When Americans travel they often get the question, “So, you’re an American?” Yes, it can be that obvious. Read below for the tell-tale signs that give it away when Americans travel internationally. Let’s begin with:
You demand cold drinks
For example, whenever you ask for a glass of soda, you’re always given either a glass of soda (sans ice) and you promptly ask for ice or you’re given a glass of ice because they already know you’re going to ask for it.
Can you relate with these signs?
Wearing a baseball cap
During an appearance on a local British talk show, there was one thing British actress Emily Blunt told her American husband, John Krasinski, not to do while in the UK. Don’t wear a baseball hat because “it’s so American!” Americans are usually the only ones who wear baseball caps whenever they travel. It may be cool for them but a sure sign for locals that you’re an American and they will treat you like a foreigner hence less immersion in their culture.
White socks are almost unheard of in Europe. The color of the socks you wear directly corresponds to the color of the pants you wear. Now if you were wearing athletic wear during your travels, then yes, white socks will go with it. However, do you really want to wear athletic daily during your travel?
Americans are obsessed with perfectly white and aligned teeth. That’s why braces have become like a rite of passage during adolescence. That’s why, when they’re in Europe or other countries, it’s easy to spot Americans because of their perfect teeth.
Americans clap at everything. When they see a server magically save glasses from falling down, they clap. When there’s a street performance they see that they like, they clap. Not only that, they shout as loud as they can as well. Only Americans do this.
Other people will know you’re American with your replies, especially if you greet them with American slang like “bro,” “brah,” and “dude.” People from other countries will not respond to American slang. Even if they do, they will always reply with a laugh. When you’re in a different country, it’s better to talk like the locals.
When in America, Americans don’t wear fanny packs. However, the rules change when they travel to other countries. Fanny packs come out because they’re quite practical. They’re ugly but practical.
When Americans think of football, they automatically think of players rough playing and tackling each other. For the rest of the world, football involves kicking a ball across the field with no tackling. Americans are annoyed that football means anything else other than the sport they know. That’s also why they miss out on events like FIFA.
Americans are always eating on the go. If they can carry it in one hand and eat it while they walk, they’ll take it. Since they want to see as much as they could while on vacation, they eat food they can eat while they go to their next destination.
No matter how much Americans want to taste local food, they still gravitate towards McDonald’s wherever they see it. It’s even almost a must when you’re traveling with young kids. Although, there are also Americans who can’t or won’t try local food and only want to eat American food, thus the daily trips to McDonald’s.
Because European countries don’t really have a strict age limit on drinking, they have learned to drink responsibly while still young. This is very different from Americans who have to wait until they’re 21 to drink alcohol. Because they have to wait, they tend to overconsume and get drunk easily. When you spot someone getting drunk easily, they’ll most likely be American.
Americans can be quite prudish. That’s why when they see “shocking performances” in other countries, they are, well, shocked to their core. Plus they obsess over these performances. If you’re looking for an American among these performances, look for the one with big shocks on their faces.
Americans love to talk to locals. They will strike up a conversation with anyone they find interesting. To be polite, the other person will smile and nod, hoping they’ll eventually go away. Unfortunately, Americans take this as a sign that the stranger still wants to talk so they talk even more and the conversation becomes endless.
Because they love their small talk, Americans end up telling too much. TMI much? They’re in the zone though and it’s so hard for them to stop unless the other person tells them to stop.
Do you know who wears shorts? Young local boys and American men. Local men usually wear different types of pants. They never wear shorts outside of the beach. Americans wear shorts every day when they travel. So easy to spot!
Tipping is already a tradition in America. It’s already ingrained in their psyche so wherever they are, they tend to tip everyone. For them, it’s a way to appreciate the service or product of the other person. However, there are some who find this unnecessary or even insulting. So know who and when to tip.
Even if you’ve never done any of the above things, there’s still one major giveaway that you’re an American. It’s your accent. An American accent is undeniable and can be spotted from miles away.
What’s worse though is trying to disguise your American accent and trying the local accent. It just comes across as trying too hard and very unauthentic. Next time, just try speaking their language. The locals will appreciate it even more.
When you’re in a foreign country, a lot of Americans think everyone knows English so they don’t bother learning the local language. Then they get frustrated no one understands them. People in other countries may know several languages but it doesn’t automatically mean that English is one of them.
Americans tend not to learn the customs of a town or country before they visit. That’s why a lot of them get into trouble because they’ve done something offensive. A simple innocent act can be offensive in another country. It’s usually Americans who violate this rule.
When Americans meet other Americans abroad, they scream so loud as if they’ve just met a long-lost friend or family member. They’re not though. They’re strangers. They just rejoice at the fact that they have seen familiar people in an unfamiliar land.
In countries like France and Italy, coffee is meant to be savored. How do you know an American is drinking it? When they order their coffee to go. Sit down and enjoy your espresso, bro!
Hand sanitizers have become a permanent part of an American traveler’s handbag. Especially when it’s time to eat, they’ll whip out their hand sanitizer faster than you can say clean. Americans aren’t germophobes but it just seems they’re so fascinated by killing them.
Americans love to show off their personality, their passion, their interests, and their causes with their shirts. The truth is only Americans care about this. People abroad wear fashionable attire. If you’re looking for an American, spot the tourist with the statement shirt.
Being a patriot is a good thing. Loving your country is a good thing. However, when you suddenly connect the good ol’ USA to just about anything (even if doesn’t make sense), that’s when things can go awry. The locals don’t really care, especially if they love their own country, too.
More often than not, Americans leave behind messy hotel rooms. Housekeeping staff can attest to it. There are clothes and towels everywhere. The bed is unmade with the cover hanging off the bed. There is trash and luggages everywhere. Only Americans mostly do this.
Because Americans are used to big spaces back in their country, they are not aware of the amount of space they occupy in other countries. They take up the whole sidewalk while so many people walk past them and around them. Unfortunately, Americans get shouted by locals, even if they don’t want to, because they’re always blocking everybody else’s way.
Few Americans can practice the concept of packing light, especially when going abroad. They usually carry big luggages. Their luggages are sometimes even bigger than them!
Americans can be obsessed with their phones. Sometimes, they spend a lot of time on it than their travel companions while traveling. Americans are just too preoccupied with their phones that they miss out on actually experiencing the local scene.
There’s nothing wrong with selfies. Even Europeans take loads of selfies every day. However, if you are spending too much time obsessing over how you looked in your selfie photos instead of appreciating the place you’re visiting, you’re taking too many selfies. When you take out your selfie stick, that’s a dead giveaway, that’s an American.
When Americans travel they often get the question, “So, you’re an American?” Yes, it can be that obvious. Read below for the tell-tale signs that give it away when Americans travel internationally. Let’s begin with:
You demand cold drinks
For example, whenever you ask for a glass of soda, you’re always given either a glass of soda (sans ice) and you promptly ask for ice or you’re given a glass of ice because they already know you’re going to ask for it.
