America's High Costs: What Living Abroad Reveals About Daily Expenses

Returning to the United States after an extended period abroad can be a jarring experience, especially when it comes to everyday finances. For one traveler, the thought of re-engaging with America's high cost of living and pervasive tipping culture after experiencing life in South Korea feels genuinely daunting.

The Sticker Shock of Everyday Expenses

One of the most immediate financial differences becomes apparent with daily essentials like coffee. In South Korea, a coffee with condensed milk and oat milk can cost around $3.50, significantly less than even a Dunkin' Donuts equivalent in the US. A cup of tea might be just $2.75. This affordability, coupled with a lack of tipping expectations, creates a stark contrast to American spending habits.

I'm a little dreading going back to the States because I've gotten very used to and very happy with my low cost of living and my no tipping.

This isn't just about coffee. It reflects a broader financial landscape where daily expenses, from services to casual purchases, are simply more expensive in the United States. While the traveler misses family in the US, the constant financial drain of American life, including the ingrained tipping culture, makes returning feel like stepping into a financial burden.

A Tale of Two Landscapes: Size and Population Density

Beyond cost, the sheer scale of the United States presents a different kind of cultural and logistical reality. While traveling extensively within South Korea, a conversation with a local friend named JJ from Daegu, a city of about six million people, highlighted this contrast. JJ's perception of Daegu as having "nothing there" due to its population density sharply contrasted with the speaker's hometown of 500.

The comparison became even more striking when discussing larger geographical units. The speaker's home state of Missouri, with a population of approximately 24 million, is "slightly larger than the entire country of South Korea." This revelation astonished JJ, who exclaimed, "Fuck no one lives in Missouri," reflecting a fundamentally different understanding of space and population distribution. Even Wyoming, one of the least densely populated US states, has less than half a million residents across its vast expanse.

The American Road Trip: A Unique Cultural Experience

The vastness of the United States creates a unique culture of long-distance driving, an experience often alien to those from more condensed nations. During a 15-hour drive from Los Angeles to El Paso, Texas, with the speaker driving 10 of those hours, the Korean co-pilots found themselves overwhelmed by the sheer emptiness.

Driving through the "nothing of Arizona," with straight lines stretching for miles and hours, offered a profound culture shock. The Koreans, initially fascinated by the expansive, unbroken horizons, eventually succumbed to sleep. This vast openness, where one can see for incredibly far distances, is a phenomenon they simply "don't have that in Korea. No, it's all it's all just it's condensed and it's built vertically."

Parking Puzzles and Cultural Adaptations

Despite loving to drive, the speaker avoids driving in Korea, not because of the act of driving itself, but due to the overwhelming challenge of parking. In a country where space is at a premium and development is vertical, parking spots are incredibly scarce.