USA Expectations that were WRONG! (Surprises in America, First Impression) 

I'm quite frankly surprised by the amount of hate I receive for this video. This is not how I perceived the people when I was in the country and it's unfortunate to see this side now. If you feel offended by my impressions of my first US trip and think I'm generalizing, please watch the entire video, especially the part at 10:30, where I clearly state that that's all it is....a first impression.

Yeah, I would recommend traveling to other parts of the US. Every area, every state has it's own unique culture. Think of the US as like the EU where every state is a country. You really want your mind blown, go to Alaska.

Of course it is different. The SIZE of the USA is huge! Comparing the USA to a country in Europe is like comparing a watermelon to a grape! We have city life, NY,Boston,Chicago,etc. The North is different than the south.

We say we live in a certain city because most people who have no idea about the area will have no idea where we are talking about. For example, I lived a large portion of my early life in Carmel, Indiana. Almost no one outside of the middle of Indiana would know what that meant. Carmel is just North of Indianapolis, so I just started saying Indianapolis.

I think when you say “subdivision” you mean “suburb.” These are two different things. A subdivision is an area of land divided into plots for sale. A suburb is residential outlying district of a city. You are right, I say I grew up in LA, but I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles.

100% correct about driving here. People are out of control.

Actually if you wanna get a good taste of America, you need to visit as many National Parks and Forests as you can. The cities are nice, but our National Parks are second to none in the world. There's a bunch of cool ones in the Southwest, where a lot of Western movies were filmed. There's a big tour you can take on your own in a car called the Grand Circle that includes the Grand Canyon. Look that up and you will be amazed at what we have to offer in the States. It's stuff like that why most Americans never leave the country.

You need to keep in mind your experience in America really depends what part of the country you're in. We're a few countries within a country because America is huge.

By the way Phil, you have a good command of English. More so than my relatives and friends in Germany

Hey Phil, love your opinion on things, but I wish to clarify a few things. 1) Driving Infrastructure Yes, in some places it's pretty bad. But there's a reason for this. The weather. Because we have hot and cold extremes in the US, we get a lot of freezing and thawing cycles throughout the year and there's nothing harsher on road and bridge structures than that freeze-thaw cycle. We get potholes galore because of that. 2) Suburbs vs City Life Well, you're right, America doesn't have the same kind of city life that Europe has. Even in self-contained cities like New York. Our idea of entertainment is a bit different than Europe. There's too many to name here, so I'll just leave it vague. But piggybacking off of the driving thing, in America, we have a strong car culture, right? There are whole community groups that entertain themselves by having car (or truck) gatherings. From classics to modern exotics, and big 4-wheel drive truck and Jeep groups. Europe has their Raves, America loves its cars. But regarding suburbs, that's where most of the people who work.in the city live. Each suburb is usually self contained as well with shops, restaurants, and movie theaters. The cities are where the culture centers are. Museums and stuff like that.

The midwest has a lot of German immigrants, so there are many german breweries, restaurants, and festivals in the St Louis area. There are towns in Illinois with German names, like Millstadt, and Darmstadt which is where my family settled. Be sure to check it out.

The Atlanta example was spot on. I live abt 45 mins outside of Atlanta and if I’m talking to someone who isn’t from Georgia, I just say I’m from Atlanta

I'm from the suburbs of Los Angeles and you are so right, I like your videos!!!!

when you drive in US that is the time to jam out to good music or listen to talk radio. I couldn't drive without satellite radio. America is too big for public transportation. You wouldn't build a public tram to a town with 6 houses in it would you? We're all spread out. The city in Europe is where all the action takes place whereas in America the city is just a community center, a hub of population.

The douchy driving is so true. I think the main reason so many drivers here try to stop other cars from merging is because of another douchy thing drivers do here...intentionally cut in line. Instead of merging when they're supposed to, they wait until the last second and try to cut in. We hate that and it instills this natural instinct in us to try and stop it whenever we can

So I'm Canadian but most of this rings true for us too, especially the driving/car culture. Though because we have 1/10 the population of the USA, I'd say our infrastructure is even worse haha If you don't live in a major city, you pretty much have to own a car. For me, the closest major city is about 1 hour 30 minutes by car, but if you take public transportation that trip turns into about a 6 hour journey, because you literally have to wait an hour between buses. And you can only take the train up until about 7:30am because they are 'commuter' trains and only run in one direction for certain times. Once you actually get to the city, there isn't even really a city centre, and again the public transportation system is... not great haha Any time I have friends or family visit from Europe they are amazed by how inconvenient it all is haha

Phil, please go to our beautiful national parks next time in the USA. Yellowstone, Glacier, Everglades, Yosemite or Badlands would be interesting to hear your opinions on our national parks. Also enjoy Deana’s American perspective on your impressions; she’s a joy and makes the trips fun for you both.

