13 Things About the USA I Can’t Live Without Anymore | Feli from Germany

++Reason for blurs/muted audio: This channel was renamed in Oct 2021. All references to the old name have been removed.++
🇺🇸 5 years ago today (8/13/2016) is when I got on a plane from Munich to Paris and from Paris to Cincinnati, Ohio to do an exchange semester at the University of Cincinnati. It wasn't the first time in the US for me, but the first time that I would actually LIVE there for about 5 months. I was really nervous but I ended up having the most amazing time during that exchange semester which is why I kept coming back to the US over and over again until I won the Green Card Lottery and was able to stay for as long as I wanted. Long story short: Today marks 5 years of me living in the US and there are quite a few things about this country that I don't wanna live without anymore today!

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PO Box 19521
Cincinnati, OH 45219
USA
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0:00 Intro
1:51 1) AC
5:20 2) Customer Service
7:09 Skillshare
09:07 3) Convenience
10:24 4) Space
11:07 5) Connecting with People
11:43 6) Kettle Corn
12:30 7) Carpeted Floors
13:04 8) Neighborhood Pools
13:47 9) Bar Culture
15:27 10) Mexican Food
16:02 11) Positive Mindset
16:46 12) Flexibility
17:54 13) Drive-Thrus
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ABOUT ME: Hallo, Servus, and welcome to my channel! My name is Felicia (Feli), I'm 27, and I'm a German living in the USA! I was born and raised in Munich, Germany but have been living in Cincinnati, Ohio off and on since 2016. I first came here for an exchange semester during my undergrad at LMU Munich, then I returned for an internship, and then I got my master's degree in Cincinnati. I was lucky enough to win the Green Card lottery and have been a permanent resident since 2019! In my videos, I talk about cultural differences between America and Germany, things I like and dislike about living here, and other experiences that I have made during my time in the States. Let me know what YOU would like to hear about in the comments below. DANKE :)
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[isaac_owens]

As someone who works in the service industry here in America, I really appreciate that people from other countries actually notice the difference. Because there are a lot of American customers who are very very rude to us even when we’re courteous. So thanks🥺

[ashconner]

I'm from South Florida. Anybody who spends even five minutes in South Florida just is so grateful somebody invented the air conditioner

[jeromebarry]

The "I got sick" right after moving to U.S. is common to all people who move to new places in the world. Each individual's immunities are customized to their home. They move to another place and find unfamiliar viruses.

[pahtar]

We had a German exchange student for a couple weeks in 1999 while living in the Seattle area. I studied German in high school and noted that his English was much better than my German at his age. There were a few aspects of America he seemed to thoroughly enjoy:

1) He was excited to go to Nike Town where he brought out a list of things he (or his friends back home) wanted, things that would cost a double in Germany. Even though he knew what to expect, he was struck by the huge selection, even jerseys of many players from other parts of the country. That held true for other things as well; he was thrilled at having options for food, music, and just about everything else.
2) He (mostly) fit in the American culture quickly, as he'd observed much of it via TV, movies, etc. Many things were different in real life, but overall it was familiar and comfortable. We took him on a tour of the Boeing factory, went to museums, took him to a baseball game, and did various other activities around Seattle. He seemed to have a great time and learned alot.
3) He also enjoyed the open space and varied landscape. Within a couple hours drive of our house you can go to the beach, climb snowcapped mountains, float down placid rivers, picnic at huge waterfalls, ride horses at a ranch, go island hopping by ferry, go whale watching, visit a rain forest with some of the tallest trees in the world, go scuba diving with a giant octopus, and so much more. And that's in just one tiny corner of the country!

The space can bring challenges too. One time he asked, "Can we go down to California next weekend? It's only two states away, right?" He's from southwest Germany just a few minutes from France and Switzerland, so going to another state, or even country, wasn't a big deal for him. I brought out a map of the US and said, "See California? That's the size of Germany." His jaw dropped and he decided California would wait for another trip. If he was in New England going two states away is no big deal, but out west it's a different world.

