40 Ways to Spot an American Abroad

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Americans are super, weirdly, intimately open with complete and total strangers. Maybe it's the security of knowing we're never going to see this person again that makes us open up like they're a bartender and we're four drinks in. Share a little less with strangers overseas.

Overly Sharing Your Feelings

But if you can't help but unload on someone you've never met about how you're marriage is stalling, they're going to peg you for a Yank right off the bat. Discretion is a little more valued overseas and so giving your whole life story to anyone is going to make you come off a little too strong.

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Did you know...

  • Jet lag is worse when you're traveling from west to east. That's because the changes in time zones become not only more physically apparent on your body, but they are also more culturally apparent. If restaurants close at 10pm on the East Coast, you'll just be getting hungry since it will feel like 7pm on your West Coast-adjusted body.
  • There are over 61,000 people on a plane in the air over the U.S. at any given moment. That makes sense because the U.S. has one third of all the airports in the world. Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world with over 100 million total passengers every year since 2015.
  • Even though it is spread across five time zones, the entire country of China is set to Beijing time. Having a single time zone in the United States would certainly make things easier. Currently, the USA is spread across six, but a single time zone would make things a little wonky in Alaska and Hawai'i.
  • Taking a vacation is good for your health! Studies have shown that a vacation can help to lower your risk of heart disease. It's also a proven way to improve your creativity. So if you have some writer's block or need to lower your stress, grab a friend and go on an adventure!
  • Minnesota might say that it's the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," but Canada has it beat. The country as a whole has over three million lakes. That means Canada has 60% of the world's total number of lakes within its borders. It must seem like paradise for people who like to fish or boat!