REVERSE Culture Shocks PT 2 | Romania to America

I spent one year living in Romania, and it was an amazing experience. I learned a lot about Romanian culture, and I made some great memories. When I moved back to America, I was surprised to experience some reverse culture shock!
In this video, I'll talk about some of the things that surprised me about America after living in Romania. Let me know which one of these surprised you the most
Thank you so much for being here to experience life, learn and grow with me! XOXO

[@elenaadriana1990]

One of the culture shocks I experienced when going to US was the fact that when is your birthday your friends pay the check and your consumtion and also you receive gifts while in Romania, when going out for your B-day you pay the check for the whole party.

[@sierramarie]

Oooooo I have heard that as well! That is super interesting 🤔 It’s nice to be treated on your birthday 🎂 🙂

[@ppn194]

... and receive gifts from invited people.

[@cristianc.6302]

From Cluj-Napoca in 16 hours you can drive to: Turkiye, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova :)

[@sierramarie]

Omg! That would be an amazing road trip!!! 🤩

[@AndyB91]

In theory you could also get as far as Zurich(Switzerland) or Kaunas (Lithuania), if you don't count any stops and the Hungarian border check.

[@cripsgangpitic1]

@@sierramarie If you take the romanian trains, you reach the Constanta in 12 h :))

[@sierramarie]

Oooo a train ride to Switzerland would be magic! 🪄

[@sergerea]

Romanian here, from Brasov...lived in the States for almost 5 years a long time ago...First culture shock: everybody is smiling at you. I was telling my friends: oh that girl likes me, and that girl, and that girl too...Until I found out that was just social politeness...and i appreciate it to this day. Yes, its just that, Americans wont get intimate in a real conversation, which i found at the end kinda shallow and yes, you wont make any REAL friends that easily. Yes, everybody is kinda self oriented so, youll have to let that go. But, very nice people, ive had the best time of my life there and I will allways be inlove with the States, believe it or not (and ive never lived in the Midwest, just Florida, so go figure...) I will never forget my car accident hospital experience there, had a problem with my eye after that, went to the emergency room, got an ointment from the doctor on the hospital bed, got out to the reception, no insurance...Asked how much should I pay, and the reception lady said: "Well, how much do you have on you?"...I said 250$ cash...She said "Well, that'll do"...After 2 weeks I received a charge from that ER doctor for another 350$, saying that I paid the hospital charge, this other one was his fee...YIKES!!! Good thing I had a lawyer...So yes, I totally agree with what youre saying about medical fees. Still love the states and people there, had nothing but great experiences. P.S. Blue cheese dressing over ranch all day! Firstly, i couldnt even conceive that salad can be served with more than oil and vinegar but...what do you know? Hmmm...Blue cheese dressing: Amazing! Keep it up!

[@sierramarie]

The smiling is a huge shock 😆 I definitely had reverse culture shock with that when we got back! Florida is a very kind place & I feel like people are fairly happy there (must be the sunshine 🌞) Wow! That is a super intense story about the hospital visit! I can understand the shock factor! 😱😱 Also- I’ve never tried blue cheese dressing but I have to now! 🥗

[@steamstories1279]

I paid $18 for dental x-ray in Romania... Dental evaluation was $22 few years ago, maybe $30 now. I fixed 1 teeth with $70 across 2 days so $35/day. Some are more expensive some are cheaper, but still way cheaper than USA. I use the same dental clinic since forever because it's non-stop, I even been there in a day of Christmas, someone was there to help me, WITHOUT appointment. Non-stop but also cheap.

[@sierramarie]

Wow that is so cheap! It’s very intriguing to me how the medical systems are so different.

[@matthewheflin4711]

We also lived in Romania for a year and currently live in KC! So interesting! All of these reverse shocks are 100% true. I would also add that it was shocking how loud Americans are in general. We enjoyed the quieter/more private conversations in public in Bucharest. Also, we noticed how many times people said excuse me in the US when returning. While living in Bucharest, it very uncommon to say "excuse me" because its such a densely packed city - you'd be saying excuse me all day. I found this refreshing after a few weeks. Interesting to hear your thoughts - thanks for posting!

[@sierramarie]

No wayyy!!! That’s so freaking cool! Are y’all originally from KC? Thanks for sharing those two thoughts! I can totally agree with both of your points- also I think people in Romania generally are aware of who’s around them and will politely move to the side so you can pass. Do you feel like that was also true?

[@matthewheflin4711]

Wife is originally from KC, yes. Totally agree, Romanians are for sure not plowing through people - they're very aware of whos around them. They just don't need to acknowledge the other person as often as Americans do (like making eye contact having a verbal exchange) I found Romanians to be refreshingly practical in this way. I love Romanians and learned so much about how to assert myself in a healthy way from them. @@sierramarie

[@sierramarie]

@matthewheflin4711 That is so cool! I remember being so shocked when it was raining and people were swerving to not hit the puddles while we were walking on the sidewalk!

