6 REVERSE CULTURE SHOCKS OF RETURNING TO USA (from Italy)

I knew, after being back in the States for just a couple days, that I needed to do this video about the REVERSE Culture Shocks of coming back to the USA to visit family.

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0:00 - intro
1:25 - #1
2:50 - #2
3:59 - #3
4:48 - #4
5:50 - #5
7:14 - #6

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INSTAGRAM // @qkatie

A bit about me: My name is Katie Quinn and I'm a video journalist, writer, and food enthusiast living in southern Italy. On this channel I make videos about life, travel and delicious things. I post every week, and of course, I #keepitquirky :)

[giovannimaiandi]

Comparing Trani to New York is quite a hard thing to do 😂!
I experience some of these reverse shocks every time I switch between Lanzo, my wife’s little town and Turin: 40 km far! Wide sidewalks, large stores, quick web connection, people Who speak foreign languages in front of strong piedmontese accent and dialect…😳
Italy is very “dense”: many different worlds in a small space

[flaviabuiarelli]

The thing about the grocery stores for me is funny. I am Italian and live in Belgium and when I am back to Italy I am amazed by the supermarkets and the quantity and variety (and quality I must say) of products compared to Belgium!

[grantparman]

I live in Iowa, also in the Midwestern United States, and my wife and I are currently planning a two-week trip to Italy in September, and we're excited. I've been studying the Italian language for a year now, and I'm excited to use my new language skills!

[BigSmallTravel]

You are in a small town in Southern Italy so you need to reference this. Either way, comparisons are always fun ...

[jeanniebeannie]

I came back to the US after a year in Japan and I was like OH MY GOD THESE PEOPLE ARE SO BIG!!! I don't mean "overweight"--just bigger people! That blew my mind.

[worldgrea]

Hey Katie, It's funny how you're suprised by 5G. I live in Germany and I'm always surprised about how well the networks work in Italy. I've got pretty good reception even in small villages in Calabrian mountains. That's far superior to lots of places in Germany.Also 5G was more common there compared to Germany. Italy overtook many European countries in digitalisation, including Germany. I've read an article about it not too long ago. Also in terms of contactless paying, Italy is way ahead. I was about to move to Italy as well, before the Pandemic was hitting. I got Italian roots too, and also got family there. I'd really like to explore more of Italy in the future, and i think the proper way to do that, is by moving.
Anyway, keep up the good work with your channel, you really have the passion for it 😀
Greetings, Daniel

[mihaelaclaudiap..]

Italy will always remain the love of my life. I am now in the U.K but I will run back to Italy in few months time, life there is perfect! (I live in Florence while in Italy)

Bravo! Io condiviso con te questa emozione di scoprire l´Italia como il nostro paese ancestrale. La lengua è ancora una sfida per me, ma viaggio bene li peró. Complimenti per il tuo lavoro.

[andredm]

I'm working in my Italian citizenship process right now, and I'm originally from Brazil but I'm also a citizen in America. Love to listen to your opinions about things in Italy Katie, I so see a lot of similar things coming from Brazil in Italy from what you share, but I love to see your "American" view and take on things. Keep 'em coming!

[ddpagni]

Hi Katie, your Italian pronunciation is getting better and better! Your speech has no mistake! Keep up the good work

[valeriobertilotti]

Katie, I am Italian and I live in Italy, and I know from friends from other countries who live here that when you have been and are staying in Italy, then nothing will be the same... 😀

[aaronl]

I just came back waiting for my work visa, it is SO STRANGE COMING BACK. Wide roads and like you said sidewalks, completely agree on coffee (I only had a half of a small when I got back), polite driving, overhearing english everywhere is overwhelming, quick service at stores and government stuff, MINDBLOWING BEING BACK

[giancarlodirovasenda]

Love the video but i do have to disagree on 5g. Just came to Italy from the US after 6 months and I had your feeling but in reverse. US cellular service seemed to me so old and inefficient, especially to the average cost of a us cellular membership account which can easily go beyond 50 to 60 dollars a month. And I wasn’t living in some lost small town in the Midwest but in SF, the so called tech Mecca. In comparison in Italy internet and 5G service even if not equallly distributed throughout the whole country is still very widely spread and much cheaper to access. For instance I just concluded a phone membership with the Italian national operator ( not exactly the cheapest option ) for 12 euros and that gives me 70 go by month. To have an equivalent offer with the same options in the us and a comparable quality of service, you’d probably need to spend at least 70 dollars.

[cherin]

Totally agree about the coffee. My husband and I finally made it to Italy last August and I absolutely loved the coffee culture. We had our first Italian coffees at a gas station! We were blown away that we could get espresso in real china cups at a gas station. We got back to the US and I immediately ordered a moka pot. I do have to add sugar to it though, even though I can drink american coffee black. I really miss Italy and hope to go back. Love your channel. I'm trying to learn Italian, but just don't know if I'll ever get it.

[neffscape]

Hi! Greetings from thr italian speaking Switzerland and congrats for your channel! The first thing I noticed when I went to the US the first time and that shocked me were all those people sleeping on the sidewalks. I remember almost stepping over an old couple (could have been my grand parents) that were sleeping hugged outside the subway. I felt so bad for them that this ruined my day in NYC. In San Francisco I really liked all the small talks with people I didn't know. It's not something I was used to in Switzerland. Another thing is the size of pretty much everything, from coffee, to stores, sidewalks and of course... to cars. I rented what for me was a huge SUV and was asked why I didn't want a "full size" SUV instead (like my car was a half sized one?). I loved it btw, it was bigger than my flat in Europe :)

[smtuscany]

Hello Katie! 5G network also exists in Italy. Arguably it's not everywhere, but it's getting there. It's just that probably your Italian subscription doesn't include it, because there are dedicated offers to have that.

[kerryshaw]

Thanks Katie! Another reverse culture shock (from my son, a resident of Venezia for the past 2 years) - US has entire aisles in the grocery store dedicated to chips and cereals. He agrees with you about the ease of communication. Since he's lived on the island/lagoon of Venice, he also is getting re-used to cars everywhere.

[jfr]

Kiro will will be happy to have his family back home! Safe travels when you go! Stay well!

[leonardosunseri]

Buonasera ed auguri anche a te ed ovviamente a tutti i tuoi cari.
Video interessante, è bello vedere che l’Italia lascia sempre un segno nelle abitudini delle persone che hanno vissuto qui.
Ti faccio i miei complimenti per come hai migliorato la tua cadenza! Ora il tuo accento è meno marcato quando parli in italiano, continua così!💪🏻😁
Inoltre da cittadino italiano a cittadina italiana ti faccio i miei auguri per la giornata del Tricolore!🇮🇹💪🏻

[YasminBendror]

Love this video. As someone now living in USA that has been to Italy (and Europe) many times, it really tickled me and made us laugh. Especially the BIG coffee take away cups (coffee in USA leaves much to be desired) and the HUGE supermarkets! OMG it's crazy how much we can consume in the USA.