We often hear stories of cultural shocks non-Americans experience when coming to live the American dream. From the little vacation time Americans have to the vast distances between places, extreme portion sizes, bulk shopping, healthcare system… and the list goes on and on, and on.
So in order to even out the karma and give a tribute to the wholesome side of our beloved country that sometimes gets an undeserved amount of criticism from outsiders, we're gonna look at the positive things non-Americans found about the US.
Think of our incredible communication skills, the amount of nature, the scale and the grandeur, drinking fountains everywhere... Get ready for a wholesome dose and be sure to leave a comment on what you find fascinating and admirable about America below this article!
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If you guys want you can go to pretty much any climate without a passport. You have tropical, desert, ocean side, lake side, mountains etc etc.
Shhhh...don’t let everyone know that we have it all!
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This post is called 30 things America did right, and this first post is about our lands and climates. Well, we acquired much of this land through evil, hideous genocide and wars. That's clearly wrong. Our government still treats Native Americans like garbage. Yes, we have great lands, but it was stolen via means of death and torture. Never forget that.
Yes, never forget the worst of us... unless you also want to remember the best of us.
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Agreed. Maybe if they had said made state parks in areas of different climate...
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I mean, America isn't "doing this right". It ended up with a fantastic array of vistas because it invaded the land, murdered the inhabitants and dispossessed them of their birthright, and said "This land is my land..." so nothing you see is a result of Americans doing anything right.
It wasn't "Americans" who invaded, pillaged, raped, and murdered their way across the Americas. It was European colonists.
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well... depends. If you want some semi-temperate deciduous forest-hikes, your options are a bit limited in Australia. But it IS a wonderful country, so I personally wouldn't mind.
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I live in India and the same thing applies. By no means does the USA have a monopoly on going to pretty much any climate without a passport,
That's true of many places. Europe isn't really different in that regard.
Very true! And then people ask why we don't travel. Well, let's see... I can have maritime winters, desert summers, and prairie springs, all in one nation. :-)
we still ask why you don't travel ;-) I get it when it comes to the climate and nature, but history-wise, there's a bit more to explore in the world. For example, I could have just stayed in Germany or Europe, and yet I've been to Australia, USA and some stopovers in Asia and I wouldn't miss it for a moment! I've also been to Italy, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, France and even Spain in Europe. Still wouldn't miss it for a moment. But I absolutely do envy you the country you were born in. It's breathtaking!
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I live in San Francisco. 10 minutes to the beach. 3 hours to go skiing. 10 hours tops the desert
The Bay Area has everything! The drive from Oakland to Livermore alone feels like driving through different worlds! And the proximity of regional parks to metro areas can't be beat!
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You can do the same in Europe. Within the EU just an ID-card is required.
Wow, So Can South Africans, in fact the country is also the only place on earth that that is the exclusive home for an entire plant kingdom. With a LOT less driving
I think the only biome lacking is true tropical rainforest. We have temperate rainforests, and whatever bayous and the Everglades are.
In California you can do this challenge where you surf, ski, and dune buggy in the desert all in one day.
Not exactly anything Americans are doing right, just where they were born
You'll probably need a passport to reach Antarctica though, you fly/sail from Argentina (Ushuaia) or Chile (Punta Arenas).
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The actual people.
Government is f**ked. media is d**ked all to hell. inequality is staggering, but most American people I've met have been helpful, compassionate, fun, and kind individuals.
Yeah, that’s always wonders me too; looking from outside one could believe they have to all be idiots. Then I know many American people pretty well and they are all decent humans
The Smithsonian Museums. Very cool and very fun to walk around and see. And they're free.
Americans always know how to get a conversation going! "Hey, where are you from?" And then they are genuinely interested in hearing the answer even if perhaps they've never heard of that place. They are great at small talk, and friendly (doesn't matter if it is "fake" sometimes, e.g. the waitress, it is still a skill to be that friendly and welcoming, in my opinion). They make people feel like a million bucks.
The scale and grandeur. I'm used to nature being small, but everything in America is bigger - bigger storms, bigger mountains, bigger horizons. Even the sky seems more. People in America are casually dealing with everything from alligators to bears, pitching tents on the sides of cliffs and walking their dogs through literal wilderness, I genuinely feel like a hobbit watching Aragorn saunter through Middle Earth like it's nothing while I've never been beyond the end of farmer Maggot's farm before. I love it.
