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American Expats Reveal Their Wildest Reverse Culture Shocks Upon Returning Home (50 Stories)
Anyone who’s lived abroad for a long time will likely go through a reverse culture shock when they return to their home country. The experience may be akin to relearning how to ride a bike and getting used to the old ways you’ve moved away from for quite a while.
For these American expats landing back in the United States, it was a mix of positives and negatives. Some were taken aback by the music blasting in restaurants, while others felt a sense of relief upon remembering that tap water was safe to drink.
A few of these responses may hit home if you’re a US citizen returning to the motherland after some time away. Feel free to share any similar stories in the comments below!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
After many years in Europe:
How many more overweight people there are.
How many churches there are.
How Americans assume everyone wants to hear their opinion.
How little we value being informed or educated in order to have a strong opinion.
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#2
Returned to the US from Korea. It gets talked about all the time, but just how unnecessarily complicated and inconvenient our healthcare system is.
To go from a system where you can go see a doctor/specialist any day of the week without an appointment, to know you will be covered, and to have the peace of mind that you'll spend probably less than $20, to then go to whatever we have here...it's just absurd to me.
I also pay twice for my healthcare here than I did in Korea. We are so duped for a system that is openly robbing us and not keeping us well.
Bernd Herbert 6 days ago
I'm done feeling sorry for this. The people voted recently and showd where their priorities are. Apparently a good healthcare system isn't one.
#3
The scam that is the for-profit healthcare system in the US. Truly pathetic that the richest country in human history can't provide universal coverage for all its citizens. Medical bills, medical debt, insurers deciding which procedures you really need, doctors and hospitals being in/out of network....all foreign concepts to most developed countries.
We talk a lot about freedom in the US, but it's usually about positive freedoms (i.e. the freedom TO own a gun) but we forget about negative freedoms, the freedom FROM something, such as medical debt, student debt, etc. In that sense, we lack many basic freedoms enjoyed by other countries.
#4
In the US, if I suggest we walk the five blocks to our destination on a beautiful, sunny day, I’m met with incredulity, outrage, and a glare appropriate for puppy torturers.
Walking as transport is, apparently, a sign of homelessness and failure at life. .
#5
Coming back from Norway, I was shocked at how little paid time off Americans get. Had to readjust to the whole 'living to work' mentality instead of 'working to live.' Still bugs me.
#6
After returning from living in India, I woke up parched one morning and realized that I didn’t have any bottled water in the house. I got all distressed because it was early and stores weren’t open and it was cold and dark…imagine my joy when I remembered I had potable water FLOWING INTO MY HOUSE.
#7
Tipping. I lived abroad for a while and my first day back in the US, I just genuinely forgot to tip a bartender on a single beer and she told people at the bar that I stiffed her. It’s such a ridiculous system.
J K 6 days ago
I'd rather pay more for my food rather than tipping IF I knew the extra went to the regular employees for sure.
Michael Largey 6 days ago
Sometimes you can't even be sure that the tips go to the employees.
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B Hobbs 6 days ago
My personal biased slanted opinion: The US should declare that all tips belong to the business owner and have to be declared as business income. All employees must be paid at least minimum wage, tips are not part of their wages. What the owner does with the tips is up to them. If the owner decides to give the employee the tips, the owner has to declare that explicitly and still pay the full wage. I recall that some countries frown on tipping.
Cee Cee 6 days ago
Ridiculous because employers don't pay a living wage. Certainly we don't tip bar tenders in the UK but we do tip restaurant/café staff. I also tip my hairdresser and taxi driver. To my mind opening a single bottle of beer warrants tip is bizarre.
SnootWaggling Fox 5 days ago
In the USA some bars have mandatory gratuity, so you can pay an extra 15% on your $40 neat pour of macallan 15.