[@costinhalaicu2746]

16 hours from Cluj - you could go through Budapest, Hungary, then Bratislava, Slovakia, then Vienna, Austria, then Munich, Germany, and end up in Zurich, Switzerland. Or drive through Debrecen, Hungary to Kosice, Slovakia to Lublin, Poland to Kovel, Ukraine and from there to Brest, Belarus (assuming there would be no war, of course - you can't do that now because of that reason). Another possible route would be to drive through Serbia and North Macedonia, then all of Greece and get to Athens (might require 16 hours and a half). Or you could get to Istanbul, though maybe that could take 17-18 hours. Venice, Italy would be way closer, maybe 12 hours, and you'd need to cross Hungary and Slovenia to get there. With a little luck on the road, you might even get to France, though that's a bit of a stretch for just 16 hours - realistically it would take 18 or 19 hours.

[@sierramarie]

This sounds like a dream road trip!!! I love that there are so many options!

[@catalintrif6296]

Cluj-Napoca to Strasbourg in France is 16 hours, passing through Hungary, Austria, and Germany on the way there.

[@sierramarie]

I would love that trip! Hungary and Austria were very top on my favorite countries 😊

[@razvanteleanu4302]

That's adorable sis, thank you and come back anytime in our country ❤

[@sierramarie]

Multumesc! I can’t wait to see Romania in the future!

[@user-gf2wm9rd3s]

Everyone has basic medical insurance in Romania

[@user-xt7zv3xk7q]

Well Sierra from what you are saying it looks like you really enjoyed yr time in Romania.. ..would you and yr husbant move back here for a longer period or even permanent??? what this country misses right now is more people like you.

[@sierramarie]

We absolutely loved it in Romania! I don’t know if we would consider a permanent move unless we both became fluent in the language- but, never say never! I’d love to go back some day and see how much it’s changed over time. I know the construction is skyrocketing!

[@veneps]

Cluj Napoca - Zurich(Switzerland) 16 hours and you cross 3 countries to get to your destination

[@sierramarie]

Oh man! Zurich was one of my top favorite destinations 🤩

[@realjx313]

Told you to do any dental work in Romania, the check would have been 20-30$ maybe. And BTW, the 3k might be BS, basically a con, dentists do that sometimes in the US. Also notable here, it's not just visits to the doctor that are super expensive, it's also meds, prices are equally loco. Portion sizes yes they are smaller, although in Romania, some restaurants to have huge portion sizes nowadays but that's kinda specific to Romania. Desserts and all else, have less sugar too in Europe and in RO, desserts are not always sweet, they can be sour, salty, a mix. Also, your prev vid, the bubble tea had a plastic straw while in the EU those are banned. Farmer's markets are maybe less in Western Europe. And specific to RO, urbanization is 56% only vs most in the Western world at over 80% so there are lots of (very) small farmers. Most of their produce also tends to be organic. And rural life being still very much alive is actually a good thing, preserves culture, traditions, the link to nature and nature itself - large operations have a complete disregard for nature and they end up destroying more. Dryer, something related, US houses often have a laundry room while in Europe, no idea if anyone wastes space and money for that. The washing machine is either in the kitchen or in the bathroom so where is a source of water. Size of the country, oddly enough in the US is often used as some kind of universal excuse for things that have nothing to do with size. It's kinda weird. And BTW, Russia is almost twice the size of the US, Canada and China are similar size as the US while India and Brazil are just a bit smaller. What is notable here is the very low population density vs most other countries.

[@sierramarie]

I know 🙈 We should have just went to the dentist in Cluj! It is so crazy how inflated the prices are for something so basic and simple. I have definitely noticed the sugar differences- America puts sugar in EVERYTHING! I know we’ve chatted before about the bread. Something I’ll never forget 🥲 I think some places in the US are coming around to sustainability but it’s still not an overall practice. It will be nice when we get to a point where straws and such are not widely used. Yes! Thanks for pointing out the difference between the washer location!!

[@vicu_negru]

@@sierramarie from the prices you listed sounds like you should come here once every 2 years get all your work done, have a vacation at the seaside, stay in the most luxurious hotel, and have money left over in comparison to the prices you guys have over in USA.

[@justsaying9659]

@@sierramarie You should move back ! :D

[@joyridgway6398]

My husband and I went to the dentist, and we both had checkups and our teeth cleaned, and my husband had an x-ray the £50.00 about $62. My husband is have a tooth taken for about the same amount.

[@sierramarie]

Wow!!!! That leaves me in shock 😳 I’m so curious what makes the health systems so different in price. That is insane!

[@vicu_negru]

yes the cost of childbirth is around 2000$ for the "fanciest" private hospitals. you forgot to say that you get 2 years of paid maternal leave at 80% of your income prior to giving birth. also, dads are obligated by law to take 1 month of paid parental leave to also bond with the little brat!

[@sierramarie]

Wow, it’s crazy to even wrap my kind around $2000 being the high end- that’s incredible! Also, thank you for adding about the maternity and paternity leave! I have spoke about that in other videos but that fits so perfectly into this topic!

[@vicu_negru]

@@sierramarie with the state hospitals it is completely free, the only thing you can pay is if you want a private 1 person room for your stay in the hospital, and that is around 50-60$ a night. the full package at Regina Maria hospital with stem cells collection, and deposit, and everything covered goes for 3500$, of that if you have state medical insurance they deduct around 5-600$. and as long as the kid is in school, but not passing the age of 26 the health insurance is covered by the state, the parents don`t pay anything for it. in fact university years go towards calculating your years of work to get your pension.

