First of all, Europe is a big place!
So not of their customs are going to be the same across the board.
Great customs/habits that people do in Central Europe that I genuinely wish Americans would adopt:
- Taking shoes off in the house. This makes house work so much easier!! And actually cuts way down on foot odor! And while it's true that some Americans do do this, it's not the norm like it is in much(not all) of Europe.
- Turning lights off when you leave a room. A no-brainer but amazing how many Americans neglect to do this! WE Americans waste so much!
- Pouring a beer with a proper head. I'm not much of a beer drinker, but pouring it this way means that less gas gets trapped in the actual liquid, making for a less bloated, less gassy experience(and allowing greater consumption of beer). Look at that milky foam!
- Learning a second(and a third) language from an early age..
It's fun...it's practical...
...it's essential for chatting up babes in the Euro-disco....
- Walking to work if it's close. (Weather permitting.) Easier. Cheaper. More conducive to fitness. Whereas I've known people in America that literally jog ten miles every day, and then drive 200 yards to the 7-11 to buy milk.
- Functional public transport in cities. I understand that inter-city transport is impractical in much of America. The spaces are just too vast. I'ts almost cheaper to drive.... But it's ridiculous that in my home town of 160 000 people, it would take me minimum of 2.5 hours to cross town by bus and then I'd have to walk another mile for my destination.... It's almost faster to walk! Sure, a city tram can get a little hot and uncomfortable in the hot summer months but the pay-offs are great!
- A culture that encourages sports. And I mean doing sport, not just watching someone else do it on TV. Hiking, cycling, skiing, tennis, floorball, soccer, ice hockey, squash, basketball...Not every European does every sport. but most of them do some. And you know what? When everybody around you does it it becomes a LOT easier to do it yourself! Herd mentality. In the best way possible.
- Maternity leave! Money's always tight when a new baby is born. . My girlfriend had six months off and a small amount of money from the government for another 1.5 years. Look, we still struggled. But it was healthier for her, healthier for my son, and healthier for society.
- A generally more laid back less high strung, less hyper-tense culture. I feel like, from high school on, America is one gigantic obstacle course of stress. Nowadays it even seems maybe it's from kindergarten on. So much hypercompeition and jostling to achieve a higher social-economic class..... High blood pressure, heart disease, shorter life spans--all for small financial rewards whose existence, all things considered, is dubious at best for the average person.
- 4 weeks of vacation! I can't believe what a difference this makes in a persons life! Getting away from it all somewhere in the mountains or the beach; the peace and quiet of hearing an unfamiliar tongue surrounding you;, waking up with nothing you have to do for a week..., bickering and quarrelling with your significant other...wait, scratch that....Take two weeks in summer, a week at Christmas, a week in early Spring...And take pictures like these::
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