I'm American and traveling through Europe for the next 6 months. My impressions so far

So far I've been to Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia. So kind of all over. <br><br>I get the feeling that Europe is like the New York City of the world. If you're from a certain part of the world, going to Europe feels like your "making it big" since the big cities are so famous. But now that I'm here I realize that going to Europe is like going to New York City and seeing 1-2 boroughs. It still took a lot of work and money to get to New York, but you have to realize that there still so much more to see and this is just the beginning. <br><br>Europe is a big place and coming from the US I never realized how small each country was. Germany is smaller than Montana and Oklahoma. The UK is smaller than Oregon. I just never realized how small all these countries were. <br><br>Different countries have different ways of doing things. In France and Germany you need to pour your own wine. In Portugal you get free refills for the bread at the table, everywhere. In Czech Republic you need to pay to use the restroom. In some places, especially Italy, you need to ask for the bill or the waiter won't bring it to you. <br>I think part of being a good traveler is learning the customs of the countries you visit. <br><br>I was surprised by how poor some of the countries were. I was in a train station in Poland and it was like being in the third world. The buildings were dilapidated, and there was trash everywhere. I was in southern Italy and again it just looked like a third world country. Nothing like the pictures from Tuscany. I was surprised by how touristy some places were. The historic center of Prague was just filled with tourists. If you're planning on visiting this part of the world, realize that there are areas that are authentic and there are areas that are Disney-esque tourist traps. You have to do some research to get the authentic experience. <br><br>For some reason I thought southern Europe was going to be more Latin America but it actually just felt like Europe. Portugal, Spain, Italy, it didn't remind me of South America at all. I don't know if it's just the language or if I've been brainwashed but every time I was in Portugal I kept thinking about Brazil and nothing about Brazil comes to mind when I'm in Spain or Italy. I don't have any proof but my gut tells me that Portugal is mostly the European settlers while Spain and Italy have a lot of Middle Eastern blood. Idk.<br><br>I've never been to New York City before but I imagine that Paris and Vienna are like NYC. Very cosmopolitan, very wealthy and lots of tourists. Paris was like the LA of Europe. Very pretty but very materialistic and very shallow. Vienna was like the NYC of Europe. Very wealthy, very cosmopolitan. <br><br>For some reason I thought the food was going to be much cheaper but it was still about the same price as the US. $15-20 for a plate at a restaurant. I think what happens is wages are higher here so people can afford to eat at restaurants. <br><br>I kind of feel like Europe is reaching its peak and starting to decline. There are a lot of homeless people everywhere and I saw a lot of empty storefronts. I feel like this is where the US was in 2007. There is a lot of wealth and a lot of poverty, and it feels unsustainable. <br><br>Europe reminds me of the US in a lot of ways. Germany is like the midwest. A lot of factories, very industrial. The coast of Spain and Portugal is like California. Very pretty mountains and ocean. Austria and Switzerland kind of remind me of Utah and Colorado, very pretty mountains. Italy kind of reminds me of Miami. Very pretty but lots of corruption and materialism. France is like New York City. Very cosmopolitan but also cutthroat. Eastern Europe kind of reminds me of Maine, poor and not as populated but still very beautiful in its own way. <br><br>I've always been skeptical of the idea that places have personalities since I've lived in Texas, Nevada, NY, San Diego and Oregon and I'm not sure what a place's collective personality is but I think Europe is the place that has changed my mind on this. I think places do have collective personalities. I think you'll just have to travel a lot to get what I'm talking about. <br><br>I feel like Europeans are nicer than Americans but they also don't like to talk as much. When you strike up a conversation with an American they will talk forever but with Europeans they're mostly short and to the point. I don't know if it's a language thing or not but I do know that when I speak to Americans who don't speak English as their first language they also don't like to talk as much so maybe that's a big reason why. <br><br>I was surprised by all the immigrants. I didn't think about it before but North Africa is right across the water from Spain and Italy. I thought the immigrants from Africa and the Middle East were mostly in the big cities but they're also in the small towns. I didn't realize the extent of the problem. <br><br>I thought I was going to hate digital nomadism but I don't mind it as much as I thought I was going to. Engineers make good money and with the depressed economies in southern Europe and especially in Eastern Europe the money goes a long way. I think the problem with digital nomadism is that the wealthy Americans and Europeans are driving up the prices for the locals. I think digital nomadism only works if you choose your destinations selectively. <br><br>Visa requirements are basically non existent. You don't even need a passport to get in to most countries. I was in Italy and they didn't even check anyone's ID. I don't think anyone knows or enforces the length of time you can stay. I don't think anyone knows or enforces the laws. I think the laws are mostly for show. <br><br>I always get the question of what my favorite place was. Honestly, the longer I travel the more lukewarm I am to places. The more I travel the more I realize that every place has its good things and its bad things. I like some of the food in Italy, but a lot of it is also kind of bland. The architecture in Prague is beautiful but the city is also filled with tourists, homeless people and graffiti everywhere. Bologna has a lot of homeless people and it's kind of dirty but the city is small and easy to navigate. Portugal has some of the nicest people I've ever met but it's also filled with tourists. Idk, the more I travel the more I realize that every place is imperfect and the longer you stay somewhere the more you notice the imperfections. <br><br>Kind of random but I think Europe proves that if you don't let capitalism run wild you can prevent a small portion of the population from accumulating all the wealth and you can prevent homelessness. Idk.<br><br>After traveling through southern Europe for 2 months and Eastern Europe for 2 months I think I'm starting to get a little burned out on traveling. I've been going nonstop for 6 months and I think I need a break. I've kind of realized that I don't need to see everything. I think I want to settle down in one place for a while instead of constantly traveling.