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#8
The food! Lived in Canada from 2006 to 2014. You don't really notice it going the other way, but coming back holy s**t. Everything is loaded with salt and sugar. Everything. It is jarring. I gained over 20 lbs my first year back. I get that people do not want to hear this because we all love our dino nuggets and cheap frozen pizza. But damn, they really are trying to kill us with our food. At the very least they truly do not care if they kill us so long as the profit margins are high.
Related to that, the sheer number of truly obese people. Kids, in particular. I lived in Toronto and it was incredibly rare to see a person who clearly weighed over 300 lbs. Like maybe once a year. Coming back it was just shocking how big the average American had become. I pretty much lay that at the feet of the food thing.
Michael Largey 6 days ago (edited)
My wife has to watch the salt; I have to watch my sugar. Not much for us to order in most US restaurants.
#9
Not being able to just go to the doctor when you feel sick or notice something wrong. In Taiwan you just rock up to the hospital, pay a US$6 registration fee, tell the registrar what ails ya, get sent to whichever department fits your symptoms, wait for an hour or so, and see a doc.
Government healthcare: hell to the YEAH! It's not communism, Americans.
Wingsofwrath 6 days ago
No, no, you don't get it, anything that doesn't directly serve to move as much wealth from the bottom of the society to the very top is "communism". /s
#10
Pharmaceutical commercials on TV was the most shocking. Smiling happy people talking about taking a pill to counteract the pill they were taking for (insert issue). Side effects may include mass m*rder, jumping from bridges, and uncontrollable diarrhea… At least you’ll be smiling while you deal with all the side effects.
#11
Coming back to the US after living in Japan for 7 years. Everyone seems so angry and selfish all the time. Public places like parks, streets, restrooms are just a disgusting mess that no one takes care of.
Also, groceries were super cheap and fresh. I could get a weeks worth of groceries for a family of 3 for around ¥10000 yen, that's not possible in the US.
#12
Taxes not being included in price on the sign.
ScrapieChick 6 days ago
I get the different rates of sales tax thing but can see no sensible reason why the taxes can't be includes on the price tag/shelves, it's just so much more convenient
#13
Seeing how obvious it is that we have a serious obesity problem in the U.S.
Bernd Herbert 6 days ago
yes, this! I was in the US a few months ago and this was immediately obvious.
#14
After being In India for a while, coming back to the USA, the feeling of having personal space and not being stared at all the time, such a relief.
#15
Going from Japan customer service to US customer service is a colossal downgrade.
#16
Returned to the US from India. Sat down to eat at a restaurant at the airport and the waiter immediately brought me a glass of ice water. It took me a moment to realize that this was safe to drink here.
#17
Depending on where you lived abroad, the return to car culture is probably going to be the biggest shock. Get ready to drive everywhere again.
#18
The massive amount of advertising and upsells. As soon as you get on a plane back to the US, it's all "sign up for this credit card" and "watch these ads before and after the safety briefing" and "you can pay later for all this, no payments today."
It absolutely screams into your brain at every opportunity.
#19
Was floored by the massive portion sizes when I came back. Also, people are super chatty here compared to Germany! It felt weird at first, but now I kind of enjoy those random small talk moments with strangers.
#20
How uncommon it is seeing people smoking cigarettes in the US.
#21
I lived in Japan for a year. Coming back to the states made me realize how dirty it is here and people are lazy and disrespectful when it comes to taking care of the city and eachother. In Japan it’s a collective effort. Public restrooms are clean. If you have trash you put it in your pocket or purse and hold on to it until you can find access to a trash can. Here? People will drop it on the ground because they cannot dare to be inconvenienced. I’ve seen people at stop lights open their door and leave bags of McDonald’s trash on the street and drive off so they can have a clean car. Of course one of the first public restroom experiences when I came back home was in a store where there was a drainage grate in the floor and a woman had her kid taking a p**s in the grates instead of the toilet.
And don’t get me started how if they even have the sniffles they wear a mask in public to be courteous but here people like to cough directly into the wind.
#22
How everywhere in the world has to pay attention to what happens in the United States, but people in the US don't have a clue about anywhere else. I doubt 1 in 100 could name the president of Mexico, for instance.
