While in Lauterbrunnen recently (aka the most beautiful little village in the world – more on that later), Brian and I met some travelers from the U.S. who were on a 3-week tour of Europe. When they learned we were living in Germany, one of them asked me: “Do you miss anything about the U.S.?”

It got me thinking about all of the things I miss (and those I don’t), so I thought I’d write a list.

What I Miss

1. My Friends and Family

Yes, this is a clichéd answer, but it’s 1,000% true. We have Skype and FaceTime, of course, but with the 6-hour difference (and that’s if who I’m talking to is on the East Coast), it can be really tough to find a time that works with everyone. It bums me out sometimes when I want to send someone a message but it’s only 10 a.m. here, so I know I won’t get a response for AT LEAST another 2 hours (and that’s only if they’re early risers). Plus, I have some family members who haven’t joined the Skype or FaceTime masses, so I don’t ever get to talk to them unless we email (cough grandparents cough). I miss you all!

2. Free Bathrooms

I swear I get all giddy when I find a public bathroom I don’t have to pay to use. It may only be 50 cents or 1€, but it starts to add up when you have a bladder as tiny as mine. Brian and I have scoped out all of the free bathrooms in Freiburg, so if you have to pee here, we’ve got you covered. 😉

3. Tap Water in Restaurants

It’s not so much that I miss TAP water, it’s that I miss FREE water. It’s ridiculous that if I want a glass of water with dinner, I have to pay at least a few Euros for a bottle. Some places will tolerate it if I ask for sink water, but others give me a look as if I’d just asked if I could eat dinner naked.

4. Kroger, Publix, Ellwood Thompson’s

These are all big-chain grocery stores (except for ET – that’s an amazing, local store in Richmond that has THE BEST juice bar ever). Here in Germany, we have great markets like Aldi and Edeka (and yes, we have Rewe, which is more like an American grocery store, but it’s ridiculously expensive), but they just don’t meet the same standards as the big three. The food options are very limited here, and they close early. Aldi closes at 8 on weeknights, and Edeka at 9. AND, they’re not open at all on Sundays! This can become very frustrating if we’ve run out of Apfelsaftschorle.

5. Microbrews and Craft Beer

The beer here is delicious, don’t get me wrong. But the problem is that they all start to taste exactly the same. I miss the variety of beer that the U.S. has. I miss Blue Moon, especially. I can’t wait to get my hands on one when I get home!

6. Crossfit

Gah – I feel all mushy around my midsection because I eat too many Bratwursts, drink too much beer, and don’t do enough pull ups. I miss the motivation and family feeling of my CF gym!

7. Hamburgers

They are just plain bad here. Trying to find a burger that’s worth the price tag (usually upwards of 9-12€) is basically impossible. Every place we’ve been cooks them to the point that they taste like shoe leather. AND the ketchup here is just not on par with Heinz. It’s just not.

8. People Aware of Their Surroundings

It doesn’t seem to matter what time of day it is (or even what day it is), the center of most European cities is just overrun by people. 11 a.m. on a Monday morning? Crowded. 2 p.m. on a Wednesday? Super crowded. Noon on a Saturday? Forgetaboutit. I don’t mind that there are tons of people around because it generally means it’s an exciting area or there’s a super cool festival or something comparable going on. But so few of them tend to realize that they are not the only ones walking around. Maybe it’s because I’m so much shorter than the average European (I know this is not the reason), but I feel like people cut me off while I’m walking, walk in front of me while I’m biking, or just simply bump into me without apologizing all. of. the. time. I just don’t understand it!

What I Don’t Miss

1. Expensive and Non-Existent Public Transportation

Let’s be honest here; nobody is shocked to hear that the U.S. doesn’t have a great public transportation system. Bigger cities tend to have their ducks in a row, but it’s all internal. To get from one big city to another, the only way to get there is to drive or to fly. Here in Europe, hopping on a train makes life so much easier and less stressful (especially for nervous flyers like me). It may not be the cheapest option, but at least there is an alternative option. And the connectivity throughout Europe is outstanding. You really can get anywhere!

2. Driving and Traffic

This goes along with the above, but I really don’t miss driving. Like, at all. I appreciate that with a car, I can go wherever I want, whenever I want, but I have a bike now, and I can essentially get anywhere I want to go in Freiburg with it. Or, I can simply walk there. I know that’s tough to accomplish in the U.S., especially in the bigger cities where biking is unsafe and walking just isn’t practical, but I really love that I can do it here.

3. Being Hyperaware of My Surrounding When I Walk Alone

This is NOT to say I am not always alert when I walk – please, parents, don’t take this to mean that! All I’m saying is that I feel safe 99.9% of the time here, even when I’m walking alone at night. In fact, just recently, we met a friend at 11:15 p.m. at night to pick up something on our way home from Switzerland, and she (yes, she) was running with headphones in. This is so commonplace here!

Freiburg especially is a notoriously safe city, and having lived in places like New Carrollton, Maryland before, I feel much more relaxed here. When I lived in New Carrollton (that’s the end of the orange line for you DC folks who may not know actually where this city is… yes, the end of the orange line where most people don’t go if they don’t have to), I felt like I had to hold my keys in a Wolverine fashion just walking from my car to the house door.

4. Bud Light, Coors Light, Natty Light

Do I really need to explain why?

5. Modern Buildings, Everywhere

Everywhere you go in Freiburg, and especially in Europe, there are beautiful buildings and architectural structures. Whenever you see cobblestone on the floor, you know you’re in the “Old City,” and you’re bound to see a gorgeous cathedral or monument somewhere nearby. I don’t really miss strip malls or concrete jungles. I know it’s unfair to hold the U.S. to the same standards of Europe given that it’s so much younger, but you just don’t get that old, charming feel and “wow” factor when you walk around the metropolitan areas.

 

Do you live abroad and have a list like this? What do you (not) miss from your home country?