Shifting Lenses

Before our family vacation to Europe in 2022, I thought I had a bit of an idea of the differences in work culture between the US and Europe. Thanks to social media and chats with my parents, I was well aware of the discrepancies in maternity leave and paid vacation. I even knew about the behavioral differences, like how Americans often check emails on holiday while Europeans are far less likely to. But it’s rare to actually experience these cultural differences firsthand and to have them directly impact your vacation plans as they did on this trip.

Our first taste of it came right after we landed in Brussels. Our Uber driver immediately warned us about potential traffic issues due to a Brussels Airlines workers’ strike. He said it was a good thing we were taking the train out of the city after our stay, saying that many other travelers weren’t so lucky. It definitely set a tone, hinting that this trip might have a few unexpected challenges.

Later in the trip, after a wonderful week in Paris, we encountered strikes again. This time, baggage handlers at Charles de Gaulle Airport were on strike. Our plane actually departed on time, which was a relief, but we soon learned of an issue: no bags had been loaded onto the aircraft. Our luggage eventually arrived in Rome a day later, and my mom spent the better part of the next morning navigating the chaotic airport scene. She even had to crawl over rows of unclaimed bags just to find ours and retrieve them herself. It was an unexpected and frustrating, start to our time in Italy.

The third transportation strike that impacted us was in Florence. The taxi drivers were on strike, and even Uber was shut down. This left us with no choice but to walk 1.5 miles to the train station, in summer heat, luggage in tow. 

These experiences really made it clear that strikes seem to be far more frequent and visible in Europe than in the US or the parts of Asia I’ve lived in. In the US, it feels like strikes, when they happen, are often resolved before the general public is significantly impacted. In Europe, however, it definitely feels like strikes have a different progression, often leading to disruptions for everyday people, including tourists like us. It’s a fascinating and impactful cultural difference I never truly grasped until this trip.