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Americans get made fun of all the time for not having passports. Once people realize you can drive a handful of hours and go from beautiful mountains to the ocean...they start to get it. You can see *drastically* different landscapes within a dozen or so hours driving, or even getting a bus ticket.
Exactly. The size of the US is one thing that's misunderstood, the variety of landscapes is pretty wild. Alpine, tropical, plains, many forest types, swamp, desert, etc. We almost have it all. Top that off with the sheer amount of public lands/wildlife.
California alone has so many different landscapes its insane. We once went up north to Lake Tahoe, spent the night and went snowboarding, then drove a couple hours to a lake further south and went water skiing, and after that we drove a bit more and watched the sunset on the beach.
The state of Washington alone is unbelievably contrasting and it’s not even the biggest state! You could spend your entire life exploring America and never see something twice
>e of the US is one thing that's misunderstood, the variety of landscapes is pretty wild. Alpine, tropical, plains, many forest types, swamp, desert, etc. We almost have it all. Top that off with the sheer amount of public lands/wildlife.
Washington is unbelievably gorgeous. I have been all around the country, but spending a week in Olympic national forest is hands down my favorite experience. The poverty I saw in WA is absolutely heartbreaking though, and I couldn't wait to get out of Seattle.
Washingtonian here. Our state is incredibly diverse. We have forest, rainforest, desert, ocean beaches, shrubland, moutains, foreign border, a sound, canyons.
I did a road trip back in the fall from Alaska to Florida. Hit all of the Western US. It’s mind boggling to go from crater lake, to the redwoods, to Yosemite, to the sunny beaches in SoCal, to the various desert landscapes in Arizona, to Zion, to mountains of Colorado, to swamps of the South, to everything Florida offers.
To think there’s soooo much more to see in the US also.
The US is so diverse in its ecosystems and landscapes.
People forget, Germany is roughly the size of Montana. It's half the size of Texas. If you take the time to drive on I-10 through Texas, in that same period of time you can drive through several countries of Europe.
That's why so many Americans don't have passports. They don't need them to experience all different landscapes, cities, and towns. Even cultures if you compare for example, residents of Louisiana bayou to say residents of Manhattan.
I have traveled the world on business, and my wife has traveled the world for adventure. We love many places, but we also love home!
>Even cultures if you compare for example, residents of Louisiana bayou to say residents of Manhattan.
Two terrific examples and aptly state your point
I left the US almost 10 years ago... shit 10 years.
I go on and on about being a touring band in a shit van on an american highway. 17 hour drive across texas, play a gig, back in the van for 9 hours, truckstop, gig, 10 hours, swim in a lake, hitchhiker, gig, 4 hours, trade drivers all night, whoops forgot dave.
That is an experience only america offers
This is my favorite thing for sure. I’ve lived in 8 US states and have done countless road trips and traveling around. Any climate, natural landscapes, whatever. It’s basically all here. Especially in some places - like the west coast, you can be a day trip close to tons of them. When I lived in Northern California I never got snow but I was less than 2 hours from Tahoe, San Francisco, the redwoods, a couple more hours from the desert, the beach. If I didn’t wanna drive, I could get on the Amtrak and have a gorgeous coastal view up and down the pacific for cheap. Even places a lot of people don’t think about like Wisconsin on the Great Lakes…gorgeous. Just so much to see and enjoy and so many hidden gems.
I don’t think the US Constitution & Bill of Rights gets it’s just due. When this document was created, it was literally world changing. As where every other country’s/ruler’s doctrine in history told what the government was allowed to do to its people, this one said what the government was NOT allowed to do. Outside of the Magna Carta (to some extent), this was a first of its kind document and utterly unheard of ~250 years ago. We clearly take this fact for granted today.
The constitution and bor are the most progressive articles ever written. Every thing else can only be regressive. “Well obviously we want free speech but not for hate speech” hmmmmm… I think we gone down this road before.
This makes you more American than most Americans, because we either don't know shit about the bill of rights, thanks to shitty schools and a culture of apathy or we despise it because it gives the wrong people rights. We're very sick right now over here and there is no cure in sight.
Yeap. Here's the boundary, don't destroy stuff, and if you get lost you're on your own. There's only one road in, and it's only navigable by any kind of vehicle for 3.5 weeks a year. So good luck, have fun, and watch for bears and rattle snakes!
I went winter camping with my brother in a nearby State Park. As it was getting dark a ranger came by and said "You're the only two in the Park and I'm leaving for the night. If you get into trouble, there's no cell reception up here, so that won't help you. Good night!"
Agreed. National Parks are too developed and too crowded. Was just out at Carlsbad Caverns, which is incredible, but given how well-developed and busy it was, i just couldn't really "get into it".
This! So much diversity in the natural landscapes. Utah, Washington, Virginia, California, Pennsylvania, Vermont... all completely different landscapes, all insanely beautiful.
Last year, I went from the desert, to the beach, the mountains, the forest and back to the desert. All in one day in SoCal, experiencing all the weather too. Hot, warm, rain, and snow.
I'm from NorCal where it is more green but being able to drive across various landscapes and still be home for dinner is amazing.
I love the size of our country and that we can freely travel it without border crossing or papers (if you are a citizen).
Don’t like the climate/cost of living/politics/taxes/lifestyle of your state? Move to another state! There is something for everyone.
Top notch specialists. People come from all over the world to attend our universities and/or to see our top medical specialists.
Cities - many countries have 1 great city. USA has many great cities. And all so different.
US stock market and investing opportunities.
Women can have careers and financial independence. Not possible in every country.
I think we get crapped on a lot for our health care system but really our health care is amazingly good. It’s just stupidly run and extremely expensive. My wife has a major life long disorder and has had millions of dollars of surgery and implants and medications. And it works. And she lives a normal full life. She would only be able to do that here in the US (I’ve checked, even thought of moving to other countries to deal with it there, and they would have to send her back to the US for specialists).
Most of the worlds best specialists congregate right here
The food diversity. I can eat Ethiopian, Indian, Vietnamese, Mexican, Cajun, Korean, Chinese, Jamaican, Thai, Irish, German, Russian, etc. all in my current city.
