Brit Reacts to 10 Things I've Learned About America Since Moving Here

[@shawneekee3695]

I lived in Illinois and had a friend from England come to visit. She wanted to go to Minneapolis and I said, "No problem, it's not far, I can drive us there in only about 8 1/2 hours." Her eyes grew big and she looked at me like I was nuts. She thought an 8 1/2 hour drive was extremely long, but I didn't think of it as far at all. After all, it was less than a day's drive.

[@jeannemara1600]

I think, too, it depends on how one was reared. When I got my driver's license, I went to see my sisters in Houston, TX., a twelve hour drive. Some of my friends were shocked, but their families never drove that far. My family literally drove from east coast to west coast and deep south to New Jersey and New York quite often. We were always going to see family in California, Florida, Texas, New York, New Jersey, and New Mexico. Driving long distance wasn't a big deal. Would have been impossible to fly since their were eight children. Impossible, unless one was uber rich, which we were not. If it was only a day's drive, we didn't worry, but more than that, and we brought the camper - no hotels! But I have heard others who have said their British friends were surprised that Americans feel a five hour drive is no big deal.

[@barbarahomrighaus6852]

We're the same in Texas

[@jsoto972]

Same. Even when driving to Texas from Illinois, it didn’t feel like too bad of a trip

[@user-dc6ut5uu3t]

From the northern tip of Scotland to the southern coast of England, it is only about 600 miles. That the entire UK from north to south.

[@user-dc6ut5uu3t]

The entire UK is only 600 miles from north to south.

[@kuramacon]

In the States, it's not unheard of for a random stranger to just strike up a brief conversation with ya. Also Americans are endlessly fascinated with British accents

[@corawheeler9355]

Yup ... He doesn't need to worry about getting around in the US. Soon as he opens his mouth, people will clamor to help him. 😊

[@TexasRose50]

I’ve gotten into conversations with strangers and we ended up hugging. But we were all ladies. I could go on forever about how many nice and thoughtful things strangers have done for me. I always said, strangers are friends you just haven’t met yet. And, come to Texas, we WERE a country (republic) at one time.

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

​@@TexasRose50I wonder if that's why a lot of people from Europe criticize us some much, jealous maybe?🤔

[@KrystalLioness]

I would lose my zest for life if I couldn't chit-chat every day

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

@@KrystalLioness That's what I mean about Europe, they always have a chip their shoulder and act like if you are expressive, you are being fake, they have no concept of chatting freely with people, they don't understand it & obviously envy it. Especially since they constantly compare our country to theirs and point out our flaws.

[@paulteti]

I vacationed in the UK and I found everyone was polite but not everyone was friendly.

[@GrammaNay]

Awesome distinction!!!

[@SherriLyle80s]

Right. They aren't mutually exclusive. Sometimes we forgot that

[@stephencooper5040]

Polite vs friendly is a distinction most people don’t talk about.

[@johntaylor6414]

NYC/Chicago are the epitome of the inverse. They aren't polite, but they ARE friendly. They'll help you out if you need help, but they'll be rude about it.

[@claregale9011]

Very true , we are definately more reserved.

[@gumbopie]

On accents: Here in New Orleans, a colleague once asked me, “Steve. What High School did you go to?” I told her, “Berkeley High, California,” and she said, “Oh, thank god!!” Why? New Orleans neighborhoods have differing accents that can change in a couple of blocks. Locals pride themselves on hearing you speak and knowing your neighborhood. A marker of your neighborhood is which high school you went to. She had been trying to place me in my neighborhood by my speech and I DIDN’T FIT ANYTHING!! I was driving her crazy. Asking me my high school was admitting defeat, till I told her I was from CA and so didn’t count.

[@sharonporter7132]

When someone in New Orleans asks you what school you attended, they mean the high school. True.😅😅

[@risalangdon9883]

The US is so huge & has so much to see and do. Hence why the majority of Americans do not have a passport. We are pretty content within our own borders lol.

[@L3WGReacts]

yeah it doesn't suprise me either, it's that big each state is like a different country anyway

[@superstarcat7654]

We have such diversity within our fifty states, from beach life to ski slopes; big city to Amish farms; desert to swamps. No need to go elsewhere for fun.

[@AlyKatKitty]

Well, add to that the cost of flying to Europe and it’s cost prohibitive for a lot of people.

[@edmolina6]

@@L3WGReacts In Oregon you can see almost all types of topography in a single day. It's pretty amazing.

[@geoffsimpkins7650]

For an example, it is a further car trip LA to Chicago then from London to Moscow. I did a roadtrip, one month, with my kid one summer, coast to coast, north to south, more than 7,000 miles.

[@jameslemons7304]

You nailed it when you said to think of America as 50 countries. A State is essentially a country. Each has it's own government, own laws, condition, etc. We just have a common language base.

[@teresahalliday3680]

I'm American and my husband is English, just for the record. It is very astute of you to say that it's like we have 50 countries here. I live in the North East and we are very different from other places in the country and even the states in the North East are different from each other. I hope you get to visit America sometime!

[@bretcantwell4921]

Dad's from Texas, mom's from Massachusetts. I love heading back up there. Maine is different. Rhode Island is different. Upstate Vermont is its own planet. Love the NE and New England in particular.

[@lueannabracha2472]

This is so true. I am from Montana and when we travel and people ask where we are from if we are in the NE, the S, the midwest (further east), are even the SW they are often shocked and will ask the question again. Than of course the questions about wolves, bears, etc. But it a lot like traveling around foreign areas with different cultures and norms, accents and food vary by quite a bit, even things like hotels can be extremely different.

[@robertschwartz4810]

One important thing to remember about America is that since the pandemic, prices have gone WAY up. If you're counting on the prices you've heard about on KZbin videos, they no longer apply. Of course, there's always deals to be had and prices vary city to city.

[@BrendaWeddle]

And the cost of living varies from state to state and even city to city. Here in the south the cost of living is much lower.

[@queencerseilannister3519]

Russia invading the Ukraine hurt everyone too.

[@FourFish47]

The pandemic was global. The U.S. had the lowest inflation of other countries. As he said, the U.K. is much more

[@vladtastic5511]

True, prices have gone way up but they have in the UK too. I just bough a house in rural Pennsylvania. It is a 3 bedroom cape cod with a huge 4 car garage on 1.01 acre with a trout stream out back for $230k. First, a place like this would be hard to find in the UK, second it would cost literally 1.5 million pounds or better

[@emanymton713]

That’s true world wide though not limited to America.

[@chrispowell7055]

As an American, I can tell you that we are FAR from perfect. We have our warts like everyone else. That said; if you move here, call any one of your US fans (including me) and let us know what your difficulty is; I would love to help you. To be honest, I don't really know what the immigration hurdles are. Knowing my government, there is probably a lot of arbitrary crap to wade through. In general, rent prices reflect how rural you are. If you want to live in a larg-ish town, be prepared to pay more. If you're content to live in the middle of nowhere, rent will be cheaper.

[@robbhays8077]

Rent more or less scales with proximity to economic/recreational opportunity. But there are some sweet spots if you know where to look.

[@greytala]

I live in the largest state in the union, it is large enough to cover the majority of the states; we also have the smallest per square mile. It is expensive to live here, but we have a higher pay rate. Gas station workers make $18-$24/hour. Even fast food workers make double of what they make in the lower 48. If you want a place to rent for $500-$600/month then you won’t have running water in your house, which means you have to use an outhouse in -40° F in the winter. We have extremely cold weather in the winter months and our winter lasts 9 months out of the year. I have lived in 6 states in the USA, but Alaska is my favorite, even more so than my home state of Texas. I do love my high school and college sports, but I’m a diehard rodeo fan.

