Reverse Culture Shocks 🇩🇪 20 Things We Missed about Germany while in the USA!
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- čas přidán 20. 05. 2024
- We moved to Germany from the USA in February of 2021, and our first time going back was 10 months later, for Christmas! I honestly didn't think we'd notice many differences before we arrived, but I was wrong! We began to notice things right away that we'd forgotten about while living in Germany. We kept a list while there for two weeks and sat down to record it for you all - 20 things in total, and we could've done more! There were many little things that by themselves aren't a big deal but added up, they equal culture shocks. So here's our list of things we missed about Germany while in the USA and things that were strange for us.
This has been a much-requested video since we've returned - hope it meets your expectations and you enjoy it!
#lifeingermany #cultureshock #germany #germanylifestyle #germany #deustchland #americansingermany
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//VIDEOS MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO//
Surprising German Culture Shocks as Americans (Things You Haven't Heard Before) - • SURPRISING German Cult...
German Math and Engineering - How Engineers are Made Here - • GERMAN MATH + ENGINEER...
How Germany Makes it Easy to Get Outside and Be Active - • GERMAN OUTDOOR LIFESTY...
What's the DM Hype in Germany All About? My First Reaction to their Cheap Prices and Fun Stuff! - • Come See My GERMAN DM ...
Some of Our Fav DM Products and German Foods - • Some of Our FAV DM PRO...
🇩🇪 See all of our Life in Germany blog posts and videos here - mymerrymessygermanlife.com
//CHECK OUT OUR PLAYLISTS//
🇩🇪 Life in Germany - • Life in Germany
❤️ Raising Children in Germany - • Raising Children in Ge...
🇩🇪 Traveling Europe with Kids - • Traveling with Kids
❤️ Christmas in Germany is Magical - • First Time Trying Germ...
//ABOUT US//
We are a family of six, with four kids and a cat 😹, who moved from the USA to Germany in February of 2021 to pursue our dreams of adventure, travel, learning another language, and integrating into German life. We hope you enjoy our videos about our journey to integrate - the highs and the lows of being foreigners on the adventure of a lifetime.
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//CHAPTERS//
0:00 - Fun snow day sledding with the kids
1:13 - Catching up - a bit about our trip back to the US, jet lag, flying
3:48 - Disclaimer - don't take these too seriously. Life is pretty damn good in both Germany and the USA
5:57 - 1 - We missed how Germans are quieter - Americans really do talk louder - especially on their phones.
7:02 - 2 - It was strange to see such HUGE cars and parking spaces again!
10:06 - 3 - We missed the charming German countryside.
11:56 - 4 - We missed being able to ride our bicycles and walk to stores.
13:16 - 5 - It was strange to hear and speak English again.
14:24 - 6 - It was strange to see way fewer people wearing masks.
16:15 - 7 - It was strange to see how COVID has affected the USA more than Germany with staffing and supply shortages.
18:34 - 8 - We missed cloth bags - there is way too much plastic in the USA!
19:41 - 9 - We REALLY missed German bread!
20:01 - 10 - We missed German beer!
20:46 - 11 - We missed DM - there are higher prices at American drugstores and way more toxic products.
21:45 - 12 - We missed the delicious and healthy German Frühstuck you can get in German hotels.
22:46 - 13 - We missed how easy it is to get fast, healthy food in Germany - harder to get healthy food in the USA
23:58 - 14 - We missed sparkling water!
24:14 - 15 - It was strange to have cold drinking water and have ice in our drinks again!
25:18 - 16 - It was strange to not have to do Lüften while there!
25:52 - 17 - We missed toilet bowl brushes! LOLOLOL
27:16 - 19 - We missed having lots of traffic circles! (Roundabouts)
28:31 - 20 - We missed the high, unlimited speeds of the German autobahn.
"We missed the German bread"
every german can relate to that😁 ... it's the first we miss when going abroad
"We missed german beer"
british comedian Eric Idle summed up american beer perfectly:
"American beer is a lot like making love in a canoe ... it's f-ing close to water!"
🤣🤣🤣 Making live in a canoe! That is so funny!! Most American beer and wine is gross. 🤮
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife here is the clip of Eric Idle czcams.com/video/R8aPABF7nW4/video.html&ab_channel=dougbaugh1
so you like the german wine ?
did you know that we in germany got a agricultural university in Geisenheim am Rhein soley focused on the art of making wine
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife 22:00 min The funniest hotel-breakfast I ever had was in San Francisco, we stayed in an Indian hotel near China Town: They offered an "Intercontinental Breakfast" (consisting of one piece of baked goods, in Germany we would call it "Pudding Schnecke", we have it in the afternoon for Kaffee und Kuchen!) and a pot of coffee- on a table without chairs directly beside the reception... 😅
That made me laugh out loud! 🤣 Thank you!!
🤣🤣🤣🤣. Depends on what kind of beer you go with. There are beers that are better than German beers. The beers that every business sells, restaurants, and internationally I completely agree. The small companies that are only sold at a brewery restaurant or only in the city it's made in I disagree.
I always thought the 'Germans miss their bread, when they are somewhere else'-thing was just such a cliché - and then I went on vacation in London for a few days (days! Not weeks or months!) and, boy, did I miss bread! I just couldn't get myself to eat that stuff, the Brits called bun. It was just always a white, floppy yet tough piece of dough on my plate, nothankyouverymuch.
At one point I stood in front of a German bakery somewhere in London and while looking inside through the window I must have sighed in joy and relief and the woman, who stood next to me turned to me and said - in German! - 'That's what we always miss first, isn't it?'. And I hadn't said a word, she just assumed (correctly so) , that I'm German craving lovely, crispy bread. :D
So, yay to German bread!
