42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To

It's easy to take a lot of things for granted if you never leave your home. One of the first learning moments many kids have is when they visit a friend or relative and realize that people live differently. But travel is the number one educator, a way to see just how differently folks from around the globe get by.
Someone asked “What's a luxury that most Americans don't realize is a luxury?” and netizens from the US shared their thoughts. We also got in touch with the netizen who posted the question. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your own thoughts and examples in the comments section below.

This post may include affiliate links.

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To As an American who now lives abroad, air conditioning .

ZeleniChai , varyapigu / Envato Report

Final score:

42points

POST

View more comments

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Windows with screens. When I lived in Geneva, I was in a sixth-floor walk-up flat with no A/C. I was in for a very unfortunate surprise when the weather got warm and I opened the windows only for bugs to swarm in. No screens! How was I supposed to sleep in a hot bedroom and I couldn’t even open my tiny window for some air flow?!

emmers28 , felixwong Report

Final score:

26points

POST

View more comments

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To The ability to use restrooms without charge.

callipygianvenus , Hafidz Alifuddin / Pexels Report

Final score:

22points

POST

View more comments

Bored Panda got in touch with the internet user who posted this question and they were kind enough to share some more details. We wanted to know why they picked this topic in the first place. “My friend traveled to Poland, and she was surprised that drying machines for clothes were a luxury. Hardly anyone had them over there.

We were also curious to hear their thoughts on why the thread had so much engagement. “Popularity in questions asked on that subreddit are just random really. You can ask the same question another day and not get any responses. Sometimes they hit, sometimes they don't,” they shared.

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To School facilities. As a rural Canadian, I grew up watching American TV and was always seething with jealousy over American schools. I was especially jealous that Americans could sign up for the school play and meet a teenage heartthrob. We didn’t have school plays, or a theatre in general, or band, or football, or a swimming pool, or art classes.

Crow_away_cawcaw , RDNE Stock project / Pexels Report

Final score:

22points

POST

View more comments

Space. We have so much space. Lived in Japan for 2 years and space is what I missed the most. Bigger cars, houses, trees, cities (more area), businesses, etc… other places mostly seem so cramped. Even bigger cities like Chicago have so much more room comparatively.

jiu_jitsu_ Report

Final score:

21points

POST

View more comments

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Our cheap gas.

Amiiboid , Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels Report

Final score:

18points

POST

View more comments

We also wanted to hear if this netizen had any examples of their own. “I used to play WOW classic with a person in our guild that lived in Lebanon. He would not always have 24 hour electricity.” We also asked if they had any favorite posts. “I would say the entire thread is my favorite, it's a humbling read for any Americans that don't travel outside the country.”

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Excellent water pressure in showers. When abroad, showers are like a flower watering pot. I like to feel my shower. Make the pressure strong enough to tear my skin off, then back it off like 10%.

petertmcqueeny Report

Final score:

16points

POST

View more comments

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Great disability access. I can go to any place — theatre, store, office, school, whatever — with confidence that I'll be able to navigate fine in my wheelchair, and they'll have ramps and/or elevators.

5AgainstRhodeIsland , Jakub Pabis / Unsplash Report

Final score:

15points

POST

View more comments

In the early 2000s I asked a refugee from Somalia what if she liked it here. She said yes. "What's your favorite thing?" I said.

"If my house starts on fire I can call 911 and someone will come put it out."

"Oh. Yeah. That's awesome.".

1block Report

Final score:

14points

POST

View more comments

#10

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Garbage collection. When I traveled a little bit, one of the things that struck me most was the amount of garbage in the streets and piled in fields. There is no municipal collection in some parts of the world.

universalrefuse , Jack Blueberry / Unsplash Report

Final score:

13points

POST

View more comments

#11

Unless you truly live in the middle of nowhere, access to good Mexican food is basically guaranteed.

brief_interviews Report

Final score:

12points

POST

View more comments

#12

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To That at school your child can get free services like speech therapy.

1throwawayjustaques , CDC / Pexels Report

Final score:

9points

POST

View more comments

#13

Access to all types of climates and natural wonders in a single country. You like mountains? Go west. Beaches? There are lots of American cities located right by the sea. Like the cold? We've got Alaska! Deserts, canyons, waterfalls, geysers, forests? Got you covered all in one country where people speak one language and use one currency.

