Americans, Tell Us How Locals Immediately Knew You Were American When You Traveled Abroad

TBH , there are many subtle thing that have given away that I ’m American …

Recently, I came acrossa videofrom a creator who laid out the dead giveaways that someone is an American in Paris. These included drinking iced coffee (especially from a major chain like Starbucks), wearing leggings, and having an orange-hue spray tan.

While I’m American, I’ve lived abroad in Europe and Canada, so it got me thinking of all the ways I, too, have (or haven’t) been spotted as an American.

So, if you’re an American and traveled to a new city or country and quickly got identified as an American by a local, what were the dead giveaways?

Maybe you visitedFrance, and servers would always switch to English with you, even though you speak perfect French. When you asked one of them how they knew, they said, “You raised your hand to get my attention.”

Perhaps you went to Tokyo on a business trip to be your company’s US representative. After a meeting, you were walking with some of your Japanese counterparts (who didn’t know where you were from) when you asked them where to throw away your coffee cup. They immediately said, “Are you American?” They told you they can spot Americans because they’re always confusingly looking for public trash cans.

Maybe you’re American, but your dad is from Russia, so you’ve traveled there a few times to visit relatives. The locals in your family’s town always say they can tell you’re American because you make eye contact and smile at them.

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TBH, there are many subtle things that have given away that I’m American…

Kim Kardashian drinks from a straw cup, looking to her side in a distracted manner while seated

Two women wearing casual athletic wear walk side by side, smiling and chatting outdoors in a modern urban setting

Blonde woman and curly-haired woman seated at an outdoor café, with the blonde woman raising her hand to get the attention of a waiter in the background

Hand holding a disposable coffee cup with a brown sleeve, outdoors. Background is blurred, focusing solely on the cup and the hand

A woman, wearing a turtleneck and coat, smiling while holding onto a subway pole. A man in a coat stands nearby holding the same pole

Recently, I came acrossa videofrom a creator who laid out the dead giveaways that someone is an American in Paris. These included drinking iced coffee (especially from a major chain like Starbucks), wearing leggings, and having an orange-hue spray tan.#

While I’m American, I’ve lived abroad in Europe and Canada, so it got me thinking of all the ways I, too, have (or haven’t) been spotted as an American.#

So, if you’re an American and traveled to a new city or country and quickly got identified as an American by a local, what were the dead giveaways?#

Maybe you visitedFrance, and servers would always switch to English with you, even though you speak perfect French. When you asked one of them how they knew, they said, “You raised your hand to get my attention.”#

Maybe you’re American, but your dad is from Russia, so you’ve traveled there a few times to visit relatives. The locals in your family’s town always say they can tell you’re American because you make eye contact and smile at them.#

Recently, I came acrossa videofrom a creator who laid out the dead giveaways that someone is an American in Paris. These included drinking iced coffee (especially from a major chain like Starbucks), wearing leggings, and having an orange-hue spray tan.

While I’m American, I’ve lived abroad in Europe and Canada, so it got me thinking of all the ways I, too, have (or haven’t) been spotted as an American.

So, if you’re an American and traveled to a new city or country and quickly got identified as an American by a local, what were the dead giveaways?

Maybe you visitedFrance, and servers would always switch to English with you, even though you speak perfect French. When you asked one of them how they knew, they said, “You raised your hand to get my attention.”

Maybe you’re American, but your dad is from Russia, so you’ve traveled there a few times to visit relatives. The locals in your family’s town always say they can tell you’re American because you make eye contact and smile at them.