New Zealander here, I visited America at the begin of 2020, and the sheer size and scale of your country was truly overwhelming. Like, travelling across the country side, and visiting national parts was just, wow (also love the LOtR's reference!!!)
I always hear complaints about the portion sizes, which is fair, they're big. But we gotta give America credit how socially acceptable it is to take the leftover food home. As a frugal Dutch person, this mesmerises me and I'm very sad this is not as acceptable here.
The amount of nature. Mountains, forests, valleys, deserts, water falls etc
Where i live we got a few hills and theres no place anywhere in the country that is completely untouched or so far from a civilization that you cant hear traffic etc
Something Americans are definitely not known for, the food. Yeah yeah the US eats a TON of garbage, but there are also certain regional foods that are just amazing. Tex-Mex in the south, Southern soul food. Maine lobster, shrimp rolls, fried clams and clam strips. Grouper sandwiches. Hell I would drive to Virginia beach just for the softshell crab
A lot of Non-Americans think all you eat are hotdogs and twinkies, but some of the best food I've had has been in the US and most of it was regional dishes you can't get anywhere else
It's like each state is a whole different country and I'd like to visit them all.
I've been to 47 of them. There are many wonderful places... and a few states that... quite frankly.... well.... you might as well just fly over.
The water drinks are served with ice at restaurants.
I remember my first trip to England. I had to specifically order ice with every single drink and I would get two little ice cubes. So I would routinely order two glasses full of ice with every order I had. Nothing better than an ice cold drink on a hot summer day no matter where you are
How madly diverse it is. Admittedly I’ve only seen it on tv but the fact that the Bronx and Texas are the same country is mind boggling.
The ability to drive from winter to summer in 24 hours... Or less!
Way less than 24 hours. Southern California here: skiing at Big Bear then three hours later surfing in Huntington Beach. Yeah is awesome and why I moved out here.
That a lot of Americans are pretty chill, open, and kind people. You wanna just talk about nothing? You can do that. You have mental health issues? People aren't gonna judge. There's a problem going on and you wanna talk about it? You can do that.
In my family's culture, you must always keep to yourself if something's bothering you, always tell white lies, put up this facade of your life being rainbows and unicorns, and mental illness/disabilities/neuro divergence is frowned upon and shows you're weak. It's so suffocating.
Not all of the U.S. is open and chill, but the population is huge. There's room here to find your people, find your community.
The variety of groceries!
I want sugar free? Boom...everything. Oh there's something we have at home but here's 30 varieties of it! Special dietary restrictions? Don't have to order it...here's the stuff at the local target!
I'm in Canada and although there's a decent selection of these things, it's much better in the USA, cheaper too.
The arts. Jazz, rhythm and blues, the early rock and roll that inspired the British Invasion. The authors. The films.
Drinking fountains everywhere. And nearly all public toilets are free.
NASA is America’s best PR.
Sure they could really use triple the budget to seriously get things done, but what they do is admired globally.
I freakin love the energy most Americans give off. You guys are like extraverted extraverts. If I was introduced to a handful of people from around the world, I could tell you which was the American even with a blindfold, because they'd be the only one to instantly say hello and start chatting when I walk into the room as a stranger. Your talking to strangers energy is almost more than our talking to 20-year-old friends energy.
No thanks. I'm a major introvert and this would scare me so much.
Southern cuisine, from BBQ all the way to Creole type stuff... You guys know how to eat down there.
I'm from Portugal and living in US right now. One thing that really impressed me when I got here was how green the US was, and how many trees they have.
The power and quality of their film and TV industry. They can make dreams and fantasies come to life.
Jurassic Park to me as a child was like all my dreams had come true.
New York City. Hot Dogs. Your Friendliness. Hollywood. Yellowstone. Baseball. Ford GT. Road trips. Coke. NASA. Southern BBQ. Burgers. Yosemite. Your infectious love of the outrageous. Jaws. Your love of English accents ;). Harrison Ford. Rock and freakin roll. Nike. Magic Mountain. Pamela Andersen. Red Vines. The Video games / animation industries. Dr Pepper. Maine Lobster Rolls. Skateboarding. Ralph Lauren. The Sopranos. Jack FM. Baskin Robbins. Car park cookouts. Wake boarding. Ruby’s Diner. Long Island (Iced Tea). Eddie Murphy. Technological innovation. Soul. Southern California. Star Wars. Bronco jeeps. Key Lime Pie.
