Things I adore about the USA and Americans

[PermanentTemporary]

No special reason... and it doesn't have to be things other people all agree with.

We're planning a holiday there in a couple of years to see some family so the wonderfulness of the USA is particularly on my mind. But am just thinking about how much I love it.

I'll bring up Senator George Mitchell, who gave years of his life to somehow bring the best out of every politician in Northern Ireland and made it possible for the Good Friday Agreement to be made.

I'll bring up American health care. Because although I don't want to change our system to theirs, the fact is that if you either have good insurance or nothing at all, you can have the best care in the world.

And the Grand Canyon. Not sure I've ever been speechless the way I was the first time I saw it.

I'm wondering if we can drop in to see some distant cousins of my partner's who live in Ohio. We've met once at a wedding. Of all the countries in the world, we can be pretty sure that they will be welcoming and happy to see us. ❤️

Okay I'll say it: I love good diner coffee as long as it's fresh and good quality. They'll often offer to put on a fresh pot (and don't mind if you ask for one) even though it rarely hangs around for long. I don't mind espresso drinks but it's nice to have another option.

Not to derail but I don't understand the hate for the microwave method of boiling a mug of water for tea. Not a fan of the restaurant/diner beaker of lukewarm water but surely boiling water is boiling water?

Obviously if you put the teabag in cold water and put that in the microwave you're a monster 👿

It could be that the standard voltage in the US is lower.

UK electricity is 240 volts, while US is 120 volts. Therefore British kettles will boil twice as fast as American ones.

My Canadian electrician BIL is aghast how high the domestic voltage is in the UK. All to boil a cuppa faster 😂

I have a question.

What are those giant things on legs with a container bit on top, painted with the name of the town?

I'm going through a true crime phase and the setting the scene shots always include a photo of them. It puzzles me!

I long to visit America but first stop Memphis, Graceland and Elvis

I can never decide whether I prefer having a fast boiling kettle, or being able to use my hairdryer in the bathroom.

That's a water tower.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_tower

What a lovely thread, I am also a big fan

One of my favourite holidays with dh pre kids was to New York, Boston and New England. We didn’t book accommodation after Boston, we just stayed where the mood took us. We went in the fall so the leaves were stunning.

Our best family holiday was to California, dc were 15, 13 and 9. We did San Francisco to San Diego over 2 weeks. Stunning scenery and each place we stayed was unique. Loved seeing the elephant seals near Hearst Castle.

Dd did Camp America this year in Connecticut and she had a great time. She travelled afterwards to NYC, Boston, Philadelphia and Buffalo (for Niagara Falls). Then at the end I flew out to finish her trip with her in Washington DC where I have cousins. Loved DC, the free museums are fantastic and set out so nicely with lots of green space (unlike South Kensington!). We hired bikes and cycled down The Mall, even on the main roads it’s easy as there are cycle paths.

I now want to visit the Grand Canyon, Route 66 and the Deep South.

Also - Mel Robbins - a fantastic human, her podcast is life changing.

I’ve always wanted to experience a US Thanksgiving having grown up reading Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary books. I’ve got cousins in DC and NYC, we haven’t made it over yet in November due to it being term time here but now my dc are older it’s possible.

OMG, YES! I am so excited and revved up for this!

I've already set my Dish to 'autochange' the channel for the games. I have my lucky Dodgers cap with '32' on the side and my lucky Beanie Teddy with 'Dodgers' emblazoned on his chest already sitting on the mantel waiting for Friday.

Go Yankees! 😁

Another Yankees fan here. But I think it will be a fantastic series no matter who wins.

Ahh a water tower! For emergency use only presumably- doesn't look terribly big!

I've been loving this thread as it challenges my prejudices and misconceptions.

I am not sure I would enjoy a visit though for the following reasons.