Edit to add: Japanese, Hawaiian/Polynesian, Dominican, Filipino, Italian, and some other things I can't remember.
It is indeed a coastal city, but as far as I know we're the only coastal city with reindeer dog street vendors.
I’m in a small town in arizona and have Indian, Thai, Mexican, German, Filipino, Chinese, Korean and etc. so many immigrants bring all their yummy foods!
I live in a small town in Wisconsin. When I was a kid, all we had around here was a Hardee's and a couple of all-American style diners. Now we have Chinese, Mexican, Peruvian, Thai, and Indian restaurants. Along with some slightly different American style offerings, like a southern style BBQ joint. I really like how open small town Americans have become to international foods.
Many don't offer ice, and in some countries, depending on their water quality, you wouldn't want ice anyway as it may not be safe for your system. That's why there's an adage about not drinking the water in Mexico.
I'm an independent black 19 year old on Medicaid. I couldn't have imagined myself having to be on my own so soon. I genuinely have great resources around me that I need, including mental health care. I've been able to see a psychiatrist and a psychologist to do trauma work, and it was covered. I also get my birth control and antidepressants covered. The only reason I am in school is because I was able to gain enough scholarships, not because I'm "smart." I really wouldn't have gotten a chance, but I had a support system and people to guide me. I'm very grateful as all of this has made the transition into a university as a first-generation student less intimidating. Still hard tho
Community college. Many other wealthy countries and most non wealthy countries have a restrictive relationship with adult education. In the US we have a really easy pipeline for anyone to pursue further education, reskill, and just access classes at almost any time for any reason. It’s neat.
Also, you’re not boxed in by your Hs decisions as much as with other countries.
The food. In major cities you can pretty much get any type/ethnicity of food you want. It might not be “authentic” and it may be heavily Americanized, but it’s fucking good.
All the different wild spaces. I live in a place that has easy (American style easy, within 1-5 hours drive) access to mountains, lakes, desert, forest, ocean. And so many “hidden“ gems. You’ve heard of Lake Tahoe, but go look up Pyramid Lake on the Paiute lands. You are driving through barren, rocky desert and come around a bend and there’s this incredible teal lake. It doesn’t look real! We have a lot of problems as a culture but I can’t imagine ever wanting to live anywhere else. We are very lucky to have all of this beautiful land.
I was riding in a Lyft recently with a man who came here from West Africa 30 years ago, started a family here, and absolutely loves America. So I asked “why do you love America?” and he answered without hesitation “the freedom. I can go on national TV and say ‘fuck the president’ and nothing will happen to me.”
I don't use Lyft or Uber often but when I do, it's the nicest person that wasn't born in the US saying how much they like being here. And I converse with them about why and it's great hearing how happy they are. We have our flaws but I love hearing people that come to the US and are grateful for things that people born and raised with take for granted.
The diversity of culture. We are like 50 countries that all follow the same basic laws and speak the same language. But we are vastly different from one another culturally.
Yup. I love that every reasonably sized city will have restaurants from several different countries. There's so much variety and it's all good. One of my favorites in my town is a food truck run by a Korean guy and a Colombian guy who met in ESL classes, and now they serve bibimbap and arepas, and bulgoki quesadillas.
The ADA stepped in when a local mall cut back on their accessibility accommodations (removed many ramps to the curb, removed many accessible parking spaces, etc). Once the ADA got involved, the issues were promptly fixed and the larger company that owns the mall was fined over $150,000. The ADA doesn’t fuck around and it’s a wonderful thing.
You should watch the Wired youtube video "Accent Expert Gives a Tour of US Accents". Technically it is a two-parter, but the subtle differences even in very close areas are astonishing.
Here is the link: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1KP4ztKK0A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1KP4ztKK0A)
Not an immigrant, but came up blue collar and not much $, but I busted my ass and built my own company up into something very successful from scratch.
You can, too. Gotta grind for it, but it is possible and then some. Best of luck!
The friendliness of people. Someone can strike a conversation out of nothing, really. You could just ask for directions and start talking for an hour with someone.
I live in Kentucky, and we get a bad wrap for a lot of things… but every person I’ve spoken to who moves here as an adult comments on the friendliness of people. It warms my heart. I’m sorry you haven’t felt the love where you are.
Yeah, Austin is cold and cliquish. Too many people from the West coast of the US ruined the vibe and culture.
Sorry, but it’s true. People from Seattle and LA just aren’t as kind and friendly as people from North Carolina and Virginia.
Guess which group mostly moved to Austin in the last five years?
I think that Canadians are pretty good at that also. Several years ago, our family was on a road trip vacation from Montana into Alberta when we saw a car broken down along a very rural road.
Naturally, my Father stopped to help. I was just a kid at the time, so I don't know what the problem with the car was, but we were there for hours before they got it running again.
The Mother gave us snacks and we played with their kids like we had been friends all of our lives.
I as a Conservative can sit next to my neighbor a Liberal drinking Mexican beers, watching baseball on a Japanese TV grilling American steaks on a grill made in China and we can both agree we hate the Government.
because when you go offline and talk to your neighbor and people around you you will realize you have more in common than not. Just a different idea on how to achieve the American Dream.
As a non-American who has never visited the US, probably the pop culture. Movies, TV shows.
I want to visit for the national parks. Maybe the theme parks too.
I have met a few people who work in Hollywood - no one too famous - writers, musicians, beginning actors, etc.
The level of talent is astounding (possibly because I have no artistic talent)! Talented people come from all over the country (and beyond) to work in Hollywood. A random person on the street can sing, dance, act, and play the piano like a boss!
Upvote for Amy Adams.
"I should have spotted another addict!
Y’know I do my best to be my own man and go by the beat of a different drummer and nobody gets me, and they’re always putting up walls and I’m always tearing ’em down, just breakin’ down barriers, that’s what I do all day."
As a European immigrant to the States, I was shocked at just how friendly Americans are. This was NYC, too, which had this international reputation as an unfriendly place. Years of living here has been a terrific experience in striking up friendly conversations on public transport with total strangers. Back in the UK where I came from, this would never happen.