HrabiaVulpes Report

Final score:

7points

POST

View more comments

#14

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Controlling the temperature of your home to whatever you want 24/7/365.

Most other developed countries are either good at heating or good at AC, but rarely both.

Joystic , anurag upadhyay / Pexels Report

Final score:

5points

POST

View more comments

#15

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Back yards! Even if it’s small, a patch of land attached to your residence that no one but you has access to is something most people in cities in east, southeast, and South Asia can only dream of.

Pemulis_DMZ , Marianne / Pexels Report

Final score:

5points

POST

View more comments

#16

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Libraries. The American public library system is very advanced. It's also, general speaking, free to use.

cashmerecat999 , Clay Banks / Unsplash Report

Final score:

2points

POST

View more comments

#17

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To We essentially bathe in drinking water.

Mr_Lumbergh , Bluewater Sweden / Unsplash Report

Final score:

1point

POST

View more comments

#18

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Regular street-sweeping. You won’t notice it until you go somewhere without it.

emoyer68 , Adit Prabowo / Pexels Report

Final score:

1point

POST

View more comments

#19

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Dryers that actually dry clothes. I'm American but my new apartment has a European style 2 in 1 washer/dryer which i thought was cool at first until I used it and it takes 4 hours for a dry cycle, is soooo loud, and the clothes still come out a little damp. I miss my American sized washer dryer separate units

sugarface2134 , Max Vakhtbovycn / Pexels Report

Final score:

0points

POST

View more comments

#20

Hot water. Grew up off grid, and hot water from the tap meant you had to have the water pump working and you had to have water in the catchment. Plus propane for the water heater, so hot water wasn't a guaranteed thing. Been living in "real" houses for the last 15 years and everytime I turn on a hot shower I'm still thankful .

ChipotleLaw Report

Final score:

-3points

POST

View more comments

#21

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Owning a separate car for every driver in a household.

AllenRBrady , Adrien Olichon / Pexels Report

Final score:

-5points

POST

View more comments

#22

Drinks with ice ‼️Apparently Europeans don’t like ice. Room temperature drinks don’t quench my thirst.

salonpasss Report

Final score:

-7points

POST

View more comments

#23

Flushing toilet paper in the actual toilet.

Dr-Mumm-Rah Report

Final score:

-7points

POST

View more comments

#24

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Vegetarian and vegan options.

smar82 , Lina Kivaka / Pexels Report

Final score:

-7points

POST

View more comments

#25

The public education system, like having the ability to go to a school that’s covered by taxes; sure, it’s not perfect, and there’s always issues, but there are many people throughout the world that have never had this sort of opportunity that I think we in wealthier nations often take for granted.

chibinoi Report

Final score:

-8points

POST

View more comments

#26

While it's true that you will have to drive great distances to get where you want to go, the interstate highway system and the rest areas are a unique feature of the American landscape. In other countries they do not exist, or have been replaced by commercial enterprises. A gas station with a donut shop on the side of the road is not the same as a rest stop.

SamanthaSass Report

Final score:

-10points

POST

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

#27

The single family home.

The vast majority of people live in apartments or row houses/townhouses.

hadapurpura Report

Final score:

-11points

POST

View more comments

#28

Clean drinking water. My folks traveled the world quite a bit and said that they were amazed every time they returned to the US that there is (or was, a couple of decades ago) clean water out of almost every tap or water readily available nearby. We don't realize how incredible and rare this is, and so we take it for granted.

jeremyjava Report

Final score:

-11points

POST

View more comments

#29

People obeying traffic signals. Guy I used to work with who was from an African country I cannot recall(this was 15+ years ago) said one of the most suprising things he saw when he immigrated was that people actually obeyed traffic lights. He said where he came from they were treated more like mild suggestions.

bigloser42 Report

Final score:

-13points

POST

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

#30

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To The ability to buy anything you can think of and buying online arrives in less than a week...often in two or three days.

A lot of countries just don't have the access to big box stores or infinite option online merchants.

phoenix14830 , Artem Podrez / Pexels Report

Final score:

-16points

POST

View more comments

#31

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Traveling to other countries without an approved visa.