[@angiepen]

Yes, what Chris said about rent. I was all O_O when Lawrence said he had a 1200 square foot apartment for $500/month -- that's amazingly cheap. My one-bedroom apartment (don't know the square footage, but I'm pretty sure it was less than 1200) back in the mid-80s was $525/month, 40+ years ago. That was Sunnyvale, though, which is in Silicon Valley, a notoriously expensive place to live even then. I think I mentioned on another video of yours that a few years back, there was a tiny little house on a tiny little lot in the Rose Garden neighborhood of San Jose (still Silicon Valley, about a 15-minute drive from my old apartment) that had *burned down,* and the charred ruins on the tiny lot were for sale for $800,000. My mom's old house, which was built in like '69 or so and originally belonged to my grandparents, 3 bedrooms and about 1200 square feet, in Cupertino which is again in Silicon Valley, last sold for about a million bucks. Generally, the little towns where rent etc. is reasonable are also places where jobs are hard to come by and don't pay much. I don't know what Lawrence's wife does, but he's a KZbinr and can work anywhere, so the location doesn't hurt him re: employment and income, so long as he has reliable internet. If you work in a particular field, though, you need to be sure you can find a job in your field in that town before you rent one of those cheap places. I was born in San Francisco and grew up in the Bay Area, and since getting married have lived in Long Beach (a bit north of Los Angeles) and now live in Seattle. All these places are very expensive, but there are a lot of jobs. So it's a trade-off. When you start looking to move here, you need to find a place where you can 1) get a decent job, and 2) actually afford to live on whatever salary your job pays. You're a young guy, and a lot of people your age end up in a roommate situation, where like 3-6 people rent a 3 bedroom apartment together and split the rent and utilities to save money. Something to think about.

[@jtosety]

True, but more accurately the rent will be what the market will bear: anyone who can't work extremely remotely will need to expect a pay cut if they want to live in a place with cheap rent/housing prices

[@edmolina6]

Check internet availability if you plan to go rural, my area of Oregon a two hour drive from Portland only got 1gig cable 8-9 months ago. Before was DSL or Satellite.

[@StormyDay]

Americans LOVE British people! We don’t fly everywhere. We will drive, especially if it’s a regional trip, unless we are going farther than 12-15 hours in the car. Then we will fly, take a bus, train. PS I went to England and I loved it! Can’t wait to go back.

[@5Gburn]

I'd rather drive than fly, but yeah length of trip is the deciding factor.

[@ridesharegold6659]

When I was younger I was living in North Carolina and would drive 8 hours up to Philly every other month for a long weekend. But that was the 90s and gas was like $1.10/gallon. It was cheap AF. The longest drives like that that I ever went on were 12 hours but honestly, I hated it. It stopped being fun right about 9 hours. These days 5 hours is kind of my limit and I don't even like that. For a drive that would be 3 to 6 hours I'd much rather take a train. Anything over that I'm flying. To be fair, I have driven cross-country but the trip was like a vacation and we only drove 4 to 6 hours a day so we had time to see stuff and we would also take a day or two off to hang out in different cities.

[@protorhinocerator142]

@@5Gburn The length of the trip and the duration. If I'm going 1000 miles for the weekend, I'd rather fly. If I'm going 300 miles for two weeks I want my car.

[@KadeesKove]

I agree with you, each state is like a different country. We probably travel more than Europeans, but since it’s mostly within the US, Europeans have the idea that we don’t. Most Americans have been to a lot of states.

[@MsMcwill]

One could argue that there are multiple countries (accents/cultures) in each state. I am from Georgia. We have (from east to west), the Sea Island (Gullah/Gechee), the coastal cities (Savannah, Brunswick), the middle GA (rural country -- the 'Southern' accent), Atlanta (urban, with both it's own 'accent' and AAVE speakers, alongside large immigrant populations) and, in the northern mountain/Piedmont area, the Appalachian cultures and accents. So at least six different countries/cultures represented in a single state.

[@5Gburn]

Met someone yesterday that's never been out of Texas. I mean it's great here, but... 😂

[@protorhinocerator142]

Literally each state is a country. A "state" is a nation-state like ancient Greece. The analog to the USA is the EU. There are member states. Each state is its own country, but part of a larger federal system. The USA is the same. At first, each state had its own laws, its own army, and its own currency. The federal system established a common currency and a common defense. However, each state still has its own laws and its own armies (the National Guard). The governor of each state is the commander-in-chief of the state National Guard. Our lousy school system doesn't teach facts like these.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@protorhinocerator142 Basic Social Studies DID, and probably still does, at least around the Middle School point and beyond... It's only brushed over broadly, though, and you know how kids would ALWAYS rather be doing anything other than what they're doing in school... It's NOT just the "lousy school system", but a combination of underpaid and overworked staffing in a lousy scholastic program, a lackluster effort to challenge the kids and make things interesting, and the inherent nature of "Us v Them" between kids and adults apparently celebrated in this country... retention is pretty low... unsurprisingly. ;o)

[@paulmartin2348]

Our "public school system" in the US is NOT for education. It is in place so parents can have careers and foist their children off on the "public school system" to raise. This is also why most of you are illiterate.

[@FourFish47]

I'm in Illinois. My son just visited me from Missouri, and my daughter visited me from Iowa. They both drove. I don't think many people fly from state to state. At least not states next to each other. Daughter was about a 2 1/2 hour drive, and my son was about a 5 hour drive.

[@NannerBrams]

Yeah. I would only fly if I needed to go several states away quickly. For a lot of people flying is inconvenient. I live over a couple hours away from the nearest commercial airport. By the time I get there, board a plane, and land plus the return trip, I'd spent a lot of extra time and money on gas to the airport and back home. I live in Arkansas and I'd just drive to New Orleans or Nashville or Gulf Shores, Alabama if I wanted a vacation because those 6-8 hour drives are more reasonable than going through the hassle of planes

[@deb5392]

It really depends on the occasion and how much time I have. I generally will not make a drive of more than 7 hours. From where I live in north Alabama, a 7 hour drive can take me to several states. Beyond that, I'm flying.

[@Terry_Lacy]

I had to drive my mom's car from Detriot, MI, to Fort Myers, FL. 21 hours start to finish.

[@protorhinocerator142]

I don't think any conversation about road trips (that's what we call them) is complete without discussing the Interstate Highway System. Back in WW2 General Eisenhower say the Autobahn in Germany and wondered why America doesn't have something like that. When he became President he signed it into law. The Interstate is amazing. Restricted mainly by traffic and the size of your gas tank, you can literally drive for hours on end at highway speed. No stop signs, no red lights. I always try to maximize Interstate travel on road trips because it's just so convenient and efficient. It's not always scenic but you get there so much faster than taking back roads. Fun fact: The Interstate has occasional sections that are long enough and flat enough to land huge military aircraft on them. These areas are marked as the "Eisenhower Interstate Highway". In times of war or emergency, we could convert special sections of the Interstate into a runway. I've never seen this happen, which I suppose is a good thing. However I have seen them convert an Interstate into one-way traffic. If there's a hurricane or other emergency, you want to evacuate people. Florida does this occasionally. They will shut down inbound traffic on the Interstate and make all traffic outbound only. It's really weird seeing all lanes in both directions headed the same way. This is super efficient for evacuation, as any essential inbound traffic can take other routes. There really won't be that many cars on those roads.

[@barbarahomrighaus6852]

Yeah, most people don't fly unless they have a limited time because of their vacation time, in which case they might. But especially when our kids were little, we drove everywhere.

[@misslora3896]

The smaller the town and further away from a major city you live, the less expensive for housing. There are some exceptions, but it's not typical. Cost of living and housing has gone up astronomically everywhere in the last 3 yrs though. That large apartment he paid $500 rent for 10 yrs ago, is likely to be at least double that now. It was also located in Anderson, Indiana which is a really small town about an hour drive to the nearest big city.