[Therealchad]

We are hosting a German exchange student from Berlin this year. She has already expressed many of the things you touched on here. We have watched a lot of your content the past year and have learned a lot about the German culture from it. Thanks for the great videos!

[zonacrocone]

Having emigrated from Bavaria to the US 26 years ago I must say I agree with each and every point. Those were the reasons I came here and I never regretted it.

[nunyabusiness]

It's so refreshing to hear someone from Europe saying all the good things they find in the US. Usually it's the same old boring Euro-superiority that we get. You're so positive and enthusiastic about what we get right it's a real breath of fresh air.

[dalecooper]

Thanks for having nice things to say about the US. I was a Brazilian exchange student in Michigan myself, and I chose to settle my life in Brazil despite crime and corrupt socialist politicians (every place has its problems) because Brazil has other nice things to offer.
I really don't like when I watch young American influencers on YouTube today bashing the USA for virtue signaling, and taking everything else they have and enjoy for granted. You are a gust of fresh air.

[danielmoore]

The US is happy to have you. You're adorable.

[DeusEx]

As someone who moved from Germany to the USA when I was 15 years old, I completely have to agree with you on all points. I remember when I first got here there were some things that just seemed odd and out of place, but I have grown to love and appreciate those things. The only thing I still despise is the crazy number of billboards we have in the US. They're terrible eye sores.

[TBustah]

I think it merits mentioning to the outsiders in the audience that drive-through wedding chapels are NOT something that Americans use on the regular. They’re something of a running joke, usually involving an eloping couple, a shotgun wedding, a rash decision made while in Las Vegas, or some other less than ideal circumstance. This is anecdotal, but most of the real people I’ve heard about using these facilities were already married couples who simply wanted to renew their vows in a fun way.

[GetRidOfCivilAssetForfeiture]

Being in service and retail for 40+ years, it’s nice to be appreciated. Also, I noticed in Germany when I went there 1.5 months ago, businesses that have a lot of American tourists tend to be very friendly and nice as they know how to cater to Americans. It helped that I speak German well enough to communicate effectively and small
Shopkeepers don’t have to struggle with English, so that made me look that much better in the eyes of Germans.

[williamgarner]

I made good friends with a German student in Indiana decades ago. He arrived early in August and was miserable because of the heat and humidity and said he would actually be happy when winter started. Six months later we tied a record low of -36f.
His year in Indiana was part tropical and part arctic.

[jessedaron]

I get goose bumps when you describe all of the good things we Americans have here in the USA 🇺🇸 and we have taken them for granted, not knowing that in other places on the planet do not exist.

[warriorfb]

You love a lot of things about America, and I can assure you that America loves a lot of things about you! You bring enormous value to the United States.

[LarryHatch]

I work for a large German company and they've had to adapt their customer service to American standards. Staff get constant training in "soft skills" and you basically never say "no" unless something is illegal or unethical. You emphasis what you can do and not the negatives. One of our Vice Presidents, a native German, had his Audi fixed at the local dealership. He was shocked they called him back to evaluate his experience and be sure the car was functioning to his standards. That would not have happened in Germany and he was glad that happened here. Tesla is kicking butt in Germany because they bring customer service standards from the US to their dealerships.

[ConnieBach]

When I live in Germany, as an American, the one of the things I terribly miss is the customer service. You nailed on that!

[grayharker]

My wife is from Argentina. The first time I got a doggie bag and walked out of the restaurant, she was soooo embarrassed!They just don't do that in a lot of places. Now she orders extra just to take home!

[josephgaviota]

I just love and admire this woman. Such a bright, articulate, positive person, I'm very sure she'll go far in her life.

[jackattack]

As an American, I love Mexican food also. When it comes to whether it is authentic or not consider this: Mexico is a large nation and has many traditions depending on the locale. They have different States and they all have their own versions of dishes. I would bet that not all Mexicans know the differences in cuisine from regions they may not have been to. So, you can ask someone if a restaurant is "authentic" or not but they may not really know either. I try them all and then go to the ones I like.