I easily know 6 guys who drive trucks & only 1 of them uses it as a truck (and I live in LA). You are not wrong, sir! lol

I agree with almost all of this. I will say, ya'll in Europe are far crazier drivers than anyone in the US. Maybe Germany's different, but the roads and drivers in Paris, Rome, Barcelona are absolute chaos. People and their tiny scooters weaving in an out everywhere are far scarier than any giant pickup truck in the US.

I love videos like these. I watch Joel & Lia as well. I like hearing how foreigners view our everyday life. Maybe after seeing how spread out we live you understand why we drive bigger cars. Lots of Europeans comments on our big cars but with long drives we like more comfortable vehicles to spread out in.

My favorite is when someone says “all y’all”! Kind of redundant, but very plural! 😅

The entire southeast of the US says "y'all"

you are spot on, yea weather is nice in the South lol (from a German living in US for last 19 years )

Just a little correction from a fellow German: if you live in a big city in Europe it can also take you easily half an hour or hour to get to the city centre (Berlin, Munich, Hamburg). Let alone London: it typically takes an hour to get anywhere in London. Only difference is that you do it by public transport. And there are parts of the US that have quite good public transport: I saw more cycle racks on a Californian train from S.F. to Stanford than in any German or UK train. Washington / Arlington also has good public transport. But I have been told these places were rather exceptional in that sense. It just so happens that these were the places that I ended up visiting for work-related stuff. So I can proudly say that I managed to travel in the U.S without needing to rent a car.

You went to the US expecting Europe. Why??? US likes cars instead of trains. We like personal space instead of living on top of each other. We like privacy instead of everyone being in our business. We like individuality instead of everyone adopting the same thing. If you don't like these things then just stay in Europe instead of complain.... And I lived in Italy for 2 years and driving in Naples is FAR FAR FAR FAR crazier than driving anywhere in the US. I have been on 6 lane highways in Naples that didn't even have lane lines! It was just a free for all!

Phil, I live in the suburbs that is about a 50 minute drive outside New York city . You're right, you do need a car as mass transit is horrible unless you're in a big city like Manhattan, Chicago, or Los Angeles's to name a few. Great video.

Some spot on observations! Glad to see you are getting around and seeing more of the USA than many Americans do! Many towns in the northeast (especially New England) have very walkable towns. South and west, not so much.

4:34 Japanese big cities like Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka or Fukuoka are the opposite of American cities: Almost nothing can be reached by car because the streets are often so narrow You have everything reachable by foot Public transport brings you everywhere

Southern English can be difficult to understand. I've had particular problem with 2 friends from Arkansas both swallow their words.

Enjoyed your video. I am from Germany and my girlfriend is from the US, so we have been watching a bunch of videos like this and had some really nice discussion about the differences between the US and Germany. Since i am planning on moving to the US in the future, i will see if my experiences will be similar :D

When I was 17 we moved from Massachusetts to Florida. We stopped at a McDonald's in Georgia and I literally could not communicate with the clerk (we both spoke "english" only). I had to point to the buttons with the pictures of the food on them to get my order.

When he says subdivision, he means 'suburb'. Russian word is 'pri-gorod'. So yes people work in cities, but live in suburbs, and in expensive downtowns, or residential districts called neighborhoods. City centers are for office space, vertical malls, recreation areas, night clubs. Suburbs and neighborhoods are for living. American suburbia is a product of post-WWII development of American society.

6:28 as a motorcyclist, with nothing but paying attention, to do. I can tell you this is starting to scare me the most. EVERYONE uses their phones whole driving.

I just retired after working 43 years and I drove to work everyday of my working life. I do not even know what the inside of our city’s bus looks like or how much is the ride.

