Yesterday I wrote a blog post about the things I am going to miss about Medellin, once my husband and I move to the USA and I receive my spousal visa. Today, I want to dedicate this post to the five things I am most excited about living in the United States of America.
1. The beauty of nature and the cities:
The USA has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. There is in its territory a wide variety of climates, including deserts, tropical and icy lands. Most of the cities have fantastic architecture, museums, gorgeous parks, and places for appreciating scenic arts. Last year, I had the chance to ice-skate with my husband outside, that was such a memorable experience. I am curious to know what other new activities I am going to be able to do there.
2. The diversity of cultures:
It is fascinating to me that the USA is a country where you can find people from seemingly everywhere in the world but are considered Americans too. I love the diversity of cultures and religions that live together. In my opinion, being exposed to so many different ways of thinking enriches people's knowledge, creativity, and problem-solving. They can learn various approaches for tackling a situation depending on the philosophies of life and cultures surrounding them. As I grew up in a monocultural country, I am excited about integrating diversity as part of my everyday life and grow more as a human being.
3. The opportunity of being prosperous:
It probably sounds cliché to say that America is the land of freedom, but I believe that it is true. From an outsider's perspective, and as someone who lived for a year in the USA, I can say that whoever has the dream of building a better future for themselves, as long as they have the strength and the willingness to work hard, can achieve it there.
The American dream still represents for many people the freedom to profess a religion, whatever it is, without being persecuted by the government. It represents being able to speak openly about something you may or may not agree with without being jailed or killed. In Colombia, we have "freedom of speech," but narcotraffickers and corrupted politicians often kill journalists and social leaders. In the USA, people can create businesses, prospering as much as wanted (as long as it is legal), without being expropriated by political leaders. That is a privilege that our Venezuelan neighbors did not have not too long ago during the dictatorship of Hugo Chavez. I consider that America is a land of opportunities that open its treasures to whoever knows to work intelligently and honesty.
4. Food and shopping: An advantage of having people from all over the world in one single country is that it makes it easy to find every kind of food you can think of. I love Mexican food. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find a good Mexican restaurant in Colombia. That is not a problem at all in the USA; Whether you are a vegan or you love meats, you will always find plenty of options.
Another thing that makes me feel very excited is shopping! I can't help it; I get giddy thinking about it. To go shopping with friends is an activity I enjoy a lot, especially in the USA where the design of clothes is excellent, and the prices are reasonable. We have some American stores in Colombia, but usually, the prices are higher here for the costs of bringing the items, and the payment of taxes and the selection isn't the best.
5. Adventure: Finally, starting a new life in another country is going to be an adventure full of dreams that my husband and I are going to build together. We are going to have learning experiences, visit new places, make new friends, and overcome new challenges. I am very grateful for having the opportunity to bring my skills to America, contribute to the growth of this great country and one day, be called an "American" myself.