Living in the US: Honest Reflections After 3 Years as an Expat

What living in the US really feels like – after 3 years of everyday life, the honest version.

Not the tourist version of America. Not a weekend in New York, a selfie at the Hollywood sign or a road trip on Route 66.

But the real, quiet, sometimes complicated version of living here. With grocery shopping, remote work, neighbors who know your name, and sunlight that burns through the car window in the middle of July.

I moved to the US almost three years ago – from Poland. First to Oregon – green, rainy, Pacific Northwest. Now I live in Arizona – dry, hot, cactus-covered desert.

Two completely different worlds. But they taught me one thing: living in the US isn’t a movie. It’s a daily life – beautiful, surprising, sometimes frustrating.

If you’re thinking about moving to America, curious what everyday life here really feels like, or just want to peek behind the scenes – you’re in the right place.

This post is personal. It’s not a how-to guide or a list of legal tips. It’s a story. A collection of reflections. Of what I love, what I miss, what sometimes hurts. Honest, raw, real.

Here are my own observations on what it’s like to build a new life in the US. The good, the hard, the everyday details no one shows on Instagram.

What I Love About Life in the US

1. Nature Like Nowhere Else

America is breathtaking. The scale. The variety. The colors.

One weekend you’re hiking in red-rock deserts, the next you’re surrounded by waterfalls and mossy forests. Drive a few hours, and you feel like the whole