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What are some of the things someone permanently relocating away from the US should be aware of?

Assume that this is not a wannabee, but someone who, for example, already has a solid job offer from an EU country, and some cash for the relocation.

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  • If you go somewhere where the main language isn't English, you should make an effort to learn the local language. Yes, there are places like the Netherlands where virtually everybody speaks English well, but not putting in the effort means you'll always be an outsider.

    Things are smaller outside the US: vehicles, apartments, kitchens, refrigerators, etc. It can take a while to get used to not having the same space you're used to. Also, some devices like clothes driers are rare.

    Europeans take recycling seriously. In some places you have to pay to throw away garbage, while recycling is free. But, recycling is sometimes a real effort, like there's not a "glass and plastics" box, you have to take the clear glass to one place, the brown glass to another, etc.

    Tipping mostly doesn't exist. That means that if you go to a restaurant you don't normally have one assigned waiter. Whoever is free will help you, which tends to speed things up a lot. OTOH, since they're not working for tips, the waitstaff don't feel the need to fake a smile, pretend to be your friend, etc. Some Americans think that comes off as unfriendly.

    Electricity is more expensive (part of the reason for the smaller appliances) so sometimes will completely unplug things that an American would just turn off (like a TV).

    Businesses don't have the same convenient hours as in the US. In some places, like Switzerland, they almost completely shut down on Sunday. 24 hour places are much more rare.

    The European take on freedom of speech is different. You are simply not allowed to say certain things. Some things, like libel laws, are much more friendly to the person who is the target, rather than the "free speaker".

    Oh, and smoking is still much more common in Europe, and it can be pretty disgusting. In the US it has been largely eliminated from public spaces, and smokers are confined to small smoking areas. Even in private homes people will often smoke outdoors either to be considerate or because their landlord doesn't allow smoking indoors. In Europe, smoking is still common indoors in many places, and... ugh.

  • There may not be an equivalent to Miranda Rights, namely a right to remain silent or guaranteed explanation of what rights you do have in the event of an arrest or other circumstances.

    IIRC the UK can and will hold someone indefinitely if they refuse to talk. Which wouldn't be as problematic if they could stop abusing anti-terrorism laws, particularly against protestors.

    • This depends on your destination, but you may need to unlearn the habit in tipping, as wait staff salaries are reasonable. Where I live it is common to enable the option for various services, but you're never really expected to. I might tip if something was far beyond expectations with staff going above and beyond what is expected of them, but I usually don't.
    • Extremely simplified/rounded metric: 1 meter = 1 yard or 3 feet
    • 1Kg = 2 pounds
    • 1 gallon = 4 liters (a standard serving of beer is 0.5 liters. Sometimes 0.33)
    • Almost everything carries some sort of tax. This is usually included in the price tag.
    • 50mph = 80kmh
    • most intersections don't have a stop sign. Yeld for anyone entering from your right hand side (unless you're in the UK or Ireland, where it's opposite)
    • Roundabouts are very common, but simple to learn. Think of it as a circular one-way street where you yeld for anyone already in it.
    • Learn the difference between Europe, EU, EEA and Schengen Area. In most cases you may be safe presuming they're the same, but there's a difference that may be relevant if traveling between European countries.
    • Most people speak English to varying degrees, but learning the local language is still very useful. Unless you're going to Denmark. Nobody understands Danish.
    • candy can be very different. European wine gum tastes very different from its US counterpart. The European version is of course far superior, and that's an objective and unbiased fact.
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