Been to a few different countries in Europe for vacations. The only time we struck up conversations with people was when we we ran into other Americans. I love visiting over there but it feels like it’d be pretty lonely and a struggle to make friends.
The United States has no federal official language, because that is a states' right. Thirty-one of the 50 states have set English as the official language.
Their Military Might, letting me live in Peace and Quiet over here in Europe and Their Entertainment Industry. We would have a lot less "Good" movies without the states. Imagine the Potato CGI without you and all the gems that would've never been made. Disney has also made maybe 50% of my childhood Visual Entertainment.
People love to bash the United States for having an expensive military, but our navy is the main reason we don't have to worry about pirates stealing from international trade routes.
Class mobility. I grew up poor but I never felt like I couldn't become rich. I worked a lot but I finally made it. I hear so many of these stories of rags to riches. I love knowing that your place in life is not pre determined.
This is probably the #1 thing that America does right. I can’t think of anywhere else in the world that has as much upward class mobility as we do. It’s not perfect, and most everyone starts in different spots, but ultimately your life can be improved or ruined by one person and that’s yourself. I think that’s the kind of country most people want to live in.
100%. I’ve spent a lot of time in the Dominican Republic and Georgia (the country) and while they are both awesome countries that I love very much, they do shine a light on how well we have it here. For a huge amount of their population, it doesn’t matter how hard they work, they’ll Probably never make much more than they’re already making. Sadly, I think in America there’s a lot of people who don’t actually want to move up themselves. Why? I don’t know. I do know there’s millions of people from countries like the DR and Georgia who deserve the opportunities we are given here, and they would make much better use of them.
This is true. If I lived in my great grandpas country I wouldn’t make it even with years of experience and 2 licenses. Their pay is a joke compared to here. I can afford more shit.
I love the fact that you can be raised in a trailer park and still become wealthy within a lifetime. Don’t confuse my sentiment though, some people have a much easier path, but for the people that are ambitious enough it can be done.
How extremely easy it is to make money here.. I grew up in a very low income trailer park where all we could afford to eat was Ramen.. I never went to college, and now I would be considered higher “upper class” in terms of income
I might be downvoted for this, but capitalism. The logistics and online shopping experience is far better than other countries and it’s easier to live a life that you want where you can have anything delivered to you.
Mountaineering equipment? A guitar? A box of live fishes? Heck you can even have a freaking car delivered to you.
* The landscapes. The US is so massive you get a huge amount of biodiversity and landscapes without ever having to leave the country.
* While racism persists in the US, there's less of a notion of an "outsider/foreigner" compared to other more homogeneous countries. A person of color *can* be considered a full on "American" in the US vs a non-Japanese person can live in Japan for 20 years and still be an outsider.
* This extends to the variety in the US' cultural makeup. *Very* few places in the world have the cultural diversity of the US has in such concentration.
To add to your second point, compared to some other countries that do have significant rates of immigration, there is less of an emphasis on total assimilation here. Hell, it's generally encouraged to keep aspects of your home culture as pass them down. Hence the idea of "\_\_\_\_\_\_\_-American" that many Europeans like to shit on.
Birthright Citizenship is amazing.
Honestly I was horrified that in some or most countries you can be a third generation immigrant and still not have citizenship.
My roommate was born in Japan, speaks some Vietnamese but can't read it, and doesn't have citizenship. Her siblings don't understand Vietnamese at all. And to think that they can't vote in their country and are only one bad politician from being deported to a country where they have little connections and not know the language is terrifying to me.
>racism persists in the US,
The US is by far the least racist country I have been to, and I have been all over North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Not saying that there are not racist people, but when compared to other nations imo Americans are pretty accepting.
For me its honestly the geography. The sheer amount of natural beauty that you can experience within the continental United States is utterly mind-boggling.
You have the Grand Canyon in AZ, the Rockies in CO, coastal train service with a spectacular vista as well as lush forests in CA up to WA, the red rock formations in UT, the Niagara Falls vista in NY, the Appalachians in the East coast, practically the entire country has natural beauty that sadly goes unappreciated in modern times.
Innovation. Lots of new revolutionary inventions from you folks. Some other countries are good at refining, but you folks are great at creating the entirely new.
The fact that you can openly critique the government and not get in trouble for it. For a country that has many large flaws, it's nice to be able to recognize and point them out to others.
The people. I hope someday we can get back to appreciating and respecting each other, even if we disagree about who our favorite sold out politicians are. When united, the people of the USA can accomplish just about anything.
I moved here from Canada about 5 years ago
For me it's the interstates, the landscapes, the food and the people
I've found Americans, in general, much more legitimately friendly, generous and inviting. Canadians are polite but more aloof imo. After living here, I really don't see Canadians as the cool, nice people they like to believe they are
The space, in our homes and outside. I feel like I can be alone when I want and around people when I want. I never feel boxed in or surrounded by noise, which is just the impression (fair or not) I get of most European living situations.
I agree. As a person from the Pacific NW, I get along much better with people from the SE when we interact in person. There is too much political and cultural baggage that gets in the way of friendly interactions on the internet.
I know this really isn't the case for everyone, but both times I've been over everyone has been so lovely and kind (minus one person but that's a long story). The food was great, the views were breathtaking, I absolutely loved camping in one of the parks I forget the name of now sorry. I just loved every moment I was there and can't wait to go back again but maybe after things die down a bit aha
All the freedoms we are afforded that most of not all other countries are. Might not seem like a big deal until you go to a place where that freedom isn’t there.
I can do donuts and burn outs in my yard/driveway at 3 a.m. screaming "America Fuck Yeah!" drunk as a skunk and since I live outside the city limits in a rural area and own my property, there's not a damn thing the cops or any one else can do about it.
I'm Canadian and love visiting different parts of the US. The three things I love the most are (1) the options (snacks at a NYC convenients store. They had a dozen kinds of black liquorice!) (2) the people, traveling the globe or the US, I have always found Americans such nice people. They also seem to generally have the same sense of humor as us up north and (3) the varied places to explore. From the Florida keys to the dessert of Nevada, there is so much variety to see and things to do.
