I'm not homesick, because I'm not a sentimental person. But from a practicality standpoint, this country sucks. I'm in the suburbs on the East coast and everything is a 30 minute drive away. I don't drive. Where I came from in Europe, everything could be reach by walking or cycling or taking a train or bus. Here, nothing is reachable unless you're willing to spend half of your day in a massive, expensive, gas-guzzling death machine. The neighbours out here are all boomers who do nothing but mow their lawns and watch CNN or Newsmax all day. I've never felt this level of capitalist alienation before, and I've always been an introvert. It's not only inconvenient here, but gaslighting because everyone else seems not to question this boring concrete hellscape. There is nothing to do or see; only hundreds of fast food restaurants and gas stations. There's a PSL branch downtown, but that's an hour away by bus and the bus stop is a 45 minute walk (I'm not exaggerating). I thought the capitalist society I moved from was bad, but this is so much worse. And this is the bastion of freedom and liberty I've heard so much about? I guess I'm free to eat cheetos and watch Fox but other than that it isn't very liberating. My partner is a yank and really doesn't notice or mind, but I feel like I'll go crazy here. It's just miles and miles of asphalt and paranoid gun owners. I hate it and don't really know what to do. The food in the US costs at least two or three times as much as where I immigrated from, and tastes like garbage (I'm talking about the 'fresh' stuff). Utility bills are also much higher. On every street is a church blasting some religious doctrine at me (Easter was a cringe-fest). How do the rest of you cope???

  • axont [she/her, comrade/them]
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    edit-2
    2 years ago

    Yeah literally every time I've left the US it's felt like relief, no matter where I've been. I've been to impoverished parts of Latin America, like some places in Bolivia and even they had reliable bus routes that could get you anywhere.

    The USA really is built with very specific contours of who you're supposed to be to not feel alienation. You're supposed to be some kind of paranoid middle aged straight white guy in the suburbs with right leaning politics, probably owns real estate or has some kind of parasitic job like car dealership owner. You're supposed to love lawn care, own a few cars you love driving, and you should definitely have at least a few million in the bank. Your entire cultural diet should consist of sitting at home watching TV like Marvel movies and Fox.

    If you're anyone else or you want more out of life? Fuck you. You're getting capitalist alienation and you deserve it

    At least we have each other though, it's good to know we're not alone in how we feel, because it means we're not delusional and don't have to get stuck inside our own heads. Lots of people feel like we do, but maybe they're not able to articulate what they want. Just gotta be optimistic and believe in people and our ability to change things.