Same vacation: I was shocked to see there was no toilet brush in the hotel bathroom. I kind of panicked because I really didn't know how to clean the bowl after you know what. I tried using toilet paper, but.. Eww.. So, honest question: what do you do without a brush? Do you just leave it as it is? That's kind of ugly, isn't it?
So funny the lady in line in front of you could sense you were a German missing German bread! That sixth sense.
I wonder how difficult it would be to spot an American immigrant in Germany who has also started to miss her/his German bread... 😂
I'm wondering the same as Greta Haase with the lack of toilet brushes! Is it only in public places in the US or don't you have them at home too? how do you clean the bowl when you do the weekly deep cleaning?
The people who clean the hotel rooms do it. Yes, in your private homes you have toilet brushes.
So, you do 'your thing' and leave? That's kind of rude and nasty at the same time. Nope, sorry, I don't like that.
I really like the way you talk about differences. A lot of people I've watched, who've moved to a different country, see the differences between their countries as a very negative thing and one always has to be better than the other. It's so nice to see your approach. You just see these things as fascinating differences that could make an interesting topic of conversation and it doesn't feel like there's any judgement.
Oh I’m so glad it doesn’t feel judgmental - I’m always afraid it can come across that way, but that’s not how we intend it.
I had to smile a little. The last year has infected the Mc Fall family with German life culture. It leaves the impression that they like living in Germany. I am very much looking forward to their further adventures that they will tell us about :-))))
We have gotten “infected” in the best way possible! Hahaha 🤩
It's so good to hear from you that life in Germany can also be pleasant and advantageous. Glad you're back :))
That is what happens if you leave your country - you get accustomed to the good stuff so very, very fast-while still slightly missing the good stuff from home ;-) If the USA did not contain about everything you would like to visit more people would have to get outside and have that experience. I liked the people in Canada and the USA quite a bit. Nice people, maybe missing the experience to go somewhere and have your assumptions somehow challenged. Happy to have you back!
@@annaluisevogler9175 That's what happens when you embrace the local culture, which not many expats/migrants do, sadly.
Totally feel the part about the missed opportunities to walk in the US. I was visiting my aunt and uncle back in GA in 2015. Been living in Munich for some years now. We went to these Scottish highland games in NC and I could literally see a mall from our hotel. I needed shoes because I had underestimated how bad the weather would get so I was like "Oh I'll just walk to the mall" and my relatives where like "Are you sure? Just take one of the cars." And I was like "Nah, I'm fine. It's just across the street." Except not only did I NOT find a legitimate way of crossing the street. Once I had risked my life running to the other side I noticed I basically had to walk around a huge fence to even get on the parking space. Although I only had to "cross the street" it took me about 45 minutes to actually get to the mall.
That is such a great example! Exactly. There aren’t zoning laws to require the businesses to build sidewalks or make their business accessible by foot at all. The people who suffer the most from this are the poor.
i had the same reaction in Philly by my In laws, they understood me after they visited Germany first time, and never mentioned again that we need to move to the USA.... now they are happy that one grand kid isnt in the USA!
Hey! Nothing wrong with Belgian Leffe!
I think I noticed that in some places in the US, too. Combined with public transport (apparently) being some suspiciously socialist lefty thing ... good grief, where is anybody supposed to get some exercise into their daily routine? Especially people who _aren't_ living in the suburbs?
I think I'd go nuts if I had to live in some place where i can't walk or cycle to the shops.
City design is different ("not just about bikes" explains it better), even we had not much about that topic when I studied civil engineering in Germany. Our professor said to us: please consider that people need a church with a community center where they can meet or celebrate, think about every day needs: school, pharmacy, doctor, shopping opportunities, sports grounds. All this is a must in your new designed housing area. Please mix poor and rich, old and young (for example single or semi detached houses next to apartments for not so rich people). This does not happen in the US in the same wise.
Exactly, and yes, I really like that channel and have watched many of his videos! The city planning is one of the reasons we moved to Germany - we could see that it was just something that would not be fixed anytime soon isn the US - if ever!
To be fair that does not even happen in Germany. There is not a single place where poor and rich live door to door.
The only mistake we make is the visible difference. Putting an apartment building next to a road of single houses will always make the single house households look down on the apartment households and vice versa. Let’s not forget complaining is part of German Leitkultur. Complaining about an ugly place in the neighborhood is easy and the ugliest place is always the one stat sticks out most.
And especially in school (age 8-15) it can be cruel, when the mixture isn’t balanced enough. 2 poor kids in a class of trust fund babies? Guess who has academical disadvantage... 1 rich kid in a class of otherwise underprivileged children? I can imagine they would get bullied relentlessly, but I doubt this happens a lot in reality because of private and boarding schools.
The place I live, rich and poor live in the same house. So, never say never...
It is very charming that we can hear ella walking by the open door =). You really do a nice job presenting you as family but you two remain the focus. wholesome!
Thank you 😍.
I want to be your child!!!!!😫
I used to travel back once a year after I moved to Austria 43 years ago. I remember everytime I came back here, it felt like it was miniaturized. That was the first 15 years. Later, whenever I went back to the USA - less frequently then, since my mother had died, it felt like so much space was wasted, everything was gigantic and I felt less safe on the road.
One thing that I had heard but at first refused to believe was that the friendly customer service in the US was so fake. After so many years here, I wish there was a middle way: a bit more friendliness here and a little less fake in USA.
Yes! I so agree with you on that. It’s be nice to see more friendly customer service in Germany, but not to go as far as it has gone in the US where some feel entitled to perfect service and get angry if they don’t get what they want.
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Agreed, a middle ground would be awesome.
But please, no Wallmart greeters. That is soooo creepy. Let the personnel be well trained to notice searching customers and approach them with an offer of help. But the over-the-top always-ears-wide-toothpaste-ad smile gleaming so brightly you need sunglasses does not have to be the go-to means of greeting customers.
Basic friendliness is ok, over the top, nope.