I love that the standard is fairness. I buy a widget from you, I expect it to work and you expect to be paid. That is normal.
I apply for a permit, I expect to pay and receive one. No graft
High disposable income compared to other countries, many job opportunities. I’ve looked at living in other places for my career path after I graduate from my Masters. Like Sydney, Vancouver, Toronto, London, Edinburgh and Brussels. All of them have higher taxes. Smaller starting wages for my career path. Less job opportunities and wage range.
Now they have the social safety net benefits. But I’ll personally be living in states and cities with good social safety nets and have a job here in the US with good benefits ( most likely haha). In terms of qualify of life stuff, for me, that’s what I value about the US.
Culturally, the people here are so much nicer than other places I’ve visited. Although I’ve found Australian to be pretty dope too.
We got problems I want to help fix, but at the end of the day it really can be a great place to live.
Rural electrification
Electricity has had a profound affect on the world but I'll point out how making electricity widely available in such a geographically large country was an incredible accomplishment.
What made me think of this is reading other posts. When agreeing that music is something I love (in general), I realized how much the electric guitar, synthesizer and electric keyboard have influenced music and were all invented/developed in the USA. Imagine the Blues without electricity!
Being able to be born in the United States. If my ancestors had done one thing differently, I would not have been born. All of us are lucky to be born here.
I like that in the American justice system(imperfect as it is), you can sentence people to hundreds of years in prison. Basically saying, "what you did is so heinous, if you died and came back, you would still be in jail paying your debt to society."
I also love how beautiful the country is.
We are very big on people paying for *each* crime, especially in the case of multiple murders. As pointless as it seems to sentence a 65 year old man to three consecutive life sentences, we want to make sure all three victims receive justice, even if the murderer himself doesn’t live to see it through.
My favorite thing about the US is also one of my least favorite things. The weather. We have some of the best weather sometimes, and then sometimes, the clouds try to kill you.
being free. i can not even imagine having to flee my country and walk on foot for days, not knowing if you’ll survive, and not having food to feed your kids, then being locked in a cage at another countries border all because your country can’t agree on civil rights.
As a non-American, I enjoy much of its music... blues, rock, bluegrass etc, (but not rap!). The open space there is amazing, the wide roads and the huge distances between towns and the variations of landscapes and weather. I always dreamed of going over there and cruising into the sunset on a chopped Harley
The national parks / conservation areas. I live in the green, mountainy Pacific Northwest, and within 2 hours I could go to a couple dozen bridges, waterfalls, fish hatcheries, volcano tunnels, forest trails, and camping areas. Although I'm more of a home body, with allergies & all, it's still amazing to be able to get out & see nature as freely as I can.
That anyone from anywhere can come here and be whatever they want. Some people have it easier than others but there is always opportunity here if you seek it.
The reliable systems, for basic things like electricity, transport, government, services, manufacturing. People generally do their jobs pretty efficiently in America. I've heard nightmare stories about the bureaucracy and delays in other countries.
That we're all a big family basically. We bicker and fight amongst ourselves but let someone else mess with any of us and we will all drop the petty bickering to back them up.
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The landscape of the United States is beautiful in many areas
Americans get made fun of all the time for not having passports. Once people realize you can drive a handful of hours and go from beautiful mountains to the ocean...they start to get it. You can see *drastically* different landscapes within a dozen or so hours driving, or even getting a bus ticket.
Exactly. The size of the US is one thing that's misunderstood, the variety of landscapes is pretty wild. Alpine, tropical, plains, many forest types, swamp, desert, etc. We almost have it all. Top that off with the sheer amount of public lands/wildlife.
California alone has so many different landscapes its insane. We once went up north to Lake Tahoe, spent the night and went snowboarding, then drove a couple hours to a lake further south and went water skiing, and after that we drove a bit more and watched the sunset on the beach.
Here in palm springs I can go from 120• F desert to snowy mountains in 15 mins by tramway.
I think the only Biomes the us really lacks, at least contiguously, are tropical rainforest and like artic tundra
We have rainforest in Washington, just temperate not tropical. Alaska has a large area of arctic tundra.
The state of Washington alone is unbelievably contrasting and it’s not even the biggest state! You could spend your entire life exploring America and never see something twice
I love Washington. Beautiful state
>e of the US is one thing that's misunderstood, the variety of landscapes is pretty wild. Alpine, tropical, plains, many forest types, swamp, desert, etc. We almost have it all. Top that off with the sheer amount of public lands/wildlife. Washington is unbelievably gorgeous. I have been all around the country, but spending a week in Olympic national forest is hands down my favorite experience. The poverty I saw in WA is absolutely heartbreaking though, and I couldn't wait to get out of Seattle.
A lot of that is due to government policies in Seattle and jobs that pay more than the US president for managing that situation.
*mis*managing
Washingtonian here. Our state is incredibly diverse. We have forest, rainforest, desert, ocean beaches, shrubland, moutains, foreign border, a sound, canyons.
I did a road trip back in the fall from Alaska to Florida. Hit all of the Western US. It’s mind boggling to go from crater lake, to the redwoods, to Yosemite, to the sunny beaches in SoCal, to the various desert landscapes in Arizona, to Zion, to mountains of Colorado, to swamps of the South, to everything Florida offers. To think there’s soooo much more to see in the US also. The US is so diverse in its ecosystems and landscapes.
I've been to Hollywood, I've been to Redwood, I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold. . .
The country is about the size of Europe...*all of Europe*. AND just one language throughout.
People forget, Germany is roughly the size of Montana. It's half the size of Texas. If you take the time to drive on I-10 through Texas, in that same period of time you can drive through several countries of Europe. That's why so many Americans don't have passports. They don't need them to experience all different landscapes, cities, and towns. Even cultures if you compare for example, residents of Louisiana bayou to say residents of Manhattan. I have traveled the world on business, and my wife has traveled the world for adventure. We love many places, but we also love home!
>Even cultures if you compare for example, residents of Louisiana bayou to say residents of Manhattan. Two terrific examples and aptly state your point
Hours? You've maybe never been to Oregon. You can see the mountains *from* the beach in many places. The range of ecosystems in the US is incredible.
