Where could I see the best part of the U.S (rental car, rental)

[tarvi]

Hi!

I am a student in Denmark and I have always dreamt of spending a few months of my life in the United States of America.

Internship in a foreign company is a part of my school program and I would like to do it in the States - here comes the problem.

I am almost sorry that I found that forum, because of all the bad information about the crimes, narkomania and gangs, but still, I am not going to give up.

This is the reason, why I am writing this new thread. I want to ask, where it would be good for an European to spend a few months.. I love the States because of the Nature as well as the big cities. What state/area would give me an opportunity to see it all?

(It is necessary, of course, that there would be some companies that are actually taking interns into the company. The field should be connected with marketing/sales.)

thanks a lot

[exhdo1]

Originally Posted by tarvi

Hi!

I am a student in Denmark and I have always dreamt of spending a few months of my life in the United States of America.

Internship in a foreign company is a part of my school program and I would like to do it in the States - here comes the problem.

I am almost sorry that I found that forum, because of all the bad information about the crimes, narkomania and gangs, but still, I am not going to give up.

This is the reason, why I am writing this new thread. I want to ask, where it would be good for an European to spend a few months.. I love the States because of the Nature as well as the big cities. What state/area would give me an opportunity to see it all?

(It is necessary, of course, that there would be some companies that are actually taking interns into the company. The field should be connected with marketing/sales.)

thanks a lot

I would say California. You can see snow capped mountains, visit the desert, experience ethnic diversity, beautiful beaches, palatial homes and ghettos. If you want to see some gang action, well thats there too. Also if you go to California your within driving distance of Las Vegas, (a town everyone should experience at least once) and also not that far from the Grand Canyon which is another must see. Good luck.

[MoMark]

Originally Posted by tarvi

Hi!

I am a student in Denmark and I have always dreamt of spending a few months of my life in the United States of America.

Internship in a foreign company is a part of my school program and I would like to do it in the States - here comes the problem.

I am almost sorry that I found that forum, because of all the bad information about the crimes, narkomania and gangs, but still, I am not going to give up.

This is the reason, why I am writing this new thread. I want to ask, where it would be good for an European to spend a few months.. I love the States because of the Nature as well as the big cities. What state/area would give me an opportunity to see it all?

(It is necessary, of course, that there would be some companies that are actually taking interns into the company. The field should be connected with marketing/sales.)

thanks a lot

I'm glad you're looking for a place in the U.S. to intern and see the country. Let me address your crime concerns. Firstly, we know Denmark (Danmark) is in Europe, you don't need to tell us That would be like us posting on a Danish board and putting our locations as "USA, North America". It's not necessary. As for crime. The people on this board have varying opinions based on their individual experiences and crime is a fact of life. It is a fact of life in Denmark as well. Take a look at the Dutch Ministry of Justice's "International Crime Victims Survey" which the Dutch government publishes on 17 western nations based on crime surveys it conducts in conjunction with law enforcement agencies in these countries. It shows where and in which countries crime is most prevalent. The survey ranks western nations in Violent Crime, Car theft, Burglary, etc. You might be surprised at the results.
Overall Victimization (this is the percentage of people surveyed who were a victim of at least one of the 11 measured crimes in the previous year):
The countries fall into three bands.
- Above 24% (victim of any crime in 1999): Australia, England and Wales, the Netherlands and Sweden.
- 20%-24%: Canada, Scotland, Denmark, Poland, Belgium, France, and USA
- Under 20%: Finland, Catalonia (Spain), Switzerland, Portugal, Japan and Northern Ireland.
Incidence rates are highest in England and Wales, Australia, The Netherlands and Sweden, but the order of nations listed also reflects their ranking within that percentage of overall crime vicimization. Notice that Denmark, although in the same grouping as the USA, ranks after Scotland, but the USA ranks after France...food for thought.
Car-Related Crime:
Cars stolen:
England and Wales (2.6% of owners had a theft), Australia (2.1%), and France (1.9%). Japan, Switzerland, Catalonia, the USA, Finland, and the Netherlands show risks of 0.5% or less. Those in Poland, Japan, Belgium and the Netherlands were least likely to get their cars back - indicating proportionately more professional theft. Recovery rates were above 80% in Sweden, Australia, and the USA.
Motorcycle Theft:
Highest risks were Denmark, England/Wales at 4% having their motorcycles or moped stolen and Japan at 3% (though Japan is generally low on other crime).
Burglary:
The proportion of households who had a completed or attempted burglary was highest in Australia (7%), England and Wales (5%), Canada, Denmark and Belgium (all 4%).
Theft of Personal Property:
Australia, Sweden and Poland had the highest victimization rates at 5-6% of the people were victimized. Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, and England/Wales had 2% victimization rates. Risk is lowest in Japan, the USA, and Canada.
Contact Crime: (This is Robbery, violent assault, and rape)
Australia, England/Wales, Canada, Scotland, Finland (3% or more were victims). USA, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Japan were under 2%.
The main point of this survey and others similar to it, including UN surveys of international crime rates is that European countries tend to have more crime than the USA.
You're more likely to be a victim of crime in Denmark than the USA. You're also more likely to have your motorcycle or moped stolen, be burglarized, or have personal property stolen in Denmark than the USA.
Where the U.S. is more dangerous is murder. But it's important to put that in perspective. In the U.S. most murders are committed in inner-city slums and involve gang members killing gang members over drugs. 52% of U.S. murders are committed by inner-city gang members against other gangs. So unless you intend to intern in Compton, CA. or Detroit or the inner-city areas of St. Louis and New Orleans, I wouldn't worry about it. Enjoy your time in America