I have been to both places and I know exactly what you mean with the middle way 😁
Very interesting video! Loved your insight. My personal four culture shocks with americans are: 1. that they are louder 2. How everything is sugary, even the bread 3. How very friendly they are, even if you just met them and 4. How divided the society is in different "bubbles" that don't seem to overlap like ever.
Ooo yes, good additions to our list. It’s true that the rich and poor are very clearly divided. And everything is sugary! We missed our Schörle!
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Schorle😉
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife As you also touched upon in the Video. In Denmark, we say everything in USA is bigger.. The Cars, The amount of food, the stores etc.
@@karinland8533 wie unnötig ist ein solcher Kommentar? Wirkt total überheblich und unfreundlich, insbesondere mit dem Smiley dahinter. Sie wird schon irgendwann herausfinden wie es geschrieben wird und du bist nicht ihre Deutschlehrerin.
@@d.7416 darfst du unfreundlich finden, ist aber nicht so gemeint. Ich hab mich über jede Korrektur gefreut die mir jemand gegeben hat, da man sich so am schnellsten verbessern kann.
It's amazing how germanized you've got after living here for almost a year. Lovely. Rolls and real bread is what I missed mostly living in the US. Abd you are right, German parking spots are awfully narrow. That makes me angry all the time aspecially when people are just not able to park correctly or just don't care.
Until I made this list, I didn’t realize how Germanized we’d become either! It’s was surprising to me how many things I missed.
I always go for bagels with cream cheese. Bagels are the closet thing to German bread/Brötchen for me.
the parking spaces can't be as narrow as here in England .....where unless you have micro car like a Ford Fiesta or smaller , the passenger has to get out of the door before you pull into the parking slot ......In a car the size of a Jaguar or Range Rover i dont know how even the driver can get out once they've parked
I am enjoying watching your videos because we are Americans that moved here in January-2010. At the time we had two daughters and a dog, and your experience is identical to ours. We also live South of Munich and it is so nice to relive our experience. We have definitely become jaded about life here so it is nice to get a wake up call every once in a while about how different and nice it really is living here. Greeting from Mörlbach, Gemeinde Starnberg
Oh very cool! We looked into living near Starnberg! It’s so beautiful there. It’s be so cool to talk with you, as you know all of what we’re going through. Its been the most challenging year of our lives, but also with that, comes incredible courage, growth and resilience.
I saw a youtube ( channel "not just bikes" ) where a canadian explained the suburban structure of the USA and Canada. Actually it is quit a modern thing, starting after WWII. Before that, the US looked more like Europe with very good train connections, buses and trams and without the huge sprawl of suburbs. There are many disadvantages to this grid design. One of them is costs: infrastructure costs for maintaining all the streets are enormes. Also a reason why the streets in many older suburbs are in bad condition so the person in this youtube channel explained. The second one I find even more important: the lack of normal human behaviour, that is: walking. Cities that are walkable are so much more friendly. Not to say healthy, since pedestrans and cyclist have a natural way of exercising. You see that very clear back in health figures where in the USA and Canada many more people are overweighted (its ofcourse also a food culture thing). Also I find it a disadvantage if children have to be transported by car or bus to school or to friends. It gives so much life quality if children can walk or cycle to their schools or friends. A lot of US citizens would say that because the country is huge, trains and public transport are not possible, but I would disagree here. Look at China and the high speed train infrastructure they are building. A country that is in landmass very good comparible with the US. A very good 13 minutes youtube about this: "Rethinking Suburbia and Urban Sprawl in America": czcams.com/video/f80zBco_-VY/video.html
Yes! I love that channel and have also learned these things from him. It’s fascinating and explains so much about why we like the lifestyle here in Germany better than the US - a lot of it comes down to the city planning.
The funny thing about those grid designs is, that is was common both in the Soviet Union and in the U.S. although both of them claimed for themselves to be more advanced than the other. Die anybody tell the U.S. officials in the 1950s, that they were realizing communist Soviet design of the 1930s? 🙂
One of the reasons you don't get all that ice in Germany is that it waters down the drink, so you don't really get what you paid for ;) It's an industry trick to charge top dollar for basically 50 percent water. And so good to have you back here safe and sound!
Yeah true! It’s a greedy tactic to make more money. 🤑
I’m German but I grew up as an expat kid in Asia. I can relate to all of the culture shocks.
My wife and I really enjoyed this video.
Warm regards from Nuremberg
So interesting you can relate to these shocks as a German who lived in Asia!
When I was in high school, I was an exchange student. I’ve also been a host sister and a host mom to 4 international students. I am curious about how others live-hence why I watch this channel. As a result I try to live with a small foot print. I’ve chosen to live in a city townhouse so I can walk everywhere. My car is a Mazda5 which is the smallest minivan. It’s perfect for city living. We shop at Aldi’s and bring our own bags. Americans need to stop being super-sized. We need to get back to basics. -Wendy, Harrisburg, PA.
Welcome back. ;)
Just one remark to be fair: There was a time in 2020 when we had partly empty shelves in Germany, too -at least for certain products. But that was less of a classic supply chain problem, but more of a sudden spike in demand. When the first lockdown measures were announced, some people became a bit hysteric and started hoarding some products like flour, pasta or toilet paper. That sudden spike in demand led to empty shelves, because noone was prepared for it. It lasted a couple of weeks, and then people started realizing that civilization wasn't breaking down, the stores restocked and that was it.
Yes totally - in the US it’s lasted longer. And hi Christian! 👋🏼
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Hi there :D
Let's wait and see how it gets here when Omicron hits to the fullest extent. Germany is a bit behind on that wave, so maybe there's still some situation ahead...
