The US is an entirely different country if you leave the interstate and chain restaurants behind.

I’ve been reading a lot of posts from people who have never visited the US and it seems they have a lot of misconceptions about our country based on sensational media and cultural issues which are really exaggerated by the internet. When I read these types of posts I want to ask the person all the time “have you ever actually been in the US, or are you judging us off of your television/YouTube?” I am by no means an American apologist and can admit there are many problems and issues in the US, but I do feel like the media portrays the US and its citizens in a way that is very inaccurate. The US does have some good things that people don’t talk about enough in my opinion and there are a lot of positive and kind hearted people here.<br><br>As for travel, the US is a beautiful country. The mountains of new Mexico, the hot springs of West Virginia, the oceans of California, the redwood forests of North Carolina... The US just has so much variety as the country is so big. Not to mention we have so many different climates and natural landmarks. And then on top of that, there are entire cities with their own flair. Austin’s weird vibe, NYC’s fast paced financial and entertainment hub vibe, Miami Beach, Philadelphia, Nashville, Las Vegas, Seattle... The point is, even in the United States, the majority of people haven’t been to other states and cities or really know anything about the culture and conditions of places they have never been. I think a lot of international visitors don’t realize just how different all the states are and how big the country is so they end up just visiting these super commercialized tourist friendly cities and never really experience the culture of the country. Places like NYC are spectacular by themselves, but if that’s the only thing you see of the US, you didn’t really experience the full scope of the country. On the other hand, if you get out into the country and the small towns of different states, you see an entirely different country. It’s a totally different culture, one that gets glossed over in the media. And I just personally feel that if people experienced that side of the country as well, they wouldn’t have such negative views and stereotypes about Americans.