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U.S. family finds India full of contrasts
A two-and-a-half-month visit left a U.S. family sorting through sharp cultural differences.
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Pranavi Sharma - Sun, 07, Dec 2025
- 00:00 EST
- 13
Haakenson wrote that she expected India to feel different from the United States, but only realized the extent of that difference once she and her family settled into routines across cities. / Instagram/@wanderlust.haak
An American family spending two and a half months in India says the most striking discovery was how daily life felt both chaotic and welcoming at the same time. Anna Haakenson, a mother of two, documented the trip on Instagram and her post has since drawn millions of views.
Haakenson wrote that she expected India to feel different from the United States, but only realized the extent of that difference once she and her family settled into routines across cities. She focused on small, practical things that shape life: how people drive, how they talk to strangers, how food tastes, and how families live together.
She explained that honking in the United States usually signals frustration, while in India it often means “I am here, look out, thanks.” She also noted that heat levels in food can be unpredictable for foreigners, writing that “spicy” in India means something else entirely.
Haakenson said people in India tend to engage more readily. “In the USA, people pretend you don't exist,” she wrote. “In India, people will absolutely ask where you are from, where you are going, and why.” She contrasted that with the way trash, traffic, and weather behave differently across the two countries, describing Indian roads as “controlled chaos” and local seasons as hot, monsoon, and “surprise extra heat.”
The family also pointed to affordability. Haakenson said daily expenses felt high in the United States but manageable in India. She described Indian households as more multigenerational, compared with the single-family setups she sees at home.
The post has drawn nearly four million views and thousands of comments. One user wrote, “Thanks for sharing the differences you have noticed.” Another added that multigenerational living is common: “My family, two uncles’ families and grandma, we all live together under one roof.”
Some readers offered corrections. One commenter said Haakenson likely saw only southern weather and urged her to “try the Himalayan regions.” Others said the description felt accurate, particularly the point about strangers showing concern.
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