Landing in the United States for the first time is a lot to take in, no matter where you are coming from.
When non-Americans were asked to list the weirdest things they’ve experienced, these common suspects popped up online: the aggressive tipping culture, the mystery math of sales tax, and the bizarre public bathroom stalls.
The conversation has reached a fever pitch lately. With the FIFA World Cup drawing a fresh wave of international fans, many newcomers are expressing their confusion and surprise across Reddit.
But the list isn’t all bad. Tourists are also discovering the sudden warmth of the American stranger, and the traditions that make this country so uniquely charming.
Whether you’re trying to decode American life or a local who wants to see their country through fresh eyes, we’ve rounded up the internet’s most honest confessions. Here is what it’s actually like to experience America for the first time.
#41
I'm American but I had a funny interaction with a foreigner yesterday. I live in Seattle and the world cup is happening here so there are tons of people from all over the world visiting right now. Yesterday was the down town art walk and my girlfriend and I were sitting outside a gallery painting fridge magnets. This south American family walks by and the mom points at steam coming out of the manhole cover in the street and asks us, "this normal??" And we replied yes. She seemed flabbergasted. It was cute and hilarious.
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8points
#42
My friends from Japan were totally blown away by the beauty and scale of our national parks.
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8points
#43
My first visit to the US was kind of a culture shock. I did not expect to see all power lines overhead like in third world countries. The massive billboards everywhere littering the main roads, the amount of poverty you see driving through rural areas and on the other end the massive wealth and McMansions in more popular areas. I still have a hard time imagining how only 2 people live in a 4000 sqft home. In general homes are just massive, same with SUVs and Trucks. But the national parks and the vastness of land was just terrific.
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8points
#44
Had spent a month or so in Boston in ‘18, got the Amtrak down to NYC for a few days before flying back to the uk. Walking out of msg subway station to find myself at the bottom of a man made canyon of skyscrapers was like nothing else I’ve experienced. It was almost a sublime experience.
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7points
#45
Portion size at restaurants.
Drive thru everything.
The amount of plastic bags given at stores.
The bs that is physical junkmail.
How kind and friendly Americans are for the most part. Opening doors, greetings, genuine concern for strangers. I had to ask my husband what they wanted from me!
Drive thru everything.
The amount of plastic bags given at stores.
The bs that is physical junkmail.
How kind and friendly Americans are for the most part. Opening doors, greetings, genuine concern for strangers. I had to ask my husband what they wanted from me!
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7points
#46
It wasn’t recent but on my first visit I was struck by how normalized the slightly overweight male physique was. Like you almost didn’t see any men in their 40s and 50s whose doctors wouldn’t say they should ideally lose 10lb or more.
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7points
#47
The thing with the US is you gotta consider just how big and diverse we are. I lived in New England and got culture shocked in a recent move to Arkansas. There’s a ton of America, you could visit a different town every weekend and never run out of novelty for the rest of your life.
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7points
#48
The giant pickup trucks. Some looked big enough to have their own ZIP code.
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7points
#49
People casually chatting with strangers. Very friendly, very unexpected.
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7points
#50
Family in town from Guatemala to watch the games. First thing they wanted to do when they landed is go to Target and Taco Cabana.
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7points
#51
The portion sizes at restaurants are way bigger than anywhere else Ive been and I always have leftovers.
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7points
#52
My in-laws freak the F out every time I turn right on red.
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6points
#53
Chocolate. The first time I tasted Hershey's I was completely bewildered. I'd never experienced anything like it.
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6points
#54
My British friend was surprised by all the lawyer billboards and the massive highway systems (like the over passes and stuff).
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6points
#55
People have easiness on starting to talk with me, a complete stranger, in the middle of the supermarket. And it's just a casual friendly talk which isn't common on countries where that would be the equivalent of distract-and-rob.
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6points
#57
People's friendliness. I mean, just impressed most people are pretty open to talk and interract.
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6points
#58
We’ve hosted a number of German exchange students. We live in the southwest. Their biggest takeaways were:
• The huge yellow school buses, they thought that was just in the movies
• Iced sweet tea and free refills—I can just ask for another one?? One mom even asked me for the “recipe” after her child returned home.
• How far apart everything is
• Ceiling fans, and in every room, they thought this was revolutionary
• Every single building is air-conditioned
• The lack of nearby large places to hike and walk without taking a drive there
• Portion sizes
• Every kid having a smartphone
• Kids are rarely alone without parents—e.g. they don’t bike to school, or walk and wander around town together
They also have a fixation on Raising Cane’s. 🤷🏼♀️.
• The huge yellow school buses, they thought that was just in the movies
• Iced sweet tea and free refills—I can just ask for another one?? One mom even asked me for the “recipe” after her child returned home.
• How far apart everything is
• Ceiling fans, and in every room, they thought this was revolutionary
• Every single building is air-conditioned
• The lack of nearby large places to hike and walk without taking a drive there
• Portion sizes
• Every kid having a smartphone
• Kids are rarely alone without parents—e.g. they don’t bike to school, or walk and wander around town together
They also have a fixation on Raising Cane’s. 🤷🏼♀️.
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5points
#59
My brother-in-law is from Italy and his first time in the states we took him to a house party in Oakland. It was basically a kegger. But there was also a band and a karaoke room and a bunch of people smoking. His biggest takeaway... Those red cups are real? Not just in the movies? Those were red solo cups ladies and gentlemen.
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5points
#60
Wait staff at restaurants desperate to try and keep a glass of water filled on your table constantly. I'm used to having to ask for water if I need it.
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5points