To learn more about cultural differences between the US and Europe, Bored Panda reached out to Elise from Elly Happy Times, a French blogger who traded her life in Burgundy, France, for one in Washington, DC, and shares her experience online. 

She tells us that her decision to move to America was largely influenced by her husband, who was transferred there due to his employer.

This exact reason, surprisingly, isn’t rare, as a survey conducted in 2023 found that employee relocation and love were the second and third leading motivations for people to move abroad.

As a result, 4.7 million Europeans were living in America as of 2022, comprising 10% of the 46.2 million immigrants in the United States.

Moving abroad is a big challenge, especially when the country has very different norms than they are accustomed to. Getting used to a new country can be fairly intense and may cause feelings of uncertainty, confusion, or anxiety.

Such an adjustment period is called culture shock. Although it has a negative connotation, it’s completely normal, as it’s simply a result of being immersed in a culture that one hasn’t faced before. Those who successfully resolve their feelings often overcome it, further having a favorable experience.

For Elise, there were quite a lot of things that confused her European mind when she first stepped foot on American soil. 

Tipping culture, portion size, healthcare system, diversity, school system, and driving culture are just a few that she named. “Everything is big and far; there is no sidewalk, and most of the time you can’t walk to go somewhere—and no public transportation!” she adds. 

Elise believes that the teasing between Europeans and Americans about their differences helps them discover new things they don’t see in their own culture and understand certain ways of thinking. “Personally, I don’t mock American culture; I simply make comparisons between what I know from my European culture and this American culture that I am discovering from the inside since I now live here. 

It seems to me that what people enjoy is curiosity, and discovering things they don’t see in their own culture. This can help understand certain things, certain ways of thinking.”

She illustrates this point with an example. “As a European, it seems completely mind-boggling to see these huge cars in the USA. Now that I live in the USA, I understand a bit better why: excluding major cities, people are always in their vehicles because to go anywhere, you need a car; nothing is accessible on foot. They therefore want comfortable cars because they do a lot of driving. 

They have very little vacation time, but they often go away on weekends (and they travel long distances), so they need a lot of space in their vehicles to take everything with them. The roads are very wide, allowing them to have large cars. Everything is planned: I have rarely seen parking problems. Everything is planned around cars.”

Indeed, something that can help adjust to different norms abroad is being open-minded, willing to learn about the new surroundings, and understanding the reasons behind the dissimilarities. Preparing beforehand is also great, as you will already have a general idea of what to expect. This can include learning about their customs, cuisine, and transit system.

Additionally, it’s advisable to avoid comparing the new surroundings and home too much, as well as trying to be more active and socializing. But don’t forget that it’s normal to feel disoriented and confused. Asking for advice from others or writing a journal of your experience, including the positives and negatives of the new culture, might help cope with these feelings better.