expected to text back instantly even if you’re asleep, dead, or in another time zone.
20. Everything is a hustle. Side hustles have side hustles.
Food Culture Hits Hard
21. I missed bagels, authentic tacos and margaritas more than I admitted out loud.
22. Free water at restaurants? A small miracle.
23. Grocery stores are open nearly 24/7 and carry 37 brands of the same thing.
24. Bread goes stale emotionally before physically. It just has no soul.
25. You can ask for substitutions without being judged like a criminal.
City Living Realities
26. U.S. public transportation is a coin toss at best.
27. People walk for exercise, not transportation. And they’ll drive 0.3 miles to Starbucks.
28. Crosswalks are a suggestion. Blink and someone’s speeding through it.
29. The car is your gym locker, lunchroom, closet, and phone booth.
30. Nobody’s walking anywhere. And if you do, people think you lost your car.
Cultural Shocks That Stay Shocking
31. “Europe” is treated like one country here.
32. I had to explain that yes, Spain and Switzerland are different places.
33. Someone told me to “speak American.” I wish I was joking.
34. Vacation time is a luxury, not a right.
35. People can’t believe you lived “over there” and didn’t come back with an accent.
Home Sweet Chaotic Home
36. Target is a drug. Trader Joe’s is therapy.
37. You’ll pay $8 for a coffee and call it “just a treat.”
38. There are flags everywhere. Like… everywhere.
39. You will be personally offended by the cost of mobile plans.
40. Suburbs are eerily quiet and a little Stepford-y.
What You Miss, What You Don’t
41. I miss walking to the bakery. I don’t miss dealing with German bureaucracy.
42. I miss cheap Ryanair flights. I don’t miss Ryanair at 6:00 AM.
43. I miss long meals. I don’t miss being side-eyed for ordering an almond milk latte.
44. I miss hearing different languages. I don’t miss being stared at for speaking English.
The Emotional Reboot
45. I feel a little foreign in my own country.
46. People ask, “So what was it like?” and expect a one-sentence summary of my entire life abroad.
47. I didn’t leave Europe by choice; COVID forced my return. And yes, I still romanticize the old buildings, culture, tiny coffees and slower pace.
48. I’ve been shaped by both cultures. I don’t fully fit into either.
49. Coming back forces you to grow all over again.
50. America is wild. But it’s still home, chaos and all.
Coming back to the U.S. after living in Europe felt like learning how to exist all over again just with more small talk and iced coffee. It’s chaotic, familiar, and sometimes a bit much. But it made one thing clear: Europe wasn’t just a chapter, it felt like home. I’ll be back because the pace, the people, and the perspective I found there suit me better than anywhere else I’ve ever lived. This return is just a layover.
If you liked this post, you’ll love these too:
🇬🇧 50 Things I Learned Living in the U.K.
🇩🇪 50 Things I Learned Living in Germany
🇳🇱 50 Things I Learned Living in the Netherlands
🗽 33 Things I Learned Living in New York City