@@christianbraun5004 our oven just broke and my mum's dishwasher...and you can not find many electrical items that are in stock. For our oven we could decide between a few cheap ones or high end ones as the others were not in stock (same with the dishwasher). So it's already starting with electrical devices and bikes
@@peterrabbitn787 With bikes it is the spike in the demand as the lockdown got a lot people to buy new bikes or even better pedalecs. But yes, there is problems with building material, electronics and cars. As the new car market has longer delivery dates due to production stops of parts and raw material that influences the used car market, too. But I guess that are problems all over the world. But in that aspect we are still in a better position than e.g. Great Britain and the USA.
@@peterrabbitn787 that’s true! And I went to buy some Billy bookcases from IKEA and many things there were out of stock.
Probably one of my favorite things about moving to Munich has been the walking culture. It feels so good to stretch my legs and breathe the fresh air (even in winter) and the architecture never gets old. We use our car on the weekends to see the country sides but otherwise we walk everywhere.
Always love your videos and interesting views of your life in Germany. I would never have thought, that Klobürsten are not common in America. I do not even want to really think about that 🤯
Appreciate your choice of topics 😊.
Good to have you back home in Germany. One time you will come up to the north and see a very different country side. Would like to see your views of northern Germany very much.
Yeah healthy, fast food is hard to find in the US! So sad. We are excited to get up north and explore more up there.
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Yeeeesssss!!! Please !
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife
I'm not entirely sure if I'd classify Klobürsten as healthy, fast food! ;-)
Btw, the NAME Wiebke is very much northern Style!
@@klobiforpresident2254 sometimes all of us are tired and unconcentrated...
Kevin looks like an introvert bookworm but I liked how gregarious and funny he actually is.
About the roundabout problem when there is a lot of traffic.. Here in Sweden (at least where I live) this is something that "solves itself". When people see that there is a que building up, they change from giving way to giving way for every second car. We call it cog wheel principal. I think this is a very good way to keep the traffic flowing.
We have this principle in Germany too, but a lot of people don't stick to it unfortunately 😅
Ah very cool! What a great way to cooperate and work together, something the Swedes do well.
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife it is called zipper principle here in the US, but it definitely does not work here. there are the ones that do not pay any attention at all, and the ones that are super aggressive and "zip" around everybody in front of them. They feel like they are naturally entitled to the spot in front of you. either way, both end up in the lane that ends and then either force their way in, or just stop and panic.
In der Schweiz nennen wir es das Reissverschluss-Prinzip...
@@benkofinas2025 Ja genau, in Deutschland auch! Ich würde schon sagen, dass die meisten Leute sich dran halten.
Vielen herzlichen Dank für Eure interessanten Beobachtungen und kritischen Bemerkungen
und vor allem für Euere so zauberhafte, wunderbar ansteckende gute Laune!
Ich muß immer lachen und bin echt glücklich, wenn ich Eueren Video-Beitrag sehe!
Macht bitte noch lange weiter so, denn Ihr seid wirklich eine große Bereicherung
und ein echtes Geschenk für unser Land und unsere Kultur!
Bahahahaha, did not expect toilet brushes to make it onto a culture shock list! 🤣🤣🤣
Right?! So funny!
As an American following your journey, this was the one thing I was surprised about on your list. I have brushes by all toilets in our house and I think most of my friends/family do as well, especially for flylady’s swish and swipe. 😉. I agree that you never see them in public restrooms in the us. I really enjoyed this video and your others. I often find myself thinking afterwards how much I would love to try life abroad, especially Germany.
@@heatherv2848 that’s true - for those of us who love the Flylady, we’ve got toilet bowl brushes! At least in the south, it’s not common to have toilet bowl brushes in hotels, restaurants or in people’s homes. In Germany you can find them in nearly every public toilet!
You are such a likeable couple.
I guess you can fit in every culture quite easily because you are respectful.
How nice to start the sunday with your video! And of course it fulfilled my expectations! You're constantly showing me the advantages of living here in Germany. Since I've started watching videos like yours and of other expats I can appreciate my home country even better. And I will never miss the ice in a drink. I can't imagine that drinking so cold drinks that your teeth hurt can be healthy. Whenever I get a drink with ice cubes I order an extra glass to put all the ice in which I have removed.
Having more space in a car and also to park the car would be great. But it's not viable here.
Ich freue mich für euch, dass ihr euch schon so gut in Deutschland eingelebt hat und dass es euch hier gefällt.
You've really chosen one of the best places in Germany to live in. Congratulations!
Guten Morgen, Beatrix! So glad you enjoyed the video and that expat videos help you appreciate more about your beautiful country. That's the best part about living abroad!
As for the title, "verpassen" and "vermissen" both translate to "miss", but they are not interchangeable. "Verpassen" is failing to meet some appointment or opportunity in time, while "vermissen" is the mental state of wanting to see or encounter someone or something who or which is not there. So "verpassen" is a physical happening, while "vermissen" is a mental thing.
English "I missed the bus" - if you say "ich verpasste den Bus" you were too late at the bus stop, but "ich vermisste den Bus" would mean you had some sentimental feeling that there should be a bus that you loved so much but which is not there anymore, maybe because the line was shut down.
Excellent explanation - you nailed it!
I think most germans put their eggs in the fridge too. There is these thing, usually at the top of the door part, that is made for eggs. Like where butter belongs too. And for Ice just look for "Eiswürfelform". Usually people have at least one of these for the summer. You just have to make them yourself instead use the Ice-maker of the fridge.
Or buy ice cubes in the grocery store and gas stations and put dem in your freezer.
I do!
You have truly been germanized.
not only do you like sparkling water - you talk about toilets without cringeing.
🤣🤣🤣🚽🚽🚽 I was very surprised that I missed the toilet bowl brushes!
"Apollinaris, the queen of sparkling waters" ( from an old German ad)
As a regular traveller to the US for the past 20 years, i noticed the politicization of every imaginable topic in the US. How environmental and medical issues can be politicized is beyond me since it's based on science, and it's getting worse and worse. I find it quite worrying, to be honest, it's not a healthy thing for a society.
