Joshua - Nurse
Arlington, VA
After the first few weeks in the US, I paid for my groceries in the store, the cashier said „have a good day“ and I replied with something like „Danke, auch so“. Awkward.
A culture shock moment was how radically some ACs are set to cool down many restaurants/buses, etc. As a result, the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures is extreme sometimes. In the US, it is also customary to add ice cubes to almost every cold drink – and quite a lot of them, too. From my perspective, it sometimes just seems over the top. Nowadays, tipping in the USA is so prevalent in so many areas of daily life that it can become downright annoying, even when you are merely getting a soft drink somewhere.
Some fresh foods can be significantly larger than they typically are in Germany. New Jersey still has the law that gas station attendants need to pump gas for customers, which feels like you are thrown back into the 20th century. I’ve never seen, eaten, or heard of „mortadella cookies“ before, but they were tasty. It is a recipe for cookies, which makes them look like meat, but they are „normal“ sweet cookies.
These inflatable figures are widely popular and are frequently displayed at major festivities—such as in the run-up to Christmas—in department stores and front yards. For Halloween, I stepped into a fictional female role—that of the Wicked Witch of the West (from *The Wizard of Oz*), which was already funny on its own, but it was also the first time the family of my hostmom met me, which was kinda risky for giving them the first impression of me in that costume.
Maria - Occupational Therapist
Demarest, NJ
One funny thing I noticed during my time in the U.S. is how seriously people take pictures at Disney World – I found myself doing it too! I also realized that small victories, like getting all three kids ready on time, feel like winning a gold medal. And I have to admit, I started understanding why iced coffee is basically a lifestyle here – it’s everywhere and everyone seems obsessed! Little observations like these made everyday moments surprisingly entertaining and gave me plenty of reasons to smile.
Franziska - Physical Therapist
Montclair, NJ
When I walked into my gym’s sauna, everyone was in full workout clothes (including shoes!) and was either reading a book, listening to music, or talking on the phone. In the sauna!! I literally was too shocked to speak 🫠
Sophia - Physical Therapist
Asbury, NJ
We went on a family vacation to Florida. In Florida, they have a German restaurant, and my host family wanted to take me there. First of all, you should let your host family read the German dishes- it is hilarious how they say or pronounce certain things. On that menu, they have so-called “Käsespätzle,” the Americans describe it as “German Mac and cheese”… my German heart was immediately offended.
Something interesting I noticed. As soon as you tell someone that you are German, they either tell you all of the words that they know in German- most common “Auf wiedersehen”, „nein“, or „Ich spreche kein Deutsch“, or they tell you what car they are driving.
Emily - Occupational Therapist
Herndon, VA
My host parents told me we would have hash browns for dinner. I just looked at them weirdly because I thought, “Why would we eat weed brownies for dinner and give them to kids?” I learned later that hash browns are made out of potatoes. 😂
Leon - Physical Therapist
Washington DC
I met a guy at the bouldering gym I graduated from in my hometown in Germany, randomly.
Sonia - Nurse
Madison, NJ
Every time in Europe, I now wonder why the bottles look so small, and back in the US, I am always surprised why the caps from the bottles come off.
Pia - Physical Therapist
Cabin John, MD
Everything is so big in the USA!