25 Lifestyle Changes People Adopted After Travelling To Other Countries
Travelling is a fantastic way to broaden our limited perspectives on how things can be done worldwide. Each country has developed unique lifestyle habits that work well for its natives, even if they aren’t universally accepted. While many travellers may embrace local customs during their visits, they often leave them behind upon returning home. However, some individuals choose to adopt certain routines permanently, even in their own countries. Recently, Redditors shared the lifestyle choices that stayed with them after their experiences abroad, and we’ve highlighted a few of our favourites in the gallery below.
#1
Image source: Bring-out-le-mort, EyeEm / freepik
Individual comforters/duvets for my spouse & I… this is like a 30+ year habit now. Saved my sanity & probably his life.
Disraeli_Ears replied:
After my husband and I went to Denmark together, we immediately changed to two comforters at home. No more yanking the blankets off each other in the middle of the night. It’s almost better than couples’ therapy – LOL.
#2
Image source: verigenia
I’m from Spain and started eating dinner earlier once I started traveling. I no longer have dinner at 10PM like my friends and family do back home.
#3
Image source: Salty-Percentage8128, alotofpeople / freepik
I visited Iceland and was intrigued by all the authors there were despite the country’s relatively small status. I learned that books are a cherished part of their culture and they celebrate Christmas book flood or Yule book flood (Jólabókaflóðið) every year. A book catalogue with all the new books are sent to families and apparently it accounts for something like 80% of the book sales for the year. We have been celebrating it every Christmas since! My family gifts books to each other on Christmas Eve and we read them that night with hot chocolate and cookies.
#4
Image source: minnie203, EyeEm / freepik
I’ve always been very pro-transit/anti car ideologically speaking, but spending a week in the Netherlands really pushed me into finally getting a bike. I live in Canada which is as car-centric as the US, and coming home to constant gridlocked traffic (because a million of us are all trying to go in the same direction at the same time and we’re apparently allergic to building trains!!) was so depressing. I was like, what are we doing here, man? So I got myself a cute bike!
I’m not the most active person so it took some adjusting, but now I bike to work every day (except in the winter, I’m too much of a baby for that lol). It’s very satisfying zooming past all the backed up traffic when I leave work at 4pm!
So yeah, shoutout to the Dutch and their cute bikes with cute baskets full of flowers for giving me a little push because now I love my bike.
#5
Image source: Ok-Distribution8378, lookstudio / freepik
Took up an active lifestyle and reduced ordering food & groceries from outside. Deliberately walked through the city. Used public transport more than Ubers. These are some small things but it helps me lead a better life.
#6
Image source: lalady22, freepik
I spent a month in Prague three years ago and the only tv channel in English was BBC.. I get most of my news from BBC now.
rogue_ger replied:
Same every time I go to Germany I’m shocked at the quality of the news reporting compared to the US. Germany has strict laws for content of news reporting and it makes for actual facts being communicated and not just tailored content meant to push an agenda.
The US desperately needs to regulate news media in all forms, including social media.
#7
Image source: Due_Honeydew_6067, freepik
I stayed at a Sikh temple (gurdwara) in India for a few days and it really taught me to value the food on my table, as cliche as that may sound. Sikh temples usually give out food for free, and there were a bunch of interesting customs that I wasn’t used to before. Like when you’re receiving the food from the volunteers, you need to accept the bread with two hands instead of one, because doing it with one is seen as greedy whereas with two it’s seen as thankful. So in general I just try to be thankful for my food whenever I’m about to eat.
nineties_adventure replied:
That is beautiful. In Türkiye, when you for instance have to throw away food you “kiss it” before throwing it out (not really kissing but more moving it from your chin to your forehead) to respect what God has given one. The same goes for when dropping bread. After you pick it up you “kiss” it (again not actually). Bread is sacred. I think this shows a lot of respect. I still do this in The Netherlands.
#8
Image source: Thebandofredhand, The Yuri Arcurs Collection / freepik
I’ve been to Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan. I’ve noticed something beautiful that many Arabs do — they place their hand on their heart when thanking someone, often after a handshake. I loved it! I’ve adopted the gesture myself and now practice it regularly.
The people most impressed by it are usually the ones who understand its cultural meaning. But even beyond that, I love how sincere it feels — like the thanks are truly coming from the heart, which, in most cases, they are.
#9
Image source: 34TH_ST_BROADWAY, The Yuri Arcurs Collection / freepik
One of my earlier trips, a friend got food poisoning in Thailand. He couldn’t go out obviously. What to do? In America, I had gone to a few afternoon movies alone, but I don’t think I’d ever gone out alone at night.
Anyway, that night was the first time I went out alone to have drinks and socialize. I’ve always met up with friends or gone out with friends before. I had the best time alone. I realized when I was with my friend, we were kind of discussing America stuff, and it was mostly about being a cool friend and accommodating him. That night, I met people from Australia, then talked to some bartenders all night. Then sang with a Filipino band at a hotel. It was probably the most memorable night of the trip.
When I got back home, I kept going out alone. I realized it was liberating. If there was nothing to do, I would just go out solo.
maulsma replied:
I went backpacking around Europe by myself for three months when I was 30 in the mid-nineties. Fantastic experience. As a woman I was very fortunate to have only a few bad interactions with aggressive men, and spent a lot of time hanging out with people from all over. I’d travel a few days with these Australians, a few days with these Swedes, go dancing with some Americans, shopping with a French woman, rent motorbikes in Greece with a big group of various nationalities, talk to locals on the buses and trains. Totally different experience travelling with my SO and friends.
