Picture this: It’s 9°C in a quaint European town. The sky is heavy with low-hanging clouds, and locals are wrapped up in trench coats, wool scarves, and boots that say “winter is no joke.” Everyone’s hustling to stay warm.

The Outfit That Gives It Away

Then, casually walking past — a guy in cargo shorts. No beanie. No gloves. At best, he’s thrown on a hoodie or maybe a puffer vest that’s not even zipped. While the locals rush by, this man strolls calmly, completely unbothered by the cold.

Rather than appearing as a tourist, he looks more like he’s mentally comparing prices: “Would this €4.50 croissant be cheaper back home?” Possibly wondering if it comes with butter, like it should.

The Coffee Moment

Soon, he orders a coffee. One sip later, the look on his face says everything:

• “This would be illegal in Wellington.”

• “Where’s my loyalty card?”

• “Where’s the cheese scone?”

• “Where’s the smile?”

At a nearby table, someone quietly mentions “New Zealand,” but let’s be honest — you already knew. It wasn’t the accent that gave him away.

Kiwi Traits You Can’t Miss

There’s something unmistakable about a Kiwi abroad:

• The shorts and jandals in April.

• The polite refusal to admit they’re cold.

• The occasional “sweet as” dropped in the middle of the Louvre.

Even their coffee snobbery comes with layers. They’ll judge your instant coffee setup silently — but thoroughly.

The Pak’nSave Reflex

No matter how far from home they travel, Kiwis carry certain instincts with them. The most powerful of these is the Pak’nSave price-comparison reflex. Eggs for €7? Emotionally damaging. Overpriced brunch? Borderline offensive. They might not say it, but the disappointment shows.

Final Thought

In the end, it’s clear: you can take the Kiwi out of Aotearoa, but you can’t take Aotearoa out of the Kiwi. Whether it’s their resilience to cold or their commitment to decent coffee, New Zealanders are uniquely themselves — wherever they go.

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