Cheesus
This is all excellent advice, especially regarding France. Where I live, which is only 20 minutes from Geneva, you’d be lucky to find anyone outside larger towns who can speak English confidentially. And forget about it if you have an accent other than very standard British or American.
Europeans in general appreciate the small things in life much more than Americans. Like everyone has already said, try and relax and take it all in, rather than rush from place to place trying to cram as much as possible into your trip. Have that second glass of wine, or that dessert that looks amazing, or even that afternoon nap after a long lunch. Trust me, you remember those moments just as fondly as the big ones.
I guess the joke is on me, I’ve had a sinus infection or something for like a month so my nose is always either running, or clogged. Sometimes both at the same time!
Inyalowda!
The grass is always greener and all that. I spent the first 15 years of my adult life destroying my body in the trades. Sure the money was good, but the hours sucked and you’re still dealing with idiots all the time. Maybe Tracie in accounting doesn’t know to not click on every link she receives in her email, but at least she can write a coherent sentence and refrain from smoking crack in the porta-potties…
And don’t even get me started on service work. People who can’t use computers have nothing on people who can’t change a light bulb or plunge a toilet.
I live in France, about 30 minutes from a major city. There is transit, but it’s not good, and has very few stops near where I live. Grocery shopping has to be done by car or bike as there aren’t any shops in the village. European cities are extremely well served by transit, but outside the metropolitan areas, cars are still king.
I will never understand why people put giant lifts on trucks, but don’t install bigger tires. In the 4x4 world, you actually want a lower center of gravity so you don’t flip, meaning that normally you only lift your truck enough to fit the size of tire that you want. These pavement princesses look like wrestlers with ballerina legs.
Mildly on topic: I recently moved to France from Canada, I’m not an EU citizen, and google isn’t really sure if I’m on vacation or if I’ve moved permanently.
Every single website now asks me about cookie settings. Most have a reject all button, but occasionally I have to manually uncheck some sliders to protect my data. Time well spent.
My parents back in Canada always think it’s some voodoo magic when Facebook shows them ads about stuff they’ve recently been 'talking about (AKA searching on Google.) Duhhh. Thanks EU!