Tricycles, Taco Stands, And 14 More Things Non-Americans Living In The US Miss Most About Home
I recently asked the non-American members of the BuzzFeed Community who live or have lived in the US to share some of the things they miss most about their home countries.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Here's what they had to say:
1."I moved to the US (PA) 5 years ago from the UK, and as much as I miss the food and convenience of being in London... I really miss my family and the NHS (free healthcare). It's so expensive to look after yourself in the US. My health has gone completely tits up since being here."
2."The school system. My little sister is going through it, but I graduated back in my country [Venezuela] and I [feel like] she is studying stuff in her high school that I already knew in my middle school years."
3."My partner moved from another country and always said the easiness of making a doctor's appointment. Not so much run around with insurances and a million requirements to maybe be covered."
4."VAT-inclusive prices (i.e. sales taxes). In my home country, the prices on the shelf are already inclusive of any VAT, so what you see is exactly what you get at the checkout, so while shopping, you can calculate and budget. So when I first went to the US and went to a Walmart, I was culture shocked that the total amount was actually doubled to what I had calculated. I thought that the cashier was wrong, but I learned that the US add on their taxes after. I soon found out that taxes differ by states."
5."I moved to the US from Australia in 2012, with my husband and 2-and-a-half-year-old. At first, I missed everything — my family and friends obviously, but food, TV shows, my car, knowing how to get places without needing a map or GPS, finding my favorite brands at the store, getting medical care without being stressed about the cost, being able to quickly recognize money, understanding slang and colloquialisms, my birthday being in winter."
"It was ridiculous and so much harder than I expected. After 11 years here, and 4 years without seeing my family because of the pandemic, as much as I still miss Aussie foods and the footy and stuff like that, I mostly just miss being able to see and speak to the people I love whenever I want. Even the time difference feels like a huge barrier and whenever something happens, big or small, knowing I can’t share it with them hurts my heart. I wish I could go home but there are things I love here too so I can’t complain." —bboodle
6."I moved to the US in 2018 from Venezuela. Even tho my country has a lot of bad things, I miss the doctors. Here it seems like doctors are so unreachable, like gods. You have to [schedule appointments two to three months ahead]."
7."I’m going to speak for my husband who moved to the US from Belize many years ago. He misses the ocean (we live in a land-locked state), the fresh food, the food in general, the more relaxed, simple way of life. There are reasons why he does live here, and generally likes the US, but I know he’d love to move to Belize again if the opportunity arises."
8."I moved here from Mexico when I was 7, and what I miss the most is how easily you can get really good food for really cheap really close to your house, even during late evenings. There are taco stands everywhere!"
9."I moved to the US from the Dominican Republic and honestly no place on earth can compare to my homeland. Even though it's pretty poor, it is rich in cocoa beans and has the best bread on earth and it is known for its beautiful blue clear beaches and white/light beige sand. The food is delicious. The air smells delicious. The weather is always hot/cool wind (but mostly hot even in the winter or when it's rainy) and every part is just so amazing that you wouldn't wanna leave."
10."I moved to the US 20 years ago from the Philippines. One of the things I miss are the tricycles. It’s a motorcycle attached to a passenger cab that commuters take to easily go from one place to another. We also call it 'trike.' I remember going to a grocery store or market and tricycles are lined up outside, just choose which one you want, hop on and tell the driver where to go. I miss how I felt so close to the ground being in the passenger cab, given how low it is. Even its smell of diesel I miss."
11."Breakfast cereal that not only doesn't have added sugar, but also doesn't replace it with artificial sweeteners. I don't want breakfast to taste like dessert!"
12."I moved from France — danettes (a type of dessert pudding), boulangeries everywhere (bakeries), and having everything in walking distance."
13."Trains and better public transportation."
14."I moved to the US from Singapore in 2015. Honestly, I miss the food and the convenience most of all. Not having to drive everywhere? Being able to walk to a mall or grocery store whenever I want? Taking the bus? Not paying an arm and leg if I don't want to cook? The variety of food available? I miss it a lot but I also enjoy my life in the US. I fit in so much better and have had such great opportunities to excel without losing my personality."
15."I moved to the more individualistic US from the more collectivist Korea about 10 years ago now. I moved because as a gay man, I knew that I wouldn't be able to live the life I wanted to live in Korea. But that being said, there are multiple facets of collectivist society that I miss — people being respectful and polite to each other in public (e.g., quietly waiting in line for stuff), very safe and well-run public facilities (such as subways, buses, and trains), and most importantly, easy and cheap access to healthcare!"
"If I fell ill in Korea, I can go to a hospital the same day, get seen by a doctor, and be in and out with a prescription within 1–2 hours. In the US, it baffles me that I have to jump through hoops to set an appointment for TWO WEEKS LATER to see a doctor. Americans pride themselves for being individualistic (which is great for individual rights), but because of that, they lose a LOT of the benefits of basic societal functions that require collective action." —paperrev
