Sixteen things I’ve learned from living in America thus far:
1. Driving is an adventure in itself. The road system is so vast that a two hour drive is considered a casual drive; now to someone from the North of England, a two hour drive gets you halfway down the country, but in America driving two hours might not even get you out of your state. Alongside the vastness of the road system are the laws governing the roads, which vary state to state. You’re in New Jersey and want to make a left? There’s a good chance you can’t, because turning left is illegal. In Florida, you can turn right at a red light, but in Pennsylvania you can’t. Little changes in the law make for an interesting road trip… Especially when you’re explaining your case to a state trooper. These issues, however, pale in comparison to the standard of driving in the States. Americans drive on the right hand side of the road, so logically you drive in the right hand lane and use the outside left lanes to overtake? No. There appears to be no rhyme nor reason when it comes to driving in America. You want to drive slow in the fast lane? Fine. You want to undertake in the right hand lane? Cool. Driving in America is an interesting experience to say the least.
2. Americans are incredibly polite. “Yes sir”, “no ma’am”, “good morning”, “have a nice day”, “how are ya’ll?” – all of these expressions I hear on a daily basis. Maybe this a southern thing (I live in central Florida for those wondering)? After all, the South is renowned for its hospitality. Regardless, it is extremely refreshing to hear such politeness in everyday conversation.
3. Sweetened bread. I can’t find bread that doesn’t taste like it has been sprinkled with sugar, and I quite simply can’t get away with it. I honestly do not understand the need to sweeten bread, I always thought that’s what jam was for?
4. Iced tea is quite simply divine. There’s nothing better than cracking open a can of Arnold Palmer’s half iced tea and half lemonade on a warm sunny day. Sheer bliss. Something I’ve been missing out on for so long. I don’t think I can put into words just how wonderful the taste sensation is.
5. Advertisements and branding are everywhere. Driving can be a mesmerising experience; neon signs looming large, radiating against the darkened sky beckoning you to pull in and sample their delights. True story, driving can feel like flipping through a telephone directory, looking for a fast food service, it is bizarre. Watching television is a similar experience. In fact, watching television in America is a truly frustrating experience. You are watching your favourite TV show, the tension is building, will they find the gold? Was that a gunshot? Cue an advertisement break, “ten chicken nuggets at Burger King only $1.29” – *television remote slams off the wall*. The need to continuously advertise is honestly such a farce, no the wonder streaming and illegal downloading are so popular.
6. The impressive world of high school and college sports. I played football (soccer to the Yanks) and rugby throughout my high school (senior school to the Brits) and University years. However, I certainly did not regularly play in front of lively crowds paying good money to come and watch. Maybe when representing the city or county I would expect a decent crowd to turn out and cheers us on, but not on a day to day basis. My wife coaches a high school softball team and I would estimate over sixty people come to each game and even one hundred at the important games; they play at least three times per week. Each person pays an admittance fee and also has the opportunity to buy snacks and drinks from the concession stand. High school and college sports are well attended and also generate revenue for the home side – incredible. This, coupled with the fantastic standard of facilities, creates an extraordinary extra-curricular program that can often lead to scholarships being awarded for University admittance. You play the sport you love and get a scholarship to go and play it at University, whilst attaining a degree… sounds too good to be true, but it isn’t.
7. At the other end of the sporting spectrum is the alarmingly low number of adults playing some form of sport on a regular basis. Don’t get me wrong, the gym is a popular venture; however, adult sports teams are surprisingly few and far between. Slow pitch softball is pretty popular, and so is soccer – yet the teams and leagues often lack competitiveness and structure. Youth sports and professional sports are lauded, heavily funded and watched en masse; yet, the options for the regular person wanting to play a sport are rather limited. Such a shame.
8. A lot of Americans have an alarmingly poor understanding of the world around them. Historically, geographically, politically and culturally, many Americans struggle to understand the different values that make the world such an intriguing place. “They speak German in the UK, right?” – yes I have seriously been asked that question.
9. That being said, America has such a rich and varied set of cultures in its own right that it really isn’t too surprising that they don’t know a great deal about what goes on in the world outside of the borders of the USA. Think of America as a union of fifty countries, rather than one individual country. Each state has different laws, taxes and traditions, only specific laws are federally governed, giving the States a varied and interesting cultural landscape. America is almost a world unto its own.
10. The NHS is a fantastic idea, and when explained to Americans properly, they too think it is a fantastic idea.
Me: “Yes, we do pay for healthcare, but we pay for it through taxation.”
American: “Oh, so it isn’t free? Also, I heard that it’s terrible with poor service and waiting times?”
Me: “Actually it’s one of, if not the, best healthcare providing service in the Western World.”
American: “…”
And, you know what? That statement is true. Check out this article from 2014 backing up those claims: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/uks-healthcare-ranked-the-best-out-of-11-western-countries-with-us-coming-last-9542833.html
11. The sheer size of America is spellbinding. Drive across the USA and you will be amazed at how much land there really is. This might sound like a stupid statement, but when you’ve driven for over three hours without seeing anything except rolling hills, forests, rivers etc. then you will understand that America is truly enormous…
12. … And beautiful, too. The changing landscapes across America are picturesque. Mountains, plains, beaches, cosmopolitan cities, quaint villages; America has it all. The wonder of America is the ability to travel within your own country and to be continually amazed. The beauty coupled with the size of the place makes you wonder why you would ever want to travel outside of the borders when there is such a cornucopia of beautiful holiday destinations sitting on your doorstep?
13. My accent is the most valuable tool in my possession. Never did I think my dulcet North Eastern English tones would be considered sexy, intellectual or charming, but they are. This is no joke. People eat out of the palm of my hand the moment I say the word “naughty”, they seriously can’t get enough. I don’t mind, it’s a great ice-breaker and very few people forget my name. Heck, it could be invaluable in my professional life.
14. Junk food is king. Junk food is everywhere you go, seriously. I already mentioned the blazing neon signs on the highway, but a McDonalds inside a Walmart… it took my breath away. That’s not to say there’s not a great deal of junk food outlets in the UK and Europe, in fact I really miss Greggs; however, America is overflowing with them. McDonalds, Wendys, Taco Bell, Hardees, Arby’s, Dairy Queen, Burger King, Popeyes, Chequers, Sonic, KFC, Subway, WaWa’s, Jimmy John’s and a whole host of independent retailers all provide America the greasy, saturated fat infused delicacies required on a daily basis.
15. Television Shows, in spite of the copious amounts of advertisements aired during the show, are fantastic. Want to watch a show about a family living in the Alaskan wildreness? We have a show for that. Want to watch a show about sickening criminal masterminds? We have a show for that. Want to watch a show about guys seeking their fortune catching tuna? We have a show for that, too. Honestly, American television has a show for every occasion, and it is fantastic. News stations however, are biased and offer poor news variety, in fact it can be shockingly biased at times.
16. Finally, the last lesson I learned is that America is welcoming to those who embrace it with an open mind and open arms. It’s a beautiful place with fantastic people that want to know more about the world outside their borders. Americans will help you as much as they possibly can, and will do so with a smile on their face. I feel America is a country full of sterotypes, and yes some of them might be accurate, but most of them are simply innaccurate. Are they rude? some of them: yes, but the same could be said about any peoples around the world. Americans work hard and always look to better themselves and their families; they have a strong moral compass and well grounded values. I haven’t lived here too long, but I love the place and I can’t wait to explore this fantastic country further.
tommyakki 