As an American who’s lived in a few European countries over the past few years, there are plenty of distinctly American things that I miss but have simply accepted I’m not going to find here. An obvious one is great peanut butter. Yes, I’m lucky enough to live in a place where they actually do sell a few varieties of peanut butter, but none of them ever compare to the beauty that is Trader Joe’s Creamy Salted Peanut Butter. Making my own is a great alternative, but unfortunately, I have no room for a food processor in my current place. So store bought has to suffice.
Having a garbage disposal in my kitchen sink would also save me a lot of grief. I never intentionally let food slip down the drain, but it’s impossible to catch every piece and utterly disgusting trying to clean it out. Lemonade in Europe does not necessarily have any lemon in it, and if I were in charge of naming it, I would just call it a fruity soda. Don't even get me started on the impossible task of finding corn tortillas over here...
There are also definitely a few things on this list that I am fond of or can’t help but laugh at the idea of my European friends encountering. One of which is Buc-ee’s, the beloved gas station and convenience store that’s a must-stop on all Texas road trips. I grew up in Texas, so I’ve been to Buc-ee’s more times than I can count. But there are probably more gasoline pumps at any Buc-ee’s location than the number of times I’ve visited.
If you’re unfamiliar, Buc-ee is the large cartoon beaver depicted in a few photos on this list and the mascot of the convenience store chain. Buc-ee’s is a huge shop with merchandise, fresh kolaches and fudge, a large menu of food, a huge array of snacks and drinks, plenty of clean restroom stalls and the friendliest employees in Texas.
I wish that my peers from European countries could have the experience of visiting Costco with their parents, enjoying 10 different samples and a slice of pizza and bringing home the world’s biggest box of crackers. Or showing up to the local abandoned warehouse in September as Spirit Halloween makes its annual appearance. Sometimes I miss being able to find free public restrooms everywhere I go or popping into a one-stop shop like Target. But I know that when I visit my family in Texas, the air conditioning and Tex-Mex will feel even more special, and I’ll get to enjoy a few trips to massive American stores with seemingly unlimited options before returning back to my current home.
For a previous Bored Panda article discussing cultural differences between the United States and Europe, we reached out to Maria Haase, travel writer, photographer and Editor-in-chief of Europe Up Close. Maria grew up in Germany but took family vacations around the US every year. She shared that while she had seen many places already, she was still curious enough about the US to sign up for an exchange year in Louisiana while she was in high school. “Talk about culture shock! But I also met some of the kindest and friendliest people there that turned this year into an amazing experience for me. And I certainly got what I was looking for: To get to know the 'real America,’” Maria shared.
"Culture shock between the US and Germany is not as obvious, but it exists and sneaks up on you," Maria previously told Bored Panda. "Americans are much more focused on the individual, while Germans tend to focus on the benefit of the whole community."
"One stereotype that I found to be very true were the various cliques in high school," she added. "Before I moved to the US, I always thought that was a movie cliché, but it turned out to be a reality when I did my senior year in the US."
We were also curious if there were any myths Maria wanted to bust about the United States. “I think one of the biggest misconceptions about the US is to think of it as one culture," she said. "Yes, they are all Americans, but someone from California versus someone from Louisiana probably has about as much shared culture as someone from Sweden with someone from Italy. There are so many different cultures within the US, it is impossible to think of it as one shared culture."