My character is a bit judgmental (ok a lot)
I am an atheist, and find religion, especially the spontaneous communal prayer thing I have seen on my Netflix shows very very bizarre.
Guns.
I am left leaning and think Trump and his supporters are a dangerous abomination
I hate cities and built up areas generally
I can smell insincerity a mile away and will react accordingly
Shopping, sports, consumerism, 'festivals' - all a very very big no
I prefer to walk rather than drive.
I don't like to eat sweet stuff or processed food
Prefer medieval architecture to modern

So - I sound like an absolute joy don't I!

Maybe New England in the autumn would suit. The colours do look stunning.

Just posted my absentee ballot for the US elections today.

I do love the US so much, I hope and pray my fellow Americans won't be subjected to another four years of Trump.

I can only dream of an America where women have rights over their own bodies in all states, where people are not burdened by debilitating medical debt (which is the case even for a lot of Americans with insurance), where the death penalty is illegal, where automatic weapons are not so easy for mentally ill people to get their hands on.

Where there is not such a toxic divide between right and left, rural and urban, evangelical and non-evangelical, university-educated and non-university-educated.

To me, true patriotism is not 'my country right or wrong' but wanting the best for my country and having a clear-sighted view of its failings.

Honestly yes 🤣 But the Finns (from whom I descended) are mostly darker and have names like Riikola, Koskinen, Lehtola, Ojala.

It’s not a hard and fast rule but for the most part Andersen and Jensen etc are Norwegian and Anderson and Johnson are Swedish.

Spontaneous communal prayer isn’t a thing we actually do.

Lots of us think Trump is dangerous too.

There are plenty of rural and non built up areas…our national parks are world renowned for a reason.

We don’t think of hospitality and politeness as being insincere. It’s just a cultural difference. We smile at strangers etc because it is the done thing. I’m not insincere when I do it; it makes me uncomfortable not to because to me it’s just…recognizing the humanity in another person.

You don’t have to go shopping or to sporting events or any festivals or anything else you don’t want to do; they’re not mandated or anything.

I have been an American for my entire 42 years of life and have never had a drivers license, so walking a lot of places is certainly possible.

You can get plenty of unprocessed organic food if you want to.

We don’t really have a lot of stunning architecture because we aren’t a very old country, so that’s true enough.

Some of the smaller New England towns in the fall would probably be up your street :)

I’m a left-leaning atheist hiking and wildlife enthusiast with no interest in cities or shopping and no sweet tooth. I love holidaying in the USA.

You really know you’re in the USA when you don’t hear the stovetop kettle screeching because you’re drying your hair in the bathroom.

I am an atheist, and find religion, especially the spontaneous communal prayer thing I have seen on my Netflix shows very very bizarre.

I have lived in the US Bible Belt for most of my entire life, and I don't think I have ever encountered spontaneous communal prayer. What sort of Netflix shows are you watching?

I agree about lots of the good things about the US but can't ever agree about country music! Absolutely loathe it

Lots more food for thought! And correctives to my many misconceptions. Thank you.

Re the communal prayer.I am going through a true crime phase on Netflix and sometimes before setting off to search for the corpse, the searchers will have a bit of a prayer session in the open air beforehand. Oh yes, and on one of those grim dating shows ( showing my true intellectual vacuity now!) several times the families get together before the 'wedding' for a word with the Lord. I am too hung up on this aspect, I know!

I love mountains, woodland, rivers and remoteness. Maybe Washington state, although a v long flight I guess.

Perhaps I should start with New England, leaving my snobby Englishness at baggage reclaim

@CheerfulYank
Why did you not tell me about the nordic men?
I'm coming to stay immediately.
(You know me, I'm the 1D/Harry fan)

I watch a lot of American cop and (non true) crime shows made over the last 30 years and I've never seen communal prayer in any of them, so I think Netflix may be messing with your head.

They’re just grown versions of my enormous blonde child, you know the one 🤣

40 years - I forgot Murder She Wrote (due a re-watch). In one episode of Castle Javi and Kevin both spontaneously bless themselves when encountering a badly mangled corpse, but apologise very sheepishly when Lanie accuses them of creeping her out.

I love the American sense of humour that lets comedy crime drama be a thing.