#10
Image source: curiouslittlethings, freepik
After living in London for four years I developed a penchant for buying books secondhand. So much cheaper, and I love the idea of someone else having held and enjoyed the book before me.
FlushTwiceBeNice replied:
And the smell. Only if someone can bottle old book smell and sell it as a perfume.
#11
I became friendlier. I’ve found while traveling, especially where I’m visibly a tourist many people greet you. It’s generally a simple hello or good afternoon sometimes just eye contact and a smile. I loved it and always makes me feel welcome.
I realized people don’t do that as frequently at home and I’ve set out to change that.
I live in an extremely multicultural area and I want people to know they’re welcome here. I now always say hello, smile and make eye contact with every single person I encounter while walking or out in public. It is generally, like 95% of the received with a smile and greeting or at least a head nod!
#12
Image source: Budget-Option6301, freepik
I embraced the moka pot as my coffee method after visiting Italy 🇮🇹 ☕️.
#13
Image source: Alive_Two1480, rawpixel.com / freepik
Doing small shops more frequently. At farmers markets when possible.
#14
Image source: brattishbeautyy, pvproductions / freepik
After a month in Copenhagen, I started doing the whole hygge thing. I bought a ton of candles, got a cozy throw blanket, and now I just make my apartment a super comfy little sanctuary.
Muffin278 replied:
I am Danish, and I always felt like hygge is in part our way of dealing with the dark Danish winters where we get maybe 6 hours of sunlight but obscured by the sun. Warm lighting, cozy blankets, and candles are a way to embrace the terrible winters. It is one of the reasons Christmas feels so special to me despite being a non-religious adult.
#15
Image source: SumGoodMtnJuju, rawpixel.com / freepik
The French way of making meals a bit fancy. We set a table every night for dinner, placemats, cloth napkins, a vase with fresh flowers. My 15 year old and 11 year old have become major foodies and we all look forward to this ritual. Everyone helps either cook, set, or clean up. Going on 5 years or more like this.
missmeganbee replied:
After returning from Italy I started using a table cloth, lighting candles and a little table lamp, and playing background music during a meal. It makes it feel special!
#16
Image source: The-Traveler-, shurkin_son / freepik
Minimalism… I really don’t need a lot.
#17
Image source: Infinite-Fold-1360, atlascompany / freepik
Sit and pee even if you are a male , never use your phone while having a conversation at your restaurant, don’t block anyone’s way, smile at strangers
I am from India and learnt this from my trip to Europe.
#18
Image source: cornsnowflake, Yuto@photography / freepik
Cooking with chopsticks.
hohomei replied:
awww yes im glad chopsticks are getting the recognition it deserves when it comes to not just eating but other uses! im from hong kong and grew up always cooking with chopsticks. you can stir, you can pick out individual ingredients, you can flip over things in the frying pan.. its amazing!
not sure if you know about this already but we have some extra long chopsticks that we use for cooking only! very helpful for staying farther away from the potential oil sizzling out!
#19
Image source: wontheday, New Africa / freepik
I grew up in one of those weird, American families that allowed shoes inside and after staying a few months in Japan I now wear slippers in my apartment and have slippers for guests too!
rirez replied:
I’ve straight up built a Genkan into my house. I love the naturally understandable barrier with all the shoes and sandals neatly lined up — I don’t need a sign that says “take your shoes off here”, it’s just blindingly obvious, and eliminates any potential cultural awkwardness of “so do I keep my shoes on or…”
Architecturally it’s literally just a single step up, but it makes a huge difference in how the house-entering experience feels. Somehow that single change in elevation makes a big psychological difference.
#20
Image source: ChaoticSenior, EyeEm / freepik
Mayo on French fries.
#21
Image source: YVR19, senivpetro / freepik
We went to Eastern Europe and noticed a lot of cafes didn’t have to-go cups. People don’t go for coffee or tea unless they have the time to sit there and enjoy it, not sip it as they run to catch a bus or something. I like that concept so much better, so when I go for a chai latte or something, it’s when I have the time to stay and savor it.
#22
Image source: 307148, Front view teen girl wearing y2k hyperfeminine outfit freepik
Wearing backpack on the front of my body when getting on a crowded train or bus. People wear their huge backpacks on their back on public transport and it drives me crazy. I wish my city would do a campaign about it like Japan did.
#23
Hang drying most of my laundry!
#24
Image source: ecofriendlyblonde, haveseen 1 / freepik
I make a lot more food from scratch. My stomach is so much happier in Europe and my theory is it’s the lack of overly processed foods. So I took up baking breads, occasionally make my own pasta, and trying to buy flour that hasn’t been exposed to certain pesticides that are outlawed in Europe.
I don’t care if it’s just the placebo effect, I love having a happy tummy.
#25
Image source: Antigone2023, freepik
Not as life changing as most other replies but… tea! I now drink tea. Never did before, but black tea and rooibos tea are my favourites now.
DrMoneybeard replied:
I picked up a lot of habits after 5 years living in the UK but a strong opinion about tea is the biggest! I was already a tea drinker before but mostly Asian style teas. Now I NEED a proper brew every morning and other types on the weekends and afternoons.
Got wisdom to pour?