To ask you to tell me the bad things about living in America?

[Witchofzog]

Ever since I was a child I thought I would live in America. Any visits I have made there reinforced how much I love it there (I am aware a holiday is not real life) but for various reasons it never happenned. I am now early forties with a mild heart condition and I am aware it is probably too late for me now.

I went to uni with a lovely woman who has literally got the life I wanted. She now lives in a sunny state with her husband who is handsome AND kind and has made lots of friends out there. And I am both happy for her and envious as hell. I know comparison is the thief of joy but today I have been unhealthily fixated on how her life compares to mine and I find mine sadly lacking. I will pick myself up tomorrow, re-evaluate and am already thinking of what I can do to make my own life better but still I feel sad that I never achieved my dream.

Please be kind. My uni friend is beautiful inside and out and she deserves everything she has - and she worked hard for it. But I really need to snap out of this somehow hence asking for the bad things about living stateside. I am aware my spectacles may be rose tinted so some perspective would be really helpful

@LoanCatwithKitten...Hurricanes. Nightmarish as I live in NC. Just a couple of States North of Florida. It's either is getting hit,Florida getting hit or Texas getting it. We are very concerned this year about the season. The last one my tenants found an alligator on their bed after they returned home from evacuation. And our gator population is no where near the population in Florida or Louisanna

They get about two weeks' holiday a year. I couldn't believe it. And my US colleagues couldn't believe we get about 5 weeks, plus lots of Bank Holidays.

The fruit tastes of dilute syrup, the veg tastes of nothing and the cheese is like chewing greasy rubber.

Then there's Trump running the country, very dodgy health care systems and grim ribbon development mall-focused, culture-free cities that run for grey miles.

I’ve lived in America since 2003—for eleven years in NYC and now the burbs—and love it here.

I live in a beach town and people are very outdoorsy and into fitness. The local restaurants are excellent—NY quality, one hundred percent—and we have a thriving theater, art galleries, umpteen fitness centers, the beach, excellent local schools, a town golf course, sailing, a skate park and it’s commutable to the city.

@stopgap - I'm in the NYC suburbs too, up in the Hudson Valley. DH commuted into the city for years until he found a job up here. I love the area too and my town sounds a lot like yours.

Are you on Long Island?

By the way, for the many other posts about your heart condition and medical insurance costs, the ACA mandated community rating, which means that you can't be charged more for preexisting medical conditions.

@Witchofzog - if you're really keen on it, give it a go. You can always go back to the UK if it's not to your liking. By the way, you're not going to get a impartial assessment of the downsides of living in the US on MN.

@AudacityofHope...That's the issue with the states. It's so big what is a major issue in one area is unheard of in another. I'm with you.LOVE Boston. I go anytime I get homesick for UK

I'm from NY and am priced out of living where I grew up. Many many of the cities worth living in there are like that.

A third of my pay there went on health insurance.

Theatre is more expensive, museums have an entry charge (~$30), very little is free.

No pubs, very little outdoor eating or drinking that isn't like, out front and right on the sidewalk.

If you want to live somewhere that isn't hot as balls year round, you're going to live in a place with winters full of snowstorms. Seriously, summer here is may to August of temperate lovely weather. Summer in NY is being cold until one day waking up and it's boiling hot, too hot to enjoy it outside like here.

Cities with good public transportation are rare compared to here. Cars there cost a LOT more to buy.

Americans sit outside on their front porches and you might be uncomfortable with this as a Brit

There are lots of plusses but remember it is just like anywhere else, with lots of good and bad things. And it's a huge huge country so many things that are generalized don't apply to huge parts of it.

@LudaMusser...My mom,man and son take turns sending me tea from the UK

@MissConductUS where in the Hudson Valley are you?

I lived there for six months. It was like living in a country full of children. me me me me me me me he called me a bad name! me me me me me

with guns.

They get about two weeks' holiday a year. I couldn't believe it. And my US colleagues couldn't believe we get about 5 weeks, plus lots of Bank Holidays.