#23
How huge everything is. The flags, the people, the portion sizes.
#24
Music in restaurants is SO LOUD.
Fat Harry (Oi / You) 6 days ago
We *sometimes* have this problem in the UK. Thankfully not too often, but I will actively choose a pub that doesn't have piped in music over one that does. However... I would also choose a pub that has live music over one that has piped in music.
#25
After living in Korean and Japan, I will always forever appreciate the independence/individualism of American cultural.
Especially in Korea, it felt like I joined gang/cult when I realized even the simplest of tasks required the consensus of the entire office. I saw a 46 y.o feel like he didn’t have enough authority to paper in the printer, so we had to wait and ask the office superior hours later.
It’s hard to describe in a small post. I just feel like there’s a certain kind of autonomy that exists here that doesn’t exist over there.( with regards to work).
#26
Getting yelled at and herded around like cattle by US customs and immigration as soon as I arrived back home. It’s a huge shock to see how everyone with even an ounce of authority in the U.S. acts after being abroad where you’re treated like a human.
ScrapieChick 6 days ago
I've been lucky to travel a lot and customs in the US was definitely in my top 5 scariest customs experiences
#27
I lived in South Korea for a few years. When I returned to my hometown, St. Louis, very little had changed. You can't walk anywhere in St. Louis County, and for the first time, that fact really got to me. My friends were also very sedentary and incurious, not wanting to go anywhere. I would go to a friend's house and they just wanted to watch Netflix, and I was so used to being a very active person. Lastly, when anyone asked me about Korea, they couldn't help but slip in a racist joke or 2. I had changed overseas, but my hometown didn't.
#28
The difference in how the food affected my whole body in a positive way after being away from the US for almost 2 years.
My wife and I both had physical withdrawals when we arrived in South America from the difference in the food for atleast the first 2 weeks. Couldn’t figure it out at first until our bodies adjusted.
Both immediately lost weight without trying and our whole physical appearance changed for the entire duration in a very positive way. Never felt so good in my life.
After a few months back in the US it all came back no matter how good we tried to eat. It was very eye opening to say the least.
Edit: Typo.
Roxy222uk 6 days ago
This is a reaction to all the ultra-processed food. It's more than just eating high fat, high sugar, and high salt food. The UPF food contains additives that are being discovered to affect the body in unexpected ways, such as killing beneficial bacteria or feeding unhelpful bacteria in the gut. Ultra-processed food is very different to processed food (such as cheese)
#29
Coming back to the US from Cairo, it was not needing to be so alert all the time. There’s a lot to like about Cairo, but it is a tourist city and a lot of the businesses and locals take advantage of the tourists. It’s a little thing, but you have to be ready to argue vehemently about every price and service. I didn’t realize how much that was stressing me until I came home.
Broadredpanda 6 days ago
Until you came home and your wallet was emptied because you got a chest infection and could barely afford to see the doctor, never mind paying for the antibiotics!
#30
Central. F*****g. Air. Conditioning.
Outside of places like more affluent/developed Middle Eastern countries like UAE, Israel, and Kuwait, or like Singapore, A/C is an absolute luxury. A lot of people in the US do not appreciate how good our HVAC capabilities are.
Serial pacifist 6 days ago
We don’t appreciate many things, such as clean running water, electricity, hygiene, housing, numerous sets of clothes…are all a luxury (unfortunately and shockingly enough) in many parts of the world, for billions of people still.
#31
Having to drive everywhere. Dublin isn’t the most bike friendly place, but living there for several years and being able to hop on my bike and get across town in 20 minutes is something I will always miss. After being back in Illinois for 2 years I still hate that I have to drive 2 miles to target bc that’s the only option for getting there and home in one piece
ETA: at no point did I say I live in Chicago. I don’t have city public transit and resources, thus my comment.
notlikeyou1971 6 days ago
Where we live it's impossible to walk or bike to most places because they are too far away from where we are. I couldn't anyway because I am disabled and it would be a hassle and uncomfortable. The only thing close to the apartment is a d**g store and that's possible but the rest is a Lyft or asking for a ride . I order groceries or ask someone to take me because things aren't as easy as they used to be and things are waay too far away. No car ,no cash, no bike,bf tries to walk for small things but he has health issues too. So when your area is a " food store desert" it's harder. Lol
#32
All the sugar in the food.
