- Let’s talk about the people of the US for a bit. You probably will have noticed right away after arriving that not everyone in the US is white, far from it!!! as stated before we are a very diverse nation. One thing about the people of this nation you might have already noticed is Americans love to swear a lot!! It has become common place to throw out swear words as regular vocabulary. It may not be proper, but it is what it is, and a lot of people have no filter on what comes out of their mouth. Americans are also very polite we really are. We hold doors for others, and we greet strangers as if we know them. We will apologize all over ourselves if we bump into you or cut you off while walking. Most people will greet you with “how’s it going” or “what’s up?”. You may be asked “how is your day” or just a simple smile and a nod. These simple greetings are really only intended for a short reply such as ” fine thank you”. To reply to “what’s up” a reply might be “not much just enjoying this great weather thanks”. Americans once they find out you’re from another country will most likely become very interested in where you are from and want to hear all about your country. We in general love to talk and learning about new things is always of interest. It is probably best to steer a conversation in another direction if they start asking you about how you view our politics. The US is deeply divided on this topic. I do not plan on discussing it here but just know a political conversation in the US can become heated in a hurry and is probably best avoided if possible. It is also best to avoid political rallies, demonstrations, protest etc. They could possibly become violent at any moment.
Another thing people in the US require for the most part is personal space. Americans do not like someone up in their face. Try and stand back a few feet when engaging in conversations. Don’t crowd people in lines, don’t cut in while in lines go to the back when you get there. This is really a big deal at places like Disneyland, the movies etc. If you are invading someone’s personal space expect at some point that they will let you know eventually. This is important to recognize, if you hear someone say something like “DUDE” in an aggravated tone you are probably annoying them!!! Most people will be tolerant for a short time but if you notice the person keeps moving back a bit at a time you are too close. Hand shaking is making a comeback, but fist bumps still are the same thing. Most people are not touchy feely with strangers so don’t expect a lot of hugs. Southern women sometimes may call the males in your group “sugar” or “Sweetie” they are not trying to pick up on your husband it’s a figure of speech. The south especially is full of all kinds of unique fraises and ways of speaking. Southerners have strong accents that are very noticeable. There are southern draws and twangs that very greatly from state to state. The same goes for the northern states as well as eastern states. Our whole country is different from region to region, and state to state.
The main language in the US is English but Spanish can be found to be our second most popular language especially on the West coast. If you need to contact emergency services, they are probably fluent in English and Spanish and depending on what part of an area you are in possibly other languages but that I’m not sure about. Ok just googled it and 911 dispatchers have access to over 200 languages available via interpreters.
If you are staying in a hotel, you probably will be eating out for most meals. If you are using Vrbo or similar services, you will most likely have a kitchen. America is blessed with one thing for sure and that is food!!! If you plan on cooking meals at your Vrbo or hotel if it has a kitchen, you will need to grocery shop. Do not do your major shopping ay the gas station connivance store they are for soda and snacks; you need to find a major grocery store. Costco, Walmart, Sams club etc. are found pretty much everywhere as well as many other large grocery store chains. Many grocery stores will have other departments or services. Many have banks, pharmacy’s, coffee shops etc. In some states the store may not provide bags for your groceries or charge you if you use their bags. Try and pack some sturdy but light weight bags for taking with you when you shop. California is one of those states that have bag laws, but I believe it is not in full affect yet. If you are eating out, you have lots of options. To get the full experience of American food try and eat at local restaurants vs chain stores. Some chain restaurants will give you a good authentic American meal such as Texas Roadhouse, they will even do a line dance for you every so often. Fast food is everywhere and really convenient but is unhealthy and boring after a couple days. Food trucks have become more and more popular here on the West coast and are generally a good option but finding a place to sit can sometimes be a pain. At whatever restaurant you choose expect good service, your drink should be re filled and portions will be large. Your wait person is going to try and earn a nice tip from you so they should be going out of their way to serve you. Keep in mind you are not their only table and if its busy you may get worse service. When it’s time to pay expect the waiter to disappear with your credit card to run your bill. This is common here and can make you wonder what they are doing with your valuable asset. I have never had an issue with fraud just check the bill to see that it all adds up when they bring it back for you to sign. Some states have sales tax and meal tax. If you see that souvenir shirt for 15$ on the rack but when it rings up at say 17.35$ there is a sales tax that has been applied, question it to make sure. Many restaurants deliver food for takeout either through services like Uber eats or equivalent. Larger pizza places have their own drivers in most areas. Fine dining here can be very overpriced for what you get in my opinion but if that’s what you are into expect to pay high prices. If you are coming up the west coast on Hwy 101 the sea food can be outstanding in just about every town. Don’t turn your nose up at the dumpy looking fish shack they often have the best food anywhere. Ask around, the locals will be excited to talk to you and tell you where the best places to eat are located. If you see authentic barbeque and by authentic, I mean, there is probably a guy or gal standing outside tending a big smoker with meat all over it, get some!!! Americans are really good at BBQ it’s OUR thing!!! Real BBQ joints are not chain restaurants they are family owned with their own recipes and secret sauces etc. Be warned many Americans like spicy hot food, ask the person when ordering authentic chili if its spicy, some chili can be super spicy. Craft beer is also a big thing here, although its popularity is declining, and many local breweries have unfortunately closed but still most local restaurants will be serving several choices.
I want to talk more about your safety for a while. First never ever no matter what leave your car unlocked or window down unattended. Do not leave your backpack, laptop bag, luggage etc. sitting in the seat of your car unattended. Lock it in the trunk. Take everything in your room at night. Petty theft is a real threat here everywhere. Second don’t fall prey to the homeless guy asking for money, for food, gas, his dog whatever. Our nations homeless problem is bad, no its really bad!!! I saw a post on another blog from a visitor that said shame on America for not taking care of our homeless. Here I will get on my soap box for a second. We offer many many many services to the homeless. They have all the opportunity to help themselves in most cases. Not all but most homeless like being this way or are so far gone there is no going back. Our country has many problems, drugs being one of the largest. Many of these homeless are drug addicts who prefer to live this way. They live on the streets because they won’t work or can’t keep a job because drugs are that important. They have all sorts of options at some point to get help, and there are lots of real success stories of recovery. Unfortunately, there are lots of sad stories as well. There are legit people living on the streets in their car etc. that are just having hard times but many of them are on their way up to their feet they just have not saved enough to get a place to live which can be very hard and expensive to achieve as we have an affordable housing crisis. Most all homeless are harmless they won’t have a gun because they sell everything to eat and buy drugs. They might be mentally challenged and not make sense or be having a real conversation with themselves as they walk by. Go with your heart but giving these people money does not help them. If you offered to take them to a store and buy them food most would decline and ask for the money instead. Politely say you have no spare change or money and keep walking I would not stop to pet their dog or listen to their story. Don’t be fooled by the guy with a gas can and the hood up on his car. His car probably runs just fine. I know this sounds cruel but that is just my opinion. Lastly again avoid going into ghettos or areas that are dodgy. Gang activity is a real threat in large cities but can also be found in small towns as well. If you start seeing lots of graffiti run down houses, abandoned cars on the side of the street, you’re probably somewhere you should not be. If you do find yourself lost and you think you’re in a bad area, get your GPS going and find a major road and get there fast. Don’t stop don’t ask for directions don’t leave your car. Do not go to East La and pretend to be a Gangsta you might be mistaken by what you’re wearing as a real one in the wrong turf. Avoid being out late at night alone, especially on foot. If going out clubbing stay in a group, dress down don’t bring that Louis Vuitton. Stay safe!!!!