Only just out of uni. The longer you work, the more holiday time you get. I get four weeks and 12 paid holiday days.

@Leaannb - I hope you're feeling better. Have you gone back to work yet?

@MissConductUS, I’m in Fairfield County, CT.

I love the Hudson River Valley. Red Hook and Beacon are awesome towns. And Storm King is the coolest outdoor arts center I’ve ever visited!

Guns 🤷‍♀️

I agree, Leaannb - Boston's probably the nearest you'll get to the UK, even more so if you happen to come from Northern Ireland!!

Fascinating to see the usual MN anti-Americanism yet again, especially the comments about Americans being rude. In the years I've spent there I can count these on the fingers of one hand, and often wonder if perceived rudness is in fact a reaction to the attitudes of some visitors

@MissConductUSA......I have kinda. I'm back to running my agency but I have not returned back to my job as a CRNA. Not quite there yet

It’s a completely different culture. But you might have problems with health care and few holidays. If you are rich, no worries.

Sorry to derail op, but can I ask those of you talking about Boston? I'm about (hopefully August) to send ds to Boston to study and I'm quite frankly a bit nervous, even though he is a young adult.

But is it safe, what should he look out for and do you have any recommendations?

poster sergeilavrov Really? The Middle East is clean and polite? Lol. I’d rather live in any part of America.

I'll reply properly tomorrow, giantangryrooster, but your DS is going to love it - and hopefully you'll get to visit him so you can enjoy it yourself too

And yes, it's as safe as most other big cities and safer than many

Thanks for reassuring me Puzzledandpissedoff i would love to hear more .

I live in the Boston area. I have never seen a gun outside of a police holster. I have never been a victim of crime and I have been here 25 years. We regularly go to bed and forget to lock the front door. Car has never been broken into, house ditto, I walk the dog late at night without fear. I don't live in one of the super-rich towns either. Just a fairly blue-collar/slowly becoming slightly hipserish because of lack of commute cities. If there was any disturbance on my street, if I phoned the police, they would come out straight away.

Most of the people I know - working class or middle class, wouldn't dream of eating in places like TGIF or similar. They go to local places known for good food. I think some people have had unfortunate experiences of where they settled or maybe thought being on holiday eating in chain restaurants was how the rest of america also lived.

@giantangryrooster, if you want to pm me, I can talk to you about Boston and the specific university-area he is going to. His biggest issue right now will be if the international programme still works. Boston is fab and he will have a great time.

Mind you, to me Boston is NOTHING like the UK.

It sounds like you’re re-writing Edelweiss

Fascinating thread. I'm intrigued though as to why you'd have to have a gun for protection against great white sharks, surely they are only in the sea? And what is this about alligators in back gardens?! That would be enough to put me off compketely.

@TheSandman .......Interesting considering how many threads on this board is about me,me,me,me.....Everyday 2,3 6 threads about what my mom is doing to annoy me and should I rattle on them

• some of the worst social mobility in the developed world
• eye wateringly expensive healthcare/health insurance
• Trump
• guns
• racism
• no paid maternity leave
• two weeks of holiday a year if you’re lucky
• astronomical childcare costs
• stressful tipping culture
• they never include tax in any prices
• underfunded public education
• behind the curve on environmental care (rolling back environmental protections, poor recycling infrastructure, lack of energy efficiency in buildings, crazy food waste, enormous houses relative to number of occupants using up energy, etc)
• terrible public transport infrastructure outside of large cities, which means every adult needs a car to get around outside of large cities
• very expensive domestic plane travel
• small and mid size cities tend to look the same no matter where you are

... American here who does not plan to move back home.

@Belfasteast.....I love on island and sometimes Great whites get lost and come up the Sound. It's very unnerving when you are kayaking or paddleboarding

@PuzzleandPissedoff...The anti-American sentiment is very disheartening. Especially since me and my children still living at home some our Memorial Holiday cleaning up.and laying flowers at a British Cemetery today and have done so.for.years.I think from now on I'll just ignore and go met skiing imstead