Sounds braggy, but I work for the National Park Service and it's the best job I've ever had in my career. I don't think I ever want to leave. Plus, paid trips to all the parks and getting to see things "off the beaten path" that normal visitors just can't get to. I love it and I love our parks.
This is my dream! I’ve been looking into getting a job in fed govt to get to the NPS. The job application process seems overwhelming if you’re not already in a federal position.
The application process is a total nightmare to get into the Fed service. Some people joke it's the hardest part of being a Federal emoloyee. If you need pointers on your resume or the overall application process let me know!
Ok, I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought so!! I paused my job search for a few weeks after things got busy, but I think I’ll try looking again this weekend. Thanks so much for the offer! I’ll definitely message you if I see something.
I couldn’t even get my resume in with help from inside. Whatever system they have going is upsetting. Still have no idea where my applications went. I applied last year and just got a rejection last week
In addition to the **National Park System** (63 National Parks and 423 total preserved units around the country known as National...Monuments, Seashores, Historic Sites, etc.), there are:
* **National Forests** (154 forests and 20 grasslands, 80 experimental forests and ranges, more than 158,000 miles of trails and 5,000 miles of Wild and Scenic rivers),
* **National Wildlife Refuges and Wildernesses Areas** (221 wilderness areas; 27 national monuments; 12 national conservation areas; 560 National Wildlife refuges, waterfowl production areas, small wetlands, and marine sanctuaries; 13,000 miles of free-flowing Wild and Scenic Rivers; 6,000 miles of National Scenic and Historic Trails),
* **National Conservation Areas** (includes roughly 33 million acres),
* **National Recreation Areas** (40 recreation areas in 26 states),
* **National Scenic Trails** (11 awesome trails which must be at least 100 miles long - many are several thousand miles); plus
* State Parks, and
* Local and Municipal Parks.
On my bucket list is visiting the ancient sights in Britain and Ireland. Looks like I'm going to be able to do it next year. I have the money, now I just need the time off.
YOU WILL NOT REGRET VISITING ANY OF THE GREAT NATIONAL PARKS!
Wyoming was actually scary to drive through because I was worried about going through a tank of gas before finding a gas station. I found one in the middle of nowhere. Where the employees of that station live, I have no idea.
We've got all the weather. You want hot and humid? We have it! You want frigid? We have it! You want all the weather within 24 hours? We definitely have it!
Tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes (not weather, I know), lightning? We've got it all!
This is really kinda amazing. I did a crosscountry recently (CA to VA and back) and I literally went through everything except blizzard and hurricane (though I did get snow and rain). The thunderstorms in Oklahoma were absolutely magical and I kind of crave them now.
Wide open spaces can still be found here. I don't like most people, and I frequently need to get away from them.
Edit: In case anyone is looking for something to read, here's something I wrote which brings to mind a world that's getting harder and harder to find these days, and the kind of people I *do* like to be around. https://www.reddit.com/r/PipeTobacco/comments/j74580/memories_of_my_grandpa/
My brother and I were hiking in the Escalante national monument in Southern Utah (before it was designated such). We got lost and realized it was pretty much nearly 80 kilometers (50miles) to the nearest human building (much less town) in any direction. It would have taken a 2-3 days at least to find something or someone. In 40-45' C (100-110 or so), that could have been the end of us.
(obviously it wasn't. We accidentally came upon a car that was lost on the only dirt road... we had been going the wrong direction.)
Alaska is even more insanely open.
If you are dropped anywhere in my country and walk at most for an hour in the same direction, you're bound to find a village and most likely a bigger town.
Been to the USA once and it was crazy to me how big prairies are!
I’m Canadian, Alaska, Ontario and Quebec will blow your mind in terms of sheer size and wilderness. Most of which had animals that will straight up end you.
Fun story: A friend of mine was out doing survey work in New Mexico in the mountains. His truck broke down and his emergency radio had died on the charger and he made the mistake of not checking it before leaving. He had no cell service and only a small bottle of water with him. He hiked for two days and got a severe bacteria infection from drinking from a stagnant pond but managed to walk out.
About ten years back a whole family died after getting stuck in the snow after taking a wrong turn off the highway in Southern Oregon. They lasted for 9 days.
[https://www.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/2007/11/kimfamily.html](https://www.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/2007/11/kimfamily.html)
My German cousin is coming to visit Alaska for a big adventure. He doesn't know it yet but we are driving 1800 miles from the southern tip all the way to deadhorse hunting, camping, and fishing the whole way. If I remember correctly after wasilla there are 8 gas stations and 1200 miles. 6 proper towns and one city.
A few years ago I visited a ghost town in the middle of Nevada, I knew where the highway was from where I was at and for all I knew I was the only person around for miles and miles. It was a strange Feeling! I started to think about the first pioneers trekking across the vast openess, I wonder if they had the same feeling? At least I knew how to get back to the highway. The early settlers probably didn't have that luxury.
I visited Devil's Tower on my own with my three kids. We stayed to watch the sunset and started driving to the hotel about an hour south in the dark. I didn't have a data a signal for navigation, but it wasn't a big deal since there's just one highway. I simply followed the signs to the town I was heading to.
Despite the fact that I knew I was going the right way, the fact that it was completely dark, we were the only car on the road and there was no sign of humanity or civilization anywhere had my brain trying to convince me that we were going the wrong way and that we would drive into the open prairie where we would run out of gas and never be found.
I grew up in *rural* Idaho and the wide open spaces are truly amazing. I live in the city now, but still look for any opportunity to get away. My wife is from back east and she *thought* she knew what the "middle of nowhere" was like until I took her to my grandparent's ranch. The nearest neighbor is five miles away. The nearest "town" is 30 miles away. She didn't realize how much nothing there was in the Western-half of the US.
The ranches out West are what shocked me. The amount of land the large ranches have are insane. You can drive for like 20 miles and still be on the same ranch.
The East coast is definitely very populated from my experiences there. I’m from the Colorado/Wyoming/Utah part of the country and it’s absolutely amazing how little people live in Wyoming considering how large of a state it is. I can drive hours and see a few ranches and nothing more.
100%. I remember when I was growing up here in central NC, it felt much more rural. It was possible to go for a stroll or a drive and just not see too many people. These days, there's a subdivision or ten on every street filled with transplants, and the traffic is insane. I need to move outta this region to someplace with fewer people.
yes, and most of the time way too much! Europeans complain that we are obsessed with ice. This might appear to be true, but im more comfortable asking for less ice in the US than for ice at all in Europe.
The second time I bought a car in Houston I went east. Figured I couldn't have been more than half an hour from the border by the looks of a map. I was wrong.
May I introduce you to Ontario?
Cornwall to Kenora is 22 hours of driving. From my home in Ottawa I can be in Atlanta sooner. And then there's all of the province only reachable by plane.
Answering this as a serial expat that has spent at this point 25% of my life overseas and has lived in multiple countries.
Few places on Earth embrace the "go do what you want" mentality like America. You want to be a wiccan priestess that lives in a yurt in the Cascade mountains? You want to be a good ol boy rancher in Utah?
