Well, my home life is less than thrilling (I live with my parents for the love of god!! and I only get along with half of them!!) So I might be going to Europe (Norway) with my pal Tanner who has some friends there. Actually, I guess a lot of his friends from when he lived in Sydney are going to meet up and ‘do’ Europe. I am so there!
Anyway, is there anything this American should know before going to Europe for an extended stay? Anything would be helpful. thanks in advance.
peace,
JB
I don’t have any advice, but I wanted to tell you how cool this is. I would kill to just pick up and go somewhere. You lucky, lucky duck! 
I have never done anything this huge or impulsive. My life here in VT has really stagnated since High School. i tried college, didn’t feel right. My buddy Tanner went to Australia for a year and had the time of his life.
You see, we are kinda considered ‘weirdos’ up here in northern VT, and he found people who are just like him in Sydney. Hopefully, if I do go, I will see a little of what life has to offer, and have some fun. I am so exited and nervous!
peace,
JB
Going to Norway? Bring LOTS of money. Possibly the most expensive country to visit.
What kind of trip is this? Are you going for just an extended vacation, or are you going to try and find work, or or or???
-Tcat
Well, here’s my advice, for what it’s worth.
Lower your voice. Europeans generally speak more softly than Americans and we tend to come off as loud-mouthed jerks if we don’t moderate our volume.
Dress better than you do at home. Athletic shoes are for athletics and should not generally be worn otherwise. It won’t hurt to iron your jeans, either.
Don’t expect 24/7 anything. This is a good thing. Not being able to shop at 9PM forces you to engage in activities such as having lengthy dinners, great conversation with friends and myriad other delightful activities that the rushed American lifestyle often precludes.
My last bit of advice is “Go for it”. You’ll love it.
My advice: Learn some basic history about Norway. You’ll be amazed at how much they’ll know about the States. I went to Slovakia this summer - and my friends there (unintentionally) made me feel like a ethnocentric bastard. They knew about as much as I did about US history, and I had to look up their country on a map before I went over there.
I’ll agree with the above: Everything closes at 5 or 6pm it seems. And people stay in restaurants forever. Everywhere we ate in Slovakia, Austria, and London, we hardly ever saw anyone leave.
One thing that I noticed that was odd is the way people react to each other. In Slovakia, everyone is really nice to each other, and to tourists. The notable exception is service people. Every waiter (or waitress) we had there seemed like he or she wanted us to die. They were generally rude to us, and to the Slovaks we were with as well. I thought I was imagining things until I saw this phenominon mentioned in a travel book when I came back home.
Also, it seems like no one really says “excuse me” (or pardon, or prosim) when they run into you. It’s not that they’re rude - it’s just not customary like it is in the States.
Oh yeah one more thing…
Don’t wear your I (heart) the death penalty t-shirt.
What would you do without us? 
Thanks for all the good advice. I have a question for you guys. I was told that some (most?) restaurants in Europe serve beer at room temperature. Now, I am planning on drinking a lot of beer, so should I ask for ice, or is this just a big rumour? Thanks
peace,
JB
Cellar temperature, not room temperature. Give it a try. You’ll probably like it.
I’ve never been to Norway, but I’ve done the extended stay thing twice (four months in Spain, two months in the UK). Such advice as I can offer:
– Expect culture shock. There will be times when you hate everything about the place. A good English bookstore and a like-minded friend will usually see you through these times, but the most important thing is to go out and remind yourself of what you like about living here. (N.B.: the Irish pub is always a refuge for stray Anglophones, if you get desperate, but don’t spend too much time there – it’s expensive, and you’ll just feel more alienated when it’s time to go home.)
– You can also expect to develop a love-hate relationship with your own country and culture; this will probably last forever. American tourists will make you cringe; random anti-American comments from local folks will make you cringe even more, and you’ll probably find yourself getting all prickly and defending aspects of US policy you don’t even agree with. Reentry is also difficult. Unless your friends at home have also lived abroad, they’ll have a hard time understanding how much it’s changed you.
– Finally, on a practical note: If you’re planning to work, expect a long, tough job search even if your legal papers are in order. Persistence pays.
I might be moving to Montana soon.