I'm originally from Europe but lived in the US for 50 years. I moved back six years ago and love it. At 66 years of age my energy levels and overall health is so much better.
We spent two weeks traveling around France (Brittany, Bordeaux area, Dordogne region, and Paris) it that was all it took to make us adopt European customs and practices when we returned home. And solidified our decision to retire there in a couple of years. The pace, the community, the simpler lifestyle (the American rat race is awful!). I had already left the Standard American Diet behind years ago and became vegetarian, low processed, no sugar, low carb in my diet, but the amazing fresh foods and cheeses there really astounded us. Eating seasonal foods and eating low processed foods was just such a wonderful change from what we always find in US travel. Take me back to Europe! LOL!
This was a great video. I am living in Budapest now teaching English. When I eventually return I have already adopted so much of the European mindset to living back in the US! :)
I’ve spend a significant amount of time in Europe, and every single one of these things resonated with me. I often feel super frustrated when I’m back in the states, especially if I’m staying with family in a suburban area because I can’t just walk or hop on 5-minute bus ride to get groceries. The AC everywhere is miserably cold, and I can’t live without a tea kettle anymore either. :)
One habit I develped living in America is watching this channel, slowly heading to the possibility of moving abroad. Many of our ancestors came here for a better life, and now it may be going full circle.
I just came back from Oslo. The moms there put kids in an e-bike, while American moms put kids in 7-seated SUV. People on the street, supermarket, and even a bus made eye contacts with me, which would never happen in the US in a million years. I like the life there much more....! It's great to hear that you want to live in Europe full time for most of your life. I do hope that your ancestry could help you get a citizenship there!
There are plenty of big cars driving around here in central Oslo, I can tell you. As for casual interactions, people here aren't as forthcoming as other places, and some of the more memorable smalltalk I've had has involved people who were from other parts of Norway, particularly the north. I think if you dropped in on the north of England, say, it might blow your mind compared to Oslo! Kristin has surely had something to say about that in an earlier video or two.
As a Norwegian all your points felt familiar to me and I see that you're becoming one of us, so I welcome you to Norway and the rest of Europe, Kristin. Live where your heart belongs. It seems that your heart belongs in Europe. 🙂
My friends and family tease me because, like you, I spent years living in Europe and Asia and adopted all of these customs. Even after being back in the US for a few years, I cherish keeping my "foreign" habits. I live in a studio loft above a storefront, don't own a car, grocery shop 3x week, take afternoon naps, don't wear shoes indoors, enjoy a "continental" breakfast and relaxed work schedule. That said, I do like my clothes dryer, A/C on a hot day and ice cubes!
Those last 3 are super important. Air drying cloths is overrated takes forever and my towels were as stiff as a board. I like it cold so I open my windows in the winter. I need AC so I can keep it between 63 and 65 degrees in the summer. Love ice cubes I will also put my drink in the freezer so it gets like a slushy.
For me it’s the cultural shift from consuming and have all new new new and the most stuff, to being proud of and focusing on saving money. In Germany and Austria people discuss saving money and makings smart purchase choices.
Thank you for sharing! Most of these things you mention are things those of us who live in older US cities (and the rest of the world really) also do. Caribbean parents taught us very early on to remove shoes at the entry. But, in some US homes people do NOT like you removing your shoes (which I still don’t understand). Who wants dirty carpets and floors? The one thing we in the US need ro really adopt is better work-life balance. We need to SLOW DOWN, turn off those phones sometimes and enjoy NATURE!
I've always lived with the pile of shoes boots etc at the door 🇨🇦. It's particularly annoying with 3 kids and all their friends etc. I'm sitting here in my slippers. I don't know anyone that wears shoes inside. It's the first thing that's removed even if there's a dinner party or family gathering.
I guess being so fit and healthy also helps you manage different climates, it helps you adapt. Also walking, or going via public transport (which is also a good walk) helps your circulation stay healthy and helps you acclimate. You've done so well, to see and travel so much.
Hi, Kristin...I touched base with you awhile back to comment on your fine work. You wrote a lovely response which I thank you for. I'm Chris, the retired teacher living in Leipzig and Dresden since '99, and humbling so, have had an extraordinary life with vast and rich travel experiences throughout the continent. Again, I've been very much at home here for 26 years... Just returned from visiting family (son & daughter-in-law) in Spain (Jerez) , who had moved there a year ago. I leave for Toulouse next week, and then back to the Azores. at the beginning of March. I love Maderia, but these islands are special to me. I would always be delighted if at some point I could be of resource or assistance, as I'm passionate about European living....once a teacher, always a teacher, they say. Again, thanks for your prior response and continued success...Cheers!