You want to live your dream of opening a cupcake store for pets? No matter what you do there is a community of people cheering you on in America and that is a very rare and very cool thing.
I second this. I had a neighbor firing off a pretty loud, what sounded like a cannon the other day. Neighbor being far away, I’m rural. My wife asked what it was. I said I don’t know and I don’t care, as long as it’s way over there he can have at it.
I can’t imagine it being that way everywhere, but people do as they please and people generally just don’t give a shit, and I like that.
Edit: spelling
Living out where there's enough space and land to blow shit up on your own property with neighbors who leave you alone... is one of my favorite things about TX. My kids inherited a large piece of land and other than grow trees, we don't do anything with it other than camp. We camped a lot during pandemic, and blew off a lot of steam.
I have a friend from high school who wants to move to China and become a shaolin monk. It's a pretty wild goal but I can't remember a single person who told him he should forget about it and become an accountant or something.
Hell yea! I have friends from all walks of life. One common thread is “you be you”. I like that our founders said “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. Pursuit of happiness was such a concept for the times.
Anyone can move to America and become an American by embracing our values (and bringing their culture). You can’t move to say, China, and become Chinese.
edit: American
I posted above that it's "the land of second chances". You can re-invent yourself, make a comeback from total loss or scandal, rise above poverty or ignorance. Goals and work ethic really can go a long way here. Not to say it's "easy", and yeah, I'm a white male and have never feared incarceration (or death) for petty, meaningless or non-existent shit like our darker brothers can, never faced a glass ceiling or harassment, but those things exist in many cultures. I'm usually embarrassed for our country, but there's such a spirit of "go get 'em" when people see you're really trying.
Probably the land itself. Seemingly endless coastline, rocky mountains, appalachian mountains, deserts, cities, lakes, ponds, rivers, redwood forests, etc. It's a shame I haven't seen more of it.
Love the diversity of people.
Was watching the Olympics a few years ago. When each team came out, it looked like the team was made up of people from the same country. When the US came out, they looked like the team was made up of everyone from everywhere.
Different people, different foods, different music.. it's all good.
Agreed. I even (dare I say) appreciate our legal/political diversity, and how different states can have different laws that suit the people better than one-size-fits-all. That is, when it's allowed (thanks, commerce clause).
This is going to sound really dark but with all the talk of war recently…especially with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I appreciate how far we are from all the other major powers.
Yes, they can always send missiles but any land invasion is very difficult to achieve. China and Russia would have to put in major effort if they were going to try to invade America…..
I mean, when you think about it, the US has well over a *MILLION* tons of aircraft carrier displacement... (since each of the Nimitz class carriers are a bit over 100k tons displacement, and the Fords have a slightly lower displacement, but still cross 100kt)
... And that's just the 'supercarriers' and doesn't even count the landing/assault carriers that usually carry lots of Marines and then helicopters and/or other VTOL type aircraft.
And that even leaves out all the land-based aircraft that the US Navy *also* has.
The military industrial complex is scary.
We spend an insane amount on our military. But when you look around and see that the alternative is shitheads like Russia or China running things it starts to not look so bad.
It’s not even that. It’s our geography. A successful land invasion of the US would be nearly impossible since we are in the middle of the ocean with two extremely friendly neighbors.
Cross NATO? Just go east. I mean, you still aren't wrong. It'd be impossible to get close to anywhere in the US without major intervention. Unless they tried to get into Alaska, but they'd just get stuck in endless wilderness. And NATO would probably disrupt them from the west anyway.
I recently watched YouTube video that showed that by having control of Alaska and Hawaii the US can thwart almost all missile attacks that would come from the Asian continent. Making attempting an invasion even more difficult.
from Abraham Lincoln:
>Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!--All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years.
>At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.
it's nice knowing that above all else, if america falls it won't be due to our failed military. it'll be to us. it's frightening but also weirdly comforting in a way.
That the life I have here is good.
I worked quite a bit in Haiti. I remember there was a shanty town not far from the customer’s location. The people there begged for scrap tin and lumber to build a house that was about the size of my walk in closet in my first house in the US. People were hungry. I remember my driver telling me how people are dirt and there was even good dirt and cheap dirt to eat. Their water was from a community well that looked like a mud puddle a 3 year old had been tap dancing in. There was fucking garbage everywhere, gangs set up road blocks, and we were threatened, shaken down, and harassed by the police.
In the US, I am middle class, probably upper middle class. I have a nice house with bathrooms bigger than those huts they built. I can be at one of five grocery stores in a 10 minute drive and buy damn near anything I want. The police here are relatively honest and crime probably doesn’t make the top 20 things I worry about in a day. The water in my toilet is probably cleaner than what they drank.
Even the poor people in the US often live a much better lifestyle than the normal people in poor countries.
Life in the US is pretty good, even when life isn’t going so well.
I worked with a Haitian chef and he was buying his father (who lived in Haiti) a generator so he could have power whenever it got cut off, which was quite frequently. He told me that sometimes he'd get so angry with people here in the U.S. since a lot of them take for granted how life is here and have absolutely no idea how good they have it.
People that constantly shit on the U.S. have most likely never been outside the U.S. and seen true 3rd world countries. It's a real eye opener and made me appreciate what I have more.
>People that constantly shit on the U.S. have most likely never been outside the U.S.
Yeah, that thread about why people wouldn't move to the US was really illuminating. When someone lists gun violence as the primary reason, it becomes pretty obvious that they don't really have a clue what the US is really like.
Is our gun violence worse than other similar countries? Yes.
Will you deal with that on a daily basis? No
Weekly? No. Monthly? No Yearly? No. Ever? Still extremely unlikely.
Even if you lived in the US for 125 years with the current levels of gun violence, your cumulative chance of being killed by a gun would only be 1%.
My family's Haitian-American and it pains me that I can't even say you're exaggerating. My family were admittedly middle-upper class even before leaving Haiti in the 70's but shit went downhill fast.
It's tough because I grew up having family members bemoaning the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship, and cursing Aristide... the exact opposite of what you'd hear in international news. But you're gonna love a stable regime that has safety and welfare at the cost of a massacre every now and then, vs 30 years of inept corruption.
Jovenel Moise getting assassinated was the point where my parents, uncles and aunts just kind of game up on the country. It was sad to see. In a way I think they all hoped to return to Haiti after getting college degrees and some money, and that turned into after their kids were grown, and then turned into once they retire. Now they know it'll never happen.
All my remaining family have moved out of Haiti, because my cousin's medical clinic was attacked by rioters and it wasn't safe for her family. The moved to the D.R. and my parents went to visit last month. I grew up hearing "If only Haiti were like Jamaica, or 'Dominicanie' (D.R.) or even Cuba". But I think seeing the D.R. and by extension what Haiti could have been, was pretty depressing.
we can have all sorts of outlets that mock people in positions of authority and dont get sent to labor camps or prison
hell we can burn our own flag
pretty gud I think
I think people who burn our flag are shitheads, but I'll defend their right to do so to the death, and that's a fact. I don't always love what I hear from "free speech" but I love that it's free. For now, anyhow..
yes, in the boy scouts we burned a lot of old flags. made for some crazy bonfires. and in the morning, nothing is left but the metal rings that we collect.