Funny you mentioned Atlanta. Any time someone asks me where I am from, I always say "Atlanta." Most of the time, people are going to say "what part?" "Duluth." I think it's probably like that for most across the U.S like you said.

Ich drücke dir die Daumen dass es mit dem neuen Kanal (und weiterhin mit dem anderen mit Deeana) gut läuft. Du produzierst wertvollen Content. Weiter so. Ich bin gerade im Stadion und drehe das nächste Vlog, schaue mir dein (mit Sicherheit sehr interessantes) Video also später an. Wollte nur einmal erster sein! 🙃 Glück auf!

American here. There are many cities in the USA (mostly on the east coast) which do have a city-centered life besides NYC. It has been making a big comeback in many cities and particularly here in Miami where many Germans come to play in our sun.

living in south Africa my whole life having grown up with American television and all that you hear about it, I have always wanted to go over and see it for myself. thanks for sharing such an amazing insight into the country.

Lol, your impression is right...lived here all my life.

Europe is compact, with cities having evolved long before America was around, and each country occupies a small land area compared with the U.S. America was settled from East to West in patterns, with population density concentrated in the East and Midwest. Each city has its distinct neighborhoods, which are like villages in a city, and the subdivisions you are referring to are actually the suburbs. As far as tinted windows are concerned, hardly anyone has them. By the way, I've been to Frankfurt and Berlin and found Germany to be a nice place.

You got the subdivisions right. We used to call then "bedroom communities". The US is getting more European with so-called "Mixed Use Developments" where you live, shop, work, and get entertained in the same square mile. This cut downs on pollution and commute times. Still these residents will be tempted to go "off campus" and explore new stores.

There are douchy drivers everywhere, but in Milwaukee we generally don't close up the gap and allow cars and semi trucks to merge.

I can't relate to things being spread out i live in North Jersey.

We are definitely not a walking society. Very good video. One thing about the weather in FL. It doesn't cool down at night in the summer, much like Texas. SC nights tend to be cooler. By cooler I mean it'll get into the 70's. I've watched a few of your videos and the passing on the right thing is not supposed to be allowed. Police keep saying that they are going to start enforcing this but never get around to it. Most people will get on the highway and immediately get in the middle or left lane, even when there's no one around them. It's so much easier to get in the right lane and pass than to try and pass on the left.

Man, I'm from a "suburb" of Los Angeles (where disneyland is) and EVERYTHING you said is EXTREMELY TRUE. Our big cities, even Los Angeles, don't have much character. Our people are not connected as much and I think is resulting in our divide. Although I've heard it is much different in the rural areas of the U.S., especially the South. The cars part is funny. Yes, when you drive here if is a "ME FIRST" mentality that also drives our separation. Also, the transportation is just strange here. On one hand, our country is MUCH too large to have a sustainable country wide train system. Despite our 300M population, there wouldn't be a sizeable enough customer base for it to run properly. As for the cities, it was just poor planning. And you have to remember, many of the cities here FLOURISHED at the turn of the century when cars were being manufactured. This caused the cities to be BUILT ARPUND THE AUTOMOBILE, Los Angeles is the most extreme case of this. Look up the history of it, it's very interesting and will explain why Los Angeles is sooo spread out. But overall, awesome video! But please try to visit as many different states/communities as you can. They are all vastly different

You went to Boston and the South. 2 of the most different sounding English in the US. Not surprised you had a hard time understanding people. Pittsburgh is an area with its on sound that is hard to pick up as well.

I wish foreigners would explore more of our country than just our big cities like New York.

You are pretty much spot on! From a Dane living in the US

As an American who's been to Europe a few times and recently to Luxembourg and Trier Germany, I'm able to see my home country through a different set of eyes. I liked just about everything better back there except for the limited parking, and the feeling that I didn't quite belong. Also, like you mentioned, the weather is sunnier overall in the USA. There is a subtle feeling of lawlessness in the U.S. in general that works with my naturally disobedient personality. The parking garages in Luxembourg were so neat, clean, quiet and orderly that I almost couldn't believe they were real. I accidentally dropped a carton of milk that I had bought at an Aldi, and my conscience made me go get a t-shirt out of my backpack, wipe up the spill, and then use my drinking water to wipe away any stickiness that remained. And this was just the floor of the parking garage. Kind of impressive to me how well they maintain their spaces over there.

