I also grew up in the EU, but without knowing anything, my first guess is that this might be generational, and I assume you are a decade or so younger than GP (

I also grew up in the EU, but without knowing anything, my first guess is that this might be generational, and I assume you are a decade or so younger than GP (unproven hypothesis). GP's experience feels extremely familiar to mine, even including the later realizations, and this from growing up across the pond.