Spending a week in Portugal has taught me a lot about American culture and how it differs from that of Europe. The first major difference that I noticed was how differently we dress. In America we value comfort in our clothing, often wearing athletic clothes as often as we can. In Portugal, it is rare to see someone in anything more casual than jeans. For one thing, it is slightly colder in Europe than in Texas so that accounts for part of this difference. Additionally, Europeans ?take their time? with life rather than rushing through it as we can so often do in America. They take their time during meals, dress up for each activity in their day, and take time to talk to one another more often than we do. Another difference that I noticed was the Portuguese?s collective concern for the environment and cities that they live in. Our Portuguese hosts have stated countless times either their concern for their environment or expressed what they, personally, are doing to make it a better place to live. In America, there are certainly people concerned with protecting our environment but, for the vast majority of people, it is an afterthought. By caring for their environment, Europeans have been able to conserve hundreds of years of history. Hopefully, America can follow its lead so future generations will be able to visit our country and learn about our history.
