5 Things That Work For Me in America

Sweatpant-chic and late-night everything

These days, I’m out and about a lot on my own, with my husband working out of town and me running errands for myself and three kids. I bump into more people, I see more things, and I talk to strangers more.

Maybe it’s the spring feeling in the air but I can’t help but notice all the good things around me.

Here are just a few of them.

1. It’s never too late

It was ten to seven the other night when I realized that the pet store on the corner was about to close and I was completely out of dog food. I dashed for the door.

“Isn’t it too late to go in now?” asked my Danish stepdaughter.

Indeed, in Europe, walking in right before a place is about to close is a big no-no and most likely not gonna work anyway. In the U.S., however, it’s often not a big deal.

“The salespeople work in shifts, so if someone is “closing” most likely got to work late,” I explained to my stepdaughter, sharing my own early 20s retail experience.

She didn’t buy it.

Amazingly, not only I got the dog food, but the salesperson was very enthusiastic in telling me about their new pet training classes and various promotions they had in their app. At 7 PM, he had more energy than I had waking up.

This reminded me of how I once walked into a Manhattan clothing store in the evening, did the shopping, and then asked the cashier what time they closed. “An hour ago,” was the answer. Yet no one around me seemed rushed.

Honestly, late shifts were my favorite when I worked in retail. I was probably underpaid and undervalued, but I loved the freedom and the fact that my fresh-off-the-boat accent didn’t matter.

Having spent a decade in New York, I grew to love late-night shopping, dining, and what-have-you. It seems like it never is too late for anything in America.

Surely, a questionable value. Yet the one I miss when shopping in Europe.

2. The can-do attitude

Last week, I finally called a tax accountant, embarrassed of how little I understood about business taxes and how late I got around to it. Instead of lecturing me, he gave me the most fast-talking run-down of what was going to happen. He was definitely going to have it all sorted out, no problem, no need to worry, it’s all taken care of. I could sense his enthusiasm across town.

He had what I call the “American can-do attitude”: everything can be solved and we’ll fix it no matter how long it takes. And they often do. Americans are many things but lazy. The hard-working people of our country will come in early, stay up late and do it all with a smile. Simply, because we don’t know any better.

Working hard is the way of life in the U.S., and it’s the only way most people know.

3. Anything goes

Getting ready for my upcoming trip to London, I realized I had to upgrade my wardrobe to bring it up to European-capital standards. It’s been a while since I had to put together a smart outfit.

Now, I love looking good and in style, but even in my somewhat trendy city of Santa Monica, CA, I can easily get away with sweatpants to go just about anywhere (a European by birth, I try to limit my sweatpant-chic to dog walks and Target shopping). Beach-casual and I-just-got-of-yoga are the most popular outfits among local girls all year round, so I hardly ever need to make an extra effort.

As cheesy as it sounds, this lack of attention to high fashion has been a blessing in the last three years, while I focused on having a baby and building our five-people-family life in the U.S. Whenever I’m tired, sad, or just had enough, I put on my comfiest sweats and a t-shirt and go for a long walk, unnoticed, un-judged, and so very comfortable.

4. It’s okay to yell sometimes

I was walking home from my daughter’s daycare today when I heard a man yelling on the phone with a delightful British accent. He was clearly having a fight and he didn’t care to keep it quiet, which would most certainly not work in England. “Good for you,” I thought.

I write often about how noisy America is, and I stand by it. I think in a civilized society people should keep their private conversations, observations, honks, dings, clicks and what have you to themselves. I do, for the most part. Unless I’m really pissed off. And then I’ll rip into a person on the phone, or in front of me, or in the car, as loud as I want to. Because in the U.S., I can.

It’s definitely not something to be proud of out in the open, but it’s so good to know that if I ever have to raise my voice in public, it’s okay. Chances are, with the cacophony of sounds around us, no one will even notice.

5. People who seem genuinely happy

Every morning I walk past dozens of hospital, retail, and city workers all ready to start their day. It always amazes me how many of them seem genuinely happy. Or at least smiley. At least in the mornings.

In a country lacking work-life balance, safety nets, and, heck, even basic human rights, there are still people who are just happy with what they have. They work hard, do what they’re told, and focus on the positive.

For a moaner like me, it’s refreshing to know that you can indeed be happy anywhere if you chose to.

For what it’s worth, these things work for me at the moment. The can-do attitude and the smiles are definitely something I’ll miss when I go back to Europe. Yet the other three habits will, probably, be good to let go of.