By resisting the urge to check my phone every five seconds, I've had the chance to truly immerse myself in European life by people-watching.
You might be wondering what exactly I pay attention to when I people-watch. You might also think it's boring to observe people doing mundane things. But I would respond that focusing on details is key, and a little imagination goes a long way. Here are some questions I've often asked myself when riding on public transport:
- What time of day is it, and how crowded is the train/bus/subway car? What does this say about how long people work and how long they stay awake at night?
- Are most passengers alone, or are they in pairs or groups?
- What are people doing with their time? Are they chatting, reading a book or listening to music? (One interesting thing I noticed while in Paris is that a lot of people read books during their commute!)
- What languages are people speaking? (In Berlin and Amsterdam, I heard so much English that I felt like I was in the U.S.!)
- How are people dressed? (I've noticed that Europeans dress very formally compared to Americans--they don't wear leggings or sweatpants, and they wear sleek wool coats instead of the puffy ones I'm used to.)
These are just some of the many things I was able to witness during my travels aboard public transportation in Europe!
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