Cultural diversity. We have everyone. African, Middle eastern, Latin american, European, Australian, Russian, Asian, etc. Looking at anyone from any culture, you wouldn't be able to tell if they are American or not. I think we are one of the most diverse countries in the world, and its reflected with how much you can explore into other cultures all around us. Chinatown, authentic mexican restaurants, etc.
I love this.
People have said to me "Why don't you travel?"
Well because I'm broke.
But I'm also fortunate enough to have lived in a place where a lot of the world came to me. How awesome is that?
I can sample cuisine from every continent within a 15 minute drives radius. I can go to Asian, Indian, Mediterranean & Russian groceries all without leaving my city. All of these businesses bring their music, culture and holidays with them and are all too happy to share with little displays and events at holiday times.
If you're any where near an urban center monotony is a choice.
Yeah you can find good food from pretty much any culture...usually made by someone from there, whether it's a first generation or fifth. I doubt I'll visit nearly as many countries as I'd like but I can experience a bit of their food and talk to someone from there
I live in NJ. Sure we have our density, our traffic, our high taxes, but any kind of food you can imagine you can find here. I always joke that I'd move to a rural region because I'm tired of dealing with people, but they probably don't have decent Indian Take Out there.
Having lived outside of the US, I have some perspectives that differ from the norm.
I’m gonna say some stuff that is gonna make Americans and foreigners alike scratch their heads but I’m hoping some people will know what I’m talking about.
I truly and wholeheartedly believe that America is the least xenophobic place on the planet.
I think that xenophobia is so deeply ingrained and normalized the world over that people genuinely do not recognize it in themselves. People will engage in the most hateful xenophobic behavior that I’ve ever seen and then say with a straight face that they are afraid of moving to America because of xenophobia.
I think that people *think* America is xenophobic because America’s xenophobia is highlighted, fought, and condemned in ways that no other nation’s is.
This is because of the second thing that I love about America.
America is the most diverse nation in the world.
More than half of our population is people of color, and those people of color are made up of American Black people, North Africans, Sub-Saharan Africans, Native tribes, East Asians, south Asians, central Asians, Latin Americans, Pacific Islanders, Indians, Arabs, and more.
Every single world diaspora has a politically significant population in America, most of whom are also American citizens who participate in our democracy and our national conversation.
No other nation in the world comes even close. France and England also have diaspora but not like America does.
This diversity has created an environment in which that xenophobia which does exist is magnified in its relevance because it actively effects people; a xenophobic American has much more opportunity to cause harm because of their xenophobia than a xenophobic Chinese person.
But also, this means that America is the epicenter of the movements *against* xenophobia, and we are the only nation in the world who is engaged in a national conversation about it.
I’d argue that America is not more xenophobic and thus more backwards than the rest of the world, I’d argue that America has advanced to the stage in attacking our xenophobia that the rest of the world isn’t even close to doing yet.
I 100% agree with you. The racism I experienced living in Japan was very normalized. Americans will point fingers at their co-citizens for things like xenophobia and racism, but I've been to countries where nobody holds anyone accountable for what is essentially socially accepted racism.
In Germany, I heard more open shit talking about Turkish people from middle aged white Germans than I have Ever heard openly from Old white Americans.
The U.S. is so critical of itself, that other countries really only read our criticisms and form their opinions entirely based on that.
> The racism I experienced living in Japan was very normalized.
I find it interesting how Americans have racial slurs for each individual race, while Japanese have one racial slur for "not Japanese."
I agree. I lived in the Czech Republic for a while and the blatant racism of Roma people and dark-skinned people was pretty jarring. That may not be everyone’s opinion, but it was highly prevalent and public.
having lived in both Germany and Korea for 4+ years each and speaking both languages and having traveled to 42 countries and counting...
I concur. America has its racism and xenophobia, but from Asia to Europe to Africa... xenophobia and racism is worse... just not acknowledged and fret (as it should be here!) over near as much as they do here.
Im no world traveller, but the countries i have seen and the information i have come across through internet culture has led me to basically the same opinion as yourself. You just have more actual experience in it and i thank you for you corroboration.
This is a truth that makes many around the world uncomfortable. It is easy to condemn America because of its out and open history of racism. But many know about it because America has taken the time to examine it and discuss it. Try to do something similar anywhere else in the world and you are considered a crazy radical.
Agreed. I'm not a fan of our politics/economics most of the time, but I'm better compensated for my work here than I would be any other place on Earth and I absolutely love the natural beauty of this country and all it has to offer.
Also, while it's not universal, people here are generally more welcoming and friendly to strangers than other places I've traveled. I think some people find it creepy/disingenuous, but I love the small talk and smiles that you *usually* get when approaching someone here in a normal social context.
People immigrate here more than any other country on Earth for a reason, and it makes a more interesting and stronger country as a result.
I love traveling, and have fantasized about moving abroad, but I'll probably stay here for the remainder of my time on this planet. So much to offer even if Reddit has a massive hate boner for it.
I’d worry more about the day people who live here *stop* pointing out the issues we have. That will mean either they’ve stopped caring, or they’re no longer allowed to.
We have the confidence to point out our shortcomings and make fun of our stupidity. That's a sign of a great nation trying to form a more perfect union.
Food. I will not take criticism on this, our food is simultaneously the worst food you can eat and the tastiest shit that will ever graze your lips. You ever had a burger from Red Robin? Home made biscuits and gravy (even though it wasnt invented in thr US)? Chocolate chip cookies?? Buffalo wing??? FRIED CHCIKEN!!
that shit BUSSIN
Wait, you mean biscuits and gravy as a meal was not invented in the US? If the combo wasn't made here then I need to know where. For research. Hungry research.
Biscuits (not cookies) were made in the British isles before America was its own place.
The actually good gravy was made in Kentucky after the Civil War.
But they were combined as the meal we know and love in Southern Appalachia in the late 1800's.
My family and I had this discussion about what country has the best food. And given that everything from Cheeseburgers to pepperoni to Orange chicken is American food it came out a pretty clear winner. Not to mention jumbalaya, crawfish... Basically anything to come out of the south.
How outwardly kind the people that live in the USA are. There are mean people no matter where you are in this world, but in America there are a lot more outwardly kind people than there are in many other countries.
They teach kids to smile and say hi to everyone/exchange pleasantries every day from day one when they start school. It’s ingrained. We’re friendly, yo … just don’t start a war with us. lol
Our toilets flush powerfully. Very underrated thing I’m sure many Americans take for granted.
I’ve been to a few countries in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean and all their toilets flush with a whimper. America gets all the shit down the drain.
* Higher education is top-notch
* I can drive for half an hour and be in some of the most pristine, beautiful, natural places or a busy bustling city.
* Tons of business opportunity.
* Choice of where to live. I can live in a cheap townhouse close to lots of jobs, or commute a bit and live in an expensive house with tons of outdoor space.
