Hello, I am Stone Harbin and I traveled to Europe this past summer for 11 days. I'm going to share with you everything I learned and the differences I noticed between Europe and the US. First, I’d like to tell you about the airports. When we first arrived in the Munich airport i noticed significantly fewer people were there than in the New York and Jacksonville airports. The Airport was also much quieter and people seemed to not talk as much or as loud. When we left the Airport we drove next to giant farmlands and beautiful scenery. Agriculture was heavily appreciated and respected here, and almost all of the highways were surrounded by hundreds
of acres of grass which was covered with livestock and crop.
The scenery in Europe is beautiful, both natural and man-made. Europe is known for its older aesthetic and buildings. This gives it a sense of culture and originality. It feels like itself and not a copy-paste of other counties. The cities have buildings leading back to the 1500s. A lot of these buildings add a positive and vintage effect to the air of these countries I visited. When you take a look around at the buildings, it really leaves you in awe. The sheer size and detail of the churches, fountains, and even apartments is incredible, and even more so that it was built by us humans. The taste of the men who built these buildings is beautiful. Each building has its own unique description and sort of vibe. Take a look at some of them.
Life in Europe
The culture in Europe is very different from the US, and the way they live there also comes in to play when I say this. As I touched on earlier in the airport section, the volume in Europe is much lower. People speak quieter, and loud and proud isn't as looked up to as it is in the states. Life in Europe is more mellow, and people are more engaged with their surroundings and nature than they are with technology. The biggest difference I’ve noticed is that people enjoy sitting down and taking in the moment. Gratitude is big here in the US but it just felt more present while in Europe. One last thing to touch on is the roads. In Europe the roads are usually laid with brick rather than concrete. Bikes are also a very common form of transportation, considering how expensive it is to own a car there. You will see lots of bikers and people on scooters instead of everyone driving, and walking is also good transportation since the cities are not as spread out.
Entertainment in Europe
Entertainment in Europe isn’t far too different from the US as people enjoy shopping, going to the movies, and even just riding their bikes around the city. Nightlife is also a huge part of their culture. Lots of people love to go out to clubs or bars with their friends to watch football matches or just have a good time. Their nightlife is also very serene, and you rarely see fights break out. Everyone seems to be at peace with another which is a beautiful sight to see. Some cities also have river walks which luminate under the dark night and reflect the gleam of the moon. Museums are also a really cool place to spend your day. Considering how most of these old buildings are still in tact, you get to see the real thing of the artwork and structure you hear about. Locals love to take a trip to the salt mine or cathedrals and even palaces like Schonbrun in Vienna.
While in Europe I noticed certain parts of their culture were very different than the US. For example, water always came in bottles (No water fountains), and they are smaller than the US bottles as well (they serve 11 ounce bottles, while the US usually serves 17 ounce bottles). Their restroom culture is also different, and most restaurants require you to pay anywhere between 0.25 euros to 2 euros, just to use the restroom! Although Germany is famous for its sausage and Austria has very unique kinds of food such as the wiener schnitzel, it is very common to see American chains in certain parts of the city. Overall, the food in Europe is sensational and pretty high quality considering the amount of agriculture that is found here. These are all of the things I discovered and took note of while overseas!
