10 Questions That Stun Me Abroad Every Time Locals Find Out I’m American!

What Do Foreigners Really Want to Know About the U.S.?

From Guns to Smiles, Here’s How I Handle Each One Without Causing an International Incident…

“Do you own a gun?”

That was the very first thing the daughter of a couple sitting next to me on the train from Vidin, Bulgaria to Timișoara, Romania asked me after I told her I was American.

No small talk, no “Welcome to Romania,” not even a half-smile.

Just straight to the point like I’d rolled in strapped and ready to reenact a scene from a Tarantino film.

I laughed.

She didn’t.

I looked around, half expecting a hidden camera.

But nope, she was dead serious.

And that was just the opening act.

After years bouncing between Ukraine, Georgia, Albania, France, Spain, and collecting enough passport stamps to make customs agents blink twice, one thing’s clear…

People have questions. Lots of them.

Sometimes it’s genuine curiosity.

Sometimes it’s just, “Are you okay?”

Either way, I’ve got stories. Lots of them!

But it always seems to be the same questions. Like clockwork.

It doesn’t matter if I’m sipping homemade rakija with my Airbnb host in Skopje or dodging small talk on a train in Romania, once they find out I’m American, the interrogation begins.

Some are genuinely curious.

Others are bold enough to make TSA agents look subtle.

And a few, well… let’s just say I’ve gotten real good at answering without causing an international incident, or at least avoiding being chased out of a café with a kebab skewer.

So it you think Americans abroad just get asked about burgers and Hollywood movies?

Think again.

These are the 10 most bizarre, awkward, and sometimes just plain weird questions I’ve actually been asked overseas.

And yes, I’ve learned (the hard way) how to answer them… without accidentally starting a new Cold War in a café.

1. “Do you really own a gun?”

This is always the opener. The icebreaker. The cultural litmus test that kicks off countless conversations in bars, cafés, and late-night Ubers.

The first time I heard it was in a Hungarian dive bar, halfway through a local beer I couldn’t pronounce.

The bartender leaned in and asked like I was some Duck Dynasty extra.

I told him no, I didn’t own a gun, never had, never shot one.

He looked genuinely disappointed. “But…you’re American.”

That’s the real kicker… 

In places like Georgia or Ukraine, being “American” still comes with a carry-on of clichés:

Guns, fast food, and reality TV.

American Abroad Takeaway: Don’t take it personally. It’s less an accusation and more a curious fascination.

I use it as a chance to talk about nuance, and sometimes, to ask them about their own stereotypes… and guess what?

They have plenty.

2. “Why don’t Americans take vacations?”

In France, this one came with a look of pity, like I’d just told someone I didn’t grow up with indoor plumbing.

After explaining that two weeks off is the standard back home (and often grudgingly given), my French friend blinked at me and whispered, “C’est inhumain.”

And he wasn’t wrong.

When I told my students in Ukraine I’d once worked for a company that gave zero paid vacation days, one literally asked, “Is that even legal?”

Barely…

American Abroad Takeaway: Americans reading this, take your damn vacation days! 

To everyone else… Yes, we’re exhausted.

And no, we don’t know why we keep doing it either.

3. “Is everyone really that loud?”

Germany. A small train car. A woman reading a book.

I answered a call from a friend back in the States and before I even finished saying “Hey, what’s up?” she gave me a death stare that could’ve frozen the Rhine.

In the U.S., loud = lively. Abroad, loud = obnoxious.

American Abroad Takeaway: Tone it down a notch.

Especially in countries like France or Germany, even the Netherlands, where conversations are more controlled.

They even have no talking on mobile phone signs in many train carriages in Europe…Ooops, my bad!

So, save your enthusiastic storytelling for the bar, not public transport.

4. “What’s with your healthcare system?”

I tried explaining U.S. healthcare to a woman in France once.

She stopped me mid-sentence and said, “So… you have insurance… but still pay out of pocket?” I nodded.

She paused. “Then what’s the point?”

Great question.

I’ve gotten stitches in Ukraine for the price of a sandwich.