I think I agree with most things in this video with he exception of car culture and English. I live like 30 min outside of Atlanta. But I understand the generalization you have from where you went that that's where your thoughts are going to be based on. Everything in the US in my opinion depends on where you live. Like you said "subjective" everything in your thoughts are subject to change. I bet your impressions will change when you explore more and find more people and places. Hope you love staying even more next time! One thing I always say even when I was hosting a frenchie for 2 weeks was never judge the US by the movies lol. The states, cities, wherever always are subject to change. (Btw the hate is just the people who don't understand the generalization of the video like you said lol...they should watch with an open mind lol)

Loved this video. Your observations were generally spot on [disclaimer: I've been to WONDERFUL Germany a couple of times. LOVE it there!] You made some very true observations that need context. One of the worst mistakes my country ever made was deciding that somehow people should not live and shop in the same area. BIG mistake that lead to this urban sprawl. But much of that was inspired by President Eisenhower's service in Europe in WWII. He saw the incredible efficiency of the German Autobahn system and how it allowed Hitler to move his forces quickly to redeploy them. Thus was born the US Interstate Highway system, with over 5MM miles of highway, all built with the edict that (geography permitting) every 1 mile in 5 was built straight as a arrow to serve as an emergency airstrip. The other observation I question is your comments about American grocery stores and how they were plentiful but pricey. This astounds me. Food costs in the US are generally very low by global standards. On my [admittedly brief] excursions to Europe, I found their food selections very expensive and very limited compared to what I was accustomed. Lastly: ACCENTS. The voices you hear on American TV and movies are purposely designed to be the most basic, generic American accent of the upper Midwest. The USA is a large and diverse nation. What you call the "Hollywood" accent ain't what it really is. Go to Los Angeles and hear their speech. NOTHING like what you see on TV. India has over 200 different dialects. Same with USA but to a much lesser extreme.

Wait WAIT did u say no BUSES!?!? my city has to many! its a infestaion of BUSES and we even have a train that ges through our city its called the tide my city is Norfolk VA visit us so u can see your buses and trains

I am Phil too. Born and raised in Ohio. You make great points. I agree with most of what you have said. Thank you.

Important to note just based on your first observation... Germany in sq miles is roughly 138,000. The state of California alone is 160,000. Texas is like 240,000. I think the amount of land lends cities to be more widespread. There are of course apartments and smaller housing in these big cities. But most comfortable (and quite frankly affordable) living happens 5-8 miles outside of city limits. Even as someone from the US, I sometimes don't grasp how huge and expansive this country is.

Not everyone lives in a subdivision. I would say that I live on the Northside of town or the south side. Or I would give a landmark. For example, I live close to a well-known road in the city called Lascassas Pike. I would say that I live off Lascassas Pike close to the university. I would say I live in a part of a town/city rather than a subdivision. Subdivisions bring to mind a grouping of similar homes that are concentrated in a neighborhood with an elaborate gate or fence and they usually have a brick sign with a made-up name for their middle class subdivision.

I mean a lot of public transportation in america isn't great but we do have buses in every city, gray hound buses in between cities, amtrak to travel across the country by train, and most major cities have some kind of train system. It's just that most people prefer to drive than to use public transportation.

One thing I do want to clarify , is that a lot of people do live in the city. The people who say “I’m from DC” even though they live in Virginia are often scowled by people who ACTUALLY live in DC. It’s very common for them to be corrected and say “you live in Virginia!” Not DC. I think you must’ve hung out with someone that lives in the suburb

Road conditions vary a great deal depending on what part of the country you are in. I grew up in Iowa where the roads are always shit, mostly because of the harsh winters and the use of salt for de-icing. Now I live in Arizona near Phoenix. The roads are beautiful except for the occasional rough spot. Although it's easy to have nice roads when you really don't have a winter and rain is less frequent. Also I would highly recommend you visit Wisconsin or northern Iowa you ever feel homesick for Germany. The majority of the people there have Germanic roots and traditions. In fact I have friends that have been to Germany and they say even the landscape is similar (except no mountain areas)

You should visit Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia (those cities Also have City life like NYC)

As an American I agree with all of these. Especially driving! It drives me crazy when I put my blinker on to move into a lane and the car speeds up and refuses me to get in front of them. Phil don’t let the haters get to you!

