I have been away for awhile, over here in Europe, learning a new language, adjusting to a new culture and finding out about the world. The Vineyard looks very different from here, giving a whole new perspective that I would like to share with you.

First off, this is a very international place. Everyone here speaks two or three foreign languages and travels extensively throughout the world. As a result, they are very tolerant of foreign cultures and peoples. Germany uses the ways of the world, not just the German way. Experiencing mixed nationalities means you can take the best from each.

Hamburg is the town where the Beatles got started. It has thousands of bars and restaurants and a nightlife that doesn’t kick off until around midnight. Die Schanze is the artists’ neighborhood where I live, a little like Greenwich Village of the 1960s and full of tourists from all over Europe. Within three blocks of my apartment I have 26 national cuisines. It’s a great place to live. And the women are not only gorgeous, they often take the initiative . . . .

I worked several years with Ken Edwards of West Tisbury, doing highly-skilled copper work on some of the Island’s finest homes. Now I am over here learning the European way. Many of the construction sites are city buildings with huge roof areas. Around Lake Alster, for example, building codes require all roofs be made of copper. They have been working with copper roofing for hundreds of years and many techniques have grown with the centuries. Germans are also very safety-conscious, spending much time setting up a working area. Their job insurance, called Berufsgenossenschaft, pays compensation for injuries and time lost. Public health insurance, which we still don’t have in the States, offers full freedom to chose your doctors, yet covers all costs. Vacation allowances are huge.

Up on the roof, the actual work is not much different here, but a workman’s clothes and equipment certainly are. For one thing, they have specialized winter gear for the cold and windy north German climate. For another, there are lots of useful belts and bags with special pockets, high-tech kneepads and warm insulation. As a result, the workforce on a job site looks very uniform.

My uncle, a television producer, introduced me to some cutting-edge technology, which is standard here in Europe. When I compare banking and business technology, I see many problems stateside. While online-banking in the U.S. is very limited, for example, Europeans use it daily and globally. On the Vineyard and across America, many people are still writing paper checks.

This year, I accompanied my uncle on trips to Dubai, Bahrain and Zurich. During the summer in Bodensee, for example, I helped produce a live TV show at the annual meeting of the Nobel Laureate in Lindau (Germany). Several, by the way, knew Martha’s Vineyard.

As my career plans develop, I hope to be working with some wind energy companies near the North Sea and also want to learn European insulation and waterproofing techniques. I think these could be valuable for later work in the States.

Living abroad is a very exciting experience. I recommend it to young people everywhere. I still love to show Vineyard visitors around here. For me, it’s like seeing it for the first time all over again.

I miss my friends, my sweet dog Cuda and my home on the Island.

Nelson Tuck grew up in Vineyard Haven. His e-mail address is NelsonTuck@gmail.com.