Gakusei Travels

It’s a no brainer that America is huge in terms of size. However, I don’t think foreigners sometimes really grasp how big the United States truly is and that many states are the size of most European countries. For example, you can drive 12 hours in Texas and still be in Texas. Los Angeles, California is on the West coast and New York City, New York is on the East coast. To fly between the two is a 5 and a half hour flight or a 39 hour car drive if you go non stop. A lot of foreigners think you can see Hollywood, Disney World, the White House, and the Statue of Liberty all in the same trip, but I highly advise against it unless you plan to stay in America for multiple weeks. I think the size is a reason why many Americans have not been out of the country yet. Traveling within the country itself is an experience and the subcultures of each region are vastly different.

Public transportation in America is virtually non-existent unless you live in a major metropolitan city such as Chicago, New York, or Washington D.C. Even then, it is not the most reliable or safe. I remember the subways in New York being very dirty and sketchy. In Los Angeles, the train didn’t even run through most parts of the city, so you’d still end up walking. The bus is an option, but again, it’s not the most safe, especially as a young woman. I’ve never taken the IndyGo bus that runs through my campus, and I never will. In America, just about everyone drives. You have to, because nothing is within walking distance. The Japanese students were shocked to find out that I have no problem driving an hour and a half on a random Friday to go get my brother at his college. To me, that drive is nothing, but for them, it seems so long and difficult.

I think what a lot of people who aren’t from the United States don’t realize is that America has a big leftover culture. A lot of people on the internet make fun of Americans for having such large sizes at fast food restaurants or comment on how big portion sizes are, but having enough to eat for later is a common thing and almost expected. Most Americans can’t eat a large entree on their own. It’s normal to ask for a to-go box and reheat your meal to eat the next day for lunch or dinner. American families also tend to be very busy. If both parents are working and children have extra curricular activities, there is little time to cook. Having leftovers saves time.

Another thing the Japanese students found interesting is bulk-sized products. At Walmart, you can buy a 24 pack of chips or a pack of toilet paper. I did have to explain, the purpose of bulk buying is not to eat everything in one sitting. It’s made to either share with a family or to last a person for a while. At least in my household, we don’t go to the grocery store every day. We go once a week to get everything needed and we may go back to get an item we ran out of or forgot. Between work and school schedules, there’s little time to grocery shop, so most often, we have to wait until the weekend to go.

At least in my university, clubs aren’t that big of a thing. I know my university has an English club, a Spanish club, a Japanese culture club, but I feel like they aren’t really promoted. It’s like they’re there, but unless you’re really interested or seek them out, you kind of forget that they’re there. I feel like clubs were a bigger thing when I was in high school. Additionally, something different is that in America, sports clubs are “exclusive” in a sense. If you want to compete and travel, then you need to try out for the team. There are some casual sports clubs and recreational leagues for those who want to play for fun, but competing is limited to honestly the best players. Something also exclusive to America it seems is Greek Letter Organizations. I’m in a sorority, and I had such a difficult time explaining to my peers what a sorority or fraternity circle is and what we do.

Americans hate awkwardness lol. I think that’s why we’re so big on small talk, even if it’s with strangers. You see this often at retail stores or restaurants where your server or an employee will ask you “how is your day?” as they’re ringing you up at the register. Now, how I kind of explained it is that 9 times out of 10, the person asking doesn’t actually care how your day is lol, but rather they’re just trying to be polite. Silence can be awkward and unsettling, so to fill the quiet, Americans will often make light conversation. I told the Japanese students and student from France that if someone you don’t know asks you how your day is, a simple “good and you?” will usually suffice.