This was super fascinating, I loved it!! “Drink water u stupid bitch” feels like the 2024 virtue signalling equivalent to 2014’s “touch my butt and buy me pizza” 💧
You came for performative hydration and I (and my Stanley cup and camelbak and random swag water bottles with fancy stickers covering the logos) are here for it!
Adding the fancy ice TikTok craze to the “what happened to free water for the people” point. Also, agree that Poisonwood Bible is one of the best books ever. Flight Behavior is good, too.
I come from the land of bottled water (Germany). And I can still remember the first time I went into an American grocery store in 1989 and it had everything, except for bottled water. After a while I found some Canada Dry Club Soda or so. That was it.
And Americans travelling to Europe were appalled that they had to pay for water at a restaurant…
Back then, in Germany, beer was usually the cheapest menu item, cheaper than water, until some new regulation was as put in place due to health concerns…
Mr. Lisa, who is far from being on trend, bought a Hydroflask many years ago and I followed suite. I took my bright pink tumbler to a hairstylist appointment and the stylist was oohing and aahing how I was carrying a Hydroflask. I had no idea what she was going on about it. Flash forward many years and my Hydroflask and knock-off are covered in stickers. My SIL, bless her heart, got sucked into the Stanley charade. She has three. The one she uses has a gold charm that hooks onto the handle.
Mr. Lisa and I and I use a Brita at our cabin because we have well water and he doesn't like the taste. We're also big drinkers of sparkle water and we easily buy 3-4 cases every Costco trip. We're fans of Topo Chico and Pelligrino. We are aging hipsters.
I was recently in Europe and fell into the American stereotype of "I'm thirsty all the time! Need to order water at restaurants and drink a ton back at the hotel!" (Yes, we ordered tap water one night, it was lukewarm and didn't taste good, we all agreed. Back to paying for it!) I swear, we were much thirstier in Europe (psychosomatic?). I don't generally carry a water bottle except if I'm exercising, but do keep a bottle in the car and at work.
Hm SO interestingly, while I was researching this, I came across a (moderately well-viewed?) TikTok by an American living in Italy who claimed Americans are always thirstier than Europeans because American water doesn't have sufficient minerals. I could not find any evidence that was true, but this does seem to be some kind of Thing. (Maybe Americans on vacation just walk a lot more??)
I’m in retail, so I walk a lot during the day AND am used to not having constant access to water (it’s in the stockroom) but we were thinking maybe the food was saltier and our bodies noticed it but our taste buds didn’t? It’s a mystery!
This was super fascinating, I loved it!! “Drink water u stupid bitch” feels like the 2024 virtue signalling equivalent to 2014’s “touch my butt and buy me pizza” 💧
I ... somehow missed that in 2014?, but thank you for the fascinating Google rabbithole 😅
You came for performative hydration and I (and my Stanley cup and camelbak and random swag water bottles with fancy stickers covering the logos) are here for it!
Lol this is generous and I appreciate you
Adding the fancy ice TikTok craze to the “what happened to free water for the people” point. Also, agree that Poisonwood Bible is one of the best books ever. Flight Behavior is good, too.
THE FANCY ICE. I can't believe I forgot about that, thank you.
And yes, I also loved Flight Behavior -- maybe better than Unsheltered? But I've still got a ways to go.
I come from the land of bottled water (Germany). And I can still remember the first time I went into an American grocery store in 1989 and it had everything, except for bottled water. After a while I found some Canada Dry Club Soda or so. That was it.
Things surely have changed. :)
That is hard to imagine ... now we have entire AISLES of bottled (and boxed and canned and flavored and carbonated) water.
Back then it was tap water or nothing.
And Americans travelling to Europe were appalled that they had to pay for water at a restaurant…
Back then, in Germany, beer was usually the cheapest menu item, cheaper than water, until some new regulation was as put in place due to health concerns…
I have to imagine paying for restaurant water still appalls most Americans🤣 ... but maybe that's changing too!
Some restaurants started to carbonate tap water and charge for that and people were not amused when they found out. :)
Mr. Lisa, who is far from being on trend, bought a Hydroflask many years ago and I followed suite. I took my bright pink tumbler to a hairstylist appointment and the stylist was oohing and aahing how I was carrying a Hydroflask. I had no idea what she was going on about it. Flash forward many years and my Hydroflask and knock-off are covered in stickers. My SIL, bless her heart, got sucked into the Stanley charade. She has three. The one she uses has a gold charm that hooks onto the handle.
Mr. Lisa and I and I use a Brita at our cabin because we have well water and he doesn't like the taste. We're also big drinkers of sparkle water and we easily buy 3-4 cases every Costco trip. We're fans of Topo Chico and Pelligrino. We are aging hipsters.
Strong believer in Polar seltzer supremacy here, when it comes to the flavored waters, but you truly can't go wrong with an OG Topo Chico.
Great article! I always pick up some Polar Diet Orange whenever it is on sale for $1 a bottle.
I was recently in Europe and fell into the American stereotype of "I'm thirsty all the time! Need to order water at restaurants and drink a ton back at the hotel!" (Yes, we ordered tap water one night, it was lukewarm and didn't taste good, we all agreed. Back to paying for it!) I swear, we were much thirstier in Europe (psychosomatic?). I don't generally carry a water bottle except if I'm exercising, but do keep a bottle in the car and at work.
Hm SO interestingly, while I was researching this, I came across a (moderately well-viewed?) TikTok by an American living in Italy who claimed Americans are always thirstier than Europeans because American water doesn't have sufficient minerals. I could not find any evidence that was true, but this does seem to be some kind of Thing. (Maybe Americans on vacation just walk a lot more??)
I’m in retail, so I walk a lot during the day AND am used to not having constant access to water (it’s in the stockroom) but we were thinking maybe the food was saltier and our bodies noticed it but our taste buds didn’t? It’s a mystery!
Brilliant read. But also hard agree on the supremacy of The Poisonwood Bible over … well, most books really.