And yes, i miss the bread everytime I'm in America as well. To be fair though, i found that there is at least one German bakery in almost every bigger city. Yes, the prices for their products are horrendous and the quality can't compete with even the worst bakeries here, but it's still better than the horrible white bread that is sold in grocery stores. So if you folks already miss German bread, imagine how i as a German native feel after 3 weeks in the States😂
And the first thing i do when arriving back to Germany, not unlike you, is heading straight to a bakery in the airport. I usually get myself a Brezel and a Kürbiskernbrötchen. No butter needed in a dire situation like that...😜
Nice video as always, enjoy the rest of the winter!
Yes! The politicization of science is maddening. 😖
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife That, and dangerous when you end up with a percentage of the population thinking that wearing a mask is subversive / un-patriotic / what-have-you.
I was gleefully happy when I heard that Subway shops in Ireland have to pay higher taxes for their bread, because Ireland has a different tax for basic food versus sweets and cakes, and guess what, Subway bread has so high a sugar content that it counts as cake.
:D :P ;)
I can relate to pretty much all of these. This is what it's like to visit the US as a European. One more thing that shocked me the first time I went to the US is how outdated and scruffy US airports look. It was like being transported back to the 70s, with the shabby carpets (!) and everything looked a bit smudgy. I was used to airports looking modern and almost sterile, so that was a big shock.
Interesting 🤔
Never regarded them as outdated but more cozy and welcoming than airports in Europe.
Especially the carpet makes it nicer to me
Best example is the 2008 built Beijing Airport. I have never seen a cleaner airport (although it is so big that birds are nesting inside...). And everywhere German appliances and equipment 😊
The new LaGuardia terminal that Southwest uses is shockingly OK.
Must have been New York or Miami. At least Miami has been redone.
@@sushi777300 US airports are definitely outdated, which is why many of them are currently being renovated (LAX, JFK, ATL, CLT, etc.). Either way, carpet vs. no carpet is very subjective, but overall, most US airports are inacessible by anything other than car, have non-connecting terminals, and yes, have very old carpet lol
You guys are so personable. I feel like I just had you over at my place and we're in a conversation at the dinner table. Your video flow doesn't seem edited, at least to me. Your spontaneous conversation, just feels like talking to a friend and non-technical, made me understand the content easier.
Well thank you so much! What kind things to say. ❤️
Loved your long list 💕
Parking-spaces: It´s completly normal that the driver parks the car alone and let the passengers "schonmal aussteigen"
So he parks on the right side of the space and can go outside much easier
As a German I visited California, got used to the pretty hugeness of the landscape and got some (three) culture shocks on the return trip due to the "tinyness" of Germany's spaces.
Yeah it’s quite a difference to experience the wide open spaces and the European size spaces!
This was a lovely reminder of the many difference between my two 'home countries'. Thank you and Frohes Neues Jahr!
Delicious breads here in Philadelphia, most notably: Mighty Bread on Gerritt Street. We are lucky!
Hope you do a 2nd Part ^-^
It's really cool to hear that you had such wonderful time with your family, that you were able to finally visit them.
I'm happy for the kid's having so much snow this year that they can play with, getting the opportunity for skiing and just having fun.
I totally appreciate that you're so interested in everything, that you visited so many countries and lived there, it's cool to see that you use these opportunities.
Something that motivates me totally, but I guess Germany has a big influence to you and you one by one adopted quite a few things in the last year ☺️.
You are an international family, that's really cool, very open minded 👍
Your videos 🙂 are something i always wait for.
Thanks 👍
In Europe you really can notice how towns are walking distance from each other. You often find cities about a day's worth of walking spread apart, with bigger towns about half a day, where people used to eat when they had to walk from city to city.
Awesome video…. Very true and well done 👍
8:38 wow, that looks pretty nice!!
This car size difference made me smile. Germans driving to France experience the same thing: On average, cars and parking lots are smaller in France than in Germany, and especially spots in parking garages are sometimes too small for average-size German cars.
Good point!
all the parking spaces were designed 30/40 years ago...much smaller cars...VW Golf, VW Polo, Opel Corsa...the parking lots were simply no designed for the SUV...no one needed this
lol, Hyundai i10 und im Urlaub in Frankreich nur mit dem Motorrad!
This video is funny in some ways because it was just the other way round when we did a road trip through parts of the US almost 3 years ago. I was deeply impressed by the huge landscape and how far you can see. So much space everywhere and I really adored it! Mountains, sees, fields, desert, ocean and beaches - everything in one country! So beautiful! And the various canyons!!!!! Loved them!!! And the traffic is much more relaxing - I enjoyed passing also on the right on highways :-) OK - in bigger cities it was always my husband's turn to drive the car ;-) But in general I liked the traffic rules better than here in Germany. I really enjoy to see how you feel more and more at home in Germany - look forward to the following videos!
Yeah the feeling of wide open spaces in the US is really nice, I felt that while we were there. And so many different landscapes in one country is really awesome.
Adorable Story!
Love watching your videos. Hope you keep it up.
Thank you!
i love watching your videos, sarah and kevin! they always put me in a good mood.
Thank you ❤️❤️❤️
Would also be interesting to see more of how your kids recognized the differences.
That would’ve been good to add! They felt weird not hearing or speaking German, and they noticed all of the concrete and road side advertisements right away. They were like, there are advertisements everywhere!
I love your sense of humor! Keep on sharing your experiences with us! :-)
Nice video!
