25+ Former Americans Share the Biggest Differences in Their Life After Leaving the U.S.

When you live in one country you’re whole life and then move to a new one, you’re going to notice some differences. A lot of people who once lived in the United States experience moments of culture shock as they settle into their new homes. These people jumped online to share their answers to what the biggest differences they noticed between their old home and their new one.

Portions, Portions, Portions

If there's one thing that you hear a lot about in the United States, it's the large portions that Americans tend to serve and eat.

When this person first moved out of the United States, they were surprised at the portion sizes. They're much smaller and, in time, it led to them eating less. Now, those portions at home look pretty big to them too after they've gotten used to smaller servings.

Moving to France

When you live in one place for a long time, it's easy for you to get caught up in the bubble you're in. That's something this person noticed about many Americans.

They weren't excluding themselves either! They noted that once they moved to a new country, the history, culture, and general diversity they were exposed to really changed their perspective. It taught them a lot about the world they weren't sure they'd have learned otherwise.

More Time to Relax

Achieving a balance between your personal life and your work life isn't always easy. Many Americans are familiar with working multiple jobs or having a side hustle.

As for this person, their move to Switzerland came with a simplified approach to this concept. With the mindset that more time off gives workers more time to de-stress, leading to higher productivity, there's plenty of time to go on holiday.

A Note on Driving Too

Getting around seems like it would be generally the same everywhere. After all, you just have to go from point A to point B, right?

Well, if you don't drive, you might find a lot of parts of the States hard to get around with ease. This person found that when they do drive, there's less stress surrounding it. On the contrary, if they want to take public transport, there are a lot more options than in the States.