Uploaded September 2017 | Updated September 2026, 4 hours ago
Hi, everyone!
I’ve discussed the Culture Shocks I experienced when moving from the US to Scotland, but I’d like to now tell you about some Culture Shocks Joe and I experienced while backpacking Europe.
1. I like speedos.
This was a shock indeed! I think some men look incredibly sexy in a speedo. In the US, guys in speedos are laughed at, but when we were in Greece Joe and I were both shocked to see how some of those guys were pulling. It. Off.
2. How safe we felt in Central Europe (central vs eastern).
Central and Eastern Europe don’t have as good of reputations as Western Europe does. In fact, after the movies Hostel and EuroTrip came out, Bratislava, Slovakia experienced a sudden drop in tourism by 75%. Joe was even surprised that these countries were prominent on my list of places to visit instead of France, Spain, and Portugal. When you first see the remaining communism buildings and graffiti, it came be intimidating, but look a little further and you’ll notice, you’re perfectly safe. We were less concerned about pickpockets, for example, in these countries than in London or Italy. I highly recommend visiting them and learning about their amazing histories.
3. Even if you don’t smoke pot in Amsterdam, you’ll smell like weed for days.
….for….days. …It was so strong smelling… Everyone thought we were pot heads….
4. Joe became an extrovert.
This was a very big shock. Joe can be quiet until you get to see and know his goofball self, like I’m privileged enough to. Enter backpacking Europe. Suddenly after a long day, I wanted to read in bed in the hostel and he was the one saying, “Let’s go to the common room and find people to talk to!” I have no idea what happened, but it was fun to witness.
5. American music was everywhere.
America spends so much money on it’s entertainment that it creates some high quality stuff. So maybe it shouldn’t have surprised us how far reaching those things would go. We were surprised, however, to hear American music in every country we visited! On buses, at restaurants, and in shops. It seemed to be everywhere, even if those countries and their people didn’t speak English.
6. Taxes in most EU countries are included in the price written on the tag.
This was an awesome surprise! In the US, since taxes differ from state to state, you won’t know the exact final price of your purchase from looking at the tag alone. The tag will say a price, and the tax will be added it to at the cash register. In many European countries, however, the price on the tag is exactly what you pay. How convenient!
7. Smoking indoors in some Central European countries.
In some countries in Central Europe, it is still perfectly legal and very common to smoke indoors, including in restaurants. We witnessed this in the US in some states that still had smoking versus non-smoking sections, and even that was a shock, but there weren’t even any sections in the Czech Republic, for example. We were lucky to have had great weather while we were there, because many of our meals were eaten outside so that at least the wind would help keep the smoke at bay.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans
Thanks so much for watching! I’d love to hear about some culture shocks you had while traveling so comment below with your stories! If you liked this video please give it a thumbs up and subscribe if you haven’t already. See you again soon! Bye!
Hi, everyone!
I’ve discussed the Culture Shocks I experienced when moving from the US to Scotland, but I’d like to now tell you about some Culture Shocks Joe and I experienced while backpacking Europe.
1. I like speedos.
This was a shock indeed! I think some men look incredibly sexy in a speedo. In the US, guys in speedos are laughed at, but when we were in Greece Joe and I were both shocked to see how some of those guys were pulling. It. Off.
2. How safe we felt in Central Europe (central vs eastern).
Central and Eastern Europe don’t have as good of reputations as Western Europe does. In fact, after the movies Hostel and EuroTrip came out, Bratislava, Slovakia experienced a sudden drop in tourism by 75%. Joe was even surprised that these countries were prominent on my list of places to visit instead of France, Spain, and Portugal. When you first see the remaining communism buildings and graffiti, it came be intimidating, but look a little further and you’ll notice, you’re perfectly safe. We were less concerned about pickpockets, for example, in these countries than in London or Italy. I highly recommend visiting them and learning about their amazing histories.
3. Even if you don’t smoke pot in Amsterdam, you’ll smell like weed for days.
….for….days. …It was so strong smelling… Everyone thought we were pot heads….
4. Joe became an extrovert.
This was a very big shock. Joe can be quiet until you get to see and know his goofball self, like I’m privileged enough to. Enter backpacking Europe. Suddenly after a long day, I wanted to read in bed in the hostel and he was the one saying, “Let’s go to the common room and find people to talk to!” I have no idea what happened, but it was fun to witness.
5. American music was everywhere.
America spends so much money on it’s entertainment that it creates some high quality stuff. So maybe it shouldn’t have surprised us how far reaching those things would go. We were surprised, however, to hear American music in every country we visited! On buses, at restaurants, and in shops. It seemed to be everywhere, even if those countries and their people didn’t speak English.
6. Taxes in most EU countries are included in the price written on the tag.
This was an awesome surprise! In the US, since taxes differ from state to state, you won’t know the exact final price of your purchase from looking at the tag alone. The tag will say a price, and the tax will be added it to at the cash register. In many European countries, however, the price on the tag is exactly what you pay. How convenient!
7. Smoking indoors in some Central European countries.
In some countries in Central Europe, it is still perfectly legal and very common to smoke indoors, including in restaurants. We witnessed this in the US in some states that still had smoking versus non-smoking sections, and even that was a shock, but there weren’t even any sections in the Czech Republic, for example. We were lucky to have had great weather while we were there, because many of our meals were eaten outside so that at least the wind would help keep the smoke at bay.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans
Thanks so much for watching! I’d love to hear about some culture shocks you had while traveling so comment below with your stories! If you liked this video please give it a thumbs up and subscribe if you haven’t already. See you again soon! Bye!
