What I’ve realized about America as a European

Being from another country, I’ve started to realize things Americans probably don’t even think about.

From the size of the grocery store, to the habit of eating out, to why bacon is a cupcake topping…some American customs leave me shaking my head. And that’s not just it, there are plenty of other experiences that are unique to this country – especially how everything is bigger here.

In my home country of Germany, with my dog

People hold the door for you even though you’ve never seen them before

This is actually pretty cool – especially when you are still halfway asleep and someone holds the door for you, it just makes your morning a little bit better.

However, it seems to be kind of a tricky question for how long you are supposed to hold it. I’ve seen people sprinting to the door because they felt bad making the person wait so long (including myself). And then those sprinting people get mad because you forced them to run and they really didn’t feel like that in the morning.

Going to class in sweatpants and workout gear is actually acceptable

What seemed to be a no-go at home in Germany is literally the dress code for half of the students here. Which is actually pretty nice, as you don’t have to worry about squeezing yourself in the super skinny jeans. Just pretend you are one of the hip girls who work out a lot and if you are an athlete that’s even better – because how could someone expect you to dress up for class after having had a 7 AM workout?

Commercials are insane

Dragons, animals that talk and explosions that seem to be part of an action movie in a commercial? You’ll see it all. The funny thing is, most of the time you can’t really tell what product they advertise till they show it in the end, and you’ll be like “Oh wow, I wouldn’t have expected that.”

What’s also very interesting is the fact that all the risks and side effect of a medication are announced right in the commercial. That sometimes takes longer than the presentation of the product itself and kind of creeps me out. Do people really buy a product once they heard that they can get all these other health issues from it?

The grocery store at home is tiny

Once I got to the U.S., I realized I had missed out on so many tasty food opportunities. An entire 50 meters aisle (sorry about meters but I am still not used to your feet and yards here) of different kind of cheese? Why not? The next aisle full of crackers, 50 different brands with 20 different flavors each. From “sundried tomato basil” to “honey” — anything is possible.

And if you’re on a diet and want sugar-free cookies, fat-free ice cream, or no-calorie ice cream, you’ll find everything in America. The only problem is that once you start walking around, it’s not easy to find your friends or the way back to the checkout anymore, so make sure to always bring a phone with you.

The cars are enormous here

I am still not completely sure why one needs a truck in a city to drive to the mall, but maybe some people are thinking of retiring on a farm so they made sure they got the right car early enough.

Soccer is not a big sport, but football is for sure

Being from another country leads to a lot of questions and one of them is always: “So, how do you like football and what’s your favorite team?” Just for the record: other countries don’t necessarily have football, even though Americans seem to be obsessed with it.

While I really appreciate the Super Bowl (and the good food that goes along with it), us Europeans love our soccer teams. Ask a German if they’ve watched the World Cup and I am pretty sure that they’ll tell you that EVERYONE at home does.

There are toppings and extras for everything

Here in America, you first pick a flavor (so far, so good), then you pick the toppings (not so easy). Because there are not just five toppings to choose from, no, there are at least 50. From all different kind of chocolate, to marshmallows, gummy bears, all kind of nuts, fruits, maybe even pepper and chili, it’s all there. And toppings are not just limited to dessert, it’s the same for pizza etc.

You like tater tots? Why not get them on there? Or do you prefer sausage? Maybe even both? Go and get it all!

This is actually a great way for indecisive people to eat everything, so they don’t have to worry about having made the wrong decision.

Eating out becomes standard

Being from Germany where people love saving money and barely spend it, going to a restaurant is a pretty rare occasion. For Germans here, not anymore though – it’s something I now do at least once or twice a week. Because to be honest, as hard as the dining hall tries, nothing beats a good steak at a restaurant.

You are underage again

What a great day it was turning 18. I could finally buy my own drinks, feel really cool walking around in a club, holding my favorite beverage and pretend I was grown up now. It all changes once you get to the States, though. Being under 21 is just a pain in the ass as – you always have to get a lovely wristband once you enter a bar or club that literally shows everyone in the room, you’re not old enough yet to handle a drink.