Differences between Germany and the USA

      Hey Guys! I'm sorry for not posting recently. A lot has been happening here and I've begun some new endeavors that I'll let you know about soon! However, because I've been busy with changes and figuring out multiple details, I've taken a backseat to this blog, and I don't want that. I think this blog can be a great way for me to share my experiences in Europe with people who either have never been here or are just interested in broadening their horizons and learning about different cultures. But this blog isn't going to be that effective if I don't give you regular updates, now is it? So I've decided that I'm going to regularly post two times a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. For Americans, I'm six hours ahead, but I'll try to regularly post at night here, which means you'll be able to read about my experiences at your leisure in the afternoon.

Now, back to posting.

As you know, I've been in Germany. So far I've posted snippets about life here and how it's different from the US, but I feel like I should you guys a generalized list of the differences I've observed myself.

1. No Air Conditioning. Okay, as a Florida native, I am basically addicted to air conditioning. It allows you to stay trapped safe indoors away from the sweltering and humid hell that is summer. The heat isn't that bad in Germany, and the humidity is laughable, but it still sucks when it's hot enough that sweat drips from your thighs while you're lying practically comatose on a couch. And you can't escape into an air-conditioned restaurant or movie theater. Yup, they don't have it either. At least it's only warm here about three months out of the year. Not that that thought helps much to deal with those three months.
2. Drink "Refunds". This is super cool. Usually, when a German buys something to drink in a store, like a beer, soda, water, etc., they are charged a Pfand in addition to the regular price of the drink. Then, after the bottle's empty, you can bring it back to the store or to a Pfand machine, give up the bottle, and you get MONEY!!! It's usually about 20 cents, but it's still cool, and it adds up. Sure it's technically just you getting your money back, but it's an awesome feeling getting cash for trash. It's also a great incentive to get people to recycle, which adds to the overall sustainability environment here in Germany.
3. Biergartens. In my opinion, Germany is a pretty sociable area, at least from what I've seen in the south. People are always open to meeting up with friends and family for a drink to talk for hours on end. A great place to do this is in one of the multiple Biergartens scattered around the country. A Biergarten is basically any place that serves food and drink (and just to be clear, usually beer.) Customers can sit inside the restaurant, but most people are in the open courtyard that in my experience has usually been in a forest. It's so rustic, I feel like I'm sitting in a Grimms fairytale as I sip my Weissbier, the only alcohol I can stand. (Fun info: I once tried banana-flavored beer. Interesting, but suprisingly not terrible.)
4. Easily Accessible Public Transportation. I think one of the biggest differences between the US and Germany is public transportation. Everything is so far away in the US (unless you're somewhere like New York City) that everyone needs a car in order to go...well, anywhere. Not the case here. First of all, Germany is just smaller overall than the US. I think Texas might be bigger, but don't quote me on that. Basically, you can get to the next town in about ten minutes via car, 20 minutes via bike. The public transportation itself is also fantastic. For a day ticket that costs about 3 Euros, you can ride any bus or train anywhere (within a certain geographical limit) for the whole day. This way you can go to the nearest city for lunch, shop at H&M, get groceries, and go back home all for that price. When you compare it to how many miles and money we need to get anywhere in the US, it's paradise.

What do you guys think? Are you surprised by these differences?