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Today is always a fun day for our family. I'm really looking forward to a back yard full of kids and dogs running through the sprinkler and blowing bubbles, while the adults grill and sit around and chat and drink ice cold tea and beer. After our meal of BBQ, hot dogs, and all that other good stuff, we'll have a red white and blue dessert of strawberry and blueberry shortcake. Tonight the kids will catch fireflies and play with sparklers and if we're lucky we'll be able to see the fireworks display that's close by, from our backyard.
Some of my favorite things about living in the US, and in Texas, are (in no particular order!):
1) Life in the suburbs. I know some people hate on it, but personally I love most of our neighborhoods, with their green lawns and wide streets, neighbors walking in the evening, and private backyards and patios. In ours, we even have an ice cream truck that comes around each evening!
2) Our big, bustling cities. We have some of the most impressive metro areas in the world. If urban life is what you want, with public transportation, high rise apartments, arts and sporting events and everything in between right at your fingertips, you've got a really wide range of top notch cities to choose from. Just pick your weather pattern - from subtropical New Orleans to the four seasons of New York City.
3) I love our standard of customer service. Sure, there are some bad apples out there but world wide we are known for high customer service standards. Not only that, but between our "real life" shopping options and the internet, we can get just about anything we want or need within three days. Overnight if we want to pay the shipping costs!
4) Diversity - I personally love it. I love the blend of cultures that make up the United States. What an impact on our lifestyles - from music to clothing to food, literature, movies, history, you name it. Sometimes we're not even aware of the influences of many cultures, but this country truly is a melting pot.
5) I love our traditions and I love that they are unique and vary from region to region. Here in Texas, people pull over and stop their cars when a funeral procession goes by - for any funeral procession, from the former mayor to the guy who mowed lawns for a living. Some people get out of their cars and stand solemnly and men remove their hats. The other day, as we were following the hearse carrying my husband's uncle's body, we saw a grandfather and his little grandson get out and stand beside their pickup truck, and if it had been possible, I would have stopped and told that gentleman "Thank you for setting such a good example for your grandson."
6) I love the different cuisines that this country has to offer - from Tex Mex to California's creative fusions, to New England clam chowder to the spicy mix of Cajun cooking - French, African, British, Spanish, German, Italian, and Native American. Go to Houston or Chicago or any other number of cities across this country, and you can find just about any sort of cuisine you want, from all corners of the globe. You can find pure examples, and you can find cuisines that are impacted by and adapted to American styles. Our creativity is exemplified in our restaurants and kitchens.
7) The arts - from the stage to the studio, the American imagination bursts onto the world scene with an exuberance that cannot be ignored. Our stadiums and theaters and museums and clubs and venues are filled to bursting with artists and those who admire their work. Every corner of our globe has been impacted by American creativity and the ideas and self expression keep coming.
8) Natural beauty - This country is amazing. The coastlines, the mountain ranges, the vast lakes and mighty rivers, the rolling prairies and the haunting hollows of the Appalachians, the desolation of our deserts and the patchwork of fertile farms across the midwest...whether you want "wow factor" or a quiet, peaceful view you can get it all here.
There's a lot more I love about this country but that will do for now. Your turn!
I agree with all those 100% and would also add the ability to live in so many climates. You can live somewhere tropical or snow, or dry or wet, you really have so many options. It's a huge plus!
From far away Singapore, i only visited US once in my life 2 years ago.. San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles and i loved it.. I love the vibrancy and the feeling ...
If things go as planned, i am planning to visit the East Coast part of US , washington, New York and part of Canada next June..
US is cool to me !!
Find that Americans know how to hype up things and build ambience ... Personal opinion
From far away Singapore, i only visited US once in my life 2 years ago.. San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles and i loved it.. I love the vibrancy and the feeling ...
If things go as planned, i am planning to visit the East Coast part of US , washington, New York and part of Canada next June..
US is cool to me !!
Find that Americans know how to hype up things and build ambience ... Personal opinion
Good insight - thank you! I hope you enjoy your upcoming trip, and with your positive attitude I am sure that you will!
I love the East Coast, especially the Mid Atlantic region. I hope you get a chance to visit Virginia's Historic Triangle when you visit Washington DC. It's about three hours south but well worth the time.
There are so many things, but I will list 10 in no particular order.
1). Freedom of travel: We are blessed to not only have the freedom to travel and visit other places within and outside our borders, but we have an amazing transportation network of highways and airports. We often complain that we don't have the rail systems that Asia and Europe have, but they don't have the availability of flight or accessibility to good roads that we have in America!
2). Capitalism: No where else in the world can businesses start up and thrive like in the USA. We are essentially the best country in terms of business friendly and job opportunity, as well as diversity in economy and services available. Unfortunately there is a trend of unfriendly business practices by our federal government, but we still have an amazing system where any person has the opportunity to succeed and have a healthy lifestyle.