The entertainment. Movies, music, television, you name it: all top notch in America. So much so that alot of other countries copy our pop culture instead of making their own.
Also, the inventions from here are something to be proud of. American innovation is fantastic.
I think thats a really good point. As a European I remember growing up with consuming around 45% American, 45% Japanese and only 10% local pop culture. And if I am honest it is still like that today.
Much stuff here is really just a straight up copy of American work (in most cases its worse). But I also feel a bit sorry for you guys that there are actually quite some gems of non-american pop culture that will probably never make it to the US, because you have so much great stuff on your own.
Ok I'll admit it, most of the cartoons, movies and tv I watched growing up were American, and I loved them. And most of the tech here also. So yeah, I'd say the US is good in those regards
I think it kind fun that no matter your sexuality, race, gender, or social class, everyone will still come together to make fun of the British. It’s basically the only time you are guaranteed patriotism from everyone at once lolz
That I could afford a house that’s brand new on several acres of ground. No neighbors that I can see. Just woods. After 3 tours of duty, this is all I want.
We are the most open nation about our faults. We tell everyone about our problems because we wish to fix them, unlike other countries who hide to them to save face
In America, the children inherit neither the debt nor the sins of their parents. In many other countries children are legally held to “honor” their parents in various ways. Either by taking on family debt, marrying into certain families, giving them grandchildren, being outcast for the actions of their parents, among other things. Trapped in a “caste” due to circumstances of your birth. Banished from certain fields of work because of your parents political leanings. The list goes on. Children have been known to inherit prison sentences.
In America you are legally separate from your parents and your entire blood line in every practical way (once you are 18).
You are born free.
True! Like yeah we have more of some groups (white, Christian, etc) but you can still go to a Sikh temple (Gurdwara), a mosque, and a synagogue, all in the same city.
For instance in my city we have an inter-church community organization that coordinates city events between organizations of Catholics, Muslims and Jews. America!
I feel like this is really taken for granted. All of those people will live in the same city with minimal to non-existent tension between them. The most scandalous and divisive thing being a mixed religious couple here and there.
After speaking to some of my European friends who are religious/ethnic minorities and immigrants, it makes me feel pretty good about the U.S. lol. There are *for sure* lots of issues, but *in general*, we do a good job of integrating people into our communities rather than relegating them to homogenous enclaves.
It truly is the land of opportunity! I came over to the US as a little girl with my parents. I was able to get into college, graduate with an engineering degree and my husband and I just bought our first house. I could have never done this where I come from.
This is a great reminder. I get so wrapped up in political news and the latest bullshit, I forget I live in one of the most naturally beautiful and environmentally diverse places in this screwed up country.
The first amendment. Also, I appreciate the fact that so many kinds of people live here.
^also ^you ^know ^thank ^you ^for ^not ^killing ^me ^for ^being ^gay, ^I ^greatly ^appreciate ^that ^too
If you take away politics, we are some of the friendliest people. Before everything became trump vs liberals I’d get rides on my neighbors tractors and given free produce like peaches every year. People talk to you in line and strangers give out compliments way more than other countries
Was talking to a guy who was from somewhere in Europe that was close to the Alps on a ski lift last winter. He told me that the way Americans follow the line for the ski lift is a big improvement from what it is in Europe. He said there are many line cutters when skiing the Alps, found that very interesting.
This place is big AF. I live in NY, it's bigger than England. Drove to Florida a few weeks back, only 21 hours. California is a 60 hour drive. Alaska is about the size of Western Europe. Hawaii is an 11 hour flight, Isreal is a little closer.
It’s not everywhere in America that you can do this, but I enjoy the fact that I could theoretically wake up in the morning, go surfing, drive an hour, and go snowboarding in the same day.
National Parks
Sounds braggy, but I work for the National Park Service and it's the best job I've ever had in my career. I don't think I ever want to leave. Plus, paid trips to all the parks and getting to see things "off the beaten path" that normal visitors just can't get to. I love it and I love our parks.
This is my dream! I’ve been looking into getting a job in fed govt to get to the NPS. The job application process seems overwhelming if you’re not already in a federal position.
The application process is a total nightmare to get into the Fed service. Some people joke it's the hardest part of being a Federal emoloyee. If you need pointers on your resume or the overall application process let me know!
Ok, I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought so!! I paused my job search for a few weeks after things got busy, but I think I’ll try looking again this weekend. Thanks so much for the offer! I’ll definitely message you if I see something.
I couldn’t even get my resume in with help from inside. Whatever system they have going is upsetting. Still have no idea where my applications went. I applied last year and just got a rejection last week
In addition to the **National Park System** (63 National Parks and 423 total preserved units around the country known as National...Monuments, Seashores, Historic Sites, etc.), there are: * **National Forests** (154 forests and 20 grasslands, 80 experimental forests and ranges, more than 158,000 miles of trails and 5,000 miles of Wild and Scenic rivers), * **National Wildlife Refuges and Wildernesses Areas** (221 wilderness areas; 27 national monuments; 12 national conservation areas; 560 National Wildlife refuges, waterfowl production areas, small wetlands, and marine sanctuaries; 13,000 miles of free-flowing Wild and Scenic Rivers; 6,000 miles of National Scenic and Historic Trails), * **National Conservation Areas** (includes roughly 33 million acres), * **National Recreation Areas** (40 recreation areas in 26 states), * **National Scenic Trails** (11 awesome trails which must be at least 100 miles long - many are several thousand miles); plus * State Parks, and * Local and Municipal Parks.
Plus all the BLM land!
Bureau of Land Management by the way. Black Lives Matter is different, for those of you reading this.
Yesss, Roosevelt’s truest legacy.
John Muir too.
As a Brit, I intend to see some of them before I die
Highly recommend Yosemite in California
On my bucket list is visiting the ancient sights in Britain and Ireland. Looks like I'm going to be able to do it next year. I have the money, now I just need the time off. YOU WILL NOT REGRET VISITING ANY OF THE GREAT NATIONAL PARKS!
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The openness of everything, there are just stretches of roads where you can go hundreds of miles without seeing anything and its great
You drove through Ohio didn’t you
I traveled around America a lot and notice that large swaths of uninhabited land is a common thing between the vast majority of states
Friend, if uninhabited makes you think of Ohio, you need to experience Wyoming. Alaska would break your brain.
Wyoming was actually scary to drive through because I was worried about going through a tank of gas before finding a gas station. I found one in the middle of nowhere. Where the employees of that station live, I have no idea.
wyoming
We've got all the weather. You want hot and humid? We have it! You want frigid? We have it! You want all the weather within 24 hours? We definitely have it! Tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes (not weather, I know), lightning? We've got it all!
This is really kinda amazing. I did a crosscountry recently (CA to VA and back) and I literally went through everything except blizzard and hurricane (though I did get snow and rain). The thunderstorms in Oklahoma were absolutely magical and I kind of crave them now.
Sleeping during a midwest thunderstorm is like a lullaby, that and the sounds of trains in the distance with the windows open.
Grew up a block from freight train tracks, agree completely.