This is the most accurate take on life in US v Europe that I've seen. Forget about crime, we both have it. Forget about guns, US has them, Europe doesn't, but try to find someone in the US who's seen a gunfight in person(TV doesn't count), except for military veterans, good luck, no one has. The main difference is the US is built around cars, Europe is built around walking, and the result is radically different lifestyles.

The main reason why people drive around with tinted windows is it saves energyas far as having the car air conditioning on it doesn't have to work as hard as compared to cars without windows

Very good video, as an American I love seeing what others think of our country

US is lawless driving? Have you driven in Rome? Or Brazil? Or Paris?

I live in Atlanta. (LOL Actually, an hour from the center city.) When one travels to other parts of the state, it does become difficult to understand what some people are saying. True.

City life in America is neighborhood related. America was created for and around cars. Some major car companies would even buy bus lines and trolly lines and tear them down or stop them from running so people would have to buy cars. It was not our choice as a society. It happened to us. So we had to deal with it.

In general it's pretty correct. America is very diverse though in that you can live by the ocean, mountains, dessert, lake, city or county. Accents do vary

A subdivision is a part of a suburb typically with homes on one street that is combined into a small community of homes that typically share the same appearance. A suburb is a smaller city attached to a large metropolitan city. For example, I live in a suburb of Nashville, TN. It’s called Murfreesboro and is actually it’s own city. It is 35 minutes away so we’d call it a suburb. It is somewhat connected to the main city (Nashville) and people typically commute to and from these cities. A subdivision is located in a city, a suburb, or can be in the country but is most likely in a city. There can be several subdivisions in a city. There can be several suburbs around a major city. Within the major city, there are areas of the city called “neighborhoods” which are a part of that city, but if it is its own city, it would automatically be called a suburb. If the city is so far from the main city that you can’t really work in one and live in the other, it is no longer a suburb-it’s just a city.

Heyo Phill, I would like to know how ads looks like in USA? I heard that they are super annoing. Its true tho that when I feeled a bit confident in Deutsch language I went to Bavaria and the Deautsh there felt diffirent yet thanks to our common culture it was easy to adapt.

1.) Spot on, and very true outside of NYC, LA, Austin, Miami, etc. I live in upstate NY in a suburb outside of a smaller city. 2.) Our culture is very car-centric. Again spot on correct. In the cities there are methods of public transportation but this is why taxis and uber are very popular in America. There are towns and villiages which are smaller and easily walkable, but they are usually vastly different from the larger cities - culturally and politically. 3.) Trucks are as common here as Ladas in soviet countries. South Carolina isn't really the best representation for vehicles as the Carolinas seem to have a current obsession with lifted trucks. Honestly I think this may be because you are not used to seeing them regularly - we have more compact car drivers here than truck drivers. At least in the North. We also have harsh winter climates where SUV's and Trucks are more of a necessity since we do not cancel work or school or harsh weather conditions. Yes, American drivers are assholes. 100% agree. 4.) We have a pretty nice temperate climate, but winters really suck up North. Visit Florida, you will absolutely love it. 5.) Boston accents are the strongest in the US. Southern ones are second. Because our country is so huge, there are several dialects. Where I live, we sound Canadian. 6.) Again, dependent on where you are. Some cities and towns have a lot of places to walk to. In some of the major cities people do not own cars at all (NYC). I hope you'll visit again, I'd suggest checking out some of the more northern states like Upstate NY, Vermont, Maine. I'd also recommend checking out the west - Montana, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, etc. California is... meh.

You have a lot of valid points about how things are in the US, but I am only going to address one: Large pickup trucks. Yes, it is certainly true that the majority of truck owners very seldom use their full capacity, but that brings us to this choice: Does it make more sense to A) Have one vehicle that can do everything from carrying or towing the largest loads (even if only infrequently) to making short local trips; B) Have one vehicle that does all of the smaller tasks and then have to borrow or rent something when you have a large job to do; or C) Have two vehicles, one that does the small things and one that does the large. For me, and apparently a whole lot of other Americans, it makes much more sense to own a single vehicle that does everything than to either have to borrow or rent something when I need to do a "big" job or own two vehicles to cover a separate range of tasks each.