As opposed as I've been to most of the American military's involvement in the conflicts of the past 20ish years, as a Canadian I have to acknowledge that being your neighbour has made Canada significantly safer.
We don't need to spend as much on defense because America, our closest ally, outspends everyone else 20 fold.
The naive optimism. Even if people are disappointed with the way America is going, they still seem to have hope in an American ideal to strive towards.
As a Brit living in America I’m gonna have to go with;
- Not even having to ask for water at restaurants it just comes out!
- Giant Sodas cost like $1
- Almost everywhere has a bathroom that’s open to the public (in the suburbs)
Entrepreneurial spirit
In a lot of countries, including my own, failing at a business you started is seen very negatively, to the point most people will never try, as opposed to the USA where a business failing is seen as a normal part of the process and you just keep trying, taking the lessons you learned forward
Their landscapes f**king slap. Oh, and air-condition is just a thing.
I live in the southern United States. I can't fathom a car or house being sold around here without air conditioning. It just wouldn't happen.
Note: this post originally had 81 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
thank you BP! This has maybe been one of the most requested posts out there and it delivered! Love to see more of this kind (maybe other countries, too?)
As an Iranian-American I’m USA all the way! You couldn’t drag me out of this place! Too many positives.
To me, there's too much division in our country rn. So I like to think of ALL American citizens, as just Americans. Regardless of if you're from Africa, Iran, or California, if you're an American citizen, you're an American. We should be 1 big team, all supporting each other, not several separate teams, playing against each other. ❤️🇺🇸
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Ikr??? I'm so used to being called fat, loud and obnoxious. I'm really so pleased to see a post where several people say most Americans are outgoing pleasant and helpful. !!!
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I was prepared for another “Hating on America” post, and, welp! Nice surprise. Thanks! 💕
I am floored and humbled by this post. Thank you for allowing it. I've felt for a long time that BP has singled out the US for problems that have existed within humanity for eons and I have felt before that many here seem to root for our demise. To hear voices from those who have seen the good we have here helps me. Believe it or not, we American capitalists, even dare I say conservatives - have the same hopes and problems as everyone else!
I like that smoking is frowned upon in the US (from what I heared). I wish Germany would adopt that view more.
That’s only recently, and as a former smoker, I’m glad it is!
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Thank you for this. I know we’re not perfect, but we still have a lot to offer. It’s nice to see America in a positive light for a change
I've never been to the us but I hear you guys have free toilets everywhere. As a chronically ill person I have to say, this has got to be one of the nicest things.
As a Mainer who hates seafood, my brain can never comprehend why everyone gets so excited about Maine Lobster. Oh well at least everyone else enjoys it.
The realisation, long ago, that you can all be in different time zones and different states, each with their own local laws, but still be part of one big country. For such a large, young country you've managed to figure that one out pretty quickly, and there's the EU doing pretty much the opposite.
It might look that way, but it’s not quite as cohesive as you might think.
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This was amazing to read! Made me feel so much better and appreciate all that we are and have. We aren't perfect but we have redeeming qualities and nice to have them noticed.
Thank you ^^ Finally a post where I don't feel shame from where I'm from.
"Grass is greener on the other side" post. As standing in the said lawn I feel like there's much more work to be done before we can actually call it green.
Ughhhh finally some good USA content!!! Fr tho everything has just been hating on us( ˘ ³˘)♥︎
Yeah, there is a fair bit of America bashing on here, so this is kinda nice for a change. Like the idea of doing the same for other countries...
That said... I've noticed even in a positive thread like this some people still can't help themselves with their relentless Piss On America comments
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Where do these answers come from? These questions? I am an indigenous from this place, America. I am wondering if this is great????? Because we have New York City. Hot Dogs. Your Friendliness. Hollywood. Yellowstone. Baseball. Ford GT. Road trips. Coke. NASA. Southern BBQ. Burgers. Yosemite. Your infectious love of the outrageous. Jaws. Your love of English accents ;). Harrison Ford. Rock and freakin roll. Nike. Magic Mountain. Pamela Andersen. Red Vines. The Video games / animation industries. Dr Pepper. Maine Lobster Rolls. Skateboarding. Ralph Lauren. The Sopranos. Jack FM. Baskin Robbins. Car park cookouts. Wake boarding. Ruby’s Diner. Long Island (Iced Tea). Eddie Murphy. Technological innovation. Soul. Southern California. Star Wars. Bronco jeeps. Key Lime Pie. Seems more embarrassing than anything.
