Over in Europe we have generally a pretty bad image of America, most of it because of all the Hollywood movies viewing only the extreme wealthy or the very poor, so as I went over I didn't have that positively attitude towards USA.
But it changed in really only a couple of days, this friendliness and the feeling of space and so much freedom everywhere really surprised me.

I also noticed that there is really very few people that are homeless, probably not more or less then we have over in europe, not at all as the image that we get over in Europe of complete getto's, sure there where areas which I drove through where it wasn't so comfortable to stop at a STOP sign, but you never felt unwelcomed anywhere.

Los Angeles was of cause the more extreme place with really poor people and then Beverly Hills with more wealth then one can imagine, but with movie-industries beeing so big it's only natural with that kind of contrasts around it.

When you think on America you directly think on their society, and way of handling things, and never on the amazing nature that's actually there, the whole west-coast is really great.

As I today hear people complaining about the USA saying that everything is becoming so Americanized, I've realized that the complainers are the ones that hasn't actually been over there, and have just builded up their picture from what they see on their TV-set. It's just so easy to make up your mind about things, without actually really knowing very much about them, today I'm more careful about these things myself, offering my opinion only on the things that I've actually seen for my own eyes.

I've noticed that some people get a bit annoyed when one comments that they can't know so much about something if they haven't actually been there or been in that situation. I guess that media is really good in persuading some people how things works, it creates so much unbiased colored opinions.

I've visited USA some more times (Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh), but nothing bets California and it's atmosphere.
It's strange how a country that successful fails to grasp some basic principles of life on our planet, and even when I adore it productivity and way of encouraging the brave, I wonder if they will not be (or is) our next Roman Empire. Up one day and down another (in a historical perspective).

I even got some job-offers as I was over there, and I still today haven't dropped the idea of moving there, what stops me is just that I know from the time in Vienna that it's not that easy to adapt, to build up your own private life with friends and to know what to do when "for example" the water-pipes break. And one major thing that differs vastly is the amount of vacationdays/year, right now I have 35 days and it would be such a downgrade to get 10 days...

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