Parents came from Europe (Latvia). Lived this lifestyle from…birth. My mother never learned to drive; I didn’t own a car until I was 27 and don’t own one currently [rent one once a month for shopping trips]. We never owned a house; I still don’t. The American Dream of home ownership never appealed to me [don’t hate me]. Turning off lights when I leave the room has always been normal. Preferring an open window/fan to air conditioning. Decluttering became habit after my mother passed and I was left with a lifetime of objects that were important to her, but meant nothing to me [sounds cold, but photos and letters mean more to me than bookcases and china]. I’m not a monk and did spend a couple decades under the delusion that ‘he who dies with the most toys wins.’ The ‘Great Recession’ disabused me of that silly belief. A family friend used to say, "possessions possess you." Remembering that now as I’m planning a move halfway round the world. Narrowing down those ‘things’ to what will fit into a checked suitcase and a carryon bag. The rise of the internet and digital media has helped 😂. Best of luck and be well.
As someone from a European country, it's a source of constant amusement and sometimes frustration how some Americans are able to look at a continent of 742 million people and 44 countries and somehow generalize about that. You don't see me as someone from Europe spending time in Costa Rica, and then go back to Europe saying "Well, in North America, everyone speaks Spanish, and they eat this and that", and so on. Kristin, what you see as "European" is just something that is particular to a specific European region or country you've been in. My point is, there is no such thing as a European habit, and for everything you've mentioned in your video I can mention European countries that do things in another way, perhaps in the complete opposite way. EDIT: Before someone says "Costa Rica is in Central America!": Yes, it is, but Central America is a subset of North America, hence Costa Rica is in North America.
The ‘Full English’ (other regional versions are available) is a variable offering. It ranges from being a cold plate full of health hazards to a real pleasure…with a runny egg! My Ex (in France) drank a lot of coffee in the morning I did manage to dilute its effects on her with some ‘proper’ porridge. Bon appetite!
My parents lived in Europe in the 60's and frankly the only consistently happy time in their life that I could detect from their musings, was the time in Europe. They tried to go back but cost got in the way. For me it seems like here, everyone is in a competition with everyone on every level, and especially a knowledge level, "I know more than you you are inferior, I know everything, I never make mistakes, etc", that is simplified, but it makes my point. Other cultures seem happy and well adjusted socially compared to the US, imo. Not all and not on every level, and parts of the US can be quite friendly. But this political divide is one aspect that runs pretty commonly in society everywhere in the US. The vibe just is too adversarial imo. And the next reply will be "Well then leave, don't let the door hit you on the way out" and actually will support my point.
Nice! I didn't pick those things up in Europe, but some similar observations after South America---I haven't bought a car since I came back 7 years ago, and don't want one. I would rather grocery shop every couple of days, and I learned that not having AC is not the end of the world, or heating either. Oh, and in Chile it was considered rude to take your shoes off inside, for some reason, but all foreign customs are not equally sensible! Public transportation IS far better in Europe, and I expect in Asia, my next destination...
THIS WAS GREAT! Shoes off, YES!!!!! For the reasons you gave, I do it too! The shoe cabinet is a good idea!👍🏼😃Where I stayed in Iceland, breakfast was light, whereas in UK it was either beans on toast, cereal, or a hearty breakfast of eggs, fried tomato & bacon/sausage. Just so you know Kristin, you can get power strips with those switches! Ah...you were making me homesick for Europa! This was the needed "reset" to remind me to slow down a bit and take that siesta! 🛌🏻 Thx for these points & reminders!
I note that you principally are in cities, were as one who lives in the country now does not relate as much with city life. I've lived in European and American cities before and prefer county living. Europe has a lot of country also and I would ask you to touch on that kind of life as well.
Great, accurate perspective. There is a better work/ life balance in Europe. Travel opens up alternatives to living. Wish more Americans could experience this.
Why is it so hard for Americans to adopt improvements to their lives? Or shun benefits because they are "foreign"? It might take another 100 years to switch to the metric system, or bidets.
I feel the same about this. I think about the idea of having dirty hands, and then just wiping them with paper rather than washing them with water. That's the same thing countries that don't use bidets or a water gun are doing with a much dirtier part of their body. Makes those countries (those first-world countries) seem uncivilized.
