The United States is a top destination when it comes to foreigners planning their next vacation. Many foreigners seek to see what the fuss is all about and find out why everyone makes it seem like the US is the best country in the world. Their curiosity leaves them questioning everything about the country. Like why do they tip their servers when they are already getting paid to do their job, or why are they so keen to deep fry whatever is in their fridge. Foreigners have a lot of thoughts when visiting the land of the free. Despite having a lot of thoughts there are a lot of things foreigners admire about the US.

When you see the colours red, white and blue the first thing that comes to mind is the United States. This is because when you visit you are flooded with thousands of flags everywhere! It is no secret the people in the US are very patriotic. Some foreigners find this patriotism overbearing. However, this is not the only thing foreigners think when they visit. Here are 20 things foreigners think when they travel to the U.S.

20 Calling Purple Flavour Grape and Not Blackcurrant

In the US they call most candies that are purple grape flavoured, however in the United Kingdom and Australia they call this flavour blackcurrant. This difference confuses foreigners who are visiting the US. When it comes to purple coloured candies, other parts of the world use a whole different fruit, which is why purple coloured candy tastes different in different parts of the world. The reason for using a different fruit is because according to Best Life, blackcurrants were banned from being grown in the States in the early 20th century. It was said that blackcurrant plants became a wood-destroying disease. Whether it is grape or blackcurrant the purple flavour is still one of the least favoured candy flavours.

19 They Like Their Red Solo Cups

Red solo cups can be found on any college campus, any backyard barbecue or really any social event you attend in the United States. These cups are hardly seen outside of the U.S. According to Slate, these cups are often used because it is hard for authorities at a distance or at first glance to know what is being consumed in these cups.  Many foreigners come to the US and wonder if these cups make drinks taste better since so many people seem to like to drink from them. These cups must have some type of magic. Recently the cups have been made with square bottoms to make them easier to hold.

18 Pharmacies Sell More Than Just Medicine

For most European countries a pharmacy is a place where they sell medicine and other medical supplies. When they come and visit they notice that their pharmacies double as a mini grocery store as they sell more than just medical items. These pharmacies sell anything from candy to carbonated drinks and snacks. It is a one-stop shop, which can be very convenient, but also very confusing to those who are visiting the country. Many foreigners find it weird that you can buy almost anything at a place that is meant to sell products to help with your health.

17 Having To Tip Your Servers

Many foreigners are confused when they are expected to tip their servers at a restaurant or bar. They find it weird that they have to pay for someone else's employees to make a decent wage. They do not understand the idea that they have to pay someone extra to do their job. Foreigners also do not like the fact that they do not know the proper amount to tip because there is no set amount. In most European countries you do not tip and if you do it it's because the service was beyond exceptional and you want to show your appreciation. In the US tipping is expected regardless of the service.

16 Getting Bothered By Servers While Dinning

Europeans are used to placing their orders at a restaurant and not seeing much of their servers. With this expectation they are caught off guard when they come to the US and their server asks them "if everything is alright?" three or four times throughout their meal. Foreigners do not like this because they feel like being asked all these questions constantly makes them feel like they are being rushed to pay the bill and make an exit. For many European countries having a meal is an important time to not only enjoy a good dish, but enjoy the company of those they are dinning with. The last thing they want is to feel rushed to end a conversation.

15 The Importance Of An Air Conditioner

Europeans are not used to blasting cold air conditioners on in every building that they enter. Some European houses or buildings do not even have air conditioning. Since air conditioning is not as common as it is in the US, foreigners are not used to being cold all the time during the warm months. However, having air conditioning in your home is important to most people because the summer can get very hot. Some grocery stores are so cold in the summer that people bring sweaters to do their shopping, Europeans find this weird and wonder why they do not just turn the air conditioning down.

14 Super-Sized Food Portions

In the US everything is bigger including their food portions. Why get a 6-pack of chicken nuggets when you can get 20! To make it easier for people to purchase these super-sized items they make the prices reasonable. Why get a small when you can get a large for only a few cents more. Many foreigners are shocked when they go to restaurants and they see the size of the portion that they are given. According to The Medium Panda, the size portions in the restaurants are 50% to 100% larger than in Europe. This leaves foreigners thinking why do they need to give us so much food. However, some like the challenge on trying to finish everything on their plate.

13 They Like To Deep Fry Almost Anything

When it comes to food that is fried, chicken is nothing new. Deep fried chicken is served in almost every country. However, meals such as deep fried mars bars or pickles is not something you see on menus outside of the US. They will deep fry almost anything and this is something that foreigners find strange. The US is known for finding food products that can be deep fried even though they probably should not be. Having so much food that is deep fried cannot be healthy, but when in the US, foreigners feel like it is a must try and why not.

12 They Are Very Ambitious

Living the dream does not come to you by sitting on your couch. When visiting the US many foreigners see just how ambitious everyone is. Some countries are seen as more passive, and perhaps not as driven or ambitious in the workforce. Seeing the level of ambition in the US makes some foreigners admire the people, and what they will do to achieve their goals and dreams. Most people who are living the dream had to work hard for it and they needed that ambition to get where they are today.