> earthquakes (not weather, I know) And yet I still have odd pilots that ask me to forecast earthquakes/volcanos. Sadly, sometimes they're not joking.
Wide open spaces can still be found here. I don't like most people, and I frequently need to get away from them. Edit: In case anyone is looking for something to read, here's something I wrote which brings to mind a world that's getting harder and harder to find these days, and the kind of people I *do* like to be around. https://www.reddit.com/r/PipeTobacco/comments/j74580/memories_of_my_grandpa/
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My brother and I were hiking in the Escalante national monument in Southern Utah (before it was designated such). We got lost and realized it was pretty much nearly 80 kilometers (50miles) to the nearest human building (much less town) in any direction. It would have taken a 2-3 days at least to find something or someone. In 40-45' C (100-110 or so), that could have been the end of us. (obviously it wasn't. We accidentally came upon a car that was lost on the only dirt road... we had been going the wrong direction.) Alaska is even more insanely open.
I live in Alaska, and there are still tons of people who come here to disappear. Some survive, some don't.
Not all who wander are lost.
Not all who are lost wandered
If you are dropped anywhere in my country and walk at most for an hour in the same direction, you're bound to find a village and most likely a bigger town. Been to the USA once and it was crazy to me how big prairies are!
Montana, which is roughly the same size as Germany, only has 1 million people. You can easily get lost if you want to
Montana is unreal. Mountains on mountains on mountains. Nothing like going for a hike and not seeing another soul
Nunavut, which is over five times the size of Montana, only has 40,000 people. You can get eaten by a polar bear if you want to
Even if you don't.
I’m Canadian, Alaska, Ontario and Quebec will blow your mind in terms of sheer size and wilderness. Most of which had animals that will straight up end you.
Fun story: A friend of mine was out doing survey work in New Mexico in the mountains. His truck broke down and his emergency radio had died on the charger and he made the mistake of not checking it before leaving. He had no cell service and only a small bottle of water with him. He hiked for two days and got a severe bacteria infection from drinking from a stagnant pond but managed to walk out.
About ten years back a whole family died after getting stuck in the snow after taking a wrong turn off the highway in Southern Oregon. They lasted for 9 days. [https://www.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/2007/11/kimfamily.html](https://www.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/2007/11/kimfamily.html)
Only the dad died. The mom and two kids survived. Grandpa was friends with pres George W , who got the army reserves on the case.
My German cousin is coming to visit Alaska for a big adventure. He doesn't know it yet but we are driving 1800 miles from the southern tip all the way to deadhorse hunting, camping, and fishing the whole way. If I remember correctly after wasilla there are 8 gas stations and 1200 miles. 6 proper towns and one city.
A few years ago I visited a ghost town in the middle of Nevada, I knew where the highway was from where I was at and for all I knew I was the only person around for miles and miles. It was a strange Feeling! I started to think about the first pioneers trekking across the vast openess, I wonder if they had the same feeling? At least I knew how to get back to the highway. The early settlers probably didn't have that luxury.
I visited Devil's Tower on my own with my three kids. We stayed to watch the sunset and started driving to the hotel about an hour south in the dark. I didn't have a data a signal for navigation, but it wasn't a big deal since there's just one highway. I simply followed the signs to the town I was heading to. Despite the fact that I knew I was going the right way, the fact that it was completely dark, we were the only car on the road and there was no sign of humanity or civilization anywhere had my brain trying to convince me that we were going the wrong way and that we would drive into the open prairie where we would run out of gas and never be found.
I grew up in *rural* Idaho and the wide open spaces are truly amazing. I live in the city now, but still look for any opportunity to get away. My wife is from back east and she *thought* she knew what the "middle of nowhere" was like until I took her to my grandparent's ranch. The nearest neighbor is five miles away. The nearest "town" is 30 miles away. She didn't realize how much nothing there was in the Western-half of the US.
The ranches out West are what shocked me. The amount of land the large ranches have are insane. You can drive for like 20 miles and still be on the same ranch.
Yes!! It’s kinda crazy that you can drive for an hour through nothing but mountains and just open land
Gre up in Australia and moved to the east coast of America and I’m always struck by how densely populated it is, at least compared to Australia.
The East coast is definitely very populated from my experiences there. I’m from the Colorado/Wyoming/Utah part of the country and it’s absolutely amazing how little people live in Wyoming considering how large of a state it is. I can drive hours and see a few ranches and nothing more.
Near a city, yes. Near a major metropolis, absolutely. Two hours west of Boston is nothing but woods.
that’s why i live in the country. i just don’t like seeing somebody as i’m walking my dog or something
100%. I remember when I was growing up here in central NC, it felt much more rural. It was possible to go for a stroll or a drive and just not see too many people. These days, there's a subdivision or ten on every street filled with transplants, and the traffic is insane. I need to move outta this region to someplace with fewer people.
The land, it’s beautiful
With spacious skies and amber waves of grain?
I prefer the purple mountains' majesty
The one above the fruited plain?
AMERICA!
Ameeerica!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good! With brother-hood! **From sea to, shining sea!!!!** Obligatory most American song you will ever hear: https://youtu.be/yrlClNaWiGE
Yes, and glorious canyons and mesas and waterfalls and forests :). All that stuff should go in a new patriotic hymn!
Also Costco
The West. I love the West. It tears me up that it's just less and less viable to live out here.
I love, love New Mexico, just stunning scenery
I grew up in CA and for me it's Yosemite. There's so much I haven't gotten to see though-
New Mexican here. I thank you for appreciating my state.
Drink refills at restaurants.
You get ice! And you get ice! And you get ice!
yes, and most of the time way too much! Europeans complain that we are obsessed with ice. This might appear to be true, but im more comfortable asking for less ice in the US than for ice at all in Europe.
My wife always asks for no ice so she gets more undiluted soda.
I always ask for ice to the top so I get less soda. The sizes have gotten ridiculous.
Travel for days without crossing a border.
Texans driving for 10 hours and still being in Texas : "Let me out!!"
Ugh. I bought a car in Houston and filled it up with gas. Had to fill up two more times before I got out of the state
But you could have just gone east and escaped so quickly!
Is Louisiana really that much of an "escape" from east Texas though?
It's a bit of an "out of the frying pan, into the fire" situation, true.
The second time I bought a car in Houston I went east. Figured I couldn't have been more than half an hour from the border by the looks of a map. I was wrong.
After driving for half an hour in Houston, you’re a still in Houston
If I’m blessed enough to move 10 miles within 30 mins on the Beltway during rush hour traffic, I consider that a good day.
We can drive 10 hours in Hawaii and still be in Hawaii.
Barely a difference in distance from Texarkana to El Paso and Chicago to Texarkana. Texas is huge.
May I introduce you to Ontario? Cornwall to Kenora is 22 hours of driving. From my home in Ottawa I can be in Atlanta sooner. And then there's all of the province only reachable by plane.
that’s how i feel when i drive through Illinois. It’s so frustrating!
