Walking through the streets of Graz, I felt a certain calmness in the air. No one hurried past me, no servers rushed their guests through meals, and no cars sped through crosswalks. Life seemed to move at a gentler pace.
In the US, a strong grind culture exists. Our society is constantly hustling to get a promotion at work, to get into the best college, to buy a bigger house. This culture directly reflects in our actions as tend to race to our next business meeting or try to squeeze in one more client. In Austria, however, the citizens seemed to be much more present in the moment. I noticed locals would sit at breakfast for three hours with their dog and a book, displaying no sense of urgency to be anywhere else.
I found this slower pace refreshing, but I had to change many of my regular habits to adapt. In Pittsburgh, I tend to block off about an hour and a half for lunch with friends, enough time to eat, chat, and then move on with my day. In Graz, I quickly learned that an hour and a half was not enough for a sit-down meal. Servers rarely brought the check without being asked, and meals seemed to be designed for lingering rather than efficiency.
This slower pace can be explained by differences in community ideals. In Austria, the social safety net, from healthcare to welfare, reduces the pressure to constantly work toward basic security. Regarding healthcare for example, every Austrian citizen is given an e-card at birth, which provides them with basic healthcare coverage at no charge. In America, access to healthcare often depends on employment status, income level, or the ability to afford private insurance, meaning people must work not only for advancement but for essential benefits. These healthcare systems portray each nations’ deeper values: Austria has a solidarity principle, where everyone contributes and everyone benefits, versus America has an individualism principle, where each person earns their own rewards. Americans having to work for their rewards more than Austrians need to explains why Americans’ daily lifestyle is faster-paced than Austrians’.
Transportation also reflected Austria’s emphasis on equal community access. We used the tram system every day in Graz, much like many locals did. Bike lanes were everywhere, and I saw people of all ages cycling confidently through the city, even in business attire. It struck me how natural it seemed for Austrians to choose public or active transportation, whereas in Pittsburgh, the default is often to drive. This prioritization of shared transit mirrors the broader solidarity principle in Austrian society: systems are designed so everyone can benefit, regardless of income or car ownership.