#33
Lived in Russia for 18 months (this was over 10 years ago), when I came back to the US I spent a week in NYC and was taken aback at how nice everyone was and how s****y the subway is.
#34
Coming back from Germany / Europe and the customer service at US restaurants was SO intrusive and annoying. You cannot just sit and enjoy a meal with someone, you are constantly interrupted while talking, and while mid-chew. How is everything? Doing alright? Can I get you another drink? Etc. I get that some people like this type of service because they're used to or expect it, but it annoyed me to no end how the server constantly interrupted my meal.
#35
Lived in Baden Württemberg Germany, when I returned I realized how awful our bakeries are. Also I realized how much grass we mow around public roads. In Germany they just let it grow out.
Petra Peitsch 6 days ago
Bread is life! At least in german bakeries. Sure, you can find also here those paper-thin toast-slices in the grocery stores, but at least they are not sweet. As for the grass, is mowed here too, but not every week.
#36
Going into an American grocery store after years abroad is overwhelming but also glorious.
#37
The lack of public gathering spaces. I tried sitting on a bench for more than 5 minutes in a park and a police officer came to “check up” on me
Edit; to me he acted hostile while asking for some “more information “.
nicholas nolan 6 days ago
OK I want to know where this was. I've never talked to a cop in a public park. Not once. Unless you include my dad, I guess.
#38
Had a layover in Salt Lake City on my way home from living in China for six months… “How did all these people get permission to have so many children?!? Oh…right.”.
Michael Largey 6 days ago
If you're a Mormon, you're forbidden to do so many fun things that you have to concentrate on the few that are allowed.
#39
Prescription d**g commercials and strip malls, two things I never missed.
#40
How poorly Americans dress. Massively oversized (or sometimes undersized) shirts / pants, graphic tees / sports jerseys, sweatpants and hoodies everywhere. Coming back home from Scandinavia was eye opening. I now buy clothes that actually fit and make an effort to not look like I rolled out of bed.
#41
I grew up in the US but have spent my whole adult life in the UK and Austria. There are so many unique or nearly unique things about the US.
Everything in the US is huge. I'm in the US this week and just visited a friend in Chicago -- she was apologising for a cramped flat, but it was palatial by middle-class western Euro standards. Only thing we've got on Americans in that department is super high ceilings. It applies to food too, of course. I just saw a pack of Reese's cups at Target that was more than a meter high. Diabolical.
Lots of stuff is super sweet when it shouldn't be. Coffee, bread (!), sauces. It's kind of icky once you start noticing it.
Especially in Austria shops and offices have very limited hours by comparison. I forget this sometimes and find myself planning around not being able to get anything on Sundays or after about 19.00.
Tip culture as it is in the States wouldn't be tolerated in Austria (the UK is *slightly* closer to the American model but not much). They're quite forward in asking for it (it should of course be given, but it ought to be presented like a choice, IMO).
"No guns" signs on business doors. That's a stark reminder when you've been away.
This probably runs counter to the common narrative, but I find lots of Americans are quite rude, in that they're not really aware of other people around them. Flying in this week I was shocked by the fact that people just splay their stuff out on an escalator and block the path. You're supposed to stand on the right side and leave the left lane open for people in a hurry. There's also stuff like playing music out loud on buses and trains (this happens everywhere but seems more common in the US).
The amount of space given over to cars. There are so many parking garages, it's a ridiculous waste of space and they're invariably ugly as sin. We have them in Europe but not as many and at least in the big cities they're generally subterranean.
