Things that surprised me in the United States

Since my arrival, I have noticed many things different from those in my country, Poland. I would like to tell you about them.

Walmart

I think there is no more iconic store in the United States than Walmart. Everything in Walmart stores is huge. I have never in my life seen ketchup the size of my head and fifty types of breakfast cereal. I saw flavors of ice cream I never knew existed. Fresh vegetables were sprayed with a breeze to preserve their splendor. I felt like a small child discovering what unheard-of products were waiting for me on more store shelves.

Kind people

During my first few days, I noticed the directness and openness of the people. In my country, strangers don't come up to you on the street to tell you that you have a nice shirt or to ask how your day is. I feel that here everyone feels more at ease and speaks directly if they like something about you. Many people also, hearing my Polish accent, realize that I am from another country and start a conversation and ask about many things. This is very nice, but it takes some time to get used to it.

Writing with a pen

On the first day of school, I got a school computer from the library which was also a surprise to me. In math, however, I took out my notebook and started solving an assignment. The classmates at my table looked at me puzzled. I asked them what was going on. They said that no one writes with a pen and not in a checkered notebook. During the next few days, I found out that everyone writes with pencils and even in mathematics they use line notebooks. So, I started writing with a pencil, but this also caused a surprise. Most people here use mechanical pencils, so my plain one was something unusual.

Nobody is walking

The next thing I observed was the movement of people or rather their lack of movement on the sidewalks. I don't know if this is due to the warm climate in South Carolina, but since I came here, I've only noticed very few people walking outside. In Poland, people go out for walks, even aimlessly to just take their minds off the day. It seems to me that this may be a result of the heat, but especially the huge distances between stores, and restaurants. This is also why a lot of people are getting their driver's license at a very young age which allows them to become a little more independent.

After school

I think it will come as no surprise to many people who follow the lives of American teenagers that school, and everything that goes with it, plays a huge role in their lives. But I didn't expect it to such an extent. Here everyone belongs to some club, team, or squad. Most of my friends are made there. I can safely say that if you don't belong to any of these things it will be harder for you to find friends. Every day after school, sometimes even on weekends, teenagers come to various training sessions or meetings. I like the vast variety of opportunities that the schools offer. It allows you to develop many passions and make really good friends.

Don't judge, be curious!

There are many more things that has surprised me during my exchange so far and there are bound to be new ones. People reading my article must realize that this is my perspective, and it will look a little different in each state and town. I think it is very important as an exchange student to come with an open mind, a curiosity to explore, to learn, and to not judge these differences.