After returning from Europe, there are many things I have noticed that differ from the people and culture in the States. One thing is that there are kind and awesome people no matter where you go. Sure, sometimes there are a lot of odd stares and snark remarks, but there is always someone who is genuinely curious and isn’t afraid of striking a conversation. It is best to go into every country with an open mind, regardless of the stereotypes you have heard. For example, Parisians are known to be rude, especially to Americans. However, this was quite the opposite, and only very few times did it seem to be true.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed my time abroad, there were a few things that I missed from home. The first is free water. Depending on the city, water seemed to be scarce or expensive. The second is the fast-paced culture of dining in America. Most of the time, I enjoyed taking my time to eat and chat with friends in Europe, but there were days when we were on a tight schedule and the slow-paced environment of the restaurant almost made us miss a few things.
Something that I found interesting was that many people that we interviewed did not have much of a negative view of Americans. Some liked that we were expressive and open-minded. Some liked our cities and the hustle of our culture. Some thought we could respect celebrities’ privacies more. All of which were fascinated any time we shared that we were from America, specifically Texas. It was always so fun to talk with locals and hear what they had to say about the place we call home. Many had connections to the States. Some even have connections with our hometowns. This trip overall just showed me how wonderful and sometimes small the world is.