SirWriteALot 6 days ago
Nobody asks to be tipped in Austria. When you pay cash they like to rummage around their gigantic purses to give you a few moments to "remember" to tip but that's it.
#42
America feels like a bubble on another planet, American culture just feels so separated from every other group of people on the planet and the American zeitgeist is very isolationist.
Michael Largey 6 days ago
From 1600 to 1900, America was pretty isolated from the world, by geography and by choice. That has to affect the national outlook.
#43
It took me a second to remember that 1st floor is ground/lobby floor here every time I got in an elevator for a few weeks.
#44
Visiting a grocery shop and feeling overpowered by the sheer number of possibilities available for each and every item. How many varieties of ketchup do we actually need, really?
#45
Two things were hard to get reacquainted with. One was that I had to start driving every day again. The other was that Americans really are a special level of fat. "Normal" fat Americans looked like spectacles to me for a few weeks even though I had lived here for most of my life.
#46
Moved from Singapore then back to the US.
Three biggest shocks
1) Unlike Singapore, I can't expect everyone to know English in California
2) An American striking a random conversation is normal
3) Mexican food is the most American food around.
#47
Coming back from Italy, the biggest shock was definitely the portion sizes and just how much more friendly people are in casual interactions. Also, driving everywhere felt so strange after being used to walking or taking public transport. It took a while to adjust back!
#48
Refills for drinks being free.
#49
Tipping culture; I spent several months in Latin America once and in many countries, the tip is not only included in the bill, but tips are shared among servers. That meant that if I needed to order something or pay my bill, I didn’t need to wait for “my” server; any server in the restaurant could help me.
(Tax is also included in prices too, so what you see is what you pay.).
#50
Flying from Shanghai back to Dallas was the biggest culture shock for me. Shanghai makes Dallas looks like a ghost town. And the maglev train that runs over the city gives you a sense of scale like no other (imagine being in a jet flying over a city that just seems to never end).
What do you think ?
Traveling Lady Railfan 6 days ago
I am not an American but I am a next-door neighbor. Americans (as a group of people), American culture and the country itself truly are a fascinating place to get to know. TV / movies / news, these are not realistic reflections of this country or its people. Whether you are an American or whether you're from somewhere else, if it ever becomes within your means to, I heartily suggest that you visit this country, do it by road trip if at all possible, avoid the larger cities and just drive through as many states as possible, visiting as many local diners / eateries, local attractions, local parks, local events as you can. Talk to the people. Yes, United States is different from other countries. Well guess what? Parts of every state are different from parts of every other state. America is a gigantic place. Oregon is extremely different from Arizona which is really different from Georgia which is really different from North Dakota which is really different from vermont. Fascinating place
nottheactualphoto 6 days ago
This is true even in small places. Western Massachusetts is quite different from Boston.
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Captain Grump 6 days ago
Speaking as a Canadian.... Individually, Americans are some of the nicest people I've ever met. Collectively, they morph into an a-hole society.
UKGrandad 6 days ago
Bill Bryson wrote about this after living in England for 20 years and returning to America. The book, 'Notes From a Big Country' (published in America as 'I'm a Stranger Here Myself') begins with him describing the culture shock of returning and how he and his English wife viewed America through very different lenses.
ScrapieChick 5 days ago
Dispite a few people getting knickers twisted I don't think this is an American bashing post, not least because these are comments made by Americans returning to the US after living elsewhere. Things they took as everyday while living in the US aren't always everyday things in other places. I'm lucky to have lived all over the place and it can be quite shocking at first and then you acclimatise and when you return to your home country it can take a moment to re-acclimatise back
olaff 422 6 days ago
"Expat" is just gentrified "migrant." White people are never immigrants, but are always called expats. So stupid.
Traveling Lady Railfan 5 days ago
You know what's funny, you hear the word immigrants, and occasionally (but not often) I hear the word expats... I think you're right. Expat is a gentrified migrant. Thank you for your comment, you've given me something to think about
Load More Replies...
