Curious to hear exmples of these, Redditor Tannerman1 asked:
"What does America do better than most countries?"
North America provides everything in abundance.
It's A-maize-ing
"Turning corn into things that are not corn."
– Aeekio
"When you have this much corn, what else do you do with it?"
– Beautiful-Page3135
"Being from Illinois please do something with all this corn."
– LordofTheFlagon
Maritime Airbase
"Aircraft carriers."
– Tubbaaoo
"I think the stat is something like the US has half of all the large carriers in the world right now. I do know in WW2 by the end of 1944 or 45 they had more escort carriers in service than most countries had naval ships commissioned in the country's entire history."
– FLABANGED
The Great Outdoors
"National parks, we also have amazing state parks and local parks."
"Before anyone starts no you having woods too isn't the same thing."
– Dull-Geologist-8204
"I’m not sure the very idea of a National Park would be a thing if not for ol Teddy Roosevelt, and the United States making them the thing they are."
– NicksAunt
Americans are very social people that have no qualms reaching out to a stranger.
Sometimes, that's a real good thing.
"Chatting, I’m from a European country where most people will avoid talking to stranger. But you can literally talk to anyone you met in the street in the US and most of them are willing to talk."
– FloorSad3826
Forming A Bond
"People in many parts of the US do talk. I’m from the US and I’m kind of introvert, but I’ve actually have grown to love it as I’ve gotten older. I’m a white guy in a mostly black neighborhood and I f'king love going to the grocery store. We have this awesome little actual grocery store and everyone talks to me. It’s basically the friendliest place I’ve ever been."
"There’s an old dude who just starts spouting off with trivia questions to anyone who will listen. I responded with the answer to one and he was like, “How the f'k did you know the answer to that?'”
“I’m a biologist.”
"He and I are basically best friends now."
– sloppy_biography
Three Guys Walk Into A Bar...
"I have had this experience. The only people who would talk in pubs in London were an Irishman, a Lebanese fellow, and the Nepalese bartender. There’s a joke in there somewhere. They were super cool cats, too. Oh, and the guy I chatted with in a bar in Paris, also Lebanese. None of the locals would speak more than a few words."
"Americans? We’ll talk half an hour to a wrong number."
"Side note: Does anybody know if everyone in Lebanon actually knows everybody else? It has now happened twice that I’ve met people on different continents who knew each other’s siblings."
– Lemur-Tacos-768
The Germany Connection
"I met a chatty lady in Germany once and when I told her she was a friendliest person I’d met in Germany she said very quickly: 'Oh, I’m not from here, I’m from Sweden.' Then we both laughed loudly and got the side eye from the Germans."
– Syd_Vicious3375
When it comes to certain American activities, it's no contest.
Just To Be Frank
"Hot dog eating contests"
– First_Ad5835
"I was going to say that the champion of the Nathan’s Famous contest is Japanese, but I looked it up & Joey Chestnut is the current reigning champion."
– sagitta_luminus
Americans Are Globally Recognized Due To...
"Dominate media and pop culture around the world. Nobody else comes close to the US in this regard."
– DougyTwoScoops
Accommodating Everyone
"I haven't been in a lot of countries, but from my limited experience, it's the Americans With Disabilities Act."
"I have a lot of complaints about it, but I can still say that using public transportation doesn't require me to walk down or up 40 steps, with the alternative being walking . 3 miles to find an elevator that can fit one person at a time and moves so slowly it's barely usable."
– oneofyrfencegrls
What You Didn't Know
"Ironically enough science. The US has more Nobel Prize winners of all other countries combined. And here's the key thing: many of those researchers were immigrants, or at least didn't have family going back to the Mayflower."
"Also this will really sound ironic: tolerance for other cultures. The US is among the most diverse nations in the world. The most iconic American cultural icons are ultimately a mix of local and international traditions. Asiatic countries are super duper racists, but we call them 'xenophobic.'"
"Agriculture. The US is a behemoth when it comes to agriculture and agriscience. The biggest issues is cultivating for logistics instead of taste. Those yield however come with technologies other nations find repugnant and so ban American imports to protect domestic agriculture."
"Charity. Americans as a whole donate more to charities than any other nation, and on a per capita basis as well. Most Americans probably see ads or donation boxes on a daily basis."
– WiryCatchphrase
I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing but American establishments can dish out sizable portions of food for what dining patrons pay for.
Some entrees at restaurants are enough for sharing and ordering one main plate can be an economical option to allow room for a variety of other dishes–including dessert–without breaking the bank.
Go big, or go home, right?
Redditor crunchy_croissant asked:
"What is one country that you will never visit?"
In all deference to the locals living there, these destinations are notorious for undesirable conditions.
"north ikea"
– Sorryformyfart
"i always knew the north part of ikea was sketchy."
– Joel-O42069
Living In Perpetual Fear
"Myanmar."
"Spent my pre-adolescence there during the previous rule of the junta, when Suu Kyi was in house arrest. I cannot begin to explain the fear that was present in everyday life there then. My father had to be at Yangon for some pretty run-of-the-mill corporate work and was nonetheless always on alert."