I’ve seen friends pay hundreds in the U.S. for prescriptions that cost $5 in Tbilisi.

And don’t even get me started on dental work.

American Abroad Takeaway: If you’re an American abroad, get good international insurance and always ask locals where they go for medical stuff, it’ll save you money and headaches.

Literally.

5. “Why do Americans tip so much?”

Spain. Small café. I left a few euros on the table. The waiter chased me down thinking I forgot my change.

When I explained it was a tip, he looked confused… then mildly insulted.

In many countries, tipping 20% makes people think you’re either rich, confused, or just trying too hard.

In the U.S., not tipping makes the waitstaff think, “you’re ripping them off”.

American Abroad Takeaway: Learn the local tipping customs.

Seriously.

In some places, leaving too much is awkward.

In others, it’s expected.

In all cases, it’s a cultural minefield.

6. “Do you all sue each other all the time?”

Once, in a bar in Georgia (the country, not the peach state), I casually mentioned someone in the U.S. suing McDonald’s over hot coffee.

My Georgian friend blinked and said, “That’s… insane.”

In countries like France or Romania, lawsuits are rare and often seen as last resorts.

In the U.S., they’re just part of the social toolkit.

• Broken chair? Lawsuit.
• Hurt feelings? Maybe a lawsuit.
• Wrong pizza topping? Possibly small claims court.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Jackpot!

American Abroad Takeaway: Abroad, people still believe in solving problems without lawyers.

Wild, I know.

7. “Why do Americans smile so much?”

Ah yes, the smile. The universal American reflex. I smiled at a grocery clerk in Ukraine once and she looked at me like I’d asked her to prom.

In many places I’ve lived or spent time in like Ukraine, Poland, Albania, Georgia even parts of France, smiles are earned.

They’re sincere, not automatic. Smiling at strangers is often met with confusion, suspicion, or a raised eyebrow that says, “What do you want from me?”

American Abroad Takeaway: Smile less, observe more.

Especially early on.

A genuine smile abroad carries more weight when it’s not handed out like candy.

8. “Is college really that expensive?”

Once, while sipping coffee with a fellow teacher in Kyiv, I mentioned my friend’s student loan debt.

The number, over six figures, stopped the conversation cold.

She thought I was joking.

I wasn’t.

In much of Europe, university costs are minimal or even free.

The idea of paying thousands just to attend a lecture sounds like a scam to most people I’ve met abroad.

American Abroad Takeaway: Don’t be surprised when people abroad look at U.S. tuition fees the way we look at black market adoption prices.

9. “Do Americans think the US is the best country?”

This one’s tricky.

People usually ask it with a smirk, like they’re trying to bait you.

I’ve gotten it in cafés in Tirana, over drinks in Lviv, and once on a beach in Greece.

The key is nuance.

I usually say: “We’re told it is, from a young age. But once you travel, you start to see the cracks.”

American Abroad Takeaway: Be honest, not defensive.

People abroad usually appreciate self-awareness more than patriotism.

10. “What do you really think of “our” country?”

This is when the tables turn. You’ve answered a dozen of their questions, and now they want to know what you think of them.

The first time I got this in Albania, I made the mistake of being too honest.

I mentioned the indoor smoking.

Big mistake.

Now I keep it positive, talk about the food, the people, the landscape.

Then, maybe I’ll slide in a light-hearted cultural observation, but only if I’ve known them more than 20 minutes.

American Abroad Takeaway: This is the test. Pass it, and you’re in.

Fail it, and you’re the “rude American” stereotype they feared.

What These Questions Really Reveal

Every one of these questions, no matter how weird, pointed, or awkward, is a doorway.

A little crack in the wall between cultures that invites you in.

Or, sometimes, exposes what we think we know about each other.

Over the years, I’ve learned to welcome these conversations.

They’re not just icebreakers, they’re invitations to connect, laugh, learn, and challenge assumptions on both sides of the table.

What’s the strangest, funniest, or most unforgettable question you’ve ever been asked abroad?