A lot of concrete, many cars, almost inexistent pedestrians. Empty sidewalks, streets full of vans and gigantic pick-ups and SUVs. High petrol consumption, very low environmental awareness.
First World country with the highest inequality amongst developed countries. Latent poverty and violence. Laws and more laws, rules and more rules, enforcement and more enforcement to try to contain the social tension and inequality. A country where it must be much harder to be poor: have to constantly see others buying and buying and buying and not even have free public healthcare. Mass consumption on each corner, be it of gas, food or clothes. Freedom taken to its limits, which brings individualism and does not give space for the social, the other. There is a lack of social bonding, of social welfare. And I shall say: a society which puts corn into every single food – even rice, ice-cream, chocolate and bread have it. Unbelievable!
It is a country with an incredible beautiful nature and I will definitely come back to enjoy the nature, travel with my parents (who btw love travelling there) and spend time with my American friends, who I absolutely love. It is actually interesting that my friends are almost the antithesis of all I have written above: they are not part of the consumerism culture, they try to live as local and organic as possible, they speak Spanish, they care about the other and two of them truly believe in the welfare state, which for Americans I guess it is not that common.
In any case there is New York, where there is a bit of everything and everyone. Cosmopolitan city with the hugest diversity in the world. The presence of the other brings that energy so necessary to the American society.
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