My family moved from Switzerland to the US. All the culture shock — from portion sizes to groceries — changed how we live

The first time I walked into a supermarket in the United States, I felt so overwhelmed.

Enormous aisles, bulk-sized products, and overflowing carts were a stark contrast to the smaller, more frequent shopping trips I was used to in Switzerland.

That moment captured a larger reality of our move: Adapting to life in a new country meant adjusting to different habits, expectations, and ways of living.

I am an Australian who moved from Switzerland to the US with my family, and the transition came with several unexpected lifestyle changes.

After living in Switzerland for three years and now spending the last five years in the United States, I’ve had plenty of time to experience both lifestyles firsthand.

Switzerland had shaped how I thought about everything from food and consumption to the pace of life, and moving to America forced me to rethink many of those routines.

Over time, however, I discovered that successful adaptation wasn’t about abandoning the lifestyle I valued.

Instead, it was about finding ways to preserve the habits that mattered most while embracing the opportunities and conveniences of American life.