Adventures in America Part 9: My take on some American values

Quite a few things have become apparent to me while I'm here. No matter what political affiliation, belief or religion, the vast majority of Americans hold these values dear - and would you believe it, I think some of them are rubbing off on me!

The Army

Make no mistake, Americans love their armed forces. Now don't get me wrong, that isn't a bad thing. In fact, it's made me realise how under appreciated our forces are back home. If you're in the Army in America, you get it good. Free healthcare for you and your family, free college tuition, if you're in for a certain time they give you a generous pension, 30 days holiday and life insurance. This is funded because the USA pumps massive amounts of it's GDP into their Army - hence the expression "dominance through superior firepower" which I have seen on some park guests t-shirts.

The respect that people have for the armed forces is also overwhelming. Every time I see someone in Armed Forces atire, they are thanked in the street for the great job they do for the country, they get massive reductions at attractions and are generally treated with so much respect. I sometimes wish our country would do the same.

The American Dream

This is one that's really sucked me in. America is "the land of opportunity", and I have seen what life can be like for those who apply themselves hard. Take the bus driver for our trips, Greg. He lives in a house which would easily be worth a million pounds in the UK. He has a balcony with perfect mountain views, and 8 acres of land. I was gobsmacked when I went in to his house.

Greg told me "I'm not a clever person but I'm blessed with all this. With hard work, anything is possible and that's what I tell my kids". It's rubbed off on me. I'm researching how easy it is to emmigrate here, because I honestly believe that this country holds an opportunity for me - and that it will take many years of hard work, but it will be worth it. This is also reinforced when I read that the UK has the lowest social mobilty in the world. I've had so many amazing experiences and opportunities open to me, and this is only in the small part of New Hampshire. Each state is like a seperate country in itself, and I believe that each one holds a lot of promise.

Freedom

This is the one value Americans value the most. Nowhere values their freedom more than New Hampshire, with the slogan "live free or die" plastered everywhere. As one of the park workers put it - "If we didn't have our freedom, what is there worth living for?" By comparison, the UK feels more like Mass., the neighbouring state. Their laws are much more prescriptive, you have to do this, that and the other and you're taxed to death for it. I've gotten so used to the general feeling of freedom that I have here, the freedom to be who I want to be, do what I want to do. If I want to sit in the trunk of a car because there is no seats left, I will. It's not illegal here. If I want to go skydiving, I will (and did). Living here has really given me a new outlook on life, and I really enjoy this freedom!

Adventures in America Part 6: The things I miss from home

I actually can't believe it. I've been through 2 years of university - living away from home, under constant pressure and drinking heavily yet I never experienced it. So it's odd this morning that I woke up and felt a sudden desire for home. I've now been in America for 47 days and I did pretty well until now. I decided to use this as the starting point for my next blog, hopefully it will make me feel a bit better!

1. Family and friends

With this one it really is a case of "you don't know what you've got until it's gone". Being the social animal that I am, I spend a lot of my time in the evenings seeing how everyone is getting along. It's much harder for me to talk to friends back home because I usually finish work at 11:30 UK time. Out here, I've made about 50 new friends - but I've known them for only a few weeks. I also strangely miss people calling me "Joho" since nobody here knows what that means.

Seeing the photos from Lincoln Pride really made me realise about the life I'd left behind.

Miss you all!

2. The cooler weather

Make no mistake, out here it is seriously hot. The weather is a minimum of 20 degrees every day - and quite often as much as 30. Working out in the sun can get particularly unpleasant because of the high humidity too, since the sweat doesn't evaporate as quickly as it would usually. I actually wore an ice vest on the pirate ship yesterday because it was so warm out in the sun.

3. The NHS

Never have I appreciated this great institution more than when I got a hospital bill for $600, bringing the cumulative total for my three visits to around $1,000. The NHS may be badly managed, underfunded, and creaking at the seams in some places - but it will always be better than the US system which relies on your ability to pay unless in an exceptional emergency. I am so glad our forefathers had the insight to set up a welfare system that generally works

4. Non processed food

As I have previously mentioned in my blog - there is an abundance of crappy foods here. From fried oreos, to "slim jims", a meaty treat which looks like a dog treat (containing mechanically separated chicken and other meas) I really do miss relatively healthier meals in the UK.

5. My records

I seriously miss them! Call me a bit odd - but it was nice to come back after a stressful day of university and fill my room with the sounds of the 1920's. That being said, I've got a nice pile of records waiting for me when I return. I also really do miss updating my youtube channel - it's nice to know that I can bring a little happiness in to so many people's lives through the music I share with them.

Finally, and in no particular order - the following:

• Seeing the queen on banknotes every day - American money is too green and boring. What's the deal with dollar bills? Too fddly for me.
• Looking the other way to cross the road
• Hearing people say "Cheers mate" rather than "Thanks buddy"
• Watching Wimbledon without the annoying commentary
• Watching TV without the annoying adverts
• The BBC
• Tesco. My clubcard points are crying out to be used!

Adventures in America Part 2: Life in the mountains

I've been living in the mountains for a few days now, and I have to say that mountain life is rather fun. It's great to wake up every morning to the sound of birdsong, the wind and a few cars.

For the past few days, I've had nothing much to do - in fact training doesn't start until Wednesday, so I've got yet ANOTHER day off to relax tomorrow. I've pretty much explored the area as much as I can by bike. I've been to Jackson up the road, and down the road to just past Glen.As can be expected, there's nothing but trees and mountains here and I love it. There's so much more wilderness out here than in the UK, and the scale of the place is vast. You could fit the UK in the USA 39 times and still have room to spare. It really is that big.

At the moment, there's students from all over the world here. There's 1 from Canada, 2 from Jamaica, 2 from Ukraine, 2 from Serbia and there's around 30 students left to turn up. We've developed some really good friendships already and we have some great banter in the evenings.Last night, I took them to Jackson Falls, and we made a campfire as well as taking our shoes off and going paddling at the base of the falls. I felt like a proper American, if only I had some marshmallows to toast like I did on the first night when I got here.

One thing I have noticed already is the reliance on the car. People drive literally everywhere. In fact, they were staring at me when I was walking down the road carrying shopping...as if my car had broken down. Petrol here is ridiculously cheap, and the place is so vast that you really are stuck if you don't have a car. Luckily there's a bike for me to get around on, but I really do think I would be isolated if I was walking everywhere.

Finally, American people are very friendly. From the lovely airline people I met in Boston, to the workers here, to the average American in the street. Everyone has the time to stop and talk to you, they all tell you to have a lovely day and everyone's smiling here. It's a world away from some places in the UK