Elevators
I was on the elevator just on my way from grocery shopping. And since Costco didn’t sell carry bags, I was holding up a 20 pack of tooth brushes. The man in the elevator smiled at me and said “so you brush a lot?”
This was in the US. But in my 6 years living in Europe, I’ve never had a conversation longer than “Hi” with anyone on the elevator. Most of my elevator rides are filled with palpable silences only interrupted by the occasional cell phone ping or the swishing of a puppy wagging its tail. I miss those elevator small talks. Makes you feel like you’re not alone in this world. I wish Europeans were capable of doing this.