Today was the beginning of the second half of our trip throughout Europe, so I thought it’d be a good time to reflect on some of the faith and cultural differences that I’ve experienced so far.
Christianity is probably the most important influence on the history of Europe and as we’ve been touring through these massive cathedrals, that has been very clear to see. But the thing that has surprised me the most is that the majority of these beautiful churches are no longer used as they were originally intended. Some of the ones we visited still hold regular services, but most of them are just tourist destinations. I had never realized until this trip that Europe has become far less religious than the United States.
I have been surprised by some of Europe’s cultural norms as well. Even something as normal as just walking down the street is a different experience here. In the US, if I make awkward eye contact with someone while walking in a popular area, I would normally just give a quick smile or nod and continue walking. But here in Europe I don’t think I’ve received either a smile or a nod in return when this has happened, I just get a strange look and then they pick up the pace in the opposite direction. Europeans just tend to keep to themselves, which was kind of weird to get used to at first.
Another difference I’ve noticed is that Europeans eat dinner far later than I’m used to in the US. When we have free time to get dinner on our own, we will show up to the restaurant around 5:30-6 o’clock and the entire place will be empty. Then once we’ve eaten and paid the bill (on one check because usually they won’t let you do separate checks), the locals will start to show up and fill the restaurant.
These are just a few differences I’ve seen so far, but it’s been an awesome experience. It’s easy for me to get comfortable where I live and forget that there are different places and different people out there in the world. This trip has done a great job of immersing me in new cultures so far and I’m looking forward to the second half of it.
Hamilton Mutschler