What happens when you leave your home country and never quite catch up with its culture again? One American woman living abroad has sparked a viral conversation that’s both relatable and surreal. Her story touches on memory, identity, and the strange ways time can freeze when you’re far from home. The internet is buzzing with reactions to her unexpected realization. And it all started with a simple TikTok video.
TikTok Time Capsule: American Expat’s Viral Culture Shock
Rachel Warren, a 30-year-old American living in Denmark, has sparked a viral conversation with her latest TikTok. Known as @sheislostinikea, Warren posted a video that’s now surpassed 120,000 views. In it, she shares the strange sensation of being culturally frozen in time after moving abroad. “A lot of people don’t really think about the consequences of living abroad,” she says.
“And one of the weird ones is that your cultural context of your home country will forever be stuck in a sort of time capsule based off of the time you left…so, for me…my cultural time capsule is forever stuck around 2017.” Her reflections resonated with thousands of viewers.
The video, posted on August 3, quickly gained traction across social media. Warren’s story taps into a growing curiosity about life outside the U.S. Her experience reveals the emotional ripple effects of long-term relocation. And her TikTok has become a digital diary of displacement.
From Virginia to Copenhagen: A Journey Across Cultures
Warren’s roots trace back to the suburbs of Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia. She first arrived in Copenhagen in spring 2016 for her studies. Between 2017 and 2019, she made several visits before settling permanently in 2019. “I did live in the U.S. for 10 months before I came over permanently,” she said.
“But during that time, I was living with my parents and saving as much money as I could for graduate school and the move that I wasn’t really experiencing the culture, which is why I say I feel a bit more stuck around 2017.” Her time in the U.S. before the move was more transitional than immersive.
That gap in cultural engagement left her feeling disconnected from the evolving American lifestyle. Copenhagen, meanwhile, became her new home base. Her story is one of gradual immersion rather than abrupt relocation. And her reflections highlight the subtle ways time and place shape identity.
Americans Eye the Exit: A Growing Trend to Move Abroad
Warren’s experience comes amid a rising wave of Americans considering international relocation. A February 2025 survey by Talker Research revealed that 17 percent of Americans want to move abroad within five years.
Canada topped the list of preferred destinations. Another five percent said they were actively planning their move. Two percent had already begun the process. Millennials led the charge, with 25 percent expressing interest. The data suggests a generational shift in priorities.
Warren’s story mirrors this trend, offering a personal lens into the broader migration movement. Her TikTok isn’t just a personal reflection – it’s part of a larger cultural conversation. And her journey adds depth to the statistics.
Love Abroad: How Romance and Curiosity Shaped Her Move
Warren’s decision to stay overseas wasn’t just academic – it was emotional. “I grew up around a lot of military kids and internationals so was always very curious about other countries,” she told Newsweek. In 2016, she studied abroad in Copenhagen and fell in love with the city. She also fell in love with someone special.
“I also fell in love with a guy but didn’t want that to be my only reason for being there, so applied for graduate school. He and I are still together.” Her relationship added another layer to her relocation story. While her partner isn’t Danish – he’s German – his EU citizenship made things easier.
“Being an EU [European Union] citizen actually makes it easier for me to stay because partnership visas under Danish rules are much more difficult and expensive than getting partnership visas under EU rules,” she said. Her love story is intertwined with her immigration journey.
Returning Home Feels Like Visiting a Different Planet
Warren says visiting the U.S. now feels surreal. The cultural shifts since she left have been startling. “I am still in shock over the changes that came about because of Trump and COVID,” she told Newsweek. Some changes she appreciates, like telehealth and digital services.
“Some of the changes are good like the push towards more telehealth options and more digitalization in general.” But others leave her baffled. “People ordering so many Amazon packages and DoorDash things even when they are living in a city” struck her as odd.
She also noticed a shift in social behavior. “Overall people seem more isolated and don’t seem to hang out with each other as much.” Her visits now feel like stepping into a parallel version of the country she once knew.
Locked-Up Stores and Tipping Confusion: Welcome to 2025
Public life in the U.S. has changed in ways Warren finds unfamiliar. “I also forget how polarized things are,” she said. Political division feels more intense than ever. “There have always been people with strong opinions but now it seems like people are living in different realities.”
Her last visit was in November, and it left her unsettled. “I was freaked out by the fact that so many stores have their items locked up now.” Even tipping culture has evolved. “Tipping culture has changed and people tipped more and for things that weren’t tippable before I left.”
These small but significant changes add to her sense of dislocation. Her cultural compass, calibrated in 2017, struggles to navigate the new norms. And each visit feels more alien than the last.
Banana Prices and Arrested Development: Her New Reality
Living abroad has also warped Warren’s sense of pricing. “I don’t know how much things cost,” she admitted. Her reference to Arrested Development captures the confusion. “If you’ve ever watched Arrested Development, there’s one clip that’s like ‘how much can a banana cost? $10?’ and I feel like that.”
The longer she stays away, the more disconnected she feels from American consumer habits. Denmark’s pricing structure and lifestyle have reshaped her expectations.
She no longer tracks U.S. prices or trends. Her sense of value has shifted with her surroundings. What once felt normal now seems exaggerated. And her pop culture reference adds humor to the disorientation. It’s a lighthearted way to express a deeper disconnect.
Warren’s time in Denmark has transformed her views on work and welfare. She admits she was once skeptical. “I used to be a little suspicious,” she said. But now she’s a believer. “I couldn’t imagine a company being productive when all their employees have so many days off but it works.”
Her perspective on maternity care has also changed. “I cannot believe that the U.S. does so little when it comes to maternity care.” Denmark’s policies impressed her. “In Denmark, they also have paternity leave, which I think is brilliant.” Her experience abroad has reshaped her values. And she’s found a new appreciation for collective care.
New Priorities: Happiness Over Hustle
Warren’s journey has led to a personal transformation. Her goals have shifted dramatically. “My priorities have definitely changed,” she said. “I care more about living a happy healthy life than individual achievements.” Her time in Denmark has taught her to value balance.
The American hustle culture no longer appeals to her. She’s embraced a slower, more intentional lifestyle.
Her TikTok captures this evolution in real time. Each post reflects her changing mindset. And her story continues to inspire others seeking a different way to live.
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