[@WondrousPurple]

I'm 100 percent with you on this message. I had a 2-bedroom apartment in Lafayette, Indiana. Pre-pandemic, it was maybe $550 per month. Last month I paid $1,000 for rent. (A new management group based in New York City raised prices immediately upon taking over the property.)

[@misslora3896]

@@WondrousPurple What most are unaware of is, just before the 2008 "crisis", federal legislation was passed paveing the way for large corporations to purchase multi-family dwellings. And conveiniently, just prior to 2020 they passed the same sort of legislation regarding single family homes. Corporations then began buying up entire newly built subdivisions and are responsible for the cash offers on individual homes that have squeezed out buyers with traditional mortgages, (who then had to enter and squeeze the rental market), therefore driving the entire "housing crisis". What conveinient timeing. I mean... They couldn't possibly have had any advanced knowledge of the market instigation of these "crisies"... right???

[@urstruly00]

12 years ago I bought my house for 34,000 huge 3 story home built in 1924 w outdoor smoker paid off in 3 years by 25 yrs old in Kansas City Missouri, it’s market value now is 240,000 😂😂😂😂. Or rent valued at 1,500 monthly. I am in a new house in Lenexa Kansas for 2 years. Thinking about selling it and moving to the ozarks, Kansas sucks. Finding cheap homes isn’t hard people should look into auctions, every city has 1 day a year they have auctions, bought mine from a guy who paid 1,000 in the city urban areas, I like country life more.

[@protorhinocerator142]

The cost of living is lower, but job prospects are also low. If you're retired or can work online from the house, you hit the jackpot.

[@tharan000]

I constantly drive all the backroads of western Washington State, south of Seattle. There is so much land out here. But the cool thing about America, is that I am in a tiny little pocket. There is SO MUCH MORE land to explore. Truly a blessing for us. So lucky and humble.

[@hectorsmommy1717]

I live 90 miles north of where Lawrence lives now and in one 7 month stretch, our temps ranged from 103° F (39.4° C) in July to -36° F (-38° C) the following February. Yes, extreme weather is very common. We also get the occasional tornado.

[@Cody38Super]

Yesterday in Houston it was 107⁰f, it was 72⁰f inside my house ALL day.

[@TanyaQueen182]

I live in Florida. My house is always 73f lol

[@Cody38Super]

Thank you, love! See....see....the Queen has spoken and there will be no exceptions to her ruling! ;))@@TanyaQueen182

[@SandieMitchell]

When you said America is like 50 different countries, that was the best description ever!

[@1972Wgray]

I’ve often thought that.

[@DanielRamirez-iq3wv]

Yeah, Delaware and New Jersey might as well be Mexico and Russia! And don't get me started on the stark Dakota divide.

[@vonsmutt4254]

If you are heading west on Interstate 10 and when you hit Texas it says 880 miles till the next side of Texas😊

[@karenc2192]

Seeing America by car is FANTASTIC! ❤

[@circedelune]

I’ve seen hail probably 15-20 times total in my life. I’m 60 years old. Only once have I seen it larger than a marble. Most of the time it was tiny. Just because you hear about the extremes, don’t assume they are common. I’ve lived in tornado alley my whole life. I’ve seen many tornados from a distance, but I’ve never had any damage from one, nor have I lost anyone in a tornado. Where I live, it gets pretty hot in July and August, but nothing too extreme. Winters generally aren’t super cold, and we don’t get much snow. If we do get snow, it generally lasts on the ground a day or so at the most. The US is a big place. The weather Lawrence has experienced is not typical for the whole country.

[@virginiaoflaherty2983]

We also have sleet. Tiny ice balls from partially frozen rain in the winter. Hail comes from cumulonimbus clouds a summer special from which we get lightning and thunder also.

[@cspat1]

It just depends where you live that determines the type of weather you will have. You can have lots of it or hardly any thing changes and everything in between!

[@protorhinocerator142]

Back in the day, we had tennis ball sized hail here. Dinged up my car pretty good. Some people had their windshields busted out. It was a couple years before we stopped seeing cars with hail damage. I know one guy who got hit in the leg with one as he was rushing inside. Got a big knot on his leg. Usually hailstones are much smaller and don't cause much of a problem.

[@dhutch457]

As someone pointed out, part of the homelessness problem is due to drug use. Also, the pandemic had a far greater impact on the US than just with health. Because many companies were shut down for so long, a lot of people who weren't able to work from home, lost their jobs and consequently they lost their homes, etc. Many still have not recovered, especially those who were living beyond their means.

[@darcichambers6184]

Many of our retirement homes have thier own bus service to take thier residents around to appointments, shoping, or out for social events. Also many churches offer similar services for seniors. And sevices for seniors will provide transportation if none can be found.

[@DashRiprock513]

And our family you get orders to take grandparents wherever they want to go, no questions asked.

[@commonsense571]

Yeah in CT they have the “sweetheart bus” you can call and get door to door whether hand icy or elderly.

[@darcichambers6184]

@commonsense571 My mother got a class b license just so she could drive the church's short bus. Besides picking up for services, she had designated days for shopping and general outing trips for the more elderly members. Now that my parents are getting to that age, the church bus is starting to drop by their house.

[@lissavanhouten6628]

Chicago can be bitterly cold in the winter. It gets that winter chill effect/wind off Lake Michigan.

[@dalemoore8582]

You have to realize this video was made six years ago and as far as apartment price s he was talking about he moved here, 10 years before that. Prices are much higher. As for Americans being more confident that is a sterotype. Some are confident, some are very shy and some are in the middle. You cant say all Americans are one thing or another, we are quite a diverse bunch. And I love that about us!!!

[@cspat1]

I agree , you can not say. We all are this way or that way. I love our diversity it makes things more interesting and at times challenging lol

[@livinginparallel]

Idk why this is so entertaining but I'm not mad you came up in my feed yesterday bc this is gold bruh😌😅🥰 Heyyyyy from a southern girl living in the Pacific Northwest (2000 miles from the area I grew up), I love watching your genuine and heartfelt reactions to what you see and hear about us and our country, it's ...a wild place fs 🥴😭🫠🤣

[@benmayer5932]

I live in a small town in the midwest, and we have a bus service that is gov't subsidized for the elderly, disabled, and the disadvantaged that is appointment based. Just call them up and they will come with a large van or a smallish bus to your home and take you where you want for a small fare.

[@TangoTreeWoods]

driving cross-country several times it's a wonder to see the geography change in each state.

[@n.r.546]

Accents can differ in the same state as well. I'm from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. We get teased for our local diction alot. Philly has it's own accent and north of Philadelphia closer to New York has it's own accent. Middle/ Central PA doesn't seem to have any heavy accent to me. Same state and different accents.😂😂

[@Navybrat64]

Homeless is not because of unemployment. It's has alot to do with rising house costs, drugs and psychological problems.

[@cranberrymarmalade9081]

oh absolutley! My job is near a homeless shelter, and they do great work, but the majority of those still on the streets - and we talk and interact with them often - are affected by mental illness and drug addiction. Two problems that still need to be dealt with, but it's not for lack of work opportunity.

[@LoveWinterMaineWoods]

And a huge number of people without homes are working Americans. Housing and rent prices have pushed working people to live in their cars or shelters. It’s a disgrace, that we as a nation don’t care for those who live here and pay taxes.

[@pinkonesie]

In some places, we have the working homeless. Those are people with full time jobs who don't make enough to afford the rent in their area. They often live in their cars and get gym memberships in order to shower.