3). Military: We no doubt have the greatest and most powerful armed forces in the world despite budget cuts and downsizing. Although many people do not like this, our military helps monitor the security of all nations and intervenes when necessary. Our brave soldiers, naval personnel, pilots, coast guard, etc... represent us well and are always ready to help in times of crisis both here at home and internationally.
4). Freedom of religion: As a Christian I am proud that I live in a country where I am free to worship and fellowship with others without being persecuted! Our country is welcoming of all faiths! I do believe our nation was established of Christian principles, but it is important to recognize others rights to believe in what they'd like.
5). Food: America has no shortage of food and water and in fact has too much! There is always an option for food either from our amazing super markets or from our astonishing selection of eateries.
6). Technology: The US keeps trying to innovate and stay ahead of the curve in terms of technology and capabilities. We have some things we can work, but overall we are an advanced culture that has made life accessible and convenient.
7). American History: I love our history as a nation and how we have had an impact on the world. From our humble roots as a British colony/new world, to our role throughout the 20th century as a super power and force for liberty and capitalism. Although we are arguably young, we have had the opportunity as a nation to develop technology, tools, ideas, and medicine that has changed the world in huge ways! All Americans should be proud of our heritage!
8). Diversity: I love that we all have different opinions, ideas, skin colors, accents, ethnic ties, ancestry, backgrounds, jobs, likes, dislikes, favorite foods, etc...
9). Natural Beauty: This is arguably the most beautiful and topographically diverse nation on the planet and we have an abundance of recreation and adventure that is barely tapped. Our mountains are breathtaking, our beaches are the best, our rivers are inspiring, and our wildlife is fascinating! Even our man made things are world class and rival more established landmarks in other parts of the world.
10). People: I honestly believe that Americans are the most overall caring and giving nation! We help each other in times of need as well as other countries. For the most part we enjoy each other and we enjoy similar activities. We know when to rally behind a worthy cause, and we know when to take a moment of seriousness. We are the funniest people group, as well as the most informed people group. We hold each other accountable, but also show mercy when appropriate.
Honorable mention:
US cities
US architecture
Football
Apple Pie
Theme Parks
Back when all those little kids were shot to death in Connecticut, I was not feeling good about America and decided to do a little Facebook series on the things I liked about America. I shall repost here for public consumption.
License Plates. Have you ever looked at most countries' license plates? No? That's because there's not much to look at. Yes, they have a certain understated elegance, with their CinemaScope aspect ratio and their two-tone color scheme, but America's license plates rock. Yes, some are pretty ugly, but for every sooty New Jersey plate or slice of New York Velveeta, there's a South Carolina or Rhode Island. And all of them, every last one, even the mediocre ones, have character. But what I like about them most is not their designs, per se -- it's their individuality. The way that if you've been in Boston for a few days, the spartan red-white-and-blue Massachusetts plates start seeming like the norm, like the prototype license plates from which all other plates deviate, and then you come back home to New York and see an occasional Massachusetts plate on the street and think, "Huh, it feels weird seeing that here -- but it makes me nostalgic for my time in Boston." I am completely confident that no country has better license plates than the United States of America.
Los Angeles. Yeah, I said it: Los Angeles. Everyone hates this city, but let's face it, it's pretty astounding and entirely unique. I can't think of another U.S. city that no other country can replicate. New York? England has one -- it's called London. Las Vegas? There's Macau. But Los Angeles, a beautiful mess, a multipolar sprawl with a hundred downtowns, a place that somehow makes strip malls seem urban, a city of ethnic enclaves and ethnic mash-ups, of rich, of poor, of prototypical middle-class suburbia -- where else can lay claim to being anything like Los Angeles? L.A. has something for the outlandishly wealthy, for the homeless, for the hipsters, for the hippies, for the yuppies, for the Mexican immigrants -- and that's just the beaches. It's a city often criticized for lacking a center, but I think that's a key part of its charm. It's one of the few cities I know that retains a 1950s aesthetic. And it's Hollywood. The Dream Factory. Only L.A. will ever be L.A., and no matter what you think of it, everyone has to admit that's a good thing.
Regional Sodas. Soda is very bad for you. It is also just about the best thing in the world. I still occasionally fantasize about opening my own soda bar, where we serve small plates with soda pairings and lots and lots of regional sodas -- because there are so, so many great regional sodas out there. Coke and Dr Pepper are great, don't get me wrong, but it's not those American icons that make me feel good about the USA. It's Michigan's Vernors, North Carolina's Cheerwine, and Moxie -- once a national brand, now relegated to New England. It's the "Jewish champagne," Cel-Ray, made with (I assume) real celery and nigh impossible to find outside of New York. That's the best thing about regional sodas: that they're regional. When you crack open a Cheerwine, that's when it hits you that you're in the Carolinas, and nowhere else. Except maybe my soda bar.
Our country's patriotism. Republican or democrat, most of us will probably attend a fireworks showing, or display an American flag on our house, or enjoy the day off from work. We're a patriotic people, proud of our country and we will always celebrate and never forget!
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