Surly Scot 6 days ago
As a foreigner, the one major thing I wish i'd known before moving to USA: this is not a country, this is a BUSINESS. Would have made things a lot easier for the sh*tshow I walked into.
nicholas nolan 6 days ago
Can you just put up a banner that says "it sucks in the US" once a week? That's way more efficient. And, since "leftists" can't seem to understand that they need to move the football in order to make progress and didn't bother to show up a couple weeks ago, it's only going to get so much worse. I honestly don't need the reminder.
Justin Tyme 6 days ago (edited)
Bored Panda continues its campaign to separate the USA from the rest of the world - when they are not too busy libeling boomers.
Jaaawn 4 days ago
The US does that itself! Articles like this only prove the point that you genuinely believe you live in the best (and only) country on the planet because you can't take criticism. These points were written BY Americans so how on earth is it a campaign to seperate the USA from the rest of the world?! Your latest election shows you've lost the plot.
Load More Replies... Traveling Lady Railfan 6 days ago
I am not an American but I am a next-door neighbor. Americans (as a group of people), American culture and the country itself truly are a fascinating place to get to know. TV / movies / news, these are not realistic reflections of this country or its people. Whether you are an American or whether you're from somewhere else, if it ever becomes within your means to, I heartily suggest that you visit this country, do it by road trip if at all possible, avoid the larger cities and just drive through as many states as possible, visiting as many local diners / eateries, local attractions, local parks, local events as you can. Talk to the people. Yes, United States is different from other countries. Well guess what? Parts of every state are different from parts of every other state. America is a gigantic place. Oregon is extremely different from Arizona which is really different from Georgia which is really different from North Dakota which is really different from vermont. Fascinating place
nottheactualphoto 6 days ago
This is true even in small places. Western Massachusetts is quite different from Boston.
Load More Replies... Captain Grump 6 days ago
Speaking as a Canadian.... Individually, Americans are some of the nicest people I've ever met. Collectively, they morph into an a-hole society.
UKGrandad 6 days ago
Bill Bryson wrote about this after living in England for 20 years and returning to America. The book, 'Notes From a Big Country' (published in America as 'I'm a Stranger Here Myself') begins with him describing the culture shock of returning and how he and his English wife viewed America through very different lenses.
ScrapieChick 5 days ago
Dispite a few people getting knickers twisted I don't think this is an American bashing post, not least because these are comments made by Americans returning to the US after living elsewhere. Things they took as everyday while living in the US aren't always everyday things in other places. I'm lucky to have lived all over the place and it can be quite shocking at first and then you acclimatise and when you return to your home country it can take a moment to re-acclimatise back
olaff 422 6 days ago
"Expat" is just gentrified "migrant." White people are never immigrants, but are always called expats. So stupid.
Traveling Lady Railfan 5 days ago
You know what's funny, you hear the word immigrants, and occasionally (but not often) I hear the word expats... I think you're right. Expat is a gentrified migrant. Thank you for your comment, you've given me something to think about
Load More Replies... Surly Scot 6 days ago
As a foreigner, the one major thing I wish i'd known before moving to USA: this is not a country, this is a BUSINESS. Would have made things a lot easier for the sh*tshow I walked into.
nicholas nolan 6 days ago
Can you just put up a banner that says "it sucks in the US" once a week? That's way more efficient. And, since "leftists" can't seem to understand that they need to move the football in order to make progress and didn't bother to show up a couple weeks ago, it's only going to get so much worse. I honestly don't need the reminder.
Justin Tyme 6 days ago (edited)
Bored Panda continues its campaign to separate the USA from the rest of the world - when they are not too busy libeling boomers.
Jaaawn 4 days ago
The US does that itself! Articles like this only prove the point that you genuinely believe you live in the best (and only) country on the planet because you can't take criticism. These points were written BY Americans so how on earth is it a campaign to seperate the USA from the rest of the world?! Your latest election shows you've lost the plot.
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