[@cyn37211]

And, there are some homeless people who want to be homeless. I talked to a woman who said she liked living in her car, and didn’t want any responsibilities. She doesn’t want to work or have to do anything she doesn’t want to. She doesn’t mind panhandling

[@AmeriMutt76]

Agree, housing prices are insane rn, at least anywhere where there's worthwhile work.​. @cyn37211

[@shellygill5029]

Love your enthusiasm and interest in all things from the U.S.A.

[@gamingwithchildren6401]

You WILL need a car, not might need a car. Remember, we love road trips here, and a 4 hour drive (one way) is nothing.

[@woodedlane]

I'm one of those no passport peeps. Just didn't get around to going abroad - Canada and Mexico back when it didn't matter. And I think it's worth mentioning that Americans are used to those wide spaces and think nothing of driving 5 hours just for a weekend get away. We do love our automobiles. lol

[@vidajonez4339]

Regarding the hail, most is what we call pea sized up to marble sized. Yes we do have baseball and even softball hail occasionally but that is rare and is usually associated with huge storm centers which may include tornadoes. Saw your video on tornadoes and the are caused by the cold air coming down from Canada and the warm air from the gulf coast.Mainly occurs during late spring early summer and late summer early fall. Can happen anywhere but primarily in “tornado alley “, that I will let you google. I hope you do come to the States and make sure you come here to Texas, I am sure you will enjoy it.

[@Windsongbyrd2273]

Love road tripping. I have went from Oklahoma to Maine many times and Oklahoma to California too. Love driving cross country.

[@SirRiconious]

There are only three western european countries that are bigger than Colorado. Also, dont hesitate to visit smaller towns when you visit the US. Foreigners tent to want to go to places like LA, Chicago, and NYC, but these places do NOT represent what we are as a whole and can almost be thought of as their own countries. I, for one, think they aren't even worth visiting when there is the beautiful and green New England area, the vast and surprisingly different deserts that span from Texas to southern California, the breathtaking and humbling Rocky Mountains and a whole bunch in between. There's so much natural beauty here that I'd hate to know that you spent your whole trip looking at tall buildings and homeless people. I'd recommend targeting an area of the US and exploring that area to the fullest you possibly can, and don't stretch yourself too thin. You can always come back to see another area later.

[@garycamara9955]

You forgot the wine country in North California.

[@gamingwithchildren6401]

What's funny is that a lot of Europeans look down on us because we don't travel much to foreign countries, not realizing just how huge the U.S. is and the wide array of cultures that make their home here. Also, to go to a foreign country (other than Mexico or Canada) entails a very costly flight. Why do that when we can get in our cars, drive a few hours and experience a lot of different culture.

[@CarlGorn]

I love Lawrence's videos. His dry wit always makes me chuckle. There are professionals that regularly use domestic flights to jet from one part of the country to another, yes, but that's a small section of the populace. Alaska has the distinction of having more licensed pilots per capita than any other state in the union, specifically because there are so many communities that don't have reliable roads. Turns out those are rather tricky to lay down over permafrost, so there's a whole economic sector of running supplies, mail, and passengers via small planes. Driving vs. Trains: We had a rather robust passenger train system in the U.S. until the rollout of the Interstate Highway System back in the 50's. A brainchild of the Eisenhower administration, these cross-country roads standardized and revolutionized how Americans traveled, relegating passenger train service to something only enjoyed by major cities. The tracks in small towns mostly stayed and these days are only used for mass freight. There are some areas that have converted unused rail lines to hiking trails, a relatively quick job, since all the grading was already done, and to much higher specifications. One thing I'd like to see you react to is America's roadside tourist culture. Driving for recreation is such a core element of our national culture, there's a whole industry built around it, from offbeat art projects to quirky gas stations and restaurants, to South Dakota's Wall Drug store, which they have billboards for 200 miles out. A good place to start is any episodes of On The Road with Jason Davis you can find. Clips from Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives also work, given how the show focuses on the funky. And I'm sure there are many others of which I'm wholly unaware.

[@Lynn-kh5rs]

With regards to elderly and no transportation, someone else covered the transportation supplied by say assisted living facilities. One of the few positive things that came of out the pandemic is that cities of a reasonable size now have delivery service, at least as it pertains to grocery stores and some pharmacies. All the larger chains offer it for a nominal fee. So that does help.

[@randallshelp4017]

Cold. Coldest here (North of Chicago 200 km.) was a temperature -34 Celsius with a wind chill of -48.22 Celsius. This was in 1985 and 1996 respectively. Just put a warm beer outside and in 3 minutes ice cold!!!

[@leahmollytheblindcatnordee3586]

We HAD SEVERE WEATHER last night (8/24) and I am being very thankful we still have our electricity. About 9 pm a major severe thunderstorm system came thru and there are now about 200,000-300,000 places without electricity in the state, although the electric companies are working on bringing the power back, but there are a lot of trees down and power lines as well. Some of the straight line winds were 70-71 mph. There were maybe 3-4 tornadoes that hit across the state. One was about 16 miles from here, don't know how big it was, but know it overturned some Semi-trailer trucks & cars on interstate 96 as well as taking down all sorts of trees. One of the trees hit a nursing home, but evidently the people were not injured and are being evacuated. Will have to wait until daylight to get the full details. We had TV and internet showing the storm’s path, and warnings were issued. Our weathermen came on and stayed on throughout the storms. They were able to show just where the nearest tornado was, and that it was on the ground, because they could tell that debris was being kicked up. Very Wild! Around here the elderly can get transported to doctor's office using an advance reservation, curb-to-curb service that uses small low-floor vans and lift-equipped buses. There is a small fee. We also have programs called meals-on-wheels that deliver food to people who have certain needs, like one of my elderly aunts who lives in the country, lives by herself and can't make meals for herself. I am not sure of the cost, but it is either minimal or free for those who can't afford it. Sorry to be so long winded, but guess it has just been one of those nights. Enjoy your channel and take Care.

[@DashRiprock513]

It isn't always sweltering hot in the summer..... We have plenty of great weather... Same as winter some get cold others are fairly mild and easy... Lawrence lives up north in the midwest next to a great lake.. It's actually called the windy city... So yeah weather wise he picked a bad spot for winters. Unless you don't mind winter.... we usually ride snowmobiles play hockey get drunk and go ice fishing make the best of it have a good time.

[@tontonjeannot6089]

I lived in Chicago for 18 years, a great city, great people, plenty of work. Weather meant to torture damned souls.

[@TerminalFailSafe]

We were in Scotland and England last June and I have to say everyone we encountered were incredibly welcoming and polite!

[@mimiv3088]

Renting in Florida has gone up because so many people moving here. So supply and demand. But I quit renting. I buying a 3 bedroom. 2 bath home on 2 acres of land. 670.00 a month. Near Springhill Florida. 5 miles from the beaches. Secluded enough I can't see my neighbor. Peaceful. Figure if I'm stuck here for now it's cheaper to buy. There are affordable places here. You just have to find them. Then when I can it'll be back home to Texas. I sure do miss it. Texas always in my soul. 😊

[@jarack3256]

On the accents. One thing to note, especially southern ones, it can change rather rapidly. I mean, as quickly as going 10 miles down the road. So one state can have multiple accent variations. Also, in the south, remember, "Bless your heart." Can be used as a means of consoling, as an insult, or as a curse, depending on the context and infliction that it's used in.

