USA news on Youtube Sep 4 2017

Hey everyone, Dana here!

I'm an American.

So going back to America is literally going "home," going back to where I'm from.

So what could possibly be the big deal?

Well, sometimes it's just not as smooth and seamless as it may sound like it would

to go home.

Sometimes that home changes while you're gone, or you change too, and then when you

get home it's different, you're different.

The first few times that I went back to the U.S. after moving to Europe did feel like

going home again.

Sure there was a few bits of reverse culture shock here and there - shock at the big cars

and the big highways, surprised to see temperatures in Fahrenheit again - but mostly small stuff

like this, that kind of rubbed off within a few days of being back in the U.S.

But the longer that I lived here in Europe, the more distance grew between me and the U.S.

Because of course, like I said, I changed some while living here in Europe,

and the U.S. changed some.

But for a couple years I think that I was kind of buffered from this change because

my parents actually moved to Colorado, where I had never been before and didn't have any friends.

Which meant that when I did go "back home" I was now going to Colorado, and I basically

spent the whole time with my parents.

So it was kind of like being in a bit of a bubble.

I was able to go back to the U.S. for a few years without really ever feeling that shift

because I just hung out with my parents the whole time.

But then after 6 years of living in Europe, one of my best friends growing up got married

in Florida, and so after years of not being back to Florida, it was time for me to fly

back to South Florida and kind of spend time with people in the U.S. who weren't my parents,

for the first time in several years.

I wasn't "just" invited as a guest at the wedding, but my friend also invited to the

hotel suite in the morning and the afternoon of the wedding to hang out with my friend

and her whole wedding party, so her maid of honor and her bridesmaids.

Which was really awesome.

I was really, really happy to get to be a part of her day like that.

But it was a little overwhelming, too.

I did end up feeling kind of awkward at times.

I was still really happy to be there, to spend the day with her, but I definitely did feel

a little bit like awkward Dana sometimes.

So first of all, I had just flown into town the night before, and so I still had this

kind of weird aura of jet lag around me.

I don't know if anyone else gets this feeling when they're jet lagged, but for me, everything

feels kind of surreal.

And it's like, it's like it's still kind of hard for me to wrap my brain around the

fact that just the day before I woke up in Germany, and now, poof, suddenly 24 hours

later I'm hanging out in a hotel room with a bunch of Americans,

just minutes away from the beach.

There's a pool outside. It's really hot weather.

It's just this big change so quickly, and it kind of leaves me feeling kind of foggy.

Okay, so there was that, but then I also just felt like everyone was talking so fast!

The English was just so fast.

And they were also using slang terms or new terms that I had never heard of.

I mean, I know that language evolves over time, but I guess I just didn't realize

how quickly the language or the terms that are used can change in a matter of years.

I honestly, more than once that day, found myself sitting there having no idea what people

were talking about.

And I guess it wasn't just because of the language, but also because of what they were

talking about.

I mean, I was out of the loop.

I knew about a lot of the big stuff that had been going on in the country, but apparently

many of the little pop culture things, I just had no idea.

People were referencing stories and jokes that I had never heard of.

They were laughing and, I was just sitting there like: haaaa, okay.

Yeah, I have no idea what you're talking about.

But at least there was the music that we had in common, right? Um, no.

I listen to the hit music stations here in Germany, which do play a lot of American songs.

But, of course, they also play a lot of German songs.

And songs from other countries, which I also really love.

And so there are just a lot of American songs that don't end up being played on the hit

music stations in Germany.

Not all the American songs get played here in Germany.

So I didn't know most of them.

A song would come on, and then all of a sudden the girl next to me is like screaming, like:

oh my God! This is the best song ever!

And then everyone was just up and singing and yelling. Like, the best song!

And I'm like smiling, but obviously not singing along because I've never heard this song

before in my whole life.

And so it was just such a crazy experience because, I mean, I was the same age as these

people, one of whom had been my best friend for years, and I had known her for more than

half my life, and yet I didn't know the music, I didn't know the slang that she

and everyone else was using, and I had no idea about the stories and pop culture references

that they were talking about.

Basically I think that I felt how someone older might feel hanging out with a bunch

of people in a younger generation.

No idea what they're talking about or the music they're listening to, the slang they're using.

Except I was in their generation, I was the same age as these people.

Just a few years before, I had been a part of it.

And now I was on the outside kind of looking in.

Or maybe not.