11 Big Houses and Big Lawns

Not only are their food portions big, but also their homes and lawns are. Those living away from the hustle and bustle of the city life are able to enjoy the luxury of having a big house and lawns, at least this is what foreigners tend to think. Many countries do not have as many big houses as there are in the US. For them these houses can only be bought by millionaires. They are also surprised to see just how much space there is between the houses. In the US, depending on the state and area, it is affordable to own a big house without having to be that multi-millionaire foreigners think they have to be. However, these foreigners are aware that not everyone has a big house.

10 They Sure Love Their Cheese

Many foreigners have noticed that the people in the US love their cheese. There are obviously some exceptions, but most people love their cheese and put it on everything. In some restaurants it can be hard to find a meal that does not include some type of cheese. When it comes to cheese the most popular type that you will be offered is from the US, which is no shocker to these foreigners. However, the country also imports from everywhere, and they love their Swiss, provolone and Monterey Jack.  However, foreigners are not complaining because they think the food is delicious.

9 They Love Their Endless Options

Placing an order at a restaurant or any food place requires being asked a million questions. If you order a sandwich you are asked if you would like it to be white bread or whole wheat or any of the other thousands of options that they have for you. This is something that foreigners are not used to since they usually just place an order and whatever bread it is made with is what they are getting. Not only is this array of options seen at restaurants, but at grocery stores as well. Foreigners find it weird that there is a whole aisle dedicated to many different brands of milk, for example. You can say that people can be a little bit picky, but having options can be a good thing.

8 The Age Of Adulthood

The US has the oldest age when it comes to the legal drinking age. You can legally drink at the age of 21. In most of Canada the age is 19 and in most European countries it is 18. With this age gap Europeans find it weird that they are not allowed to drink legally in the US since they are not 21, yet they are allowed to drink in their home country. They wonder why the difference in ages. Many places in Europe also allow for public drinking, which is something that you cannot do in many states.

7 The Many Commercials About Medication

When watching television in the US you are bound to see at least a few commercials that are trying to sell some type of medication to help with some illness. This is something that foreigners find weird because they are not used to commercials telling you what you should use to help with an illness. Foreigners are used to their doctors telling them what they need, while in the US it seems like people are the ones telling their doctors what they need. They are also surprised when they hear the long list of side effects and wonder why someone would even want to use this medication in the first place.

6 Nothing Includes Tax

This is one of the most talked about topics by foreigners. In the US, taxes are not included in the price that is listed on the price tag. What you see on the price tag is not what you are actually going to pay for it because there still needs to be taxes added. For foreigners, mostly Europeans, their taxes tend to be added to the price tag, therefore what the price tag says is what you will pay for it. To make matters more complicated each state has different taxes so there is really no telling what you are going to pay for something until you are at the checkout.

5 College Athletes Are Treated Like Celebrities

People in the US love their college sports. Some college football stadiums are even larger than NFL stadiums. For most countries college sports are not high on their list when it comes to funding, however in the US it is held high on the priority list. Some college games can draw in a larger crowd then major league teams. This is something that foreigners do not understand and wonder why college students are being looked at as professionals. This is something foreigners will never understand, but if they are a sports fan it is something they can get behind. At least these athletes are getting an education in the process.

4 Amazed By The Amount Of Drive-Throughs

Drive-throughs are definitely not a foreign concept when it comes to people visiting the US as drive-throughs can be found all over the world. However, the US seems to have a drive-through for almost anything. In other countries people usually take the time to park their cars and walk through the front door of a restaurant or grocery stores. However, the people seem to be too busy or do not have the time to, therefore they need drive-throughs whenever it is possible. Foreigners also think that maybe they are a little lazy, which is why there are so many drive-throughs.

3 They Always Need Lawyers

From the amount of billboards and commercials you see advertising lawyer services you would think that everyone needs a lawyer. When driving around in the US, foreigners tend to notice the large amount of billboards along streets and highways and they start to wonder why people in the US would need so many lawyers. These advertisements for lawyers is not something you will see often in other countries, which is why foreigners find this so confusing. Why there are so many advertisements for lawyers is something foreigners will never understand, but will keep them wondering.

2 No Problem Speaking To Strangers

The US may have the reputation of not being the nicest nation, but that is not the case when foreigners visit. Many foreigners are surprised when they notice just how nice the people are. There may be some exceptions, but foreigners notice that people have no problem sparking up a conversation with strangers. In Europe people tend to keep to themselves and not talk to people they do not know. In the US it is the complete opposite, where the people will frequently help a stranger and smile.

1 They Are Very Patriotic

There is a good chance the first thing you notice when you visit the US is that there are flags everywhere! They are very proud and they do not need it to be a holiday to bust out the flag. At any given second you can spot a flag on a house, a car, a keychain. According to Best Life, some foreigners find this patriotism a little annoying because it is always in your face. They get it they are in the US and they do not need to be reminded every five seconds.

References: Best Life, Slate, The Medium Panda, Business Insider, Traveller