[Stockholmaren]

I would be careful not to try and compare crime rates between different countries since it's very difficult to measure that due to different ways of measuring crimes.
However, I think you can compare pretty good between different parts of the US, but like mentioned earlier, crime is most prevalent in big cities like New Orleans, DC, St. Louis, Detroit, and Baltimore, but even within a city it varies a lot.

[MoMark]

Originally Posted by Stockholmaren

I would be careful not to try and compare crime rates between different countries since it's very difficult to measure that due to different ways of measuring crimes.
However, I think you can compare pretty good between different parts of the US, but like mentioned earlier, crime is most prevalent in big cities like New Orleans, DC, St. Louis, Detroit, and Baltimore, but even within a city it varies a lot.

I would be careful not to compare it either as different methodology is indeed used as you say to track. That's why I referred to the International Crime Survey conducted by the Dutch Ministry of Justice. The survey asks the same questions put to 23,000 people in all the countries mentioned (the Survey is actually conducted in Asia, Africa, and South America too, but this portion is concentrated on 17 western countries). It's a myth that the USA is the most crime-ridden and violent and the sources that make that point are European. You can also read similar information on the Vancouver Board of Trade out of Canada and the survey is referred to in The Economist and other noteworthy publications as well. The UN works with these studies as well. If you read the survey and the care used in conducting it, you'll find that your concern is taken into account and addressed.

[Blue Grass Fever]

A few months in one place in the U.S.?


I'd say eastern Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, or western W.Virginia or western Virginia or western N.Carolina.

My pick for an incoming european would be eastern Tennessee. Right by/in the Appalachian mountains. Not far away from cities that are diverse.

[Ponderosa]

I also vote for Californa. Because of the diversity of terrain and climate, it the most beautiful state in the US by a long shot. Too many people, perhaps, but California has it all as far as natural beauty and diversity. It also has America's prettiest city in San Francisco, the most things to do in one place in LA/San Diego, and the most diverse and tolerant population on earth.

[ColdCanadian]

One of my favorites is Charleston SC.

It's an old historic city. It was incoporated in 1680 I think. The weather is similar to Florida's with winters usually just a little cooler. The city is about 80,000 I think with a surrounding population of maybe 500,000 to 600,000.

They have tons of colonial and antebellum (pre-Civil War) architecture. It was first settled by planters from Barbabos so a lot of the older homes are painted in nice contrasting pastels. Around "The Battery" (downtown) most of the streets are lined with palmettos. It's in an area predominated by sea islands.

There are some old plantations nearby as well as state and national parks, both on the islands and on the mainland. They also have a lot of great golf courses, beaches with waves often good enough for surfing and even a local style of cooking called "Low Country."

Also it's in an area of the U.S. that people are typically more relaxed and friendly to strangers.

California could also be a good choice. I've been to San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco and had a great time.

Where "the best place in the U.S. is" all depends on what your interests are like shopping, theatre, beaches, mountains etc. What interests you tarvi?

[grammy164]

My brother traveled the states shortly after high school. He thought the most beautiful areas were in the Pacific northwest. He loved the coast of Oregon, Washington and California. Maybe you could look for an Internship in Portland or San Fransisco.

[Dd714]

You have two months so why not spend it in 2 or 3 different locations? For big cities I would suggest New York City, although it is not representative of the US by any means. As an alternative or addition I would also suggest our nations capital, Washington DC, to explore for about a week - the capital, the smithsonian museams, the monuments. Then head on over to California as the other posters suggest, get a rental car and visit San Francisco, head over to beautiful Yosemete and the Sierra's, head on down to San Diego (Los Angelas is just to spread out to get a grap on and I don't think you will enjoy it), and over to Las Vegas and Grand Canyon. I've seen Europeans just totally freak out to see that much wide-open empty space in our American southwest. I think that is doable in 2 months if you have the funds.