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 🙈

As pp have said, there are far more advantages to living here in the UK. The people I met over there always said they would love to be in the UK. I guess the grass is always greener.
I loved the vibe of the people too. So friendly and inquisitive.

@mindutopia quote

"Did you do a lot of E in clubs back in the day" ?
"that could influenced 🤔 your perception on American culture and men "ect,

L.o.l 🤣😂😂

I like visiting family, the scenery is spectacular there (Rockies) and the lifestyle is fab but I cannot get on with the driving everywhere culture or the guns. I'm sure there are places where it is different but it was the same when they where in VA.

SF was one of the worst places I have ever been too.

I’ve never lived in the States but have had some great holidays there in California, Oregon, New York State, Washington State… There are plenty of other areas there I’d like to visit. But I don’t think it has changed me at all, and I generally find Europe a more interesting place to travel around.

I would never live in the US because of the guns and the religious nuts. Also I find relentless positivity and optimism really annoying 😂 I prefer cynical sarcastic people. 😬

The disadvantage being that you might have to sell your house to pay for an operation if your insurance company doesn't play ball, though!
That part of it certainly isn't for me

That sounds like you’re describing the suburbs and they appeal to a specific type of person. I’ll spare you my thoughts on HOAs and stuff like needing permission to fence your yard… Not everyone lives like that, or wants to! We had a historic city centre apartment and I’ll always appreciate ‘in unit laundry’ now after having to go outside and in again, up and down stairs, in snowstorms with my laundry basket and a fist full of quarters!

I enjoy visiting America, have had great times there.

And I do find some American men quite sexy. The masculine, outdoorsy, stubbly, drawly voiced ones. Hnnggghhhh.

I do think living in America looks like a bit of a slog day to day though, so it's not something I aspire to.

Don't really agree that the US has a whole lot of 'thoughtful town planning' when so many towns are virtually unwalkable though.

So many stories. We used to go there for holidays in the two dollars to the pound years, we felt like millionaires!

I remember staying in a motel opposite a huge shopping mall. DP went off to play golf and I went shopping, or at least I tried to. There was literally no pedestrian access to the mall, and I ended up climbing over barriers, scrambling down verges etc expecting to be arrested at any time. Got many odd looks, but finally made it into the hallowed halls of commerce.

Absolutely mental.

Not changed me but i do love the US, we did a West Coast road trip a few years ago, Hawaii a couple of times and a California road trip last summer and they was amazing trips, the landscapes they have are gorgeous, the people we met were really lovely. Didn't want to come home! Planning Oregon and Washington road trip now for next summer 😄

As far as clubs - London does house music exceptionally well and that whole scene was wild. If you're more into R&B then I'd agree, London clubs are awful.

Can't speak for other genres as they are the only two I like :)

@NeedthatFridayfeeling We loved our road trip from SF to Seattle. The scenery of the Northern Cali and Oregon coasts was literally awesome. In Oregon you must go to Cannon Beach- preferably at sunset!

I’ve worked in a summer camp in NH and travelled there a few times to places like Boston, NY, Washington DC, California, Vegas. When I worked in the USA I found the Americans quite fascinated by the British people and really interested in us. But they had no idea where Wales was and all thought it was in England. They seem to have learnt everything in school about America but not a lot about the rest of the world.

ive loved travelling around, the landscape is incredible. I love the country but I couldn’t live there- the politics, food, tipping culture etc are lot for me. I also wouldn’t say it’s changed me in any way but I’ve always had an amazing time

Went to Florida a couple of times in the early 2000s, I found American people mostly friendly and welcoming, but omg the obesity problem.I was really shocked. Hardly surprising given the size of the portions that were often served up at dining establishments. It was forecast back then that the obesity crisis would make its way across the pond and it certainly did 🙄

The HOA's are mind boggling, can't imagine that here in houses. My friend in an apartment block in Wales has been a victim of one being a newbie

Never lived there but have been on holiday to New York a few times, Florida, san fran and LA.