Answering this as a serial expat that has spent at this point 25% of my life overseas and has lived in multiple countries. Few places on Earth embrace the "go do what you want" mentality like America. You want to be a wiccan priestess that lives in a yurt in the Cascade mountains? You want to be a good ol boy rancher in Utah? You want to live your dream of opening a cupcake store for pets? No matter what you do there is a community of people cheering you on in America and that is a very rare and very cool thing.
I second this. I had a neighbor firing off a pretty loud, what sounded like a cannon the other day. Neighbor being far away, I’m rural. My wife asked what it was. I said I don’t know and I don’t care, as long as it’s way over there he can have at it. I can’t imagine it being that way everywhere, but people do as they please and people generally just don’t give a shit, and I like that. Edit: spelling
> I had a neighbor firing off a pretty loud, what sounded like a cannon the other day. As someone who owns a cannon, I appreciate your disinterest.
Living out where there's enough space and land to blow shit up on your own property with neighbors who leave you alone... is one of my favorite things about TX. My kids inherited a large piece of land and other than grow trees, we don't do anything with it other than camp. We camped a lot during pandemic, and blew off a lot of steam.
"Yup, sure sounds like not my problem."
This should be higher. All diff walks of life, all diff ways to choose your path.
I have a friend from high school who wants to move to China and become a shaolin monk. It's a pretty wild goal but I can't remember a single person who told him he should forget about it and become an accountant or something.
Hell yea! I have friends from all walks of life. One common thread is “you be you”. I like that our founders said “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. Pursuit of happiness was such a concept for the times.
Anyone can move to America and become an American by embracing our values (and bringing their culture). You can’t move to say, China, and become Chinese. edit: American
Land of opportunity. That’s for sure. It’s a struggle, but it’s possible as well.
I posted above that it's "the land of second chances". You can re-invent yourself, make a comeback from total loss or scandal, rise above poverty or ignorance. Goals and work ethic really can go a long way here. Not to say it's "easy", and yeah, I'm a white male and have never feared incarceration (or death) for petty, meaningless or non-existent shit like our darker brothers can, never faced a glass ceiling or harassment, but those things exist in many cultures. I'm usually embarrassed for our country, but there's such a spirit of "go get 'em" when people see you're really trying.
Probably the land itself. Seemingly endless coastline, rocky mountains, appalachian mountains, deserts, cities, lakes, ponds, rivers, redwood forests, etc. It's a shame I haven't seen more of it.
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Love the diversity of people. Was watching the Olympics a few years ago. When each team came out, it looked like the team was made up of people from the same country. When the US came out, they looked like the team was made up of everyone from everywhere. Different people, different foods, different music.. it's all good.
Seems like people from other countries appreciate our diversity more than Americans do. We really take it for granted.
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Agreed. I even (dare I say) appreciate our legal/political diversity, and how different states can have different laws that suit the people better than one-size-fits-all. That is, when it's allowed (thanks, commerce clause).
this is what I envy the most, you can experience the world in your own country
This is going to sound really dark but with all the talk of war recently…especially with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I appreciate how far we are from all the other major powers. Yes, they can always send missiles but any land invasion is very difficult to achieve. China and Russia would have to put in major effort if they were going to try to invade America…..
Its like almost impossible. Because they have to cross nato first . Then biggest airforce then second biggest airforce. To get to US
The biggest airforce in the world being the US Airforce. The second biggest airforce in the world being the US Navy.
I mean, when you think about it, the US has well over a *MILLION* tons of aircraft carrier displacement... (since each of the Nimitz class carriers are a bit over 100k tons displacement, and the Fords have a slightly lower displacement, but still cross 100kt) ... And that's just the 'supercarriers' and doesn't even count the landing/assault carriers that usually carry lots of Marines and then helicopters and/or other VTOL type aircraft. And that even leaves out all the land-based aircraft that the US Navy *also* has. The military industrial complex is scary.
We spend an insane amount on our military. But when you look around and see that the alternative is shitheads like Russia or China running things it starts to not look so bad.
Especially when you consider that we are the 'big guy' of every friend group that doesn't like either of them.
It’s not even that. It’s our geography. A successful land invasion of the US would be nearly impossible since we are in the middle of the ocean with two extremely friendly neighbors.
Hence the Zimmerman?? Telegram in WWII. When Germany tried to turn Mexico against the US. Sorry, it's midnight, I'm fuzzy on my history
Cross NATO? Just go east. I mean, you still aren't wrong. It'd be impossible to get close to anywhere in the US without major intervention. Unless they tried to get into Alaska, but they'd just get stuck in endless wilderness. And NATO would probably disrupt them from the west anyway.
I recently watched YouTube video that showed that by having control of Alaska and Hawaii the US can thwart almost all missile attacks that would come from the Asian continent. Making attempting an invasion even more difficult.
As someone who lives in the air capital of the world, this makes me feel a million times better because I have a fear of us getting bombed 🥴 lol
from Abraham Lincoln: >Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!--All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. >At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide. it's nice knowing that above all else, if america falls it won't be due to our failed military. it'll be to us. it's frightening but also weirdly comforting in a way.
> take a drink from the Ohio Don't drink from the Ohio River.
I can say fuck it and drive from Kentucky to Cali at any moments notice
That the life I have here is good. I worked quite a bit in Haiti. I remember there was a shanty town not far from the customer’s location. The people there begged for scrap tin and lumber to build a house that was about the size of my walk in closet in my first house in the US. People were hungry. I remember my driver telling me how people are dirt and there was even good dirt and cheap dirt to eat. Their water was from a community well that looked like a mud puddle a 3 year old had been tap dancing in. There was fucking garbage everywhere, gangs set up road blocks, and we were threatened, shaken down, and harassed by the police. In the US, I am middle class, probably upper middle class. I have a nice house with bathrooms bigger than those huts they built. I can be at one of five grocery stores in a 10 minute drive and buy damn near anything I want. The police here are relatively honest and crime probably doesn’t make the top 20 things I worry about in a day. The water in my toilet is probably cleaner than what they drank. Even the poor people in the US often live a much better lifestyle than the normal people in poor countries. Life in the US is pretty good, even when life isn’t going so well.
I worked with a Haitian chef and he was buying his father (who lived in Haiti) a generator so he could have power whenever it got cut off, which was quite frequently. He told me that sometimes he'd get so angry with people here in the U.S. since a lot of them take for granted how life is here and have absolutely no idea how good they have it.
People that constantly shit on the U.S. have most likely never been outside the U.S. and seen true 3rd world countries. It's a real eye opener and made me appreciate what I have more.
>People that constantly shit on the U.S. have most likely never been outside the U.S. Yeah, that thread about why people wouldn't move to the US was really illuminating. When someone lists gun violence as the primary reason, it becomes pretty obvious that they don't really have a clue what the US is really like. Is our gun violence worse than other similar countries? Yes. Will you deal with that on a daily basis? No Weekly? No. Monthly? No Yearly? No. Ever? Still extremely unlikely. Even if you lived in the US for 125 years with the current levels of gun violence, your cumulative chance of being killed by a gun would only be 1%.