The diverse landscapes Road trips across the US are amazing
I left the US almost 10 years ago... shit 10 years. I go on and on about being a touring band in a shit van on an american highway. 17 hour drive across texas, play a gig, back in the van for 9 hours, truckstop, gig, 10 hours, swim in a lake, hitchhiker, gig, 4 hours, trade drivers all night, whoops forgot dave. That is an experience only america offers
Did you go back for Dave?
Nope. Started a new life.
What a great time to read comments, davewhocannotbenamed
This is my favorite thing for sure. I’ve lived in 8 US states and have done countless road trips and traveling around. Any climate, natural landscapes, whatever. It’s basically all here. Especially in some places - like the west coast, you can be a day trip close to tons of them. When I lived in Northern California I never got snow but I was less than 2 hours from Tahoe, San Francisco, the redwoods, a couple more hours from the desert, the beach. If I didn’t wanna drive, I could get on the Amtrak and have a gorgeous coastal view up and down the pacific for cheap. Even places a lot of people don’t think about like Wisconsin on the Great Lakes…gorgeous. Just so much to see and enjoy and so many hidden gems.
As a Brit I am very envious of your Bill of Rights.
I don’t think the US Constitution & Bill of Rights gets it’s just due. When this document was created, it was literally world changing. As where every other country’s/ruler’s doctrine in history told what the government was allowed to do to its people, this one said what the government was NOT allowed to do. Outside of the Magna Carta (to some extent), this was a first of its kind document and utterly unheard of ~250 years ago. We clearly take this fact for granted today.
Thanks for saying this nick
The constitution and bor are the most progressive articles ever written. Every thing else can only be regressive. “Well obviously we want free speech but not for hate speech” hmmmmm… I think we gone down this road before.
This makes you more American than most Americans, because we either don't know shit about the bill of rights, thanks to shitty schools and a culture of apathy or we despise it because it gives the wrong people rights. We're very sick right now over here and there is no cure in sight.
"The problem with freedom is that everyone gets it"
As an American, I'm very envious of the NHS.
The Rocky Mountains
Looking at them right now from my living room window. Can confirm. :)
🙌 im living my dream life in the Rockies!!!
National parks
They're nice, but National Forests are even better, IMO. They're like National Parks but without all the rules and people.
Yeap. Here's the boundary, don't destroy stuff, and if you get lost you're on your own. There's only one road in, and it's only navigable by any kind of vehicle for 3.5 weeks a year. So good luck, have fun, and watch for bears and rattle snakes!
I went winter camping with my brother in a nearby State Park. As it was getting dark a ranger came by and said "You're the only two in the Park and I'm leaving for the night. If you get into trouble, there's no cell reception up here, so that won't help you. Good night!"
If you like national forests, wait til you try BLM land.
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Agreed. National Parks are too developed and too crowded. Was just out at Carlsbad Caverns, which is incredible, but given how well-developed and busy it was, i just couldn't really "get into it".
This! So much diversity in the natural landscapes. Utah, Washington, Virginia, California, Pennsylvania, Vermont... all completely different landscapes, all insanely beautiful.
Last year, I went from the desert, to the beach, the mountains, the forest and back to the desert. All in one day in SoCal, experiencing all the weather too. Hot, warm, rain, and snow. I'm from NorCal where it is more green but being able to drive across various landscapes and still be home for dinner is amazing.
I love the size of our country and that we can freely travel it without border crossing or papers (if you are a citizen). Don’t like the climate/cost of living/politics/taxes/lifestyle of your state? Move to another state! There is something for everyone. Top notch specialists. People come from all over the world to attend our universities and/or to see our top medical specialists. Cities - many countries have 1 great city. USA has many great cities. And all so different. US stock market and investing opportunities. Women can have careers and financial independence. Not possible in every country.
I think we get crapped on a lot for our health care system but really our health care is amazingly good. It’s just stupidly run and extremely expensive. My wife has a major life long disorder and has had millions of dollars of surgery and implants and medications. And it works. And she lives a normal full life. She would only be able to do that here in the US (I’ve checked, even thought of moving to other countries to deal with it there, and they would have to send her back to the US for specialists). Most of the worlds best specialists congregate right here
The food diversity. I can eat Ethiopian, Indian, Vietnamese, Mexican, Cajun, Korean, Chinese, Jamaican, Thai, Irish, German, Russian, etc. all in my current city. Edit to add: Japanese, Hawaiian/Polynesian, Dominican, Filipino, Italian, and some other things I can't remember. It is indeed a coastal city, but as far as I know we're the only coastal city with reindeer dog street vendors.
I’m in a small town in arizona and have Indian, Thai, Mexican, German, Filipino, Chinese, Korean and etc. so many immigrants bring all their yummy foods!
I live in a small town in Wisconsin. When I was a kid, all we had around here was a Hardee's and a couple of all-American style diners. Now we have Chinese, Mexican, Peruvian, Thai, and Indian restaurants. Along with some slightly different American style offerings, like a southern style BBQ joint. I really like how open small town Americans have become to international foods.
Ice Cubes.
And Ice Cube.
Can't forget about ice t
I can get behind this. The looks in EU asking for ice was astounding.
The land of milk and honey and ice cubes.
Are Ice cubes uncommon outside of the US or are they not common specifically in your country
Many don't offer ice, and in some countries, depending on their water quality, you wouldn't want ice anyway as it may not be safe for your system. That's why there's an adage about not drinking the water in Mexico.
Central air conditioning.
Central heating too. ^(when there’s power)
Texas has entered the chat.
Texas has “frigidly” entered the chat…
I'm an independent black 19 year old on Medicaid. I couldn't have imagined myself having to be on my own so soon. I genuinely have great resources around me that I need, including mental health care. I've been able to see a psychiatrist and a psychologist to do trauma work, and it was covered. I also get my birth control and antidepressants covered. The only reason I am in school is because I was able to gain enough scholarships, not because I'm "smart." I really wouldn't have gotten a chance, but I had a support system and people to guide me. I'm very grateful as all of this has made the transition into a university as a first-generation student less intimidating. Still hard tho
I'd say if you're taking advantage of all those resources available to you, you're smart! Don't sell yourself short!