[@Crowe_77]

16 hours? ha! Not even a challange...16 hours from Satu-Mare to Mangalia, during summer season :))))) not much of a distance 870 km (540 miles) but the traffice, oh the traffic...it's a NIGHTMARE!!!

[@balak1]

:))

[@dmy0]

The weirdest culture shock you listed would be no 7 for me: The pharmacies in Europe contain pharmaceutical items. I mean.. slowly read that again, how can that be shocking? :-) Love your videos, sad to hear you moved back to the US, mult succes! :)

[@sierramarie]

It is very strange to me as well 😆 Thank you for your support! I will definitely be returning as some point- Romania is amazing 🩷

[@atharvaveda87]

If you were able to choose where would you want to raise your children US or Romania?

[@sierramarie]

It’s such a hard choice! We are familiar with the systems in the US since it is where we grew up, which makes things feel more comfortable (buying a car, house etc) But Romania has a lot of amazing benefits and felt extremely safe! I think if I spoke Romanian fluently, it would be a great choice.

[@scottcjmckelviephotography]

It intrigues me, if someone were on a diet, like I have been, given the portion sizes there are bigger, how does one get around that then because obviously on a diet you eat smaller portion sizes? I'm guessing in restaurants it varies. Aye, the U.S. is massive, saying that, technically speaking, each individual state is classified as a country, it's just that because of the U.S. we don't classify it as that. The landmass though would be a culture shock, and how big the roads, are, etc. As for healthcare, yeah, not many Americans are aware they have two healthcare systems, you only need to research Direct Primary Care and you'd see the difference is colossal relative to costs. That's absolutely shocking still about the costs you mentioned, even for your teeth, rip off merchants, the government needs removed from healthcare completely and the market freed up. It was the U.S. Federal Government that created that entire mess. Nonetheless, interesting video, Sierra, whilst I can't say I've been to Romania, each individual country is different, a typical example is the massive cultural difference between Scotland and Italy.

[@sierramarie]

The first question is a very good one 🤔 I definitely think the large portion sizes play a huge role in the struggle to diet! & that the food here is more processed and pumped with so much a sugar to keep everyone addicted. The healthcare system is it’s own world 😱 A very interesting topic comparing countries systems. I agree! It’s always fun to do these videos but it is a generalization & all countries are so different- even from state to state in the US

[@scottcjmckelviephotography]

@@sierramarie Thanks for the insight, Sierra, indeed, I think that's the problem even here especially in Scotland, a lot of food is processed, although, I have heard about the American food industry pumping stuff into it which is wrong. And aye, sugar content can be a bit of a problem. Indeed, whilst I'm aware it's expensive, some of the figures you mentioned just make me nod my head in disbelief, your country deserves better. Absolutely, Sierra, it's going to be like that, whilst I've never been to the U.S. I could imagine it would be very different from state to state. I think what differentiates Europe is that the countries are entirely different to the point that we never really classify ourselves as European, but our individual countries, whether that's; Italian, Scottish, German, English, Irish, French, etc. Nonetheless, interesting video! 🙂👌

[@ursdaniel]

1st of all. I appreciate the fact you greet us in romanian. Maybe it will only for this specific videos, which at the end is normal. Still, thank for the effort and perfect prennounciation. Also, you are so young, make a lot of money. Give birth to 1 or more children/s after which return to Europa to raise your family. The Europa chapter isnt closed or a goodbye. Its rather a "see you again. One day ." Maybe wont be Romania. Its fine. Europa has many beautiful places to live .

[@sierramarie]

Multumesc! I love the greeting and I definitely want to keep it, even as my content evolves. I love the way you put that- Europe is a see you later. We are definitely open to where life will take us and now we have so many more options to live! Yay!!!

[@michaeltom5465]

The smart move you could do when you been to Romania, is if you did your check up to the dentist and fixed everything for very little. Now you are going to pay big money but if I was you I will still go back to Romania (vacation) and fix your teeth and still will be cheaper and in the meantime you are on vacation. Stii will cost less with the trip, vacation, and teeth fixing. 😅

[@sierramarie]

That totally would’ve been a smart move! Honestly, I think they were inflating the bill to get more money out of me- which isn’t surprising at all 😭 I guess now I just have to go back to Romania 😊

[@michaeltom5465]

@@sierramarie when you go back take in consideration also the medical thing that you need to resolve, then you come up in top, you cam up saving a bunch of $. 🤔🙂

[@madalinv342]

How about the bread there?

[@sierramarie]

The bread is so bad here 😆 I miss the bread in Romania! I did find a local baker in the states, so that’s a blessing! But I don’t like the bread from the stores anymore!

[@Crowe_77]

3000$??? omfg

[@sierramarie]

Insane!!!!

[@grobert7577]

429 $ 😂😂 you'll move back to Ro

[@davidshah7449]

HI SIERRA UR TELEGRAM PLEASE????????????