Love the intro sledding ❤ enjoy your break. No worries. We will still be here ❤
Glad you enjoyed that! My favorite clips. ❤️
So glad to have you all back safe and healthy : )
That video was realy interesting to watch. To be aware how only 1 year here in germany did influence you so much. My favorite spot was the short clip with the freshly bought "belegtes brötchen" after your arrival in munich. Loved that expression : )
When i was watching the last video of last year and the spot were you told us that you will unplug for 2 weeks and just enjoy family life, i was curious if you realy will do it to not film any stuff for 2 weeks and to not think about material for videos. I would have more guessed you couldnt. And well it turned out you realy couldnt : )
Also at the end of the last year you said you have like 25 topics for new videos already. I could imagine this number has increased a lot during the holidays aswell : )
New Pets sounds awesome, realy looking forward to that. Same with that you wanted to speak more german this year. Realy curious how that will develop over that 2nd year.
On to a new year with many great videos and enjoy your sunday aswell : )
Yeah I couldn’t help myself! I was thinking of CZcams videos the whole time and filming things with my phone while we were there, so it wasn’t as much work as getting out my big camera and editing videos. But I love doing all of it - it doesn’t feel like work most of the time!
I love your points about urban planning!
Makes a huge difference in the lifestyle!
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife it does! Changes the way we percieve society as well.
Hi guys 😀 I relly love it to watch your videos and to listen about what you are talking about. I hope you had a great Christmas and a great beginning of the new year. When you talked about being back in the USA I was wandering if you might wenjoy doing a video when you are abroad the next time? I think for your german followers it would be very interesting to see your life over there 🙂. But I also do understand if you don't wanna do it and you just want to enjoy the time with your family 😗
Nice to have you back! And thank you for your experiences about how things are handled differently. And I am excited about your new family member joining you soon.
Have a wonderful Sunday. Checking the weather, I believe you have glorious sunshine near the Alps. Here in Niederbayern close to the river Danube, it‘s grey and murky and cold and yuck. Perfect for relaxing on the sofa and watching your video, though! 😉
Yes it’s very sunny here today! And yesterday, too. I also like the rain for having cozy, movie days like what you’re having.
Welcome back ☺️. Glad to see you all well and happy. Your upbeat bubbly videos really brighten up the Sunday morning. Thank you.
“Sparkling water” gave me the biggest laugh. Other expats still prefer non-carbonated water after years, but each their own. I prefer water without gas anyway - tab water actually.
Seems like we haven’t got you hooked on “Apfelschorle” or “Johannisbeerschorle” yet though 🤔😂. It’s refreshing in summer. I think it’s step 64 of 3273 in the German rule book 1 of 17 😉.
Oh yes we are totally hooked on Schorle and we forgot to put that in our video! I realized that after we recorded it. Our list could’ve been 30 items but it would be such a long video! 😀😆
It's so interesting to listen to your stories. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching! ❤️
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife ❤
what i have learned from Americans like you as a German is: Count Your Blessings! Thank You!
I’m so glad - it’s a good lesson for all of us!
I really feel you about the tiny car parking spaces here! I just close my eyes and hope. (No I don’t!)
And I know- DM is just so much cheaper and better. I still appreciate that.
Also the food quality is really fantastic in Germany, I totally agree.
When I talk to Brits I love that I don’t make grammar mistakes (lol German is so hard!) and I love that they get my humour.
I haven’t been home for so long, and I feel rather nervous about what might have changed, particularly since the Brexit.
Lovely interesting video, I really enjoyed it with my lunch xx
I’m sorry you haven’t been able to go home for a long time! Yes the German grammar is tough, whew! I constantly make mistakes.
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife no worries tho, you have the best chances of learning it from your two boys in gymnasium once they got the full hang of it. The methods and explanations they'll learn it in school with are far superior to the ones used in online language courses or apps. :)
Ps: Also very many germans arent even capable of using it perfectly, so dont put yourselves under too much pressure for minor flaws. ♥
Hi Lauren we are also concerned about the UK. Hope you can go soon!
Good Morning! Nice to see you back home safe and well... I find that video very interesting! What did your relatives think about the way you've changed? And could you make a video about the kids opinions of the trip? Greetings from Münster, Susanne
We honestly didn’t talk much to them about how different our lives are, but they watch our videos so they’ve been able to keep up with the changes. They noticed how much the kids have grown, and the kids loved seeing their family and friends. It was a special time!
Lovely to hear from you and welcome back! Very interesting video. Some of the things I described are just taken for granted when you don't consciously think about them, ie bread, cloth bags, etc. I experienced a reverse culture shock as well when coming back from England and found it's nice to keep some of the things and habits learned abroad and integrate them into your life. 😊
Congratulations to you both from Dublin Ireland.
One of my first impressions on my two vacations to the US (always west-coast states) was: Wow...everything is bigger here. Much bigger! Really everything! :)
Hahaha right! So big!
Love how you’ve come to call German bread “real bread” when you’re abroad. ^^
Yeah for sure! It contains real ingredients instead of chemicals.
Hi guys,
I found your channel by accident and I love you guys. It's so nice to see you guys getting along in Germany.
40 years earlier I had the same problem, only the other way around. I came to LA in 1980 for 4 years (studying) and experienced a similar culture shock! But it was a great time in my life. I wouldn't want to miss it.
I wish you continued success, that you and your children do well!
Many greetings
Harald
Welcome back 😍
A very interesting video again!! I like that you made all those short clips in between talking 😃
Yeah otherwise you’d have to stare at our faces for 30 minutes and how boring that would be! 🤣😆
Maybe one reason they trust you more on driving in germany is, that the driving test is A LOT harder. You have to take a certain amount of driving lessons in a qualified school, pass theoretical and practicals tests, and moreover can drive alone woth at least 18... There's a nice video about all around that topic on "black family forest"'s channel
Yes! That’s true - the test is more extensive here. And we love the Black Forest channel as well - Ashton and I have helped each other out quite a bit behind the scenes.
I never wondered about the fact that eggs are not in the cooling section in grocery stores in Germany and always put them into the fridge at home (most fridges do have those little plastic things shaped to hold eggs). Good to know I don't have to. Thx for making an old German learning something new! 😁
Good to have you back hear!
