United States of America

Although I grew up consuming mostly media from the US, and I had a few friends (irl as well as online) from the country, it's hard to pin down what/how I feel about it.

USA is usually portrayed as being loud, proud, and crowded. This may not paint an accurate picture of its citizens in all the states, but tbh I did feel equally intrigued and intimidated by the people there.

Going to the US embassy to get our visa as an adult was pretty nerve-wrecking, partly because my dad kept reminding us to memorise the details of our stay, e.g. where we'll be staying, how long we'd be there for, why we were there etc. We were even interrogated by him during the drive to the US embassy because he wanted us to be prepared in case the interviewers get aggressive during the questioning. Much procedures were worried over and much money was spent, without a guarantee that they would allow us in the US (e.g. my brother almost didn't get his visa, but that's another story for another day).

Anyhow, fast forward after we got our visas and arrived at the US airport for the first time in my adult life, I made sure to not wear eyeliner lest I looked too 'terrorist-like' (do terrorists even wear makeup? seems like bad ROI to me), but of course I was pulled aside by one of the officers for extra questions while my family looked on quietly, hoping I wouldn't make a scene. I'm glad my dad prepped me with the info so although I was anxious I could answer everything adequately.

These are the cities I've visited in the US so far:

San Francisco: 19**
Los Angeles: 19**
Boston: 2011
New York: 2011

Last Updated: 2019-03-21