I think a lot of the misconceptions and culture shock of Europeans coming to the U.S. for the first time is because they just can't fathom how enormous the country is. Most of the 50 states are much larger in landmass and population than most European countries. With much more distance to cross, people need their cars, not public transportation. You won't be taking a subway between Houston and Dallas. The country is gigantic, and so there is far, FAR more space between things. European countries are small, so everything has to be tightly packed together. As such, Europeans have to take public transportation or walk everywhere in their daily lives. Because space is at a premium, everything is smaller. The U.S. is a vastly different landscape, and with far more space, everything from houses to cars is bigger. There is no "city life" because most Americans don't have to live in the city like Europeans because of limited space, and there is far more to do outside cities than in them, especially on the weekends. Because the weather is much better in the U.S., Americans have a much stronger outdoor culture than Europe, and so prefer to spend time in outdoor activities rather than inside the city on weekends. Most Americans also don't live in the cities because the quality of life is better outside them. Since a lot of Americans work in the cities, they prefer to separate their work and home life by living in the suburbs or even the countryside and commuting into the city for work. If you really want to experience fantastic weather, get to the southern California coast. I'm talking Santa Monica, Malibu, San Diego, Newport Beach, San Juan Capistrano, anywhere on the coast that's two miles or less from the ocean. It's mid 70's to mid 80's all year round with zero humidity, and it rains about five days per year. People say the Mediterranean has great weather. I've been to the Mediterranean, and it gets blazing hot depending on the time of year. I've traveled quite a bit, and the most consistent and pleasant weather in the world bar none is on the southern California coast. Even inland a bit will be mid to high 80's with some days in the low 90's, again with only five days of rain per year with zero humidity.

You'll encounter a lot of trucks in the South, but it depends on their needs. It seems at times a "macho" thing to some, but not really the reality for others. Many down here have trucks in more rural areas due to moving stuff. Many hunt and put game (deer, boar, bear, etc) in the back of trucks. There is a lake nearby, so many use trucks to tow a boat or kayak. They may chop and move firewood quite a bit. They may haul other things like household items/furniture, motorcycles/bikes, etc. It varies, but trucks are more common in the South. A lot of people define America based on what they see on TV, but even that changes depending on TV program. Regarding the speaking thing, English (especially in the US) has many different accents and dialects. English is a very flexible language to begin with. Wait til you see a lot more of the US. I live in NC, but have been to 38 states and 2 territories (Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico). You'll notice so many different accents and differences in vocabulary. You'll notice different Southern accents as well (NC, SC, GA, MS, AL, FL, VA etc all have different accent variations). Sometimes these accents can vary within each state. I guess a lot of people don't realize just how huge America really is and how diverse it is. Even Americans who visit other states/regions end up being surprised at times, so I understand what you're saying. Germany was very different for me in some ways, as were other countries. Many from the North talk really fast and sometimes their words seems to blend into one, while many in the South talk slow and somehow their words seem to blend (not well enunciated). People in Boston have a different accent from people in NYC or New Jersey. I visited Louisiana a few times and had a hard time understanding some of the people there. I've encountered a lot of stupid drivers every single place I've been, so it's not just the South. Just this week, I almost T-boned a guy who ran a stop sign, and was almost hit by a guy who ran a red light (I was trying to make a left turn after pulling out while the light was still green). I've seen people up North who have no idea what a turn signal is, or who ride others' asses and swerve through traffic. The more you travel the US, the more "first impressions" you're going to get. Buckle up and hang on for the ride.

3:21. You sure man? Because even my small town has public buses 😂😂! I live in East coast.

Yes walkability is poor here in US. I can only say to defend it, you get used to it. If you are working, with a family, most of your time is at work or home. When you do have a small amount of leisure time, you know the area well and you have your favorite places in town, or nearby city, and you just drive there, and spend time there. And then go home. Not super exciting I guess, but there are ways to adjust. The upside is you have a much larger more comfortable house. I myself prefer a more urban area, but I don’t mind the time in the suburbs when I visit my parents.

