James Whittingham

MTV debuted closer to Pearl Harbor than to today.

When Americans talk about the differences between Europe and the United States, it’s usually the big stuff. Public transportation, healthcare, walkable cities, and so on. But after living in Europe, I’ve discovered that some of my favorite things are things I didn’t even know existed. Here are 10 things I never knew I needed until I got here. 1. My credit card never leaves the table. When you’re ready to pay at a restaurant, they bring the card machine right to you. Nobody disappears into the back with your credit card. You tap, pay, and you’re done. Now the idea of handing my card to a stranger and watching them walk away with it seems ridiculous. 2. Shopping carts that move SIDEWAYS. All four wheels swivel. Not just the front two. You can literally slide the entire cart sideways without having to maneuver it like you’re parallel parking a Buick. Why aren’t all shopping carts like this? 3. Eggs on the shelf. The first time I saw eggs sitting on an unrefrigerated grocery store shelf, I thought something had gone terribly wrong. Who knew they handled eggs differently here and didn’t need to keep them refrigerated? Now I love that I can store my eggs on the countertop and see at a glance how close I am to needing to make an egg run. 4. Contactless payment for practically EVERYTHING. I don’t know if COVID started this or just accelerated it, but I love it. Coffee? Tap. Groceries? Tap. A €2 purchase at the corner shop? Tap. There’s no such thing as a purchase too small to tap. 5. Windows that actually have options. Turn the handle one way, and the window tilts inward at the top for fresh air. Turn it another way, and the entire window swings open like a door. They’re called tilt-and-turn windows, and I don’t know who invented them, but somebody needs to introduce them to every American home immediately. 6. Weighing and labeling produce. This one used to drive me absolutely crazy. You pick out your produce, bag it, and make sure it’s weighed and labeled before heading to the checkout. Why? But now I get it. Checkout moves faster because everything is already labeled. And I’ve noticed something else: there’s never a cashier yelling, “Price check on spaghetti squash!” 7. Exterior shutters that actually WORK. In America, we put decorative shutters on houses that don’t even close. Here, they actually serve a purpose. Want a little shade? Done. Want to block out the afternoon sun? Easy. Want your bedroom so dark you can’t tell whether it’s 2 AM or 2 PM? How dark can you make it? As dark as you want. 8. Detachable showerheads. In Europe, practically every shower I’ve encountered has a detachable showerhead. It’s not an upgrade. It’s just standard equipment. Want to rinse off without getting your hair wet? Easy. Need to clean the shower? Even easier. Now, a single fixed showerhead feels like punishment. 9. Solar water heaters on the roof. This one might be more specific to Southern Europe, but it’s brilliant. Here in Greece, rooftop solar water heaters use sunshine to heat the water in your home. I’m not talking about solar panels generating electricity. I’m talking about the sun directly heating your water. I only have to turn on my electric water heater about 10–15 times a YEAR. The rest of the time, the sun does the work. And we’ve got plenty of sunshine. 10. Toilets with two flush buttons. Remember the old saying, “If it’s yellow, let it mellow”? Well, apparently Europe found a better solution. Two buttons. One for a little flush, one for a big flush. Why use the same amount of water every time nature calls? Now, if it’s yellow, the flush can be mellow. None of these things is going to change the world. But they’re little conveniences I’ve come to love since moving to Europe. And now that I’ve gotten used to them, I’m not sure I could ever go back.