Friends of mine now live in New Jersey.

I liked the space in the houses, so much bigger than U.K. houses.

Didn't like the having to drive everywhere - LA and New York suburbs traffic was something else.

Really really didn't like the guns.

We had the opportunity to move there a few times and always rejected it largely due to college fees. UK might have high uni costs but US is insane.

I've been a few times and have family members who live there. Never been a life changing experience for me.
The music scene I preferred was very London focused back in the early 2000s, the men were alarming upfront about their desire for sex and not relationships.
And since then I've stayed with family and seen how real people live. It's very very hard for anyone on a middle or low income. I have a step sibling who've declared bankruptcy over medical bills and another who was almost destitute after her husband died suddenly.

I’ve spent lots of time in Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio.

Loved them all (way more than NY/Florida/Cali). Detroit was an eye opening experience - I’d never seen true poverty before (seeing documentaries and photos on TV does not count).

Kentucky…the men were so polite and not at all sexist or creepy like so many British men. Just lovely. Would happily live there if they had an airport that did direct flights to London!

We lived in Boston for a couple of years and it did change me, as would living in any new culture. I was very happy there.

I made some of my best ‘mum’ friends out there (DS was born there) and met so many people I got on easily with. Our community was warm, family centred and there was lots going on. I couldn’t work (too long to get a practise license) but loved the voluntary work I did and studied a course I never have taken here, so it changed my professional practice too.

My best university friend is in Vermont so every few years our families meet up in the UK or US/Canada. I always feel so refreshed and full of everything after seeing them. She has a great outlook on life and lives in a fabulous community (Bernie Sanders lives two streets away!). But she says she feels the same when they visit us in voting England (just outside Cambridge). Maybe it’s the positive experience of being in another culture for a while?

I too am American married to a Brit living in London and I agree with ALL of this!!

I've been visiting the USA since the early 80s, both staying with friends in NYC and upstate New York, and also travelling all over on mega road trips. Basically hiring a car and then taking off, seeing wide open spaces like you can't believe, huge cities, tiny small towns.

I've driven Route 66 twice from Chicago to LA. So far I've spent time in around 20 states. What I found wherever I went was great openness, hospitality, friendly curiosity and courtesy. Even in places like Manhattan, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Francisco, where you think they'd be sick of tourists. What I also found was a general lack of knowledge of the wider world, other countries, and of course belief that the US is the best country ever.

There was a time when I would have loved to have moved there, probably the east coast, Boston perhaps, but that time has passed. Did it change me? Probably.

Even with 44 years of travel there and having driven all over the country and stayed in places way off the tourist map, I would say I wouldn't presume to know the place or the people. It's so much bigger than we can imagine in tiny wee UK.

You are absolutely right. I hate house but love RnB so it definitely makes sense the clubs were better there.
I don't know too much about other genres either apart from DnB and Bashment which we definitely do better in London!

funkydosintherain I find the US to be a very individualistic society. The friendliness is very often superficial with people quickly turning and threatening police/lawyers very quickly

i find attitudes to be aggressive and harsh and often bordering paranoid but this is fed by 24hr news and many parts of the us are far more violent than here

even in so called liberal areas these attitudes still persist

and the poverty against the wealth is so extremely and getting worse it’s on a different level to anything in Europe

of course parts are lovely and there are many lovely people but as a society on a whole it’s harsh

I thought women went back to work after a few weeks as they don’t get maternity pay?

As for men I like how upfront they are at asking you out

work I know many who have two jobs it’s not considered such a stretch

Healthcare my dads is great now he is over 70 before he had to remortgage his house for his second round of chemo and he had good insurance but the hospital was lovely. Having been in a situation where they are discussing someone having a life changing Very serious injury and insurance within the same conversation was just mind blowing for me

gun culture I can’t even get my head around this it’s so normalised to have a gun just in case