Americans and Czechs are raised in different environments, social norms, and traditions. This creates a contrast between personalities, sense of humor, the way we interact with each other, eating, and drinking, etc.

When you move to a foreign country, there is an intricate balance you find between the culture of your home country, and integrating into the customs of the country where you have relocated.

Cultural differences are among the most exciting aspects of traveling and living abroad, although sometimes they are barriers when getting adjusted to a new country. It is important we understand, learn, and adapt to the new lifestyle, but also to share, teach, and preserve the culture of our home country.

A distinct difference between Czechs and Americans can be found in the way they dine and drink alcohol. Czech’s often eat homemade meals, and eating out is infrequent. In the U.S. you will find it is common to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner out in restaurants. Moreover, In the Czech Republic drinking is often encouraged when in good company, while in the U.S. alcohol has become slightly stigmatized.

In the Czech Republic it is common to go out and have a coffee or tea with your friends for an hour or two. In the U.S., coffee is usually drunk on the go, and only on a few occasions people are getting together in cafés.

You can also see how culture influences personality, sense of humor, and our mentalities. For example, Czechs are often said to have “black humor” while Americans tend to be more “politically correct.”

When you move abroad it is important to have a basic awareness of the culture, recognize the social norms, and understand how things work (restaurants, banking, public transport, etc.) to make your transition as easy as possible.

To read the full article on differences between life in the Czech Republic and USA please visit here.

The author, Chelsea Cavlovic, is American trainee in Foreigners.cz. Foreigners.cz can offer their services, experience, and knowledge to help your relocation and integration to the Czech Republic.