America Through a Newcomer’s Eyes

Americans don’t think twice about things that seem ordinary to them.

But to a newcomer, everything is new.

The way strangers smile at you on the street.
Is it friendliness? A habit? Or do they actually want to talk?

The sheer size of everything.
Grocery store aisles that go on forever. Highways with five lanes. Coffee cups the size of your head.

How casual people are with authority.
People calling their boss by their first name. Students joking with their teachers. Someone telling an officer, “I know my rights.”

The obsession with small talk.
A barista asking, “How’s your day going?” when all you wanted was a coffee.
A cashier saying, “How’s it going?” when you’ve never met before.

The deep love for flags.
On houses. On cars. On clothes. At sporting events. At protests. The American flag is everywhere.

The confidence.
People speak like their opinion matters. Like they’re supposed to take up space. Like the world is listening.

At first, it’s overwhelming.
Then, little by little, it becomes normal.
And one day, without realizing it, you start smiling at strangers too.