We know, and many of us are stuck here. Could you let us have a f*****g moment in the sun, pal? I’m too old and too normal to leave. I need this article.
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Non Americans call it America too, stop panicking.
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Hold on now. daneiletc isn't wrong. This article stands out precisely because there is a long history of America bashing on BP. If you can't objectively admit that I don't know why.
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thank you BP! This has maybe been one of the most requested posts out there and it delivered! Love to see more of this kind (maybe other countries, too?)
As an Iranian-American I’m USA all the way! You couldn’t drag me out of this place! Too many positives.
To me, there's too much division in our country rn. So I like to think of ALL American citizens, as just Americans. Regardless of if you're from Africa, Iran, or California, if you're an American citizen, you're an American. We should be 1 big team, all supporting each other, not several separate teams, playing against each other. ❤️🇺🇸
Load More Replies... Ikr??? I'm so used to being called fat, loud and obnoxious. I'm really so pleased to see a post where several people say most Americans are outgoing pleasant and helpful. !!!
Load More Replies... I was prepared for another “Hating on America” post, and, welp! Nice surprise. Thanks! 💕
I am floored and humbled by this post. Thank you for allowing it. I've felt for a long time that BP has singled out the US for problems that have existed within humanity for eons and I have felt before that many here seem to root for our demise. To hear voices from those who have seen the good we have here helps me. Believe it or not, we American capitalists, even dare I say conservatives - have the same hopes and problems as everyone else!
I like that smoking is frowned upon in the US (from what I heared). I wish Germany would adopt that view more.
That’s only recently, and as a former smoker, I’m glad it is!
Load More Replies... Thank you for this. I know we’re not perfect, but we still have a lot to offer. It’s nice to see America in a positive light for a change
I've never been to the us but I hear you guys have free toilets everywhere. As a chronically ill person I have to say, this has got to be one of the nicest things.
As a Mainer who hates seafood, my brain can never comprehend why everyone gets so excited about Maine Lobster. Oh well at least everyone else enjoys it.
The realisation, long ago, that you can all be in different time zones and different states, each with their own local laws, but still be part of one big country. For such a large, young country you've managed to figure that one out pretty quickly, and there's the EU doing pretty much the opposite.
It might look that way, but it’s not quite as cohesive as you might think.
Load More Replies... This was amazing to read! Made me feel so much better and appreciate all that we are and have. We aren't perfect but we have redeeming qualities and nice to have them noticed.
Thank you ^^ Finally a post where I don't feel shame from where I'm from.
"Grass is greener on the other side" post. As standing in the said lawn I feel like there's much more work to be done before we can actually call it green.
Ughhhh finally some good USA content!!! Fr tho everything has just been hating on us( ˘ ³˘)♥︎
Yeah, there is a fair bit of America bashing on here, so this is kinda nice for a change. Like the idea of doing the same for other countries...
That said... I've noticed even in a positive thread like this some people still can't help themselves with their relentless Piss On America comments
Load More Replies... Where do these answers come from? These questions? I am an indigenous from this place, America. I am wondering if this is great????? Because we have New York City. Hot Dogs. Your Friendliness. Hollywood. Yellowstone. Baseball. Ford GT. Road trips. Coke. NASA. Southern BBQ. Burgers. Yosemite. Your infectious love of the outrageous. Jaws. Your love of English accents ;). Harrison Ford. Rock and freakin roll. Nike. Magic Mountain. Pamela Andersen. Red Vines. The Video games / animation industries. Dr Pepper. Maine Lobster Rolls. Skateboarding. Ralph Lauren. The Sopranos. Jack FM. Baskin Robbins. Car park cookouts. Wake boarding. Ruby’s Diner. Long Island (Iced Tea). Eddie Murphy. Technological innovation. Soul. Southern California. Star Wars. Bronco jeeps. Key Lime Pie. Seems more embarrassing than anything.
We know, and many of us are stuck here. Could you let us have a f*****g moment in the sun, pal? I’m too old and too normal to leave. I need this article.
Load More Replies... Non Americans call it America too, stop panicking.
Load More Replies... Hold on now. daneiletc isn't wrong. This article stands out precisely because there is a long history of America bashing on BP. If you can't objectively admit that I don't know why.
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