Interesting. I have spent a substantial amount of time in Europe and love being there. My experience - I hate the plug in and unplug everything. The US system, at least in my house, doesn't use energy when not in use and the cost is so much lower. I wear suits, so taking my shoes off and on is more of a challenge. And I have found that outside of the city people keep them on. I agree about breakfast, but love a full English, Scottish, or Irish then not eat lunch. Travel, which is fine if you're in a city, but if you're not, like I am out in the Western US, a car is a requirement. I drive over a hundred miles a week, and that can increase dramatically. It's not uncommon for me to have to drive the equivalent of London to Edinburgh for one meeting. And I have had to get to smaller towns throughout Europe, and had to rent a car to get there. And I like our shopping. If there is an emergency, which do come along, my family is secure until it passes. One strike and food and things are instantly scarce. Which I experienced in France, twice. And I enjoy space, so some of the closet accommodations can fill cramped. And I love air conditioning. Irish homes and offices can be glacial in the winter and London does get hot in the summer to the point of being brutal. And I have never gotten used to the siesta, I would rather work through the day and end earlier than go until late at night. But I have to agree about time off. Europe wins that one for sure.
Your take on breakfast is not accurate because bacon and eggs are a staple or the British Isles, Europe is a continent and not a country and there are differences in the various nations
Some people might have bacon and eggs every morning, but I imagine it is a vanishing pursuit. People often don't have time for that kind of thing any more. There's a reason why there's usually an entire aisle in the average British supermarket just for breakfast cereal.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
How has traveling abroad changed your habits or mindset? For help moving to Europe, visit www.travelingwithkristin.com/relocation
I'm originally from Europe but lived in the US for 50 years. I moved back six years ago and love it. At 66 years of age my energy levels and overall health is so much better.
We spent two weeks traveling around France (Brittany, Bordeaux area, Dordogne region, and Paris) it that was all it took to make us adopt European customs and practices when we returned home. And solidified our decision to retire there in a couple of years. The pace, the community, the simpler lifestyle (the American rat race is awful!). I had already left the Standard American Diet behind years ago and became vegetarian, low processed, no sugar, low carb in my diet, but the amazing fresh foods and cheeses there really astounded us. Eating seasonal foods and eating low processed foods was just such a wonderful change from what we always find in US travel. Take me back to Europe! LOL!
This was a great video. I am living in Budapest now teaching English. When I eventually return I have already adopted so much of the European mindset to living back in the US! :)
I’ve spend a significant amount of time in Europe, and every single one of these things resonated with me. I often feel super frustrated when I’m back in the states, especially if I’m staying with family in a suburban area because I can’t just walk or hop on 5-minute bus ride to get groceries. The AC everywhere is miserably cold, and I can’t live without a tea kettle anymore either. :)
One habit I develped living in America is watching this channel, slowly heading to the possibility of moving abroad. Many of our ancestors came here for a better life, and now it may be going full circle.
Exactly!
I just came back from Oslo. The moms there put kids in an e-bike, while American moms put kids in 7-seated SUV.
People on the street, supermarket, and even a bus made eye contacts with me, which would never happen in the US in a million years.
I like the life there much more....! It's great to hear that you want to live in Europe full time for most of your life. I do hope that your ancestry could help you get a citizenship there!
Thanks Aidan! Oslo is such a nice city - I love it there!
There are plenty of big cars driving around here in central Oslo, I can tell you. As for casual interactions, people here aren't as forthcoming as other places, and some of the more memorable smalltalk I've had has involved people who were from other parts of Norway, particularly the north.
I think if you dropped in on the north of England, say, it might blow your mind compared to Oslo! Kristin has surely had something to say about that in an earlier video or two.
Great video! By the way, shoes off as you enter home is a Canadian way of living for decades.
As a Norwegian all your points felt familiar to me and I see that you're becoming one of us, so I welcome you to Norway and the rest of Europe, Kristin. Live where your heart belongs. It seems that your heart belongs in Europe. 🙂
You have a gastronomic experience waiting for you in Pamplona.
Buen camino Kristin!
Great video thanks Kristin!
My friends and family tease me because, like you, I spent years living in Europe and Asia and adopted all of these customs. Even after being back in the US for a few years, I cherish keeping my "foreign" habits. I live in a studio loft above a storefront, don't own a car, grocery shop 3x week, take afternoon naps, don't wear shoes indoors, enjoy a "continental" breakfast and relaxed work schedule. That said, I do like my clothes dryer, A/C on a hot day and ice cubes!