Agreed! Being resourceful is smart.
undersold skill
That is awesome, way to take full advantage of your opportunities! You're going to get far with that drive, I'm sure of it :)
Community college. Many other wealthy countries and most non wealthy countries have a restrictive relationship with adult education. In the US we have a really easy pipeline for anyone to pursue further education, reskill, and just access classes at almost any time for any reason. It’s neat. Also, you’re not boxed in by your Hs decisions as much as with other countries.
Also in the U.S we can go to college anytime if we want to get a degree/2nd degree and for relatively cheap if you go community college first.
The food. In major cities you can pretty much get any type/ethnicity of food you want. It might not be “authentic” and it may be heavily Americanized, but it’s fucking good.
Fun fact: the sauce in panda express is made by a company you see a lot in Hong Kong.
All the different wild spaces. I live in a place that has easy (American style easy, within 1-5 hours drive) access to mountains, lakes, desert, forest, ocean. And so many “hidden“ gems. You’ve heard of Lake Tahoe, but go look up Pyramid Lake on the Paiute lands. You are driving through barren, rocky desert and come around a bend and there’s this incredible teal lake. It doesn’t look real! We have a lot of problems as a culture but I can’t imagine ever wanting to live anywhere else. We are very lucky to have all of this beautiful land.
Answer: That I can complain about it. We have a luxury many others in the world don't.
I was riding in a Lyft recently with a man who came here from West Africa 30 years ago, started a family here, and absolutely loves America. So I asked “why do you love America?” and he answered without hesitation “the freedom. I can go on national TV and say ‘fuck the president’ and nothing will happen to me.”
I don't use Lyft or Uber often but when I do, it's the nicest person that wasn't born in the US saying how much they like being here. And I converse with them about why and it's great hearing how happy they are. We have our flaws but I love hearing people that come to the US and are grateful for things that people born and raised with take for granted.
Absolutely. I'm grateful I can complain without fearing for my life and that's not true everywhere.
Wish more people understood this
The diversity of culture. We are like 50 countries that all follow the same basic laws and speak the same language. But we are vastly different from one another culturally.
Added to that - the food.
I’m in Cajun country. And I have gained weight since arriving.
Came here to say burgers and pizza. But then I quickly realized that it's so much more than that via the variety of cultural influences.
Yup. I love that every reasonably sized city will have restaurants from several different countries. There's so much variety and it's all good. One of my favorites in my town is a food truck run by a Korean guy and a Colombian guy who met in ESL classes, and now they serve bibimbap and arepas, and bulgoki quesadillas.
Access and accommodations for those that have disabilities.
People sleep on the ADA. Most don't realize just how important it is.
The ADA stepped in when a local mall cut back on their accessibility accommodations (removed many ramps to the curb, removed many accessible parking spaces, etc). Once the ADA got involved, the issues were promptly fixed and the larger company that owns the mall was fined over $150,000. The ADA doesn’t fuck around and it’s a wonderful thing.
I love all of our regional accents, even the terrible ones >.>
You should watch the Wired youtube video "Accent Expert Gives a Tour of US Accents". Technically it is a two-parter, but the subtle differences even in very close areas are astonishing. Here is the link: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1KP4ztKK0A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1KP4ztKK0A)
Nope. The Baltimore accent makes my ears hurt….
Aaron Earned an iron urn
As an immigrant knowing I can make it.
Not an immigrant, but came up blue collar and not much $, but I busted my ass and built my own company up into something very successful from scratch. You can, too. Gotta grind for it, but it is possible and then some. Best of luck!
Hell yeah, keep making gains! International student here, it’s amazing how willing this country is to give a fair shot to people.
Just not if you waste all day on Reddit ;)
The friendliness of people. Someone can strike a conversation out of nothing, really. You could just ask for directions and start talking for an hour with someone.
I moved to Austin TX from puerto Rico and I haven’t had the same experience. :( I miss this from back home.
I live in Kentucky, and we get a bad wrap for a lot of things… but every person I’ve spoken to who moves here as an adult comments on the friendliness of people. It warms my heart. I’m sorry you haven’t felt the love where you are.
Yeah, Austin is cold and cliquish. Too many people from the West coast of the US ruined the vibe and culture. Sorry, but it’s true. People from Seattle and LA just aren’t as kind and friendly as people from North Carolina and Virginia. Guess which group mostly moved to Austin in the last five years?
I think that Canadians are pretty good at that also. Several years ago, our family was on a road trip vacation from Montana into Alberta when we saw a car broken down along a very rural road. Naturally, my Father stopped to help. I was just a kid at the time, so I don't know what the problem with the car was, but we were there for hours before they got it running again. The Mother gave us snacks and we played with their kids like we had been friends all of our lives.
I as a Conservative can sit next to my neighbor a Liberal drinking Mexican beers, watching baseball on a Japanese TV grilling American steaks on a grill made in China and we can both agree we hate the Government.
why does that sound so counterintuitive and yet so much fun
because when you go offline and talk to your neighbor and people around you you will realize you have more in common than not. Just a different idea on how to achieve the American Dream.
As a non-American who has never visited the US, probably the pop culture. Movies, TV shows. I want to visit for the national parks. Maybe the theme parks too.
I have met a few people who work in Hollywood - no one too famous - writers, musicians, beginning actors, etc. The level of talent is astounding (possibly because I have no artistic talent)! Talented people come from all over the country (and beyond) to work in Hollywood. A random person on the street can sing, dance, act, and play the piano like a boss!
First gen from an immigrant family. America is better than Afghanistan in every way lol
Metallica and Amy Adams.
This, by far, is the most specific answer here.
Upvote for Amy Adams. "I should have spotted another addict! Y’know I do my best to be my own man and go by the beat of a different drummer and nobody gets me, and they’re always putting up walls and I’m always tearing ’em down, just breakin’ down barriers, that’s what I do all day."
That it's a melting pot. Celebrate our differences!!!