Oh, I always put them in the fridge as well it helps to keep them from spoiling as I don't eat eggs often. I'm pretty sure there are two best before dates on all the egg containers on for room temperature and one for if you put them in the fridge.
Yeah that’s true - eggs in the US supermarkets are always refrigerated, but not in Germany. Forgot to mention that!
@@Nemshee The first date is when you have to put them in the fridge to keep them safe, the second date is the best before. After that date i put the egg in a bowl of water. If it lays down it's completely safe to eat in any way. If it stands up you have to heat it thoroughly (best excuse to bake a cake). If it floats towards the surface it's bad and has to go into the bin.
Eggs in Europe aren't washed so they have a protective coating and aren't refrigerated. In the US they are washed so must be refrigerated but will be fine for a couple weeks. But once boiled they don't last a long time.
@@Nemshee You can leave them out they won't be spoiled
Welcome back. Thanks for your lovely and really interesting videos. It's really interesting seeing things through your perspective. You are such happy, positive people. Keep up the great work. X
Thank you!
Thank you for the very interesting and heartwarming video.
It's always good to experience different cultures first hand, it gives one the ability to see pros and cons.
Yes so we can learn from each other and each make our countries better.
Yes, I also have to get out before the driver parks the car in parking spots as well XD
I think you have to visit the Ruhrpott some time. It's basically a big blob of cities. Not really charming like what you described for Bavaria, but a more "workers charm", old Zechen and Bergbaumuseen, a totally different atmosphere from the south or north of Germany. The north is nice as well, if you are looking for a "stern charm" :)
I am really fascinated by Sweden, I even took up learning Swedish. I would really be interested in a Sweden - Germany - US comparison!
edit: Actually, where I live, people do put the eggs in their fridge. It's not really necessary, but most people do.
Thanks for adding your insights and observations! Yeah there is some charm in the US and some places that aren't charming in Germany, for sure. Not an all or nothing thing, which we should've described better in the video probably.
You get out sliding your foot trough the crack. Your foot goes next to the back door. Parking in the Netherlands.. i drive An old susiki alto, like i can open the not electrical window from the driverseat. So IT is Tiny. Still to wilde for parking at my brothers. Like Both sides are over the with of the spot..
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife I don't think this will be taken the wrong way at all, I should think people know that you are not speaking for everyone and everything when you describe your personal experiences. It was just what came to my mind.
And there are certainly regions where people and architecture do not strive to be "charming" at all, but maybe urban or a sort of "gritty, but honest" type and so on. I have never been to the US, but with such a big country, I imagine there must even be more variety than in itty-bitty Germany XD
@@pppetra I tried this and any way imaginable under the sun, but I am prone to getting leg and hip cramps even when I get out with enough space on my side, so I guess I am stuck with getting out before parking. ^^
I've lived in Germany and have visited the US twice. America looked so tired and run down. Walking anywhere was out of the question. I hated the fast food and supermarket vegetables. I hated that so many plastic bags were given out in stores. I can't remember a time here without cloth reusable bags. I also found that Americans are very loud. I won't visit the US again.
Things must have changed in the US since the last time I stayed there 30 years ago. I remember back then the delicious vegetables of Korean grocery stores in NYC.
How nice to see you so happy. Thank you for the friendly messages 🥰 I am pleased that you feel so good in germany 😊
Have a beautiful Sunday! Love you guys! 😍 ❤❤❤
Habt einen schönen Sonntag! Habe euch alle lieb! Eurer Polish-German Friend!❤
Dankeschön! Same to you!
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Danke schön!
what a fun and joy to hear you talking about the differences of us and german behaviours, food and so on. o had also hurting teeth from the ice water, realy unbelievable to drink so cold.... thanks for this video
As someone who’s always loved ice cold water, this was quite a surprise to me! I never thought I’d prefer to not have ice!
Haven't giggled that much for a long time like i did while watching this Video. 😆
It's very interesting to see how much germanized you got within this one year. can't wait to see how much you will Change during the next years.
🤣😆 glad you enjoyed it!
Very very interesting!
23:00 love how she said with real bread:D
The large number of roundabouts is relatively new in Germany. It's something that has become a lot more common in the last 20-30 years. Before that many of them would have been regular intersections. Or were actually intersections that were converted later.
Same thing happening in some places in the US like Massachusetts. The UK always had them all over the place.
They are practical.
@@susannabonke8552 Yep much more convenient, save and efficient. They are nice for cyclists. At an intersection cyclists have a hard time turning left.
Only downside is at congestion when you have to force yourself into the roundabout (never happend to me here). A swede above told how they use the zipper mechanism to solve that problem.
@@wWvwvV The UK solution is to install traffic lights on the roundabout in the few situations where they are prone to clog up. Often these lights only operate during rush hour.
I loved this video! You two are the cutest, and it makes me happy hear that you have adapted to quickly to German life. Your list of culture shocks is very relatable. The toilet brushes made me laugh . When I first moved to Austria wanted to write a blog called pooping on a plate! ( due to the flat shape of the bowl). Now I realize the flatter shape is much more energy and water efficient. Another way the USA fails to take care of the environment.
Hahaha thank you! Yes it was so funny when I realized I missed toilet bowl brushes! I kept reaching to the right to grab a brush. 🤣
Great video as always. So strange to think I've been on this German Journey with you guys for almost a year now!!
Yes! It’s flying by now. Intense and slow at the beginning, now going fast.
I love yr videos on Sunday in the morning. Keep doing this! 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏
Bitte macht es weiter mit den Videos am Sonntag früh!
Thank you! ❤️❤️
"Old town centers" :) I followed your videos for quite some time now. I can really feel how those reverse culture shocks came in on you. You really adapted to Germany so well. Couple more months and you will complain about DB beeing not on time and bam, you're German.