Three points: 1. Your English is excellent. Well done. 2. _"Suburbia vs City Life":_ I am happy to not have to deal with the night life of Dallas (or anywhere else, really), nor do I want to live too close to where I work -- When I get off work, I like a peaceful night, as opposed to partying, arguments and ambulances. If I want to increase my chances of those things, I can go where those things are -- where they belong. 3. Infrastructure: The roads are generally terrible, because they can't be built to German standards -- the water tables are too high, or (most often) the design of German/Western European roadways is simply too expensive for most US cities to handle, even spreading it over time, because they are so large. And there are buses and trains in most major cities...but they are very limited in scale/scope; cars are easier. ...Interesting take on the darkened windows, though -- I never considered that. Well done, again!

All of your observations are fairly accurate. We (Americans) do rely on the car to get to most places. Most people live in the suburbs of major cities. There are lots of things to do in the suburbs but, as you pointed out, you usually need a car to drive to those activities. Trucks are very popular in the US. Most people don't really need them but it's a cultural thing. I would like to emphasize that we do have a very big country with many accents and a lot of people who speak English as a second language. For this reason, you can find a job, a lifestyle, and a type of climate that can satisfy almost anyone. I live in Colorado. Physical fitness and outdoor leisure is very important to many people in this state. So, if you like hiking, skying, kayaking, and all that kind of stuff, I recommend that you and your girlfriend take a trip out here. Well, wherever you decide to go, I hope that you have a great time and meet some nice people. Don't let any unpleasant comments on youtube bother you. Some people are unhappy and they just enjoy being trolls. I have watched a couple of your videos and I find your perspective interesting. I am sure that most people would agree with that assessment.

Many times, foreigners have expectations of America based on movies. Well, hasn't anyone seen Deliverance or Roger and Me?

As an American, Baltimore Maryland native, the city life is more for younger crowd, every once in awhile going to the city to hang out is cool, you have your local bars, clubs restaurants, but mostly traveling into the city is because maybe you have a dr appt, going to court, work, or some type of government assistance, and the city life is a bit dangerous depending on where you going. A true experience of the US is our natural parks, beaches, country side living and local restaurants, and neighborhoods festivals.

I understand what you mean by lifestyle. College towns are good for interacting and most places are in walking distance, I wish America would adopt to that infrastructure more, it would definitely give us a sense of community

Driving is lawless lol your right there, had me laughing there.

Your perspective is pretty much on point..The thing is there is a big difference in smaller town America and big city America...Towns are much more walk around friendly and more of a community..Alot of it is picking a good location to fit your lifestyle..I work in DC but I live in a small town a hour away..Because city life isn't for me.. And you would be amazed at how much cheaper everything is when you get away from the city's..

So, living in Phoenix, Arizona, there are entire smaller "cities" inside Phoenix because the city is just so huge. They all used to be separate places that you have to drive to, but stuff just kept getting built in between and now it all one thing. Downtown Phoenix is where the skyscraper buildings are and nobody actually lives there because it's mostly all businesses. Everything is designed with cars in mind. You could live in Laveen or Glendale and they are 40 minute car drives but still part of Phoenix, the city as a whole. There is Buckeye, Laveen, Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, and even these spaces are big and can be split into smaller places. And you could drive past huge mansions and then drive 10 minutes and suddenly be by Metro, which is filled with drug addicts, and homeless people. It's crazy.

I love the US! I live in Minnesota and people are very nice here most of the time. Drivers are nice. I am not a big fan of the US cities but I love National Parks!

Lol you’re right about a lot of things! For what it’s worth though, New York was the worst place to choose for a first choice haha

You & Deanna need to see Minnesota for a Summer. All the walking, biking, and many parks within distance of the Twin Cites. Especially Lake Minnetonka. Late August is the most festive time for us. Also, I recommend renting a car for any American journeys. America is full of eye-candy; Zion National, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon...

depends on the city we have apartments inside city centers but they are not cost effective so we live right outside the city in suburbs.

Not to worry Phil - it is the internet - the place where people can be at they're worst because there aren't many real consequences. You' got a great video, and you were honest. There's nothing to complain about. Your critiques are in generally spot on, there are very few European scaled/ style cities in the US, where are car is definitely more than just a convenience. I would caution you on your weather assumptions - 2 1/2 months of nice weather is indeed possible almost anywhere in the US - depending on the time of year and the location. but US weather - almost everywhere, is more extreme than the weather in Germany- and well outside many peoples comfort zones depending on which season is most extreme where you are staying. I hope that you have many more opportunities to form a broader impression.

