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My wife told me about one of her professors leading a Russian delegation around Boston in the 70s. Prof took 'em to all the usual patriotic destinations - they pooh-poohed everything. So she took them to a supermarket. They'd never seen anything like it. A few of the them wept openly, I'm told.

I've been that visitor. It sucks that I can't bring myself to come back until <waves hands> all this is over.

It's like buying your toddler a toy and what they are really interested in is the box

A BIG part of the fun of being a camp counselor at a fuckin rural-rural place in northern Michigan with a high % of foreign staff was just new friends getting to experience cool michigan shit. Like sand dunes! And roadside stand foods!

Back in high school I and some of my friends hosted German students as part of a sister cities exchange. We took them out on the river to shoot invasive carp from our friend’s mom’s boat and they loved it

But it WAS magical, and the person working there was an absolute treasure!!!

"You eat that shit?!" ... "Fuck this is good..."

Greek guy at a car wash in Thessaly found out I was American and excitedly asked me if I had ever been to Raising Cane’s

We couldn't get over Potomac Mills. Or food courts in general. This was the 90s. I ordered the smallest old fashioned lemonade and it seemed bigger than my head.

Platform 9 3/4 used to be so cool, way back in the day. Just half a trolley welded to a wall between the two train sheds, with no sign or anything. Most people didn't even glance at it, which made it work even better!

I use my US Costco card when I'm there and it doesn't scan right at their door entry, but it works at the register. Same little conversation every time!

I had a Japanese teammate in college who’s first request was to visit the local Walmart.

Yeah well Costa Rican tariffs are high so the availability of goods is lower. Prices are double and salaries are half. I once had a host family ask me “How could the student you placed with me eat our family’s whole week’s supply of cheese watching tv last night?” 🤦🏼‍♀️

we used to take Korean grad students to the mushroom festival in Kennett Square and they lost their mind about the fried oreos

I once got to explain to an Australian visitor that actually there were 2 Denny’s within walking distance of where we were standing.

Yay! I repair rare books and this book gave me insight into what specifically it is I find so absorbing/satisfying about my work. Also I appreciate a really good tool (hand-forged Italian micro-spatulas, so great).

May I add to the list the Unicoi County Apple Festival? Legit one of the BEST times I've had visiting the USA! unicoicountyapplefestival.com

They are the best pencils! And Fort Ticonderoga is pretty cool should you make it. Could probably find a county fair around the fort depending on when you make it.

Did you see the video of the Italian exchange student at Olive Garden?

Kinda like the western obsession with Japanese konbini

I'll never forget a Japanese friend's amazement at the concept of steak and eggs for breakfast.

There was a grad student I knew back in college from rural China, real brilliant composer, constantly writing electronic spaceman music controlled by dancing in front of a jailbroken Xbox Kinect and shit, and he was just ENAMORED with American diner breakfast. Went apeshit for a Waffle House.

The first week our new EVP from Uruguay was in the local office, he came out of the breakroom with a slice of pizza and said "Bacon? And Sausage? This is not a pizza" then he took a massive bite, thought on it a minute, and then said "Damn it, I love this country"

Yes lol we practically lived there and were on a first name basis with the staff for years.

Joe Ely has funny stories about The Clash in Lubbock and how they expected Western tumbleweeds and swinging door taverns lol

This Freddy dude posted a picture of an abandoned shack with a rusted car as part of his "Made it to Alabama!" entry. My guy, why are you excited about finding a meth den?

Moons over Myhammy for life

Hosting an exchange student for a year was delightful for this reason. You never knew what totally banal thing to us would blow their mind. Our Swiss exchange student didn't believe me that when you added water to frozen juice concentrate, you would get juice. He loved it.

Big Burger and terrible coffee at random diner with the most garish decor you'll ever see is indeed some of the most fun a continental European can have in the states can personally confirm

Korean Costco compared to American Costco was night and day. Take an American Costco, and stack 3 on top of each other, and you have Korean Costco. Also, We basically had lunch and drinks wandering the floor when we were there from the samples. Some tasty Soju too. 🤣🥰

Also, Costco foodservice aluminum foil is the best foil ever. I still have most of the roll I bought on a trip to the US in 2014 because it's so tough you can keep washing and reusing. If you have decent origami skills, you can make fighter jets out of it.

As an ex-Portlander I always loved how stuff we wanted to show off in the city was the stuff we went to on a regular basis, the parks and the bookstores and the video rental shop slash movie memorabilia museum slash indie screening room, not the touristy things

Costco in the UK is extremely similar. Maybe a better-quality food court but I haven’t been there since 2010 so I don’t remember.

Not trying to take fun away from someone, but for me personally going to a supermarket and then a warehouse sounds like a nightmare for a holiday. I rather go to historic sites or the countryside and stroll around a city

I've been to the US a lot. I've never been to a Costco :(

On a tech conference trip, I took two people from East Asia on a bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge. When we got to Sausalito, we stopped for ice cream and they were like “what is this thing called Hot Fudge Sundae”? They ordered, took lots of photos, ate two bites, and were sated.

This is true. We once tried to find the biggest pair of jeans available in Walmart to see how many people we could fit in them.

There are a few in the big cities but costa rica is like mostly strip mall sized groceries and buildings in part due to density

“We went to THE CostCo!” “No you went to one of many CostCo’s” 😳

It's like an IKEA but for everything!

It's like a zoo. Seriously. You're going 'wtaf. This is not real. Do they really do that irl? We've only seen it on tv and thought it was satire.'

I may have the particulars wrong on this

Also, an American friend who moved overseas came back for a visit and was startled by how big everything was.

Even my European friends are astonished.

this is the America I know and love

I'd love to visit the USA. I'm never setting foot there, until the fascist government is dead and long gone.

NYOOHOOOHOO THAT SOUNDS AWESOME!!!

Cousin was hosting an exchange student from (I think) Egypt and brought him to Grammy's camp. Pretty sure he had never been in a boat or swimming before. Uncle initiated him by slapping a life jacket on him and taking him tubing around the lake. Getting yeeted off the tube was his favorite part ☺