"As a 10/11/12-year-old, I was not allowed to answer telephones, lest I reveal something that might seem problematic to the administration. Even in an atmosphere that you were on the brink of rubbing law enforcement the wrong way, my most memorable moments were brushes with the younger adult neighbours in our apartment who were running an illegal computer training centre."
"I cannot imagine their lives now, suspended in constant agitation."
– Glooberty
Unstable Republic
"Sudan. Either of them."
– bobsyouruncle1950
"I spent two weeks in South Sudan in the summer of 2005. This was when the civil war was still happening so before Sudan was two separate countries. There was something like 30 km of paved road in all of South Sudan at the time. It was beautiful but there was literally no infrastructure. Lots of AK47s though."
– nomadicfeet
Being Assigned
"My dad's colleague was trapped with no connection to outside world in this recent coup in Sudan. Everyone in office was worrying about that group she went with. Thankfully they were extradited to India by the company."
"Even my dad was being asked repeatedly to go and he asked me. As I had fairly good grasp of current affairs, I told him no every time as this sh*t was going to go down in future. Now I don't think anyone will be sent for projects there😌"
– Wise_Ad9414
Not A Top Choice For Tourists
"Somalia."
– Atsunome
"10/10 would prefer over South Sudan."
– PureRandomness529
Words From An Egyptian Woman
"Reading the comments on this and a previous thread as an Egyptian woman, I feel so ashamed of my country and sad for all the women who had to deal with terrible kinds of sexual harassments in Egypt and many more unfortunate events that happend there."
"I'm so sorry you had to go through this and I'm apologising on behalf of everyone who dared to make you feel uncomfortable in any way because I absolutely know what you went throughm It's what almost every Egyptian woman goes through everyday and we're still not heard."
– htarekk
Places ravaged by war tend to not be on a visitor's list of places to vacation.
Destination: Terrorism
"Sad Afghanistan. It’s a beautiful country, and I know the regular people are friendly. But I probably won’t survive a week there."
– gozba
Foreigners, Beware
"Probably Afghanistan. It's not safe for foreigners."
– bpanio
These Low Effort Jobs Have Surprisingly High Salaries | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Have you ever worked one of those jobs that paid you to kinda sit there? If you have, you know the joy that comes with watching the entirety of Breaking Bad ...A Violent Country
"Syria is such a bed of history city's that are ancient that I'd love to see for myself but sadly just wouldn't be safe I think for a long time!"
– lookonthedarkside66
Even people with ties to their country didn't give high marks.
A Local's Perspective
"I live in Venezuela and if I manage to leave Venezuela, I won't come to visit."
– AnthonnyAG
Plagued By Upheaval
"Haiti. As much as I'd love to visit my mother's home country, there's a reason even my mother hasnt gone back since the early 00s. Haiti continually gets f'ked by political unrest, economic upheaval, and ecological turmoil."
"Combined with the fact that our last living relative that was still there died back in 05, we have no connection to that place anymore."
"I sincerely, emphatically hope things get better, because one day I would love to connect with that part of my heritage, but not now, and probably not within the next ten years, either."
– WanderingGenesis
The One Who Never Went Back
"My good friend is Venezuelan. He left in 2014. Get a few drinks in him and he starts ranting about how much he hated it."
– AnchoviePopcorn
Switzerland can be too much of a good thing.
Lap Of Luxury
"I’ll never go back to Switzerland. It’s pretty, I just can’t afford to breathe there."
– ExpertAncient
"Even talking about Switzerland feels expensive."
– PocketRocketTrumpet
"I dont think we can afford this conversation."
– Boobagge
The Consolation Prize
"We flew to Switzerland and drove to France for our vacation because it was cheaper. We went back to Geneva for our flight out and couldn't get seats (flying standby). This lasted for a couple of days and like every day there between the hotel and the food was like a vacation budget of its own."
– lemonylol
People want a getaway to de-stress from their everyday lives.
Based on the examples and reasons listed above, it makes sense some people would want to avoid packing their bags for a dream vacation at the mentioned destinations.
Unless the travelers are thrill-seekers, I suppose.
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A Redditor asked:
"What is the most beautiful country you've ever been to?"
There are so many places to choose from!
Iceland
"Iceland. Volcanic rock, enormous glaciers and azure lagoons. All within an hour of each other."
- Fun-Mathematician591
"Iceland is definitely next on my bucket list for these very reasons."
- GreenEyes9678
"We went in late April, things were just melting but the travel season hadn't started yet so things were still off-season prices, it was awesome!"
- Archer39J
GiphySwitzerland
"Switzerland."
- MiquitaBanana
"That’s been my dream since I was a kid. 😭 I’m 45 and still never been."
- BootyMcSqueak
"This is my answer as well. I'm still in awe of how beautiful the sunrise was over the alps. If I didn't have pictures, I don't think I'd believe it was actually as beautiful as I remembered it to be. How could anything be?"