[@nr63kish]

There are things about America that some Americans don't believe because of how big it is and our geography. My sister in law spent all of her life out west, and when her and my brother moved back here to the Midwest, she saw her first fireflies(or lightning bugs, depending on where in the country you are from). She always thought that they were made up, like for fairy tales. As for tips about America, no bro, you were right, it REALLY is like 50 different countries. I was born in Missouri, spent most of my life in Michigan, and currently live in Indiana, and I can tell you massive differences between all three states, and they are all in the Midwest region of the U.S. where we tend to have a very similar mindset. I've been to 40 of the 50 states, sometimes briefly, and believe me, we're different. As an example, I said I spent most of my life in Michigan, and I want to move back there but they're controlled by a dictator, and the economy sucks. I live in Indiana, which shares a border with Michigan, and there are things you notice almost as soon as you cross the border. Michigan has way more trees, is much more of an outdoor state, it's cooler, winters are totally different because it's surrounded by the Great Lakes. It's not an exaggeration to say I've gone over a month without seeing the sun because of overcast winter skies. Here in Indiana, nope, none of that. God I miss it.

[@fr0stb1ght34]

Public transportation is different from state to state and even city to city in those states. I'm in northwest Kentucky, and the buses come every 30-45 minutes, but in northern Kentucky, it's literally a bus from the same line every 15-20mins. It's wild, depending on where you go.

[@AntiloquaxNomad]

The homeless problem, at least in many instances, is more due to mental health, drug use, and lack of housing than it is to lack of jobs (currently). Although hail can be the size of a softball, it is typically the size of a pea or smaller. A lot of communities, including small, rural communities, have special public transportation for the elderly and disabled, even if they don't have regular public transportation for everyone else. In some respects, we are 50 countries in one because each state has its own laws and politics, but they are subject to federal laws and government. Whenever you do make it over here, try to spend at least a month (if you can) traveling around and exploring.

[@virginiaoflaherty2983]

Lack of affordable housing.

[@glorm]

@@virginiaoflaherty2983 San Francisco can offer them housing, but not all want it; they prefer to be on the streets and shooting up or drinking away the money they receive. Add to that, those who have mental issues and it is a mess. S.F., once a beacon of beauty is now an embarassment.

[@go4brookle761]

We get free refills on soda because fountain drinks are cheap. They charge $3 for a soda but it costs them pennies.

[@thumper7047]

There is a special service for the elderly here, it's part of a government services. It isn't truly "Public Service as it is not available to everyone. I live in South Carolina, and I know it is in New York State (Upstate - Poughkeepsie) where my uncle drives for the same sort of service. They actually have a schedule and pick the elderly up at their home and take them shopping o or to appointments, etc. There is also one for Disabled Veterans (The DAV vans). So, no, they don't go to a bus stop and catch a bus, but they are picked up at their homes and taken to these places.

[@virginiaoflaherty2983]

We have that in Maryland too.

[@DashRiprock513]

And it's much better and safer

[@kibblenbits]

Transportation for senior's is handled through COA (Commission on Aging) here in Michigan. There are also van's, with volunteer driver's, at most senior center's, and the driver's will wait, say if someone has dialysis, which can take hours, or other medical needs, but they don't take people to stores, like the COA drivers do. I live on rural acreage, in my 70's, and our county joined forces with the next county over, because of the low density of population here. All the counties in this state has them. The COA buses (which are like the shuttle buses you see at an airport, and can accomodate wheelchair's) service both counties. All we have to do is to call ahead, they pick us up at home, and bring us back after shopping. There is a fee, but if you can't afford it, it's free.

[@cloudsn]

Yep, I regularly see the shuttle bus go through my apartment complex and also see it dropping people off at the grocery store. I'm not sure how easy or quick it is to schedule a ride, but I know lots of people do use it.

[@socalcol1]

Many cities have elder specific buses. The seniors can contact the (short) bus, and arrange drop off and pick up times. Many have set places to tour. For instance, senior living places have set pickup times and they will go to the grocery store every Thursday.

[@cynthiapeller2195]

We currently live in Florida, moved from Pennsylvania a few years back. Approximately 1000 people move to Florida every day currently, so prices for homes has gone up dramatically since 2020 Covid years. In Florida the largest industry is tourism. We travel back to Pennsylvania & New Jersey twice annually and we drive the 1200 miles straight through about 18 to 20 hours at high speed, yes it’s grueling. Perhaps the best way to take that trip is using the auto train, cars & travelers on separate train cars from Sanford Fl to Lorton Va (Washington DC) about 20 hours time.

[@alberthartl8885]

Yes the US is large and we like to drive. I just returned from driving from Los Angeles to Rapid City (SD), then to Atlanta, and finally back to LA. It is about 4800 miles. It took 7 days of driving. If you drove east from Paris 4800 miles, you would be in the vicinity of Novoszibirsk. I believe it would take more than 7 days to drive.

[@JDoors]

I like your comparison of States to entire countries. Life in each state can be ENTIRELY different than in another one. Your experience in California will be ENTIRELY different than your experience in Wisconsin, for example; language, foods, traditions, even the laws will have differences. There will be similarities due to Federal standards, for instance roads and road signs are standardized, and there are nationwide chain stores and restaurants that strive to give you an identical experience wherever they're located, but local stores and restaurants will likely have regional items you won't find elsewhere.

[@WondrousPurple]

Sometimes there is a bit of state pride -- not to the point of flying the state flag from our homes. But there's a bit of bonding when Americans on vacation find out they're from the same state. And Indiana used to be just weird enough that there was a bit of joy in that.

[@corawheeler9355]

@@WondrousPurple lol

[@JDoors]

@@WondrousPurple "Sometimes there is a bit of state pride -- not to the point of flying the state flag ..." LOL, then ... there's Texas.

[@joanneth4919]

Why do you think an experience in California would be entirely different. Southern Californians are different from Northern Californians. And people in the central valley are different than those on the coast. And don't forget that natives of California whose families have been in the state over, say 100 years, are friendlier than transplants from other states. And people who were born here but their parents are from another state are 9 times out of 10 rude like their folks.

[@JDoors]

@@joanneth4919 Never said every state is homogenous. I grew up in Chicago and have gained relatives from Southern Illinois. They are true Southerners (at least compared to this city slicker)

[@Malike420]

@15:15 The Grass is always Greener .... It's all perspective.

[@larryfontenot9018]

Videos tend to show the worst of things because that's what draws viewers. Baseball sized hail happens, but it's rare. The kind of rare where if you see it more than twice in your lifetime, your luck is extraordinary good or bad, depending on how you look at it. Same for the other weather conditions. "Normal" is a matter of where you live, but residents of Tornado Alley don't have tornadoes sweeping through their towns every year -- if they did, they wouldn't live there.

[@amystahl4977]

Speaking as a Bostonian, the rents in the city can be up to thousands of dollars a month depending on what part of the city you live in, but you can find lower rents in the cities and towns that surround Boston. At the same time, by living in Boston you don't really need a car. We have the T (the subway), buses, the commuter rail, Amtrak, Blue Bikes, and the city is easily walkable. Also there are lots of free things to do in Boston that you won't find outside of the city. Free Friday Flicks on the Esplanade during the summer comes to mind. You can see free movies outside, on the banks of the Charles River. Things like these help to offset the higher rents. Everything is relative. If you decide to move to the US, don't think an area is out of reach just because of higher rents, look at everything an area has to offer to find a place that's right for you.

[@protorhinocerator142]

Boston is known for high priced housing. I remember one episode of Ally McBeal (set in Boston) where Ally was complaining about her commutes and just happened to find an enormous Victorian manor for sale in downtown Boston for cheap. Wait - what universe is this? Of course nobody else in Boston saw the big FOR SALE sign, or nobody cared enough to buy it. So Ally buys this house, within walking distance of her office building. Yeah right. In that location I could see such a house going for somewhere around $50M.