It’s true we don’t have adult stores next to churches or schools like Europe

I'm born and raised in Los Angeles and life is very different, in my experience at least, there's more of that lifestyle vibe you were wanting. More of, but not exactly, since everything is so spread and public transportation is shit, it's all still Los Angeles though. It's difficult to explain, lol. More lifestyle living than suburbs but less than what I imagine a place like Paris is. I think also you just get used to the driving: couple friends, good music, it's part of whatever you're doing that night/weekend--its fun, there's a whole sub culture to it ☺️. Like cruising was a big thing when I was in highschool and we didn't have any money. We'd all just pitch in for gas and drive around. Good times, great memories 😁. Ps: sorry you got so much hate people are stupid 🙄

Whereabouts in Germany do you come from?

The next time you visit the USA, you should come down south. Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, etc. The pace of living is slow and easy and the people for the most part are very hospitable and friendly and we have the best food in the country down here in the south.

In places where there aren't a lot of (or any for that matter) exotic cars, Pickup Trucks are the Status Symbol. Because they just as luxurious as most cars now and in turn cost more than a typical car. They are also the most customizable. There are literally whole websites and shops dedicated to aftermarket parts you can buy to add to your truck to give it a personalized look. I have a 2016 F150 Lariat (

A lot of this resonates, and I'm an American! The roads are definitely in disrepair. Bad combination with distracted drivers. I used to lived in Santa Cruz and commute to Silicon Valley via highway 17 through the mountains - a somewhat dangerous route. There were many rough patches of road and outright potholes, and despite that, of course many of the drivers were on their cellphones. When I was commuting via a company bus, I could usually count about 10 drivers fiddling with their cell phones while driving along that route (about a 30 minute commute). Plenty of regions with pretty aggressive drivers here unfortunately. I grew up and learned how to drive in LA (Los Angeles, not Louisiana), which feels insane every time I go back - there is outright recklessness there. Also drove between LA and SF many times and I do not miss the insane drivers and trucks on the I-5. I lived in the Charleston area in South Carolina for about a year, the drivers there are mostly tame compared to LA, which was super nice - people there are way more courteous in general. In other ways unfortunately South Carolina felt decades behind the rest of the US. Sticking to the topic of roads - the merging lanes end so abruptly and without warning, which is super annoying and dangerous.

I think, for the most part, many Americans want land. The large house, with a big yard, and a white picket fence life. I think most definitely don't want to be entrenched upon with businesses. We're so used to getting in a car and driving for few mins to do what we got to do. Plus, the U.S is HUGE. Nice video.

Hi Phil! Ya'll is definitely not rare slang in the South, it's extremely common. The accents in America vary A LOT, it's just that Hollywood normally only portrays the Middle America one (which is pretty close to mine, honestly). As for the trucks, it depends on where you are again. Some people drive them for looks or style, but most people in the South drive them because they do haul things. We do a lot of our own building, moving, hunting, etc. here, so having a vehicle you can toss some building materials, paint buckets, furniture, hay, etc. in the back of is a huge help.

i think you'r right about most you say about the usa end same goose for canada as well

Weather being better than Germany. Wisconsin laughs in Blizzards and -40° during a polar vortex. Gulf States laugh in Hurricanes. Great Plains laugh in Tornadoes. Guam laughs in Typhoons. Lake Superior laughs in the Witch of November... Arizona laughs in 110° ...

All the states are so different. You mentioned the weather being the best in the world, but every state is so different. Minnesota in the winter is not the best. It becomes very cold, and like Florida it is nice in the winter, but very hot and humid in the Summer. I would recommend the mid west if you want to see what America is really like

If you ever visit Florida check out one or more of our many swimming springs with crystal clear water. I made a video on my channel with my girlfriend who is also from Germany. I live in a small rural town in central Fl, so she got to see all kinds of wildlife and she loved a campground called Alexander Spring located in the Ocala National Forrest. The crystal clear swimming springs are not as touristy as Orlando, unless you like theme parks and touristy placea. My girlfriend had the same issues about how we don't have many sidewalks and having to use a car to get everywhere. But she really loved the nature, the swimming springs and canoeing and hiking Don nature trails. So, next time you guys come to the u.s. if you come to Florida, check out one of our many swimming springs. Alexander Springs is one of my favorites, but we have hundreds of swimming springs with manatees, all kinds of wildlife.