What are some obscure benefits of being raised in America?

I don’t know if these are “obscure” - they probably are to some, but not to others - benefits, but the biggest to me was the ready access to a wide variety of people, places, and experiences.

It’s becoming almost cliche to talk about America as a “melting pot”, but it truly is. I was fortunate enough to live in some of the most cosmopolitan and melting pot-ishest regions of the country (the DC suburbs, and to a lesser extent, New Jersey), so I was frequently surrounded by all kinds of people from all types of different backgrounds.

E.g.; I worked in DC near Dupont Circle, and during lunch break, within just a few blocks’ walk radius, I could pick and choose whether to have authentic Thai, Chinese, Ethiopian, French, pizza, a hamburger and fries, Cajun, steak, BBQ ribs with collared greens, and tons of other options I could have taken advantage of if I was so inclined.

Whenever I had the time and felt like, I also had access to what I am convinced is the world’s absolute best museum complex - the Smithsonian - absolutely free of charge.

I believe that being raised in and living amidst such diversity and variety is a huge life advantage and great benefit. Granted, most Americans are not raised in such cosmopolitan settings, but those who are greatly benefit from and are enriched thereby.

But I’m more of a places than peoples person, so to me the variety of scenery is a big deal. Within an hour’s drive from DC, I could be at the entrance to one of the most beautiful and scenic roads, Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park

with amazing scenic overlooks

and great hiking trails.

I didn’t get to take full advantage of the rich variety of American scenery - takes $$$ and a richer family than mine to have pulled that off. But I hope to catch up and make up for it someday: my ultimate retirement plan, if I can pull it off someday, is to get an RV and just ramble around around America, driving from here to there as the mood takes me, from Alaska

to Florida

across the South West deserts

to the Pacific Highway

then park in California, and catch a plane to Hawaii

That all of this is in the same country, and that I could spend my life exploring it and only manage to see just a fraction, is an amazing benefit.

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