WordDive episode: The States
Hello, welcome to the show! Today, we are taking a look at some of my favorite things about the United States. I lived in the USA for 2 years and during that time, I was based in Brooklyn, New York. I fell head over heels for American traditions, festivals, and cool travel destinations. First off, let’s talk about Thanksgiving. If you’ve ever been in the States during November, you may know that the lead up to Thanksgiving is a big deal. There’s beautiful fall weather and everyone is eating pumpkin-flavored sweets. People are also starting to get excited about their return home for the holiday season. People usually take a few days off work for Thanksgiving. The big cities can be like ghost towns. This is because people travel out of town, filling up on turkey, sweet pies, and mashed potato with their relatives! It’s a time to not only celebrate family but also pay respect to the history of the country. If you get a chance, check out the Macy’s Day Parade in Manhattan. It’s a quintessential American tradition, and it’s a lot of fun!  After Thanksgiving, it’s Halloween, one of the most magical times in the USA. Make sure you dress up and attend some spooky events! Halloween is a nationwide deal in the USA, and there is a lot of excitement… and scary costumes on the streets! Just remember that unfortunately, you’ll have to leave the trick or treating to the younger ones!  As far as holidays go, It doesn’t get more American than Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July. Because it's in the middle of summer, everyone celebrates the Declaration of Independence outside. You can watch the local fireworks, have a family BBQ, enjoy a block party, or catch a baseball game and parade. There's going to be a lot of red, white, and blue, so make sure you dress up!  The USA is a large country with so much diversity. Every state offers different regional cuisine, stunning landscapes, and monuments. One of my favorite US food traditions is definitely Southern comfort food. Buttermilk biscuits, sawmill gravy, and chicken and waffles. It doesn’t get better than that. I could talk about this food all day, but let’s move onto some sweet destinations! Here are some of my favorite places that I’ve visited in the States. I went on a road trip through South Dakota with a friend of mine who is a local from the area and it was incredible. We visited the Black Hills National Forest, Mount Rushmore, and the Badlands. We also saw a few fun local monuments like The Corn Palace, a grand multi-purpose center, completely built out of corn. South Dakota is the agricultural heart of the States, and it is filled with beautiful history and a lot of natural pride. Speaking of which, the next city I visited was Philadelphia. For all you movie fans out there, Philly was the city that Rocky was filmed in. It’s got a rich Italian-American and Irish-American heritage. If you pop by the Reading Terminal Markets, you can find Amish farmers selling their organic produce. Take a walk through the city streets that are just drenched in history, and don’t forget to pick up a cheesesteak sandwich! Geno’s was my personal favorite, but you should definitely try as many places as you can. I lived in the USA for a couple of years, yet I barely scratched the surface of what this incredible country has to offer. Whether you want to chill on stunning beaches in Hawaii or trek through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, this country truly has something for everyone.