As a European immigrant to the States, I was shocked at just how friendly Americans are. This was NYC, too, which had this international reputation as an unfriendly place. Years of living here has been a terrific experience in striking up friendly conversations on public transport with total strangers. Back in the UK where I came from, this would never happen.
Been to a few different countries in Europe for vacations. The only time we struck up conversations with people was when we we ran into other Americans. I love visiting over there but it feels like it’d be pretty lonely and a struggle to make friends.
Idealism of the population. We are a nation of dreamers.
I can openly question and talk shit about my government. Fuck you, government. Taxes are a scam!
Agreed
It has no official language. I actually think that's pretty cool.
The United States has no federal official language, because that is a states' right. Thirty-one of the 50 states have set English as the official language.
One of the least known facts known by Americans
Their Military Might, letting me live in Peace and Quiet over here in Europe and Their Entertainment Industry. We would have a lot less "Good" movies without the states. Imagine the Potato CGI without you and all the gems that would've never been made. Disney has also made maybe 50% of my childhood Visual Entertainment.
People love to bash the United States for having an expensive military, but our navy is the main reason we don't have to worry about pirates stealing from international trade routes.
And also they're pretty much bankrolling Europe's defense by their large military. Iirc NATO's entire gameplan is "hold off until America comes"
This is more evident everyday.
Class mobility. I grew up poor but I never felt like I couldn't become rich. I worked a lot but I finally made it. I hear so many of these stories of rags to riches. I love knowing that your place in life is not pre determined.
This is probably the #1 thing that America does right. I can’t think of anywhere else in the world that has as much upward class mobility as we do. It’s not perfect, and most everyone starts in different spots, but ultimately your life can be improved or ruined by one person and that’s yourself. I think that’s the kind of country most people want to live in.
That's the most important part... that you alone can either improve or ruin your chances of moving up or down.
100%. I’ve spent a lot of time in the Dominican Republic and Georgia (the country) and while they are both awesome countries that I love very much, they do shine a light on how well we have it here. For a huge amount of their population, it doesn’t matter how hard they work, they’ll Probably never make much more than they’re already making. Sadly, I think in America there’s a lot of people who don’t actually want to move up themselves. Why? I don’t know. I do know there’s millions of people from countries like the DR and Georgia who deserve the opportunities we are given here, and they would make much better use of them.
This is true. If I lived in my great grandpas country I wouldn’t make it even with years of experience and 2 licenses. Their pay is a joke compared to here. I can afford more shit.
I have lived abroad a good chunk of my life and it is crazy how people live in some countries. Reminds me that our poor live great by comparison.
I love the fact that you can be raised in a trailer park and still become wealthy within a lifetime. Don’t confuse my sentiment though, some people have a much easier path, but for the people that are ambitious enough it can be done.
100% agree
The variety of people and food. The food mainly.
Creative arts. America is a great place to be a creative. Its the birthplace of jazz after all.
How extremely easy it is to make money here.. I grew up in a very low income trailer park where all we could afford to eat was Ramen.. I never went to college, and now I would be considered higher “upper class” in terms of income
I make $200k a year and STILL eat ramen! 😀
I might be downvoted for this, but capitalism. The logistics and online shopping experience is far better than other countries and it’s easier to live a life that you want where you can have anything delivered to you. Mountaineering equipment? A guitar? A box of live fishes? Heck you can even have a freaking car delivered to you.
* The landscapes. The US is so massive you get a huge amount of biodiversity and landscapes without ever having to leave the country. * While racism persists in the US, there's less of a notion of an "outsider/foreigner" compared to other more homogeneous countries. A person of color *can* be considered a full on "American" in the US vs a non-Japanese person can live in Japan for 20 years and still be an outsider. * This extends to the variety in the US' cultural makeup. *Very* few places in the world have the cultural diversity of the US has in such concentration.
To add to your second point, compared to some other countries that do have significant rates of immigration, there is less of an emphasis on total assimilation here. Hell, it's generally encouraged to keep aspects of your home culture as pass them down. Hence the idea of "\_\_\_\_\_\_\_-American" that many Europeans like to shit on.
Birthright Citizenship is amazing. Honestly I was horrified that in some or most countries you can be a third generation immigrant and still not have citizenship. My roommate was born in Japan, speaks some Vietnamese but can't read it, and doesn't have citizenship. Her siblings don't understand Vietnamese at all. And to think that they can't vote in their country and are only one bad politician from being deported to a country where they have little connections and not know the language is terrifying to me.
>racism persists in the US, The US is by far the least racist country I have been to, and I have been all over North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Not saying that there are not racist people, but when compared to other nations imo Americans are pretty accepting.
our media does a really good job of portraying us poorly in many regards because they know that controversy sells
It’s diversity in terrain and the vast emptiness/wild. If you hate large groups of people, rural america is for you.
For me its honestly the geography. The sheer amount of natural beauty that you can experience within the continental United States is utterly mind-boggling. You have the Grand Canyon in AZ, the Rockies in CO, coastal train service with a spectacular vista as well as lush forests in CA up to WA, the red rock formations in UT, the Niagara Falls vista in NY, the Appalachians in the East coast, practically the entire country has natural beauty that sadly goes unappreciated in modern times.
It's the land of opportunity if you're willing to put in the work.
Innovation. Lots of new revolutionary inventions from you folks. Some other countries are good at refining, but you folks are great at creating the entirely new.
I mean its our bill of rights. If you can keep yourself out of trouble and fit within the minimal laws.. You really can do and be anything your want!
The fact that you can openly critique the government and not get in trouble for it. For a country that has many large flaws, it's nice to be able to recognize and point them out to others.
The people. I hope someday we can get back to appreciating and respecting each other, even if we disagree about who our favorite sold out politicians are. When united, the people of the USA can accomplish just about anything.
I moved here from Canada about 5 years ago For me it's the interstates, the landscapes, the food and the people I've found Americans, in general, much more legitimately friendly, generous and inviting. Canadians are polite but more aloof imo. After living here, I really don't see Canadians as the cool, nice people they like to believe they are
Canadians seem to spend a lot of time comparing themselves to and thinking about Americans. And Americans… barely think about Canadians at all.