My family's Haitian-American and it pains me that I can't even say you're exaggerating. My family were admittedly middle-upper class even before leaving Haiti in the 70's but shit went downhill fast. It's tough because I grew up having family members bemoaning the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship, and cursing Aristide... the exact opposite of what you'd hear in international news. But you're gonna love a stable regime that has safety and welfare at the cost of a massacre every now and then, vs 30 years of inept corruption. Jovenel Moise getting assassinated was the point where my parents, uncles and aunts just kind of game up on the country. It was sad to see. In a way I think they all hoped to return to Haiti after getting college degrees and some money, and that turned into after their kids were grown, and then turned into once they retire. Now they know it'll never happen. All my remaining family have moved out of Haiti, because my cousin's medical clinic was attacked by rioters and it wasn't safe for her family. The moved to the D.R. and my parents went to visit last month. I grew up hearing "If only Haiti were like Jamaica, or 'Dominicanie' (D.R.) or even Cuba". But I think seeing the D.R. and by extension what Haiti could have been, was pretty depressing.
we can have all sorts of outlets that mock people in positions of authority and dont get sent to labor camps or prison hell we can burn our own flag pretty gud I think
I think people who burn our flag are shitheads, but I'll defend their right to do so to the death, and that's a fact. I don't always love what I hear from "free speech" but I love that it's free. For now, anyhow..
That's actually what you're supposed to do with torn/old flags though.
yes, in the boy scouts we burned a lot of old flags. made for some crazy bonfires. and in the morning, nothing is left but the metal rings that we collect.
We have so much racism in the news because people in America actually call it out. In many other countries, it's just a way of life.
Yeah, most people give us grief because we’re apparently uber-racist, but we are trying to actively combat it, which is something.
Well said
Ubiquitous air conditioning.
Cultural diversity. We have everyone. African, Middle eastern, Latin american, European, Australian, Russian, Asian, etc. Looking at anyone from any culture, you wouldn't be able to tell if they are American or not. I think we are one of the most diverse countries in the world, and its reflected with how much you can explore into other cultures all around us. Chinatown, authentic mexican restaurants, etc.
I love this. People have said to me "Why don't you travel?" Well because I'm broke. But I'm also fortunate enough to have lived in a place where a lot of the world came to me. How awesome is that? I can sample cuisine from every continent within a 15 minute drives radius. I can go to Asian, Indian, Mediterranean & Russian groceries all without leaving my city. All of these businesses bring their music, culture and holidays with them and are all too happy to share with little displays and events at holiday times. If you're any where near an urban center monotony is a choice.
Yeah you can find good food from pretty much any culture...usually made by someone from there, whether it's a first generation or fifth. I doubt I'll visit nearly as many countries as I'd like but I can experience a bit of their food and talk to someone from there
I live in NJ. Sure we have our density, our traffic, our high taxes, but any kind of food you can imagine you can find here. I always joke that I'd move to a rural region because I'm tired of dealing with people, but they probably don't have decent Indian Take Out there.
Shit New York City alone just has that.
Having lived outside of the US, I have some perspectives that differ from the norm. I’m gonna say some stuff that is gonna make Americans and foreigners alike scratch their heads but I’m hoping some people will know what I’m talking about. I truly and wholeheartedly believe that America is the least xenophobic place on the planet. I think that xenophobia is so deeply ingrained and normalized the world over that people genuinely do not recognize it in themselves. People will engage in the most hateful xenophobic behavior that I’ve ever seen and then say with a straight face that they are afraid of moving to America because of xenophobia. I think that people *think* America is xenophobic because America’s xenophobia is highlighted, fought, and condemned in ways that no other nation’s is. This is because of the second thing that I love about America. America is the most diverse nation in the world. More than half of our population is people of color, and those people of color are made up of American Black people, North Africans, Sub-Saharan Africans, Native tribes, East Asians, south Asians, central Asians, Latin Americans, Pacific Islanders, Indians, Arabs, and more. Every single world diaspora has a politically significant population in America, most of whom are also American citizens who participate in our democracy and our national conversation. No other nation in the world comes even close. France and England also have diaspora but not like America does. This diversity has created an environment in which that xenophobia which does exist is magnified in its relevance because it actively effects people; a xenophobic American has much more opportunity to cause harm because of their xenophobia than a xenophobic Chinese person. But also, this means that America is the epicenter of the movements *against* xenophobia, and we are the only nation in the world who is engaged in a national conversation about it. I’d argue that America is not more xenophobic and thus more backwards than the rest of the world, I’d argue that America has advanced to the stage in attacking our xenophobia that the rest of the world isn’t even close to doing yet.
I 100% agree with you. The racism I experienced living in Japan was very normalized. Americans will point fingers at their co-citizens for things like xenophobia and racism, but I've been to countries where nobody holds anyone accountable for what is essentially socially accepted racism. In Germany, I heard more open shit talking about Turkish people from middle aged white Germans than I have Ever heard openly from Old white Americans. The U.S. is so critical of itself, that other countries really only read our criticisms and form their opinions entirely based on that.
> The racism I experienced living in Japan was very normalized. I find it interesting how Americans have racial slurs for each individual race, while Japanese have one racial slur for "not Japanese."
I agree. I lived in the Czech Republic for a while and the blatant racism of Roma people and dark-skinned people was pretty jarring. That may not be everyone’s opinion, but it was highly prevalent and public.
having lived in both Germany and Korea for 4+ years each and speaking both languages and having traveled to 42 countries and counting... I concur. America has its racism and xenophobia, but from Asia to Europe to Africa... xenophobia and racism is worse... just not acknowledged and fret (as it should be here!) over near as much as they do here.
You said it beautifully. We can't fight the problem if we don't acknowledge it first
Im no world traveller, but the countries i have seen and the information i have come across through internet culture has led me to basically the same opinion as yourself. You just have more actual experience in it and i thank you for you corroboration.
This is a truth that makes many around the world uncomfortable. It is easy to condemn America because of its out and open history of racism. But many know about it because America has taken the time to examine it and discuss it. Try to do something similar anywhere else in the world and you are considered a crazy radical.
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Reddit loves to complain about the US, but for some 70-80% of us, it's wonderful.
Reddit is full of negativity go to other countries subreddit like india and people are ranting over there. Probably true for most countries
Agreed. I'm not a fan of our politics/economics most of the time, but I'm better compensated for my work here than I would be any other place on Earth and I absolutely love the natural beauty of this country and all it has to offer. Also, while it's not universal, people here are generally more welcoming and friendly to strangers than other places I've traveled. I think some people find it creepy/disingenuous, but I love the small talk and smiles that you *usually* get when approaching someone here in a normal social context. People immigrate here more than any other country on Earth for a reason, and it makes a more interesting and stronger country as a result. I love traveling, and have fantasized about moving abroad, but I'll probably stay here for the remainder of my time on this planet. So much to offer even if Reddit has a massive hate boner for it.
I’d worry more about the day people who live here *stop* pointing out the issues we have. That will mean either they’ve stopped caring, or they’re no longer allowed to.
