Anyone been to the states and it changed you?

[funkydosintherain]

I know this won't be a popular thread as most Brits hate America.
But this is just a lighthearted thread. I first went to Orlando when I was 17 on my own, but to meet a friend who already lived there. We had gone to boarding school together in England so that's how we met.
Since then I went twice a year. Also went to Atlanta and LA where my sister lived for many years.
It honestly changed me. I met men over there who were way more sexy. The clubs were out of this world amazing, and I say this as someone who grew up in London. The music, was just so advanced.
I honestly have never felt the same back in London. I just always long to be over there.
Just wondering if anyone has felt the same?
Knowing I'll get roasted. I love the UK too 🙈

for myself no

formany in my extended family yes they have lived the American dream and can not understand why I do not want to move there

I am not keen at all and I really dislike most of LA and the culture and if it wasn’t for my close family living there I would never go again (though there are a few places I wouldn’t mind visiting but it’s not high on my list)

I grew up in the US. It definitely changed me....enough that I latched on to dh (British) and a chance to leave as quickly as I could!

I am not someone in the music scene or into clubs, so I can't speak for that at all. But I definitely found the UK when I moved was well ahead of the US is so many ways - banking is better here, food shopping is better and cheaper, food in general is nicer and healthier, health care is better in my opinion (I had to wait 2 years in the US for a biopsy because of my health insurance), housing is better quality and more affordable in terms of value for money, there's a social safety net.

I may be biased but I don't think the men, on average, are sexier in the US, going by my slew of American exes, unless overweight backwards thinking Trump supporters are your thing. 😂I mean this kindly, but did you do a lot of E in the clubs back then? I can see how that might have influenced your love for the US.

I lived and worked there for quite a while , and yes it changed me. At work , can do - go the extra mile attitude was so much more prevalent . I got such a shock when I came back to the UK ( same company) . People expect to work hard and they do get rewarded for their hard work - at least in my industry . Productivity was higher too.

Health benefits were good ; holidays less so; but I did think women were more empowered . Very few of my friends did not go back to work after childbirth and most had about 6 weeks off max ( not saying that’s a good thing)

As to men, a mixed bag . Quite superficially charming, but I observed a lot of hypocrisy / infidelity

I had a brilliant holiday there. Met some very interesting people.

But its not the most interesting place I've been too. I wouldn't say it changed me. Its just another country.

America is so vast and varied - it's like saying you went to Florence in Italy for a year, and you now know what it's like living in Spain.

May I ask why? Just curious. Do you live in England?

America changed me, yes, or changed my perception of myself. But my travelling is a bit limited, basically UK Europe and US.

I went for the first time when I was 20 in 1990 with a student work visa, and spent time in NY and LA, travelling between the two by Greyhound and later car so touching on a lot of places. I loved it. But so often I found things that were much more similar than I expected. I grew up thinking of the US as much more technologically advanced, but that wasn't the way it felt to me. The work ethic seemed much the same in the places I worked, the culture seemed highly relatable. There was a sense of abundant space and joy but life was also quite brutal in NY back then. Just like in London it was the era of tent cities, mass homelessness, recession.

I just love Americans and the Anerican landscape. I met so many great people. To see the Grand Canyon at that age changed me for good.

😆😆😆😆 oh my goodness! Definitely no drugs ever! I can see what you mean though.
Perhaps I should say that I'm mixed race, half black Jamaican and white English and I definitely prefer the black men in the states 🙈

Of course. But I distinctly said that I was in Orlando, Atlanta and Los Angeles. I wasn't saying all of America is the same.

I really loved America. The beauty, variety, the friendly people and sense that anything is possible. There's a free spiritedness there or was. Obviously nowhere is perfect but I do love it.

I love visiting the US and seeing different areas. It always surprises me how different Americans are to us in so many ways.
I wouldn't choose to live there, no. Healthcare, traffic / lack of public transport, weather, general attitude to the rest of the world and the environment and of course their guns all put me off too much.

Yes it changed my baking. After living there I now use cups

We loved the scenery of Utah and the Rockies. Some of my colleagues were lovely welcoming people and we ate out a lot (exchange rate £$ very good for us back then) but ultimately we returned to Europe to raise dc.