Maybe I had always been a little bit awkward and moving abroad just magnified the experience.

So my question for you is: Have you ever experienced anything like this?

Feeling a little bit awkward in the place you grew up?

Please let me know in the comments below.

Thanks so much for watching.

I really hope that you enjoyed this video.

And also a really big thank you so much to our patrons on Patreon, who help make these

videos possible.

Thank you so much for your support.

If you would like to check out our Patreon page you can find a link to that down in the

description box below.

Until next time, auf Wiedersehen!

Shout-out to my friend whose wedding I was at.

I wish you and your husband all the best.

I miss you and I hope to see you soon.

Feeling awkward in the place that you at one point didn't feel awkward in.

I was out of the loop.

I was totally out of the loop.

Like, I knew...some stuff.

But it was also a little overwhelming.

And in the end, I did up, end up...I felt kind of awkward!

Hey everyone! I'm Dana, I... Already got a blooper within two minutes. Two seconds!

For more infomation >> Why I Felt AWKWARD at my Best Friend's Wedding in USA - Duration: 7:29.

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4 Drinks & 1 Food in Germany That GROSSED ME OUT (but don't anymore!) - Duration: 4:46.

When I first moved to Germany, there were some food and drinks that I found pretty disgusting.

But guess what, after 7 years here, I don't hate them all so much anymore!

In fact, some of them I've even come to like.

Hey everyone! I'm Dana and you're watching Wanted Adventure Living Abroad.

In Germany soda is often served at restaurants without ice in it.

No ice.

And for a really, really long time, I swore up and down that it was absolutely disgusting.

Revolting. An abomination.

Until one day, I found myself sipping on some soda without ice in it...and not being disgusted by it.

And then a little while after that the moment came.

I was pouring myself a soda in the kitchen and Mr. German Man said to me:

"Do you want some ice with that?"

And I said: "Nah, it's fine."

That's right.

I had access to soda and access to ice, but opted out of the latter with the former.

For the most part, though, I do still prefer soda with ice, but now it really doesn't

bother me to drink it without it.

When I moved to Europe I thought that beer was absolutely horrid.

Smelled gross, tasted even grosser.

Now, unlike the soda, I wouldn't exactly categorize this as a success story, but instead

of hating the taste of beer, I would say now I can tolerate it.

Who knows, maybe in another 10 years I'll even be indifferent towards it.

Here in Germany sparkling water is king.

And I learned the hard way that water labeled "classic" at the store is carbonated.

To me classic would be "normal water," without bubbles.

You know, like, what just comes out of the tap.

No, that's called natural water here.

But anyway, at the beginning I choked on this stuff with discomfort, and now I love it.

In Germany wine mixed with water is a thing.

And not just a little thing, but a big, huge super popular thing.

Like, find it at most restaurants and beer gardens thing.

At least here in Munich.

And you might think you could really only do that with white wine, if at all.

But no, red wine too.

Weißweinschorle is white wine mixed with sparkling water and a Rotweinschorle is red

wine and bubbly water.

I don't know for sure, but I believe you get it about 50-50 in your glass, so 50 percent

wine and 50 percent carbonated water.

No ice or fruit. Just wine and carbonated water.

In Bavaria there's this popular cheese spread called Obatzda.

It's often served with onion slices and eaten with pretzels.

Only thing is, it is bright orange.

So at first I was pretty put off by it.

But then I tried it one day, and now I really, really love it.

In fact, on the weekends Mr. German Man and I often eat it with pretzels for breakfast.

Yes, also with the onions.

Raw onions for breakfast.

Yummy. Nice way to start off the day.

So my question for you is: what kinds of food or drink were you at first a little like "uuggh"

about, but now you're like "yay"?

Please let me know in the comments below.

Thanks so much for watching.

I really hope that you enjoyed this video.

If you want to make sure that you don't miss new videos that I put out, don't forget to

click the little bell down there.

And also, a huge thank you so much to our patrons on Patreon,

who help make these videos possible.

Thank you so much for your support.

If you would like to check out our Patreon page, you can find a link to that down in

the description below.

Until next time, auf Wiedersehen!

But instead of having the beer...instead of...wait what did I want to say?

Instead...instead of hating the beer!

I had access to soda and access to ice, but I decided to have...uh.

The, uh, the latter without the former or the former without the latter?

The...the latter without...

The latter with...the...

Okay, I'm so excited. I'm so excited.