James_p_hat , nappy / Pexels Report

Final score:

-16points

POST

View more comments

#32

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To Fully stocked grocery stores. Life post-COVID showed me how much of a luxury this actually is. I can so vividly remember driving to the store to pick up some things only to find half-empty shelves.

King_in_a_castle_84 , Hanson Lu / Unsplash Report

Final score:

-18points

POST

View more comments

#33

Potable tap water.

Whitewineandshrimp Report

Final score:

-20points

POST

View more comments

#34

Multiples of electronics, i.e., TVs, computers, gaming systems.

ColoTransplant Report

Final score:

-20points

POST

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

#35

The right to protest, hold whatever backwards belief you want, and say whatever you want (of course if it isn’t true threats or fighting words).

youassassin Report

Final score:

-20points

POST

View more comments

#36

The freedom to speak openly about your political and personal beliefs, no matter how stupid or uninformed they are.

cyn00 Report

Final score:

-22points

POST

View more comments

#37

Fresh fruit from around the world every day of the year.

killingitsmalls Report

Final score:

-22points

POST

View more comments

#38

Currency that doesn’t devalue every other month.

OddNefariousness1967 Report

Final score:

-23points

POST

View more comments

#39

Spices. Less than 100 years ago paprika was as expensive saffron.

xxwerdxx Report

Final score:

-24points

POST

View more comments

#40

Not caring about customer support. « ill just buy another one »

They dont understand that once you pay for something, its supposed to work as long as physically possible.

Too many dollars on their hands.

mhdy98 Report

Final score:

-24points

POST

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

#41

This is a hot take but the healthcare. I was born in Europe and have a lot of family still there. In Europe my aunt got cancer. When she needed scans the wait was counted in months. The hospital was terrible, more like a prison with old outdated equipment (this is in a big cosmopolitan European city not some podunk town)

My wife got cancer in the US. When she needed a scan it was ordered by the doctor and she was headed down within the hour. Her room was like a five star hotel.

Sure in Europe it was free, but you get what you pay for. Here my insurance covered all of this amazing care, once I paid the $2500 a year in deductibles everything was free last that point.

My aunt passed, my wife is alive and thriving.

Iamnotthedoctorlove Report

Final score:

-24points

POST

View more comments

#42

Being able to get insulin. As much as the cost of it sucks, it's still available at all. I haven't missed a single day of taking it in over 41 years. It's why I'm not dead.

Government funded dialysis care. I'm not on dialysis but I used to work in the field for years. If you need it, you get it. Without those 3 3-4 hour treatments a week, those people would die.

Lack of actual wars in our country for over a century has been pretty nice too.

stupididiot78 Report

Final score:

-34points

POST

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

What do you think ?

Shane P 4 months ago

Lol most of these are just blatantly false and unchecked, just like I would expect from most Americans. My favorite is spinning the fact that Americans pay an arm and a leg for healthcare to be a good thing because it somehow makes it more timely. Lol

27points

Tyranamar Seuss 4 months ago

That was so bad I choked. What American still believes that c**p?

Load More Replies...

Momifer 4 months ago

Healthcare varies though, doesn't it? It depends on where you live and the doctors/resources in the area. I think that's a universal kind of thing. Not everywhere in the US has quick services or even good services. Would it be a fair statement that not everywhere in Europe is the same?

Layla Layla 4 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Verena 4 months ago

It would have been enlightning if the OPs had named the country where they experienced the deficiency

17points

Caro Caro 4 months ago

Yeah, you read it as if the OP has been to ONE country outside the US and thinks it's "the world". There's a vast difference between countries, continents.

Justin Tyme 4 months ago

Being able to pay (huge amounts of money) for healthcare while the government spends trillions of dollars to lose wars all over the world instead of funding healthcare. What!? You mean other countries don't get this great privilege?

11points

💯

Load More Comments

42 Times Americans Realized Their Everyday Comforts Were Luxuries In Countries They Traveled To

Games

Justin Sandberg

Justin Sandberg

Mindaugas Balčiauskas

Mindaugas Balčiauskas

Word Search

WordroW

Jigsaw

Crossword

Sudoku

Picdoku

Killer Sudoku

Kriss Kross

Word Flower