[@icekraze07]

Cost of living has gone up has gone up astronomically here in the US. In my fairly small city (about 75,000 people) you could not find rent close to $500 a month (even for a 300-400 sq foot apartment). Last year a lot of people I know had rents increase 50%-150% in one year. Thankfully rents have stabilized a bit (because nobody could afford $1200 for a studio apartment) and you can find a one bedroom for around $1000 a month for about 700sq ft. Keep in mind average salary in my city (pulled upward by the doctors and a few elites) is $52,000 pre-tax. The median salary is $20,000 pre-tax. That means middle earners they are spending more than half their wages (pre-tax) on rent. People can’t make ends meet and we have very little in terms of social safety net.

[@garycamara9955]

A house here is around $2500 a month here. Some cases more.

[@icekraze07]

@@garycamara9955 there are honestly so few houses here for rent it is hard to price them. There are some houses for students but those have 4-6 people in them and are paying around $700 each (usually rent by room). There are next to no houses for sale so buying a house is basically unachievable unless you are upper middle class or rich. 1000sq ft “starter” homes are going for $250k or more. Most of these are homes that haven’t been renovated since at least the 70s but some since the 50s. And people wonder why we have so many unhoused smh.

[@ViolentKisses87]

There are mini busses to provide transport for the Elderly in most counties. But they are by request only, so for things like bi weekly shopping trips or doctor's appointments they can provide a option of last resort if the person doesn't have family or money for a uber.

[@Travonyx]

The midwest and the south have experienced record breaking heat this year. Here in Oklahoma, we've had heat indexes (actual temp + humidity) of 120+ degrees Fahrenheit. It's been absolutely miserable. We're definitely looking forward to the end of summer.

[@gamingwithchildren6401]

And yet, here in Nevada 120+ is a normal summer day. Amazing how different the weather can be across this nation.

[@Travonyx]

@gamingwithchildren6401 it's definitely interesting! I've lived in 3 different states and the temperatures and climates are all so different from one another.

[@pauladuncanadams1750]

I live in the Monterey Peninsula on the Central Coast of California. The weather here is a bit cool and foggy for me. The high temperature averages between 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit all year round. Yes, it can get hotter and sometimes even colder, but it generally stays pretty constant, and it doesn't snow. Just rain and fog. It does hail occasionally, but pea sized, not golf ball sized. Also, we don't get tornadoes or hurricanes. I've thought about relocating but can't imagine anywhere nicer overall. That's why it's so expensive to live here.

[@ronileigh9336]

There are states that have lower rent and you can find sensible prices in small country towns. People live in more expensive cities you will pay a lot more for rent. Lawrence is correct about the prices for rent. People just assume every state, cities and towns you pay outrageous prices. It's not always the case. Best thing is to do research for lower rent prices.

[@lorawiese5897]

I live in MN and yearly travel to Alabama. It is through just 4 states but it generally takes 14+ hours. I am in my 60's and usually drive there by myself.

[@cspat1]

It’s fun to hear how others see us. I wish You could come visit soon and we could help you see and do some fun entertaining things. The problems you may come up against are #1 cost -things are not cheap here. #2 the distance - to get to some of the sights are long. #3 Maybe don’t go to huge cities , You may miss seeing the beautiful country side. Make a list of what is you really need to see or do close to where you are , and have a blast. That way you will be able to see and experience the culture, food, sights and sounds easier I think. Contact the county commerce before hand of where you are going. They can help you and inform you . I hope you get to visit us. Take phone Numbers of some of your subscribers that would be happy to help.

[@seanspartan2023]

There are a lot of homeless people here in the states, but not necessarily due to unemployment. We have a big problem with opiate addiction and untreated mental illnesses. Since we don't have universal healthcare for all residents, a lot of people can't get the treatment they need and live on the streets.

[@Cody38Super]

I've been to Holland, Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, Denmark and italy....the Dutch were the nicest out of all of them, but the overall attitude of the everyday Joe in Europe was miserable. No matter where I went, nobody wanted to be there. A shop, a petrol station, a grocery store, a restaurant, a pharmacy....no one wanted to be there. No one smiled, no one laughed, no one was sitting next to you in traffic singing with radio......it was depressing! In Brazil....I had a BLAST, and the hookers we really pretty, people were friendly, a couple of them tried to rip me off...it was great! Gimme friendly, gimme angry, don't gimme zombies.

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

I wonder why they say the happiness index is higher in Europe?🤔

[@forevertoons9022]

@@Timbothruster-fh3cw Don't be too surprised - they lie.

[@danielleslater9301]

Ripped you off? Yikes!

[@Cody38Super]

Different cultures define happiness differently, not to mention Europeans are far less motivated/ complacent in living the same mediocre lives they have always led. Hence the cast system mentality that is still pervasive in Europe. In America there is deeper ingrained desire and need to achieve as much as possible. Europeans are content to grow up just like mom or dad, Americans always HAVE to achieve more them. Why do you think were the most technologically, financially and militarily advanced/ powerful country on earth?! @@Timbothruster-fh3cw

[@virginiaoflaherty2983]

@@Timbothruster-fh3cw It's a different kind of happiness?

[@kimberlypillman2983]

I recently found your channel and it has become interesting to listen too. I am a 3rd generation Norwegian American. My grandpa was about 9 when his family came here. My home state is eastern North Dakota and it is very much Scandinavian in that area. In 2001 my son and I moved to the Cincinnati, Ohio area. When we drive “home” for a visit it is around 1,000 miles and about 19+ hours one way. The Cincinnati area is mostly of German heritage. And even living where I am now, there are SO many differences between the two places. If you ever have any questions, shoot me a message.

[@dennislawhorn2115]

I have watched many of your videos as well as others in regards to the “free refills” at most restaurants. There is another probably more shocking fact that never is mentioned, so I thought I would share. Not only do we get free refills on most soft drinks, coffee and tea, but you can also get one “to go”.

[@marydavis5234]

Restaurants in Vermont, you get only free refills on soda only.

[@PoorRoleModel]

Restaurants in NV, CA, TX are usually free for soda, coffee, tea. Normally, only thing you pay per for is alcohol, and I've seen enough "drink'n'drown" situations with alcohol to comfortably say even that is conditional. Haha

[@noneavailable9121]

@@marydavis5234 Refills on soda, but not tea and coffee? That's interesting.

[@marydavis5234]

@@noneavailable9121 soda is cheaper than tea and coffee

[@PatriceCortes]

Whoa! I didn’t know you could get a refill to go and I’ve lived here my whole life!

[@katchy2979]

One useful way to determine if you will need a car in most cases is to determine when the city was founded or had the most growth. Generally, if the city was mostly developed before cars were commonly used, it is more compact and tends to have more developed public transit systems. However, if the primary growth of the city occurred after cars became popular, it is usually more spread out. Public transportation for those cities then is available only if the population deemed it a priority. For example, in California, San Francisco developed around the gold rush of 1849 (well before the popularity of cars after the early 1900s). Trolly systems are available for public use and the city was built in a manner that allows for pedestrian ease. This is noticeably different from Los Angeles, which is massive in terms of the land developed.

[@dagmar0027]

We fly to other places within the US when it's easier than driving, but airfare here is much more expensive than it is in Europe. It's usually much cheaper to drive, especially if you're not going too far. How far "far" is depends entirely upon the person, tho.

[@darla896]

There also multiple, various airlines operating across the entire continental US, so you often have to take multiple flights to reach a destination. Also, there is not even an airport in the state of Delaware (although it is quite small)

[@debbiemaze1938]

CA Bay Area by San Fran. Weather is great! No snow, but I can be in it within 2 hours. No sweltering heat, but in be in a desert in a couple of hours. Mountains are nearby. Ocean within 20 minutes. Redwoods in 30 mins. and Yosemite in a couple of hours. Perfect place!