Those last 3 are super important. Air drying cloths is overrated takes forever and my towels were as stiff as a board. I like it cold so I open my windows in the winter. I need AC so I can keep it between 63 and 65 degrees in the summer. Love ice cubes I will also put my drink in the freezer so it gets like a slushy.
I'm Canadian, but my heart is in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is where I would live if I could... hands down. I miss it so much.
For me it’s the cultural shift from consuming and have all new new new and the most stuff, to being proud of and focusing on saving money. In Germany and Austria people discuss saving money and makings smart purchase choices.
Thank you for sharing! Most of these things you mention are things those of us who live in older US cities (and the rest of the world really) also do.
Caribbean parents taught us very early on to remove shoes at the entry. But, in some US homes people do NOT like you removing your shoes (which I still don’t understand). Who wants dirty carpets and floors?
The one thing we in the US need ro really adopt is better work-life balance. We need to SLOW DOWN, turn off those phones sometimes and enjoy NATURE!
I agree! Slowing down makes it easier to savor every moment. Thanks for watching :)
I don't like people taking off there shoes because its likely their feet smell
Yeah, expats love those refrigerators the MIGHT actually hold a 2 liter container of milk.😂
I've always lived with the pile of shoes boots etc at the door 🇨🇦. It's particularly annoying with 3 kids and all their friends etc. I'm sitting here in my slippers. I don't know anyone that wears shoes inside. It's the first thing that's removed even if there's a dinner party or family gathering.
I guess being so fit and healthy also helps you manage different climates, it helps you adapt. Also walking, or going via public transport (which is also a good walk) helps your circulation stay healthy and helps you acclimate. You've done so well, to see and travel so much.
People take shoes at the front door all over Europe. At least that's what I noticed. And I do that too.
Hi, Kristin...I touched base with you awhile back to comment on your fine work. You wrote a lovely response which I thank you for. I'm Chris, the retired teacher living in Leipzig and Dresden since '99, and humbling so, have had an extraordinary life with vast and rich travel experiences throughout the continent. Again, I've been very much at home here for 26 years...
Just returned from visiting family (son & daughter-in-law) in Spain (Jerez) , who had moved there a year ago. I leave for Toulouse next week, and then back to the Azores. at the beginning of March. I love Maderia, but these islands are special to me. I would always be delighted if at some point I could be of resource or assistance, as I'm passionate about European living....once a teacher, always a teacher, they say.
Again, thanks for your prior response and continued success...Cheers!
Parents came from Europe (Latvia). Lived this lifestyle from…birth. My mother never learned to drive; I didn’t own a car until I was 27 and don’t own one currently [rent one once a month for shopping trips]. We never owned a house; I still don’t. The American Dream of home ownership never appealed to me [don’t hate me]. Turning off lights when I leave the room has always been normal. Preferring an open window/fan to air conditioning. Decluttering became habit after my mother passed and I was left with a lifetime of objects that were important to her, but meant nothing to me [sounds cold, but photos and letters mean more to me than bookcases and china]. I’m not a monk and did spend a couple decades under the delusion that ‘he who dies with the most toys wins.’ The ‘Great Recession’ disabused me of that silly belief.
A family friend used to say, "possessions possess you." Remembering that now as I’m planning a move halfway round the world. Narrowing down those ‘things’ to what will fit into a checked suitcase and a carryon bag. The rise of the internet and digital media has helped 😂. Best of luck and be well.
As someone from a European country, it's a source of constant amusement and sometimes frustration how some Americans are able to look at a continent of 742 million people and 44 countries and somehow generalize about that. You don't see me as someone from Europe spending time in Costa Rica, and then go back to Europe saying "Well, in North America, everyone speaks Spanish, and they eat this and that", and so on. Kristin, what you see as "European" is just something that is particular to a specific European region or country you've been in. My point is, there is no such thing as a European habit, and for everything you've mentioned in your video I can mention European countries that do things in another way, perhaps in the complete opposite way.
EDIT: Before someone says "Costa Rica is in Central America!": Yes, it is, but Central America is a subset of North America, hence Costa Rica is in North America.
The ‘Full English’ (other regional versions are available) is a variable offering. It ranges from being a cold plate full of health hazards to a real pleasure…with a runny egg!
My Ex (in France) drank a lot of coffee in the morning I did manage to dilute its effects on her with some ‘proper’ porridge. Bon appetite!
