Living in Germany changed how I see a lot of things. As an American living in Germany, there were things that confused me, frustrated me, and honestly made me question whether I belonged here. But over time, I realized something… Sometimes what feels “wrong” in another culture is actually just unfamiliar. In this video, I talk about things Americans often misunderstand about Germany — from communication styles to Sundays, boundaries, helping culture, and things I’ve actually learned to respect. This is MY personal experience living in Germany 🇩🇪 If you live abroad, what changed your perspective? Subscribe for more honest conversations about life in Germany, travel, culture differences, and the expat experience. #Germany #AmericanInGermany #LivingInGermany #ExpatLife #GermanyVsUSA American living in Germany, Germany vs USA, life in Germany, living in Germany as an American, Germany culture shock, things Americans don’t understand about Germany, expat life Germany, Black American in Germany, Germany culture differences, moving to Germany, Germany lifestyle, Munich Germany, American expat Germany, Germany directness, cultural differences Germany America, honest thoughts on Germany
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For me as a German it's always interesting to hear of the experiences of foreigners in Germany, the cultural differences and reflections on different traditions encountered. Thank you.
Moin! Bro, don't confuse Bavaria and Germany! The differences are much bigger than e.g. between Americans and Canadians. Also, Munich only represents Munich, as major citys do. Living in London is not living in the UK, and so forth. I recommend visiting other areas in 'Schland and see for yourself how much can change in less than a thousend miles! North of Frankfurt, people suddenly start to speak german..! 😊
When I lived in America, I missed real friends. The ones, that give you their real honest opinion, not the once, which are friendly, but don't really listen and don't really care. I met an american, that had cancer and he told me, I was the only one, who asked him about his fears and about his last will. All of his american friends, just pretended, that everything was ok and that he will survive. He died 4 weeks later😢....I still have, since the 80th, a painting, he gave me for a present at that time, to remember him. RIP Peter!❤
yeah , germans don´t want to bother people , but if you ask anyone they will all help you.
As a German, I like the fact that everything is a bit slower and quieter than during the week. That's the idea of the sunday. Enjoy Germany!
An advice for those who recently moved or traveled to Germany and forgot to buy groceries on Saturday: Some bakeries also open for a few hours in the morning on Sundays, so you have an excuse to try out some special pastries and won't starve for an entire day.
I feel that wasting time with a ton of excuses, pleasantries or irrelevant information is rude, directness is the highest form of respect 😅
Great video! To answer your question: A huge misunderstanding many foreigners have is that Bavaria is a perfect representation of Germany. In reality, Germany is incredibly diverse and regional. The people, the dialects, the local culture, and even the laws can change drastically depending on where you are. For instance, the strict 8 PM closing time is a very specific Bavarian thing. In most other parts of Germany, it’s completely normal for supermarkets to stay open until 10 PM or 11 PM. Regarding that incident with the burning trash can in Munich: Keep in mind that the city center is a massive international tourist hub. It’s very likely you were surrounded by visitors from all over the world rather than local Germans. In many other German regions and smaller towns, people are actually very attentive to their surroundings (sometimes even too much!) and would usually call the authorities immediately. Germany is far from being a monolith. Someone from the coast in the North, someone from the industrial Ruhr area, and someone from the deep South will have very different vibes, traditions, and ways of communicating!
Hey, thanks for your insightful comments about the country where I grew up. If you find peace and a good life here, you’ve come to the right place. Welcome, Rellik!
Thanks for the interesting video! A few comments from an ex-American (moved to Germany in 1999 and dropped the US citizenship in 2015). Just as there is not “the American” there is also not “the German”. You came from the South. I came from New England. I do not remember anyone actively going to help someone else out. Maybe there are regional differences … or more to the point there are difference between urban, suburban, and ex-urban areas and their cultures. Also, I used to HATE how you could NEVER count on any of us Americans to do what they say. I had a friend who classified his friends in two groups: “Airport friends” and “non-Airport friends.” What he meant was, those friends who would actually show up to pick you up at the airport. Lots would SAY they would and then back out last minute. With Germans, they do what they say and they mean what they say. I used to hate the whole “let’s do lunch” aspect of american culture. 26+ years of living in Germany both in cities and in the country, I can say the German way of relating is less exhausting, less random, more humane, more respectful. I am so happy to be lucky enough to live here.
Servus Rellik, first of all, this was a really interesting video! I found it fascinating to hear a bit of personal life experience from an American living in Germany. In general, I’m very interested in the differences between the American and European, or German, way of life. By the way, I’m also from Bavaria. So well I have a question for you... could you maybe tell us, in a funny way, how you reacted when you got your first full-time job or employment contract in Germany and read for the first time that worker protection and vacation rules here are quite different from those in the US.. for example, having around 30 vacation days? Haha.. best regards! 😄
Willkommen!
If you find people in Munich a little aloof just try Hamburg. 😂
Welcome to Germany! :) my dad has been working for a few years in the US. He managed a company. The differences in the work life was shock. People were friendly but office friendships were nothing like they are here. But it was always funny to see the other culture. Stay curious. :)
Let me tell you, beeing a german and have moved many times inside germany. Germany my beautiful and divers country got a lot of different beautiful places, some rough places like in Frankfurt and Berlin but there also a lot of quite and cozy comfort to be enjoyed in places like the Schwarzwald, Sächsische Schweiz, Dresdens Elb-Florenz, Nord und Ostsee. So dive in and enjoy. Do not restrict yourself more than you must bc there is a lot of beautiful moments waiting for anyone with an open heart an mind
I was in Canada and US, I hated it that ppl are so superficial. They say, How are you, but don't want to know it. You are friends with a lot of ppl at once, but there is no friendship. They say bbs and doesn't show up for 3 or 4 days. As German, you think, they are making fun of you. For me it was devastating. Never would go to america again.
I hope you have a great time here :D
A rule from my black US Blues Brother: A American can be very kind in one moment. If you turn round the same can shout in your back.
Even in Germany your employer will "force" you into vacation since it's mandatory by law that an employee takes atleast two weeks vacation at once, once a year.
Lol, my grandmother was Bavarian. They are a breed upon themselves. 😂😂😂❤