[@blackpowder99]

The homelessness in America is mostly due to drugs and alcohol abuse, not a lack of jobs.

[@ksmileyrobinsonPhD]

5Drug and alcohol are factors, but these represent "visible" public street homelessness. Anyone who works with the homeless will tell that low wage, underemployment, and medical debt contribute a significant homelessness for the "invisible" living on people's couches, in cars, and homeless or women's shelters. Underemployed are those with jobs that don't pay enough for their area's cost of living or for which the lack of job benefits _medical have led to debt and eviction.

[@HOWLINGWOLF-ig5zs]

And that idiot we have in the WHITEHOUSE. he's created the highest homeless population ever recorded..

[@jessebest5961]

My family and I went on a vacation in August 2020. We flew into Las Vegas and drove through Utah to Colorado over the course of a couple of days. On our way back while getting close to Las Vegas to fly out, it was so hot our rental car had a thermometer and showed it was at least 113 degrees outside at one point. At least it was super dry unlike the Southeast US.

[@TexasRose50]

I’m surprised nothing has been mentioned about all the festivities that takes place here. Usually each town have different ones. And usually all through the year. Like Biker rallies. October fests, fairs and rodeos. And of course Christmas and July 4th celebrations. I hope when you visit, you will be able to experience some of these.

[@cspat1]

Fall festivals are ramping up. I love going to those. Just about every city, town, or small burg will have one. The weather is cooling down usually by then. I’m not confident about that this year though, with all the record heat most places have had this summer.

[@TexasRose50]

Well, I’m just hoping we will have a fall this year rather than going right into winter. I hate going from one extreme to another. It’s so hard on the body. BUT! I’m so tired of this heat and humidity!

[@thedbbrmstr]

The US Southern accent came about because most of the original settlers of the South came from England. There are some islands off the immediate coast of North Carolina that speak similarly to you.

[@chnalvr]

As a life-long American, at age 61, I've been fortunate to visit each state. The motto is true here, "You get what you pay for." If you want to do the U.S. on the cheap, it is possible. However, you will likely have to put up with horrific weather, a high crime rate and other undesirable outcomes. If you want to live in a part of the U.S. with better weather and other amenities that might be important to you, such as proximity to great mountains, beaches, cities with a lot of fun options, it will likely cost you more to live there.

[@happypraise9426]

Since 2020 rent in Oklahoma has almost doubled. My 1300 sq ft 2 bed 2 bath was $750 when I moved in 2019, now it rents for $1,245. My sister in Texas is experiencing the same.

[@pennysilvey8868]

I live in the south, and I’ve been through hail storms before. They are not always baseball size, or even golf ball size. A lot of the times it is just Pea sized or a little bit bigger. Quarter sized maybe. When you have anything larger than a golf ball it’s becoming kind of rare. We had softball size about 30 years ago. That’s the last time I’ve seen anything that size. And that was the first time I had ever seen it. I’m 57 years old, and I still live in the same area where we have bad storms every summer. So that is kind of an uncommon thing when it gets to be as large as a softball. It rarely happens. It does happen, but rarely.

[@SWLinPHX]

Some places have bowling ball size hail.

[@markiusgalfordii9248]

Where I live. The only sidewalks are in the center of town. The rest of the time most of the roads are not big enough for 2 vehicles. And you got three foot ditches on either side of the road. And woods. Nothing but trees rocks

[@MrPenguinLife]

The cost of living is insane in the US too, prices have went up on everything, this week a paid $18 for a large sub sandwich in Houston , TX, just a few years ago $10 would have seemed high for the same sandwich. The $5 footlong specials from Subway are long gone

[@NoseyFloridaGirl]

im eating a Subway right now.. BOGO deal paid $12 total for 2 footlongs. Deals are out there.

[@PoorRoleModel]

The special may be gone, but the jingle is eternal.

[@GeoffreyPenner-jp5mk]

The largest hail to drop in America was a 2 pound 18.62 inch circumference piece of ice. Bigger than a softball slightly smaller than a volleyball. It was witnessed in Vivian, South Dakota in 2010...just two hours from me.

[@sheaalexander157]

Dude…really enjoying the channel! You’ve got to just come over here…I’m sure your subscribers would be happy to show you around…I know I would for sure. After seeing several of your reactions…I think the main thing that is REALLY hard to understand without being here is the massive size! A European person should view the US as 50 separate countries. When you hear things that can’t be right, it’s usually because you’re thinking , for example, they have 100 tornados per year…if that happened to the UK it would be crazy. Keep in mind that the “average” American doesn’t ever see a tornado either.

[@TanyaQueen182]

Facts. I've lived in the US all my 47 years and have never seen a tornado. (A few warnings came through, but I never had one hit a town I lived in)

[@sheaalexander157]

@@TanyaQueen182 yep…even crazier…although I’ve lived in 5 states…I spent most of my time in Oklahoma City., Arguably the capital of tornado alley, and I’ve never seen a tornado live as it happened.

[@OKLynnie]

You would absolutely love QuikTrip. It's a convenience store where we get gas for our cars, but they also have grocery items inside. Lots of drinks and snacks. Also: Buccees, Kum n Go, Caseys, and many others depending on which state you are in.

[@ronileigh9336]

In central Missouri you can find places to rent for 6 and 7 hundred. My problem is finding anything to rent. My daughter and I live with 3 dogs. Most places won't allow more than 2 dogs. However the prices can be as high as 15 hundred. I should of said I'm speaking about small country towns.

[@allenhill1223]

Around ocessola. Flora farm's hiring in humanville😮 now that's county. But there's plenty down there.

[@andershay99212]

The cost of living has skyrocketed here too. An apartment in my area is $1500 for a cheep 2 bedroom if you want something bigger or with amenities you're looking at at least $2500 a month.

[@michellequinn3524]

You must live in a state similar to mine (AZ). That is exactly what it costs now. Cost of living is not cheap here! Plus cars, insurance, gas etc. that they don’t worry about as much in the UK

[@u140550]

If you decide to live here, make sure you work to get some health insurance; because it’s not like the nhs!!

[@MrsGator7]

That’s a good thing

[@u140550]

@@MrsGator7 the advice or the fact that we don’t have a nhs!!?? We need one, because everyone should be helped; and not Holden to insurance that mind you still has to be paid.

[@dennisroebecker7853]

Guy: "I need a knee replacement" NHS: "Here's a cane and Asprin. The que for the MRI is 11 months. Then you can get in the surgery que which is 19 months."

[@u140550]

@@dennisroebecker7853 it’s not always like that, but at least once you get it. It’s free, and doesn’t cost you a arm n a leg. Also it depends on a lot of factors last I checked, but thinking about paying what we have to pay compared to basically free is one of the many financial problems off our backs. In other countries that have a nhs, if you have to pay for something it’s likely for you to pay 20 dollars on insulin; while we have to pay 2000 or more for it!!!

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

​​@@u140550And by the time you get it, your condition has gotten worse, and then amputation! In that being said, it does cost you a arm and leg, or whatever body part is messed up.