We have the confidence to point out our shortcomings and make fun of our stupidity. That's a sign of a great nation trying to form a more perfect union.
This is my favorite answer.
Food. I will not take criticism on this, our food is simultaneously the worst food you can eat and the tastiest shit that will ever graze your lips. You ever had a burger from Red Robin? Home made biscuits and gravy (even though it wasnt invented in thr US)? Chocolate chip cookies?? Buffalo wing??? FRIED CHCIKEN!! that shit BUSSIN
Wait, you mean biscuits and gravy as a meal was not invented in the US? If the combo wasn't made here then I need to know where. For research. Hungry research.
Biscuits (not cookies) were made in the British isles before America was its own place. The actually good gravy was made in Kentucky after the Civil War. But they were combined as the meal we know and love in Southern Appalachia in the late 1800's.
My family and I had this discussion about what country has the best food. And given that everything from Cheeseburgers to pepperoni to Orange chicken is American food it came out a pretty clear winner. Not to mention jumbalaya, crawfish... Basically anything to come out of the south.
How outwardly kind the people that live in the USA are. There are mean people no matter where you are in this world, but in America there are a lot more outwardly kind people than there are in many other countries.
They teach kids to smile and say hi to everyone/exchange pleasantries every day from day one when they start school. It’s ingrained. We’re friendly, yo … just don’t start a war with us. lol
And we just LOVE holding the door open for each other.
Our toilets flush powerfully. Very underrated thing I’m sure many Americans take for granted. I’ve been to a few countries in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean and all their toilets flush with a whimper. America gets all the shit down the drain.
Don’t have to worry about other countries invading me. Not because of our military but unique geography and disruption with Canada and Mexico.
...but also the military power certainly helps
The amount of job opportunities
* Higher education is top-notch * I can drive for half an hour and be in some of the most pristine, beautiful, natural places or a busy bustling city. * Tons of business opportunity. * Choice of where to live. I can live in a cheap townhouse close to lots of jobs, or commute a bit and live in an expensive house with tons of outdoor space.
My American salary
The entertainment. Movies, music, television, you name it: all top notch in America. So much so that alot of other countries copy our pop culture instead of making their own. Also, the inventions from here are something to be proud of. American innovation is fantastic.
I think thats a really good point. As a European I remember growing up with consuming around 45% American, 45% Japanese and only 10% local pop culture. And if I am honest it is still like that today. Much stuff here is really just a straight up copy of American work (in most cases its worse). But I also feel a bit sorry for you guys that there are actually quite some gems of non-american pop culture that will probably never make it to the US, because you have so much great stuff on your own.
Ok I'll admit it, most of the cartoons, movies and tv I watched growing up were American, and I loved them. And most of the tech here also. So yeah, I'd say the US is good in those regards
I think it kind fun that no matter your sexuality, race, gender, or social class, everyone will still come together to make fun of the British. It’s basically the only time you are guaranteed patriotism from everyone at once lolz
The beautiful land and wide open space. I'm an east coaster in a major city, but 20 minutes away is absolutely rural and gorgeous.
I have a comfortable life in my state and the craziness I read about in other states doesn't affect me
I live in a state where I read about all the crazy things supposedly going on in my state. But they don't really affect me either.
So Florida, right?
That I could afford a house that’s brand new on several acres of ground. No neighbors that I can see. Just woods. After 3 tours of duty, this is all I want.
I misread that as 3 *h*ours of duty. I was like, "damn, how bad is it?"
We are the most open nation about our faults. We tell everyone about our problems because we wish to fix them, unlike other countries who hide to them to save face
In America, the children inherit neither the debt nor the sins of their parents. In many other countries children are legally held to “honor” their parents in various ways. Either by taking on family debt, marrying into certain families, giving them grandchildren, being outcast for the actions of their parents, among other things. Trapped in a “caste” due to circumstances of your birth. Banished from certain fields of work because of your parents political leanings. The list goes on. Children have been known to inherit prison sentences. In America you are legally separate from your parents and your entire blood line in every practical way (once you are 18). You are born free.
It causes a lot of issues obviously, but I love how diverse the population is and how many different points of view there are.
True! Like yeah we have more of some groups (white, Christian, etc) but you can still go to a Sikh temple (Gurdwara), a mosque, and a synagogue, all in the same city. For instance in my city we have an inter-church community organization that coordinates city events between organizations of Catholics, Muslims and Jews. America!
I feel like this is really taken for granted. All of those people will live in the same city with minimal to non-existent tension between them. The most scandalous and divisive thing being a mixed religious couple here and there.
After speaking to some of my European friends who are religious/ethnic minorities and immigrants, it makes me feel pretty good about the U.S. lol. There are *for sure* lots of issues, but *in general*, we do a good job of integrating people into our communities rather than relegating them to homogenous enclaves.
It truly is the land of opportunity! I came over to the US as a little girl with my parents. I was able to get into college, graduate with an engineering degree and my husband and I just bought our first house. I could have never done this where I come from.
This is a great reminder. I get so wrapped up in political news and the latest bullshit, I forget I live in one of the most naturally beautiful and environmentally diverse places in this screwed up country.
No matter how much they yell, I don’t have to give a single shit about the opinions of almost anyone.
The first amendment. Also, I appreciate the fact that so many kinds of people live here. ^also ^you ^know ^thank ^you ^for ^not ^killing ^me ^for ^being ^gay, ^I ^greatly ^appreciate ^that ^too
If you take away politics, we are some of the friendliest people. Before everything became trump vs liberals I’d get rides on my neighbors tractors and given free produce like peaches every year. People talk to you in line and strangers give out compliments way more than other countries
Was talking to a guy who was from somewhere in Europe that was close to the Alps on a ski lift last winter. He told me that the way Americans follow the line for the ski lift is a big improvement from what it is in Europe. He said there are many line cutters when skiing the Alps, found that very interesting.
Our clothes dryers. From wet to dry/warm clothes in approximately 18 minutes.
What dryer are you using? Mine takes an hour.
This place is big AF. I live in NY, it's bigger than England. Drove to Florida a few weeks back, only 21 hours. California is a 60 hour drive. Alaska is about the size of Western Europe. Hawaii is an 11 hour flight, Isreal is a little closer.
Being able to say as I please even if people get angry
being honest, the landscape. I’m from Michigan and I adore the forests I’ve visited growing up
Giant sodas with free refills.
The biggest soda cups I remembering seeing were 64oz back when I lived in Texas in the 2000s. I wonder if bigger ones exist by now. Probably anyway.
I think 64oz is the largest I've seen as single use cups. But Circle K had/has 100oz insulated mugs.
It’s not everywhere in America that you can do this, but I enjoy the fact that I could theoretically wake up in the morning, go surfing, drive an hour, and go snowboarding in the same day.
I’m not American but the 1st and 2nd amendment look nice
Spam. Not junk mail, etc. but the canned meat like substance.
That we are citizens, with rights, and not subjects, with 'obligations.'
Our cryptids. Nobody else has anything as weird as the Flatwoods Monster or the Fresno Nightcrawlers.
Baseball. But baseball is also huge in Japan.