- ryemmsf
GiphyCosta Rica
"Costa Rica. Verdant forests, mountains and volcanoes, incredible wildlife."
- Canucklehead_Esq
"Such pride in ecology makes a big difference."
- Imaginary-Bluejay-86
GiphyThe hills are alive...
"I've been to that exact place, to that exact field, in that exact spot where Julie Andrews sang the Sound of Music in Austria. It's a sight to behold."
- WhitePolarBear98
"Austria was my vote! I was in Salzburg during the holidays one year and it was absolutely stunning!"
- hipsterholt
Sorry folks, but It was actually filmed in the German Alps which is only 30 minutes from the Austrian border.
GiphyRepublic of Georgia
"The Republic of Georgia. It looked more like Hyrule than did any country I've ever visited. It's also an incredibly affordable place to visit."
- EconomicsOne4288
"Did they give you the little half bottle of wine when you went through customs? That's a pretty cool touch."
- DrDonkeyPepper
"The food is absolutely magnificent as well."
- PrincessSporus
The USA
"I’ve been to a bunch, but honestly USA. I think that places like Bahamas and Norway have more beautiful locations than a lot of places in the USA, but the fact that the USA has so many different ecosystems and environments that are all pretty close (or better in some cases) puts it over the top."
"For example I can go from mountains to deserts to beaches to canyons all on the west coast alone, and those are all pretty gorgeous."
- Syrinx16
"I've been to 100+ countries and I agree that the US is spectacular and so is Russia. The countries that span time zones and climate zones offer great diversity."
"In the US you can see the Dry Tortugas or the Grand Canyon and every thing in between."
"For a more fair comparison it's best to compare individual states with a lot of individual countries."
- xynix_ie
GiphyRwanda
"Rwanda blew me away. The lush, rolling hills, winding roads through the mountains, the immaculate capital city Kigali, and of course, the people."
- LaserTurboShark69
"64% of government seats in Rwanda held by females!! Highest in the world!"
- throwaway1070now
"They're obviously doing something right over there (in this tourist's opinion)."
- LaserTurboShark69
GiphyScotland
"Scotland."
- grantnel2002
"Yup. Edinburgh I think wins 'most beautiful city in the world' and the rest of the country is pretty much up there as well."
- elvislaidlaw
"Yeah and driving through the Highlands, Skye, Glencoe…those views will be with me forever."
- grantnel2002
GiphyNorway
"I never been to but I think Norway is very beautiful. Hope I can go there one day."
- Fair_Airport773
"I'm from Norway and it is very beautiful here. I hope you get the chance to visit some day."
- Julenizzen
Namibia
"Namibia. The desert is gorgeous."
"The country still feels wild in a way that few places in the world still can. The Caprivi area is stunning."
"Namibia is spectacular. Not the usual sort of lush scenery but the scale and open terrain that keeps changing is amazing."
- NatsuDragnee1
New Zealand
"New Zealand. I volunteered at Motuihe island for a month, then toured the whole country (north and south island) for another month."
"It's insanely beautiful. I really miss it."
- iBelieveInSpace
"New Zealand. One scene that I'll never forget; standing below Aoraki (Mt Cook) watching the Aurora Australis flickering over the glaciers, as I stood in a grove of tree ferns sparkling with glow worms."
"It was magical. We took a plane up to the Tasman glacier the next day, wearing summer clothes and standing on 600 meters of ancient ice in the brilliant sun of a perfect blue sky."
"In Rotorua, there was a very charming white Victorian style house, surrounded by a palisade of tree fern trunks packed together tightly, but still sprouting dark green fronds along the tops of the almost black trunks. Surrounding it all, there was a ditch of steaming water from hydrothermal activity. Amazing."
"And the ferns! Tree ferns with dozens of other tiny ferns growing on their trunks, Tree ferns hardy enough to grow alongside the rushing, tumbling glacier melt cascading down to the Tasman Sea."
"On the North Island Mamaku, or Black Tree Ferns, grow to 20 meters high, their massive fronds reaching far from their slender, often sinuous trunks. This trip was taken in 1977."
"We toured New Zealand for 3 weeks, Australia for 2 weeks, and spent a week in Tahiti. I haven't forgotten a single moment all these decades later..."
- leefi50
Fiji
"Fiji. From Grass highlands to unbelievable tiny islands dotting a spectacular reef system."
"Also the kindest and most gracious people I have ever and will probably ever meet - All of them."
- rayrayrayray
GiphyJapan
"Japan during cherry blossom season."
- TGR331
"Gotta go with Japan. Sure, the urban jungle of Tokyo was cool, but the nuggets of nature you get by visiting shrines and temples is amazing. And then, going to Kyoto, Nara, and Ise really just had me enthralled."
- nitasu987
"Japan, I love it so much the food, culture, the train experience is amazing."
- Conscious-Funny1044
This world is full of wonder, beauty, and adventure.
Since we aren't sure what the pandemic holds for us next, take precautions as you go forth and explore the world.
Get your plane tickets before the prices skyrocket back up.
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