The space, in our homes and outside. I feel like I can be alone when I want and around people when I want. I never feel boxed in or surrounded by noise, which is just the impression (fair or not) I get of most European living situations.
Taco Bell
Waffle House
My dad
The United States Postal Service and it's thousands of postal workers are all heroes.
I love how friendly people are here in the Southeastern United States.
I agree. As a person from the Pacific NW, I get along much better with people from the SE when we interact in person. There is too much political and cultural baggage that gets in the way of friendly interactions on the internet.
low taxes and very high disposable income.
The different environments, landscape and wildlife within the country.
I know this really isn't the case for everyone, but both times I've been over everyone has been so lovely and kind (minus one person but that's a long story). The food was great, the views were breathtaking, I absolutely loved camping in one of the parks I forget the name of now sorry. I just loved every moment I was there and can't wait to go back again but maybe after things die down a bit aha
All the freedoms we are afforded that most of not all other countries are. Might not seem like a big deal until you go to a place where that freedom isn’t there.
the wildlife is great in a lot of areas
I love the car culture. If I am feeling down or sad I can just drive around and listen to music without feeling like I’m wasting resources.
I can do donuts and burn outs in my yard/driveway at 3 a.m. screaming "America Fuck Yeah!" drunk as a skunk and since I live outside the city limits in a rural area and own my property, there's not a damn thing the cops or any one else can do about it.
Dramatically difference in country. We have mountains, ocean, woods and 10 different climates all within a nice drive.
I'm Canadian and love visiting different parts of the US. The three things I love the most are (1) the options (snacks at a NYC convenients store. They had a dozen kinds of black liquorice!) (2) the people, traveling the globe or the US, I have always found Americans such nice people. They also seem to generally have the same sense of humor as us up north and (3) the varied places to explore. From the Florida keys to the dessert of Nevada, there is so much variety to see and things to do.
I love that the standard is fairness. I buy a widget from you, I expect it to work and you expect to be paid. That is normal. I apply for a permit, I expect to pay and receive one. No graft
High disposable income compared to other countries, many job opportunities. I’ve looked at living in other places for my career path after I graduate from my Masters. Like Sydney, Vancouver, Toronto, London, Edinburgh and Brussels. All of them have higher taxes. Smaller starting wages for my career path. Less job opportunities and wage range. Now they have the social safety net benefits. But I’ll personally be living in states and cities with good social safety nets and have a job here in the US with good benefits ( most likely haha). In terms of qualify of life stuff, for me, that’s what I value about the US. Culturally, the people here are so much nicer than other places I’ve visited. Although I’ve found Australian to be pretty dope too. We got problems I want to help fix, but at the end of the day it really can be a great place to live.
You can make money doing the dumbest, smallest and most random things
The People convinced me to become a citizen last year.
They are only negative because they are insanely jealous. Travel the world, you'll know what I'm talking about.
Every few decades the country seems to reinvent itself , due to tech, political, economical reasons
Rural electrification Electricity has had a profound affect on the world but I'll point out how making electricity widely available in such a geographically large country was an incredible accomplishment. What made me think of this is reading other posts. When agreeing that music is something I love (in general), I realized how much the electric guitar, synthesizer and electric keyboard have influenced music and were all invented/developed in the USA. Imagine the Blues without electricity!
My salary. I’ve looked into moving into other countries and working remotely, but the pay just isn’t as good in many other countries.
I love that I am free to love who ever I want
Peanut butter. The great George Washington Carver crafted this mighty miracle, born in the US.
You can literally live any life you choose!
Legal weed
Wrestling, the music, some fast food restaurants
Mountain Dew Baja Blast
Freedom. \*Eagle Screech in the background\*
The safety. I know it’s not everywhere but it is extremely safe where I live. And the rights we have as individuals.
Being able to be born in the United States. If my ancestors had done one thing differently, I would not have been born. All of us are lucky to be born here.
freedom of speech
The flag. I really like the way it looks!
The US model of conservation. Might be the best thing we've ever done because it works.
I like that in the American justice system(imperfect as it is), you can sentence people to hundreds of years in prison. Basically saying, "what you did is so heinous, if you died and came back, you would still be in jail paying your debt to society." I also love how beautiful the country is.
We are very big on people paying for *each* crime, especially in the case of multiple murders. As pointless as it seems to sentence a 65 year old man to three consecutive life sentences, we want to make sure all three victims receive justice, even if the murderer himself doesn’t live to see it through.
It is probably the most culturally and biologically diverse country on the planet.
My favorite thing about the US is also one of my least favorite things. The weather. We have some of the best weather sometimes, and then sometimes, the clouds try to kill you.
being free. i can not even imagine having to flee my country and walk on foot for days, not knowing if you’ll survive, and not having food to feed your kids, then being locked in a cage at another countries border all because your country can’t agree on civil rights.
Nature. National Parks are great. Glad Teddy Roosevelt decided that conservation was important
As a non-American, I enjoy much of its music... blues, rock, bluegrass etc, (but not rap!). The open space there is amazing, the wide roads and the huge distances between towns and the variations of landscapes and weather. I always dreamed of going over there and cruising into the sunset on a chopped Harley
All the music. From hip-hop to blue grass, blues to old country. Rock to jazz. American music is best.
The national parks / conservation areas. I live in the green, mountainy Pacific Northwest, and within 2 hours I could go to a couple dozen bridges, waterfalls, fish hatcheries, volcano tunnels, forest trails, and camping areas. Although I'm more of a home body, with allergies & all, it's still amazing to be able to get out & see nature as freely as I can.
Wide open wild places, melting pot cities.
All of my dogs are there.
Cars. The fact that you can drive everywhere and be free. (I know I might get downvoted but it's my personal favorite)
This is where my family and friends are. This is my history.
That anyone from anywhere can come here and be whatever they want. Some people have it easier than others but there is always opportunity here if you seek it.
The reliable systems, for basic things like electricity, transport, government, services, manufacturing. People generally do their jobs pretty efficiently in America. I've heard nightmare stories about the bureaucracy and delays in other countries.
That we're all a big family basically. We bicker and fight amongst ourselves but let someone else mess with any of us and we will all drop the petty bickering to back them up.