Has anyone been to Europe and returned home only to become depressed of how sucky it is compared to Europe?

Question

I went to England, France, Switzerland, and Italy and now that I'm back home I feel like everything here is so blah and I hate it.

Answer 1

Yeah i know how you feel...last summer, about this time i was in europe and i went to Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France, and England. Due to the sadness i felt i went way into debt and bought a house in Italy. I dont really care about the debt im in because you only get to live once, so enjoy it!

Answer 2

It's always hard to come back home from vacation. I spent two weeks in Greece this past May, and while I did miss it, I have a wonderful life and great family in N.Y. and I know I'll get back to Greece sooner than later. Or someplace else just as exciting. In the end though as long as you have life and breath in your body, nothing really "sucks".

After all if you lived and worked there it wouldn't seem as glamorous, and it's nice to have something to look forward to next time. I'm sure many people from Europe think the same thing when returning home from vacation. Especially considering the gas prices THEY pay.

Answer 3

go and live and work in those countries before you complain. Going anywhere on vacation then coming home to the routine can be hard, but don't say out country is sucky because you had fun on vacation.

Answer 4

Enjoy your time at home...

Answer 5

I think it may depend on where in the States you live, assuming that you're American like I am.  If you live in a boring part of the country--I find the midwest to be extremely boring--then I'm sure being in a different state would be more exciting, much less another country.  Plus the U.S. is only 300 years old; we don't have the rich history & architecture that other countries do.

I go to New York City a lot, and when I get back to DC I find it blah too.  Just because there isn't as much going on.  I feel your pain!  =)

Answer 6

I too have spent time abroad.   I was in Germany for close to three years and lived in Mexico for about the same amount of time.  I was in the military in Germany, but lived and worked in Mexico where I learned Spanish fluently.  I learned German too,, but as fluently as Spanish.  I have traveled in Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Canada, and at least forty states of the U.S.  Yes, I agree that living here is blah, as you put it.  There is so much more color in  daily life in other countries and so much more verve for just living.  One of the main emphases I found which contrasted with life in this country was that of not needing to have all kinds of material goods just for the sake of owning them.  Most people of the countries I was in bought quality merchandise and kept it until it was no longer useful, meaning it had worn out.  They didn't have to have something just because it was new.  There was more emphasis on family and friends than on career, money, and getting "things."

For you who say, "Well, why don't you go there and live then?"  My answer is, "Why don't you go and experience what I and Mel have before you stoop to sarcasm about something you know nothing about?"

Answer 7

Yes.  I went to Germany for school when I was 17 and then traveled around Europe.  When I came back to Canada I was depressed for years until I finally finished college and got a job that I could travel with.  When I finished that job Canada still depressed me but me and my husband got visas to go work in Denmark.  I think it is because people seem to enjoy life so much more in Europe.  They work hard but they don't just go home and watch tv.  They go out and do things.  Plus they travel a lot and they have good social systems that allow them to live a less stressful life.  North American sucks the life out of me.

Answer 8

You can't make that kind of judgment from a site seeing tour. Try living there for 3 - 6 years and you'll be singing a different tune.

Answer 9

why don't you leave then.

Answer 10

Um, no.  I've lived in Italy and England.  I've visited many other European countries.  Europe has a lot to offer, but I still prefer living in America.

Answer 11

Yeah. Its kinda like we have no history at home.

But there are other advantages here.

Answer 12

Nope. I'm always grateful to return to America from the land of the great unwashed!

Answer 13

Let me tell you something from a different perspective. I am from England and I always have wanted to visit the US. I've actually been on holiday 3 times now and enjoyed every visit. Your country is fascinating (I'm assuming you are from the US) and actually beautiful in places (eg. Boston, San Francisco, Grand Canyon, Florida's Gulf Coast, etc). But I would not like to live there. Why? Because the news is awful! It is all America this, America that! There is no encouragement to see things from a global perspective. That's why I love living in England.

Funnily enough, America might have the worst news, but it makes most of my favourite TV shows!

Anyway hope you come to England sometime, and enjoy your stay!

Answer 14

arrrhhh thats so sweet thank you! im from England so im glad you enjoyed it so much x*x

Answer 15

You went to the best countries in the world to visit - Switzerland and France.  They put on a good show for visitors because they need your dollars.  Going on vacation is always nice because you see the nicest parts of the countries. However living there long term can be really tough - Switzerland and England are two of the most expensive countries in the world to live. Try living there for three months and you will know. The housing is crappy and everything is godawful expensive.  Salaries are not that good and the taxes are sky high.

Answer 16

I've been to Japan and to me it is worse then America but I've been from one side of the country to the next and all I can do is hope Europe is better. As an Italian decendent I looked into expating, some thing you may be intrested in if you find the closed mind of America to tiring.

In the sources block you'll find some helpful links.

It's a difficult process but never have I heard any one regretting it. Yes America has a lot to offer but look at the raise is medication for depression and social problems, the obesity rate and our ignorance on any thing off the continent aside from places with oil.

Answer 17

YESYESYES. I love all the culture and history and beauty of Italy, France & Germany that when I came back to the US, I was thoroughly dissapointed. :[

Answer 18

I just went on vacation to Rome, Seville, and Barcelona, and they were awesome places to visit. I can not agree with you though. After two weeks in Europe I was so ready to return to Indianapolis, Indiana. Europe is a neat place to see, so much history to see, and a variety of people and cultures, but I found that nothing compares to the States. Plus someone else made a good point, vacation is vacation, it is always way more fun that the blaa blaa everyday life. One thing I will say though is before I went I had heard all the talk about how much better Europe is than here, and we have no culture, blaaa, blaa. None of it is true. We have better food, nicer people, and our own American culture. Id anyone from Europe knocks us its either through ignorance or jealousy.

Answer 19

when we came back from italy i was and still wish i was back there.  but i do know that what i experienced on vacation is totally different from actual reality there.  i am sure the locals do have a great life, but it isnt anything like a tourist.  so keeping this in perspective i know that as much as i think it is great, my home country is wonderful too!  you cant always look at it as a "this country is awesome bc of this" sort of thing, almost every place in the world has something that is wonderful about it.  you need to find what it is about your area that is so great.  i have yet to live somewhere and not discover a great reason for being there.  you are just going to make yourself miserable with thinking of the other places and thinking negatively about your current location.

Answer 20

YES YES AND TRIPLE YES!

I SOOOO hear you and relate. When I was in Italy, I was blissed out-and no, not just because I was on vacation. And when I returned to the states I got depressed and very ill-and I know it was a result of how despondent I was about this living in this country. This country looked and felt like plastic compared to Europe. And I don't mean just cosmetically. The focus in the U.S. is on money, greed, narcissism, whereas abroad it is about quality of life and connectedness to others. It is an entirely different world, lifestyle and focus. I felt like everyone there was my family and here I don't even feel like family is family-there is so much isolation and alienation. And the government here is psychotic and a perfect example of this countries narcissim is how the rest of the world was united in their excitement and enthusiam of the World Cup Football ("Soccer") Games, except for the U.S. which was mostly oblivious. And I was flabbergasted when I read what "Hank Machine" wrote above about the food being better here-it sucks and tastes like cardboard compared to food which is real in Europe. Again, this country is fixated on additives and artificial this and that and genetically altering food in the name of money over the well-being of people. And don't even get me started on the health care (lack there of) system. And I haven't even begun to say all I could, but hey, you already know. And it doesn't go away either. Am on my way to the airport...want to join me :-)