[@jameydupuy9280]

Oh!! This is important if you are planing on coming here from what you said about your love of Mountains/ rivers! You have to do the Amtrack train! It is more of an experience in itself, like a cruise, rather than a get from point A to B. Since you will be traveling, it might be a great way to visit the states. They have a website that you should really look at and lots of youtubers video it. There is a route that goes straight across the north- and all those mountains you love.. another down the west coast, another down the east coast and all across the south and a few different through the center. I advise the private room!! You have your own "butler" type guy and it is cheaper than flying and all food is included. Plus, your own bathroom/ shower. Very very inexpensive. You can hop off in the states you want, stay a while and get back on. It really would be great. They can even arrange rental cars for you and hotels. I loved it and the food was amazing! My husband is a cajun from Louisiana and a huge food snob. [They are known for their food down here- you really need to visit Louisiana! ] anyways, he even said the food was amazing! Most of the trains have a 2nd story sky car just for viewing the landscape. Jump on a chair early and spend the day viewing or visit the reasturant/ bar car or sleep! I think it has been my favorite way to travel. Especially if you are wanting to hit up a lot of places. Driving can get boring fast. Not all the highways are picturesque like you think. You can drive hours looking at the exact same thing, you'd feel like. If you havent heard this idea before, please look into it. I just found your channel but I've been home sick binge watching. From what you have said, i think this would give you the ultimate experience. Especially getting off the train and staying somewhere for a while. It is a really great thing i think most people have forgotten about with the convenience of flying these days. Perfect if you arent in a hurry. Plus, if you arent driving, you can video more!!! 😂❤

[@AdamNisbett]

Yes, we do fly if going way across the country but do a lot of driving for more local travel to nearby states. And even if you do fly you may need to drive a lot to get to the nearest commercial airport. For instance the nearest commercial airport to my house is an hour and a half away. So I’d generally only consider flying somewhere if it’s more than around 6 hours away since it’s not really any faster to get there by plane once you factor in my drive time to the airport, plus wait times and/or layovers at the airport.

[@neutrino78x]

This is more for rural areas; 80% of us live in urban areas. SFO airport is 30 minutes away from downtown San Francisco on BART and 20 minutes away in a car. SJC airport is 20 minutes away from 1st and Santa Clara in downtown San Jose on bus/light rail and maybe 10 minutes away in a car. 🙂It's so close to downtown San Jose that is basically IS in downtown San Jose; there's a height limitation on buildings downtown because aircraft fly right over them. San Jose is bigger than SF, it's over 1 million people, it's a lot more spread out than SF, though. (also the neighboring states are quite a bit further away here on the west coast, in a car. Las Vegas, Nevada is easily 9 hours driving, but it's a quick one hour flight. 🙂I've flown out there a couple times for concerts, I thought it was great and I don't drink or gamble. Of course, the Bay Area is still home. 🙂(LV is a "woke" area like the Bay Area btw. odd that people think it's not...."what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" isn't exactly a socially conservative statement lmao. But I'm socially liberal and fiscally conservative.))

[@AwkwardAnxiousJennifer]

@@neutrino78x The Denver airport is so far outside the city that locals joke it's in Kansas, so even living in an urban area doesn't guarantee quick, easy access to an airport.

[@AdamNisbett]

@@neutrino78x yeah, there are certainly regional differences and California is one of the largest states, so the distance of a “neighboring state” isn’t quite the same as it is in the Eastern and Midwest US.

[@AdamNisbett]

In some ways you could say that California cities don’t have nearby states at all since they’re mostly all on the far side of California from California’s neighbors.

[@SWLinPHX]

Are used to be just $19 on Southwest and America West to fly each way between Phoenix and Los Angeles or Las Vegas.

[@davidbailey648]

If/when you come over to visit, go to some cities if you choose but make sure you also spend time in smaller towns. It’s a completely different experience.

[@philmakris8507]

Even a former US secretary of transportation went on record as saying if you rely on public transportation something has gone wrong in your life.

[@carolgrosklags8933]

We have great public transportation in my city of Minneapolis in Minnesota, but we are also the biggest city. One time I struck up a conversation with a young man from Tennessee, and he agreed that we have good public transportation. We also have a light rail train service and ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, which are cheaper than taxis

[@Julbug_22]

HaHaHa! $500 rent! It's $1500 -$3k for a standard apartment where I live in CA. I've never seen hail bigger than a small pea. But food portions! OMG! WAAAY to BIG!!!

[@michaelmurphy748]

I live in the Northern Nevada area, in the "backwater" areas, there are no public transports and for me to drive to the county seat (lets say jury duty), it is a 45 minute drive at 55-70 miles per hour.

[@carlacook5181]

You can not find an apartment for$500 these days, check it out before you plan on moving here, I think you’d be looking at a minimum of $1000 a month these days

[@3ppatriot42]

In big cities its like that

[@stephaniemccarthy1676]

Oklahoma City I pay $800 for a one bedroom. When I lived in Connecticut same type apartment went for $1400.

[@jeannettefrieson]

If I ever win the Loto, I'm bringing you over for a vacay bro! You are so fun to watch, I'd love to show you around and see your reaction to the mountains and scenic vistas!

[@philmakris8507]

So much of the "homelessness" problem is not one of poverty but one of drug abuse.

[@whitesox1981]

I can't speak for the whole country but i live in a very Rual area and if the elderly need transportation and cannot drive themselves, they have 3 options 1 a relative drive them 2 there are special services that will bus them to dr appointments and things of that nature and 3 if it's an emergency medical issue call an ambulance. as far as rent goes here it is very cheap by your standards i live in a 3-bedroom home and it costs $400 a month but as i said this is the heart of Appalachia it is much more expensive in other areas.

[@firghteningtruth7173]

In larger cities, there is public transport as long as you are close in. In my city, elderly and disabled/partially disabled people can call a special bus that comes and picks them up at their house. But, yeaaaah, I hate buses. And there are only a few places you will find a subway or elevated train. Which is fine with me. I prefer driving anyway.

[@Big_Tex]

I think there’s more light rail than you realize these days in cities. Plenty around Dallas and they were building out Austin a decade ago. I have a station right in front of my apartment. Problem is it really doesn’t go anywhere I need to go, or that it takes 1.5 hours to go somewhere that is an 8-minute drive away. Except straight to DFW airport, that IS convenient when I fly.

[@neutrino78x]

@@Big_Tex Yeah man anything over 1 million people is going to have at least an extensive bus system if not also rail of various kinds (light rail and/or normal heavy rail). The other day some weirdo insisted to me there is no public transit in Los Angeles!!! I told him bro just google "Los Angeles public transit map", I don't even know how to drive and I get around in LA just fine when I'm down there (I'm from Silicon Valley).

[@firghteningtruth7173]

@@Big_Tex Bro, I dunno about Dallas, but Austin's light rail is a joke. They have proposed more...but it could be 10-15 years. They are trying to tear up the drag and move all the buildings on the west side of Guadalupe to put in light rail there at some point in the future. Which, of course means forcing the oldest resturaunt in Austin (and best burgers, imho) out. (Dirty's) People didn't take too kindly to that. Last I heard it was petitioned and on hold. The city bus system is OK. But...as stated above, I hate the bus. 🤣

[@Big_Tex]

@@firghteningtruth7173 A decade in Austin and I think I road the bus once or twice while getting my car repaired. It was always like a multi-route 2 hour trip just to get somewhere I could go in 15 minutes by car. Once I was waiting at a stop in the middle of one of these journeys when a buddy called, he's like "You're waiting at a BUS STOP?? F-- that, I'll be right over to pick you up." 🤣

[@GeoffreyPenner-jp5mk]

Lew housing costs vary here. If you are in a large metro of 1 million or more you are going to pay anywhere from 1000$-2000$ just for a basic apartment. As he alludes to, if you live in the Midwest, and in smaller cities like around 100,000 population you will be able to buy a full size house for 1000$ or less per month. Last home I was in was a two story, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, full basement, wooden back deck, three different yards, a garden, a well and a two stall car garage for $750 a month.

[@KadeesKove]

As far as not being polite, I think that’s regional. I live in the south and everyone is extremely polite. Seems like the big cities like Chicago where he lives, tend to be more straightforward (blunt) which can be interpreted as rude.

[@catlady443]

I bought reusable ice. I love it! You freeze. It and wash it and refreeze it. You can even wash in the dishwasher.! You can get any shape and color you want