It made me more direct, especially at work. I don’t mind driving long distances so long as it’s an automatic SUV (I wouldn’t go back to a manual or a hatchback). I’m scared of romaine lettuce after getting caught in one of the many food poisoning outbreaks. My kids are vaccinated for chickenpox. In our house we say things like diapers/stroller/pacifier etc. I learned to write a check (cheque). Most importantly I really learned to appreciate European maternity leave and vacation allowance!

Yes it changed my baking. After living there I now use cups
Me too!!

Yes, fell in love with Montana and spent a lot of time and money going back. As I couldn't ever sort a greencard I was only ever a visitor and conceded defeat last time I went as realised I was too old to ever really make a life over there or be accepted as anything other than an outsider.

Agree thoroughly about the men. Same goes for Holland. France. Italy. Australia.

No. I just couldn't believe how expensive it all was! I've only been to the touristy parts though.

I was with you until you said about housing! To me, housing here is shoddy, very small, damp and poorly laid out with a lack of facilities such as garages, utility rooms and so on. I’m British and have always lived here but have been to the States a handful of times and every time I’ve been stunned by the housing which looks very spacious, attractive with thoughtful town planning.

I lived there for a few years (NJ, NYC, Boston and elsewhere in Mass), was planning to do a doctorate at Brown, and was on a pathway to permanent residency, but I had to drop everything to go home at no notice after a family member was in a car crash, and I realised I didn't want to spend any more time living in the US. I moved to the UK instead and spent years living there.

I slept with nice American men and not so nice ones. I realised I only experienced one small corner of an enormous country. I was fascinated by how much space there was, and wildlife that could kill you, in rural Vermont and Maine. I'd never encountered bears before, far less seeing bear footprints on the front porch after snowfall. I still go there for work periodically. Sometime I will take a road trip and see some parts of the country I've never been to. But no, it's never occurred to me to want to live there again, and leaving was the right decision for me. There are things that charm me, sure, but a lot that didn't.

When I was a student cleaning rooms in a hotel, I was very aware of how hard the lives of even the white collar workers (Accounts and Reservations people) seemed -- I remember one nice woman who worked in Reservations 8 till 5, went home, had dinner with her husband and kids and then went straight to a GP surgery call centre where she worked overnight as an out of hours call handler, sleeping when she could between calls. Then she went home, took a shower, had breakfast with her family, and went straight to work in the hotel. All 'to put the kids through college.' And she wasn't unusual.

As for me I ADORE the States and feel very at home there for some reason. I find the people more optimistic and upfront, and runs for cover funnier.

I think everywhere has things to offer and although I have never been many things attract me there. The directness and friendliness and the much higher incomes. I used to live in London too.

My son wishes to move there for six months in a couple of years and I really hope he doesn't end up staying lol. He has a lot of family on his dad's side so plans to move to London later anyway.

The cost of healthcare fast pace of life very little annual leave and the guns are all a big no for me though.

Loved our holiday in La, stato in the heart of Weho. It's an incredible place. So much to see do and experience nearby. Would love to live there and can't wait to return

It is a first world country too. Much more advanced than here including
medical care. I have had American friends both in London and when I lived in Turkey. Very friendly.

I spent 3 months in the US on a student work visa. It was in the mid west so not an international tourist area. I found people very friendly and fascinated in me as a foreigner. Got a lot of male attention. I found it very old fashioned and people were very ignorant about the world outside their state. After my job finished I spent a few weeks visiting the east coast cities by train. Lots of places felt very dangerous and travelling by public transport very challenging. Stations were often miles out of city centres and taxis hard to come by. Everywhere very much set up for driving.

It was a great experience but I much prefer travelling in Europe. I’d go back to do a National Parks road trip but otherwise not bothered about going back.

What I like about Americans is they're mostly very positive and outgoing - not to mention polite and well mannered (albeit this may be superficial it's still nicer than grumpy people)

UK friends who moved out to the mid west Rochester said that the weather was more extreme, everyone she worked with was early to bed, early to rise even socially. Barely drank alcohol it was a bit stepford wives in their circle.

Relocated to NYC. That's when she slowly changed. I don't recognise her now. Rabid democrats, teetotal and thinks everyone in the UK should be. Personal trainer, Uber healthy diet.
Very conservative dresser. Her daughter is the same but smokes pot.

Friends in Texas are quite different much more fun. Maybe the climate has something to do with their outlook on life too