My parents lived in Europe in the 60's and frankly the only consistently happy time in their life that I could detect from their musings, was the time in Europe. They tried to go back but cost got in the way. For me it seems like here, everyone is in a competition with everyone on every level, and especially a knowledge level, "I know more than you you are inferior, I know everything, I never make mistakes, etc", that is simplified, but it makes my point. Other cultures seem happy and well adjusted socially compared to the US, imo. Not all and not on every level, and parts of the US can be quite friendly. But this political divide is one aspect that runs pretty commonly in society everywhere in the US. The vibe just is too adversarial imo. And the next reply will be "Well then leave, don't let the door hit you on the way out" and actually will support my point.
Nice! I didn't pick those things up in Europe, but some similar observations after South America---I haven't bought a car since I came back 7 years ago, and don't want one. I would rather grocery shop every couple of days, and I learned that not having AC is not the end of the world, or heating either. Oh, and in Chile it was considered rude to take your shoes off inside, for some reason, but all foreign customs are not equally sensible! Public transportation IS far better in Europe, and I expect in Asia, my next destination...
I grew up in NYC w/o a car so I shop every day, you can't take a ton of food on the subway, an less goes to waste
THIS WAS GREAT! Shoes off, YES!!!!! For the reasons you gave, I do it too! The shoe cabinet is a good idea!👍🏼😃Where I stayed in Iceland, breakfast was light, whereas in UK it was either beans on toast, cereal, or a hearty breakfast of eggs, fried tomato & bacon/sausage.
Just so you know Kristin, you can get power strips with those switches! Ah...you were making me homesick for Europa! This was the needed "reset" to remind me to slow down a bit and take that siesta! 🛌🏻 Thx for these points & reminders!
I note that you principally are in cities, were as one who lives in the country now does not relate as much with city life. I've lived in European and American cities before and prefer county living. Europe has a lot of country also and I would ask you to touch on that kind of life as well.
Great, accurate perspective. There is a better work/ life balance in Europe. Travel opens up alternatives to living. Wish more Americans could experience this.
Why is it so hard for Americans to adopt improvements to their lives? Or shun benefits because they are "foreign"? It might take another 100 years to switch to the metric system, or bidets.
I feel the same about this.
I think about the idea of having dirty hands, and then just wiping them with paper rather than washing them with water. That's the same thing countries that don't use bidets or a water gun are doing with a much dirtier part of their body. Makes those countries (those first-world countries) seem uncivilized.
Most people have A/C in California now.
I love the bidets in europe...😊
hey Kristin how tall are you? 🤔
I also hope to never have another car. Great to live where there’s good public transport. :)
I hear you!
I wish the US would develop better public transportation. Where I live we don’t have much at all so it’s not an option.
They won’t bc they need to sell us cars
Interesting. I have spent a substantial amount of time in Europe and love being there. My experience - I hate the plug in and unplug everything. The US system, at least in my house, doesn't use energy when not in use and the cost is so much lower. I wear suits, so taking my shoes off and on is more of a challenge. And I have found that outside of the city people keep them on. I agree about breakfast, but love a full English, Scottish, or Irish then not eat lunch. Travel, which is fine if you're in a city, but if you're not, like I am out in the Western US, a car is a requirement. I drive over a hundred miles a week, and that can increase dramatically. It's not uncommon for me to have to drive the equivalent of London to Edinburgh for one meeting. And I have had to get to smaller towns throughout Europe, and had to rent a car to get there. And I like our shopping. If there is an emergency, which do come along, my family is secure until it passes. One strike and food and things are instantly scarce. Which I experienced in France, twice. And I enjoy space, so some of the closet accommodations can fill cramped. And I love air conditioning. Irish homes and offices can be glacial in the winter and London does get hot in the summer to the point of being brutal. And I have never gotten used to the siesta, I would rather work through the day and end earlier than go until late at night. But I have to agree about time off. Europe wins that one for sure.
You're definitely European now. 😉
so glad you went back to america :) plz stay there.
Obviously the European lifestyle is working for you. You look twenty-five and a hot twenty-five.
Sorry, bacon and eggs are typically British
I am an American but consider myself European. I am part of the European Diaspora and I am an American citizen. But deep down inside I am European.
Your take on breakfast is not accurate because bacon and eggs are a staple or the British Isles, Europe is a continent and not a country and there are differences in the various nations
I had a entire section about the full english breakfast but the video was getting too long so I removed it. It is relevant, however.
Some people might have bacon and eggs every morning, but I imagine it is a vanishing pursuit. People often don't have time for that kind of thing any more. There's a reason why there's usually an entire aisle in the average British supermarket just for breakfast cereal.