American culture emphasizes individualism, productivity, and punctuality. American culture also views time as linear, rather than fluid.

Americans who relocate to European cultures, especially Mediterranean cultures (Italy, Spain, Portugal, parts of France, and Greece), discover that their new community operates in an entirely different way.

Locals tend to have a much more flexible (“fluid”) interpretation of time, they place an importance on family and community over the individual, and they often feel like productivity is a secondary or tertiary concern. That’s not to say that they don’t work hard; they do. But they generally feel like it is not necessary to rush or scramble to finish a routine task by an arbitrary deadline.

These qualities are what attracts many Americans to European countries. In practice, especially after a few weeks of settling in, Americans can become frustrated that they aren’t adapting to this new mindset as quickly as they hoped. Without support, these frustrations can build over time and combine with culture shock symptoms. This is a common reason why Americans end up returning to the United States. It’s our goal to prevent that costly outcome!

People who’ve had to return to the U.S. will often say things like “I felt like I was on a different timeline than everyone else. I started to take miscommunications personally. I began withdrawing from my new community to avoid these feelings. It became too hard to navigate without support.” 

Geostrata helps Americans prepare for this transition before they leave. Our six-hour self-paced intercultural training course is designed to prepare you for the structural and cultural differences that don’t surface on a two-week vacation. The course includes interactive exercises with every module that encourage you to reflect on the course material in relation to your own life.

With intercultural training, Americans are prepared to recognize these feelings, acknowledge them, and mitigate them. This leads to a smooth transition into your new community. Additionally, our Intercultural Expert offers post-arrival 1-on-1 coaching, allowing you to process your experiences in real time, creating an ongoing support system that is designed for you.