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Austin traffic seems bad not because of how the city was designed but because of the huge population increase in the last decade. Same could be said for other southern cities that experienced huge population increases like Atlanta, Nashville, Orlando, and Raleigh. A lot of people moved to these cities for more job opportunities and a lower cost of living. Which in most cases are not even the case anymore. We were looking at moving back down south (originally from Atlanta) and the home/rent prices are astronomical now. Especially compared to the average wages.
Like I said, Austin traffic is bad because of poor infrastructure planning.
Driving from Casper, Wyoming, to the eastern entrance of Yellowstone, we were startled at how empty it was. At one point, we realized that we had driven something like a half hour without seeing a single car.
I totally understand this! We recently drove from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon, and all around that region in fact, and we were struck by how low the population was in general. We could drive for miles and miles and not see a single home or business.
Went to Dallas many years ago. Was pleasantly shocked how nice people were back then. Everybody was so friendly and talkative. Definitely the opposite end of the spectrum compared to my hometown of Seattle.
I was shocked by how disconnected the west coast seems to be from the foundation and birthplace of the United States - that is the east coast.
Is this typical?
Very much so. It's 3 hours behind time zone wise and it's a long flight or a long drive across the country to get there. When I lived in Los Angeles, it felt very disconnected and a world away from anything going on on the East Coast
We've got the "What shocked you about the US" for foreigners list on here. Since America is so big it's like being in a different country from one area to another I thought I'd start a thread for Americans about what surprised you when traveling to another part of the US.
I'll start. I'm a lifelong Kentuckian. When I went to South Carolina and SE Georgia for the first time I was shocked at why there were no farms on all that flat land - in Kentucky all flat land is cleared of forest and farmed, only creek beds and hillsides are left to forest. I actually asked someone at a restaurant if something was wrong with the land around there
When I went to Pennsylvania I was shocked that there were no name brand gas stations - everything was named "Wa Wa" or something else equally stupid. How do people up there know they're getting good name brand gas from Shell or Chevron and not lower quality stuff from Speedway or BP?
We don't have Wawa here in NY and whenever we'd go to one in NJ it was like the most amazing thing ever, lol.
In the Los Angeles area, I was shocked at how close people live to one another in houses. I'm talking expensive houses and you could practically spit in your neighbor's bedroom window. I know why (taxes) people don't seem to have much property there but it didn't make it any less jarring to see it.
Long Island, NY - I was just there in May after having been away for a long period of time and I was shocked at the condition of the roads. I'm guessing having lived there most of my life, it's something I didn't notice when I was there but after being away for awhile, just couldn't believe the bumpy drives with potholes, I took. Which brings me to my next one...
I make a 10.5 hour drive from where I lived in Maryland to where I live now in Tennessee and never pay a toll. That's right, 10.5 hour drive, no tolls, a good deal of that trip going through Virginia, mostly on Interstates. But I paid $8 to go over the George Washington Bridge and $5 (or $6) to go over the Throgs Neck Bridge and $9 and change for the pleasure of riding on the NJ Turnpike when I went from MD to NY and that doesn't include the tolls in Delaware. And it's a bump, bump, bump ride or pothole dodging drive most of the way in NY/NJ (but mostly in NY and that's all the way out to Eastern Long Island). Just where is that toll money going?
I was shocked that I cried the entire time I was in the Kansas City area. There's something in the air there that makes water pour out of my eyes when I am outdoors, that I have never experienced in any other place in any other state I have been to and I've been to about 33. I'm talking non-stop water pouring out of my eyes, even when in a car.
I was surprised at how beautiful Utah is. I was in Ogden and Salt Lake City one year during Halloween week and there was some snow in the mountains. I guess with the salt flats, I just had in my mind that it was flatter than what it is. Flying into Utah is also beautiful from the air.
I was surprised at Tennessee's distinctive regional music roots and that influence on music from a national historical perspective. For those that don't know, Tennessee is divided into 3 regions: East, West and Middle. The historical influence in the East (Appalachians) is bluegrass, the historical influence in the Middle (Nashville) is country and the historical influence in the West (Memphis) is blues/rock and roll. I had been to Memphis and Nashville on visits in the past before moving to East Tennessee and music wise they are as different as night and day. I think it's very rare for a state to be so well known for it's historical impact on the national music scene.
They seem exotic and romantic, but once you're around them for a few days, they're just stalks with tufts on top. No shade, no branches, no character, no real greenery.
I feel like living in NYC makes you immune to shockworthy stuff, lol.
Rats in a restaurant while you're eating your bagel, totally normal.
Hobo on the street defecating, totally normal.
Turds in plain sight on the subways, totally normal.
$19 to cross a bridge - psssh no big deal
Honestly, this city has taken my soul, nothing surprises me anymore. I have SEEN IT ALL
But actually … CA has freeways that are like 8-10 lanes wide … now that's crazy!
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