😂 the kids complain often that the bus that takes them to school is often late!
I had those "wait, which language do I need to speak now?" moments on my first returns to Germany from Paris. 😁
Yeah there ya go!
Haha, me too. After a whole year in the US came back and talked and asked the customs staff at the Frankfurt Airport for my connection in English. He looked at my German Passport and was confused why I would not speak German to him. Was a little embarressing :-D
I even had trouble finding words sometimes but it comes back quick
@@schoko-fan4370 Oh, yeah! For me it's especially the vocabulary around COVID, which all came up here in France but not before that in Germany, so sometimes words like couvre-feu or télétravail are easier to remember!
Thanks again for 30 min of joy on a german sunday morning! have a nice week, take care and ... until next time! :)
So glad you enjoyed it! ❤️
Thank you, i love your videos 😊
Thank you!
Hi! That was really interesting. It seems that Australia is half-way between the USA and Germany (except language of course). My parents immigrated to Australia from Germany in the 60s and I was born here but have visited Germany a couple of times. The whole thinking in another language got me too. I think you would enjoy a holiday or even living here.
Supermarket bread but many small stores especially bakeries. Traffic circles (we call roundabouts) are common here. More fresh food/less processed food. Most restaurants will offer a sparkling water option, plenty of Italian migrants helped with that as well as the decent coffee. Unfortunately we suffer from the urban sprawl here too but a fair attempt at having footpaths (sidewalks) and specific bike lane infrastructure has been made. We have had some issues re. No maskers but generally less than the USA.
Oh and just be mindful that craving ice 🧊 can be a sign of iron deficiency 😳
Thank you once again.
Looking from the „other direction“, you were in Asheville, one of the main centers of American Craft Breweries! There are many great places to get good beers, many based on German recipies. Also along the Blue Ridge Parkway there are a lot of beautiful views. The next time you could visit the Biltmore House and compare it with some of the European palaces😊
Yes just last year we were at the Biltmore and it’s just beautiful! Very comparable to manor homes in England, more than palaces or castles in Germany. And yeah you’re right - there are some great craft breweries in Asheville! But they’re not as good as German beer from what we’ve tried.
Oh, I wanna go there some time.
nice, you are back
Very enjoyable watching your videos about differences between the US and Germany, in terms of landmass, a much smaller place.
Interesting video. The first half reminded me of notjustbikes, who moved to the Netherlands and has at least one video about the inability to walk safely to stores in Canada or the US.
Yes that is a great channel that I’ve learned a lot from!
Like always I loved your video and how you present your observations and experiences. Yes, the US is huge and so just about everything in the country from cars to cartons of milk, houses etc.. I am happy for you that you were able to go home and visit family and friends. Not being around them is probably the hardest part about living abroad.
Yes to all of those things! ❤️
Just recently found your channel and have been binge-watching your videos. I've been to Missouri for my Auslands-BOGY (internship required to do in Gymnasium) and got super lucky with my host family, I even went back to visit them a second time, and am still in frequent contact with them. So I totally get the cultural differences you talk about. Also, love how you don't shy away from sharing your opinions:)
Much love from Baden-Württemberg
Ah very cool! Thanks for watching!
Hey you added lüften to your videos, nice to see you recognize your comments
To be fair, in the past few years, many microbreweries have opened up in America that can make some really great beer. Sure, you have to see what's available locally.
As for the food, I have to say that even the vegetarian meal was cheerless. My French colleagues picked me up and mostly drove to a restaurant near Philadephia because we were still "hungry" and unfulfilled in the evening. They also have great food if one can pay for it.
That is true - there are some good microbreweries popping up and it’s really nice to see!
Interesting, you described the jetlag just the way my Husband and I experienced it when visiting the US. Going there - no problem, getting back to Europe, so hard. Maybe another part is, you just get used to the new time, you get back to the old one.
you are making beautiful pictures. they are very arty and exellent quality gratulation
so welcome back ;-)
I'm German and have travelled extensively in the US. I agree with almost everything on your list (although not reverse for me), even the toilet brushes. The weird looks I used to get in supermarkets when I told them, 'No bag, please'. For me, the ice was always too much, anywhere, not just the South. And I find driving on the interstate with the cruise control on much more relaxing than driving on the Autobahn, especially for long distances, when everyone stays at about the same speed. Also, one other thing that you mentioned about the eggs. I have always refrigerated my eggs, and I haven't ever met a German who keeps their eggs on the counter, butter yes, but eggs no. So, that was an interesting observation in your video.
Good points about how the interstate in the US can be more relaxing that the Autobahn, we didn’t think of that.
I know many in Germany that like myself have the eggs on the counter
This is funny! I hate American highways with a vengeance 😂
Driving there is so boring, the speed is low, the speed difference between cars is low and after a while I get so bored that I have troubles staying awake. I simply hate it.
On the Autobahn you need to be concentrated all the time, watch your mirrors, be careful what other drivers do etc. Time flies!
Great Video and welcome back to Germany. It would be great to have a video about your drivers license test and the preparation as well. Did you need to redo both tests? Theoretical and practical?
Yes! I'm currently working on it and plan to do the video once I have my license.
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife If i am not totaly wrong you can do the theoretical part in germany in nearly whatever language you desire. So the interesting question is if you do it in german or english : )
Thanks for this wonderful and funny video! Great to have you back here. I missed you and - believe it or not - did think of how you were doing back home in the US during the two weeks of your stay. Kind of makes me worried that I seem to have not much of a life of my own 🤪.
I’m sure you do have a life of your own! I feel that way about other CZcamsrs that I love to watch, so understand! ❤️
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Thanks! ❤️👍
Georgia USA is now starting to implement roundabouts especially in Kennesaw and Canton areas.
Yeah that’s true! And it’s been really nice.