5 Reasons I Love Americans
Inspired by Flashpacker Family’s Five Reasons We Love America post, I thought I’d write about why I love Americans themselves.
5 Reasons I love Americans
1. Americans are Extremely Friendly and Interested in Travelers.
Americans get a bad rap for not traveling internationally at the same rates as people from other countries (I’m sure they would if they got more vacation time!).
Even if Americans don’t go overseas much, I’ve found them extremely welcoming and interested in me as as traveler to their country.
I’ll never forget the Dallas city bus driver who spent the whole bus trip quizzing me about myself, New Zealand, my family, and my travels while driving the bus.
Waiting in line is fun in America because Americans are great to chat to.
2. American’s Confidence in Themselves.
I’m 100% not being sarcastic. In New Zealand, people rarely talk about their achievements and calling someone ambitious is a huge insult. I love American’s confidence in themselves.
When riding the subway in New York, it’s common to hear young Americans talking about the importance of believing in themselves.
In Brooklyn (where I spend two months each summer), people etch “believe in yourself” type quotes as graffiti in the subway and in bathrooms, or in chalk on the sidewalk.
3. Americans Like Discount Codes and Email Coupons.
I’m temperamentally frugal. It is so easy to get almost anything in the US at a discount by being smart. I Google for discount codes before making almost any purchase in the US.
Whenever I see a “promo code” box, I see it as a challenge to find one! This is fun for me as discount codes are not really “a thing” in New Zealand. I always expect sales people to turn up their noses when I use a coupon or discount code, but this rarely happens.
4. American Entrepreneurship.
I really love my iphone! Enough said!
5. American Politeness
At first I found “you’re welcome,” “have a great day,” and “using the restroom” a bit strange, but now I love these Americanisms.
November 12, 2012 - 9:10 pm
Wait, do you not say “you’re welcome” in New Zealand? I thought that was sort of a universal thing…
And yes, although I am not an American, I lived in the U.S. for 7 years and have to agree that Americans really are very friendly, far more than I think many people who have never visited would guess! I think this is especially true in the South, but by and large, I have found that wherever you go Americans are pretty good about helping tourists and visitors out and are far more welcoming towards strangers than some other places I’ve been!
November 13, 2012 - 3:20 am
Nope – we don’t say you’re welcome :) Although now that I’ve spent so much time in the US, I sometimes say it here on auto pilot.
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November 13, 2012 - 5:34 am
Hey I wrote the 7 things I loved about America here. We have one the same – the friendly people! You just can’t go past that! http://lifechangingyear.com/7-things-i-love-about-america/
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November 13, 2012 - 5:03 pm
I agree! I love Americans too for all the reasons you’ve listed above and more!
It’s not at all common to say “you’re welcome” here in NZ. NZers don’t gush the pleasantries that Americans do. It’s so hard to adjust back to the reservedness of NZers after spending time in America.
Bethaney – Flashpacker Family recently posted..Five Reasons We Love America
November 15, 2012 - 3:54 pm
Generally I find Americans to be very helpful – and I always think of them a being creative, entrepreneurial & generous too.
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November 18, 2012 - 8:42 am
This is very nice to read. It’s so refreshing as compared with the usual stereotypes of Americans as being fat, uneducated, fake etc.
Frankly, some of that stuff is true but like all stereotypes it does not define the whole country and I’m a bit tired of everyone always jumping on the bandwagon about it when many of them barely know Americans. Yes the country has its flaws but I do think they are very kind to tourists, at least as much as I’ve seen abroad and I suspect even more.
December 13, 2012 - 7:07 am
I have to agree, I was recently in Fortworth and loved the people there. I have to admit to feeling a little overwhelmed by the sheer Americaness of it all sometimes.
Hearing the accent and seeing the confidence of people, it was a bit like meeting an actor and feeling out of sorts, because in truth that is almost exclusively my experience of them.
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December 13, 2012 - 3:44 pm
Thanks for commenting Tyrhone :)
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March 28, 2013 - 11:00 pm
Hi Kate :)
I was on your site just having a nosy about and saw this post. I love Americans too and often see (not read, I refuse to read them) derogatory posts about them so it was really nice to see something positive.
We have spent about 9 months on and off in the states in our life (we are Australians) and every time we have gone there they have been nothing but friendly and helpful in every way… especially those southerners!
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