It’s only been three weeks since I arrived in Germany and I’ve already been captivated by the nuances of German life that contrast how we live in the United States. These variances aren’t necessarily bad just… different. Here’s an American take on the German culture.

1. There is no such thing at 24-hour anything.

We are spoiled in the United States. In America, 24-hour supermarkets, fast food, and gas stations are expected. Here in Germany, they close around 8 on the weekdays and 10 on the weekends. And I knew that there was no such thing as post on Sundays, but that rule basically extends to everything else here, too. Furthermore, holidays mean that things close earlier. Period.

This is my privilege talking here but talk about culture shock…

It boggles my mind that in a country that places comparatively little emphasis on religion to that of the U.S. stresses the idea of Sunday being a day of rest.

While it is frustrating to navigate at times, the lack of “I need to be doing something Always. Forever.” helps to relieve a lot of the anxiety I never knew I had. Since the commerce culture is non-existent, there is a genuine focus on family and self-care.

2. The quality of public services makes the US look like a shit show.

The McDonald’s here is basically a fine dining experience. I’m a little miffed that I have to pay for my condiments, water (I’ll get to that later) and the bathroom (yes, that’s a thing), but I have never felt more safe and clean in a fast food establishment in my life. It might be because they actually get paid livable wages and have reliable health care coverage (*zing*) but the service is remarkably efficient and dependable- much like their public transportation. Gee whiz, I guess socialist programs aren’t all that bad.

3. Smoking

While I may be able to basically lick the bathroom walls because of how clean they are (Please don’t. But in all seriousness it’s leagues better than the US), the air is disgusting. I don’t understand how in such a health conscious nation, a large portion of the people (majority students???) smoke so frequently. Anything to be cool, I suppose.

4. German bureaucracy is infuriating.

The amount of paperwork I have filed to exist in this country has probably killed all of the trees I saved by sorting my trash. And I’m still not done. Imagine your school code of conduct and multiply it by three… eight times.

5. Water isn’t free.

You have to pay for water at restaurants, and water fountains don’t exist here. Water bottles are a godsend but only if you fill up from your house/apartment. This results in a lot of people mostly drinking tea/coffee/coke. I’m not sure why people aren’t super dehydrated/obese but then I remember they don’t have ridiculous portion sizes/overconsumption culture like in the US…

6. Boobs. Boobs everywhere.

It’s like the #Freethenipple campaign just vommed on everything over here. My university? Orange naked lady. The legislative building? Naked fat people. The art galleries. Tits for everyone? There is even a lake called Titisee (literally Titi Lake). I mean, I’m glad people are able to express themselves but it’s a lot to take in sometimes.

7. Americans are overzealous with just about everything.

We are loud. Obnoxious, loud. Ninety percent of the time. I really enjoy laughing and smiling but I realize it comes off as aggressive and creepy sometimes because it seems fake due to the frequency of it. In addition to our larger-than-life attitude, our desires for variety, food, and basically every other aspect of life come with a large demand too. I’ve learned to downsize in a lot of ways here (which I think most everyone in the States needs to do) so that’s one thing Germany (and most of the world) definitely has going for it.

Both of these cultures have pros and cons that give unique takes on how to live life. There is not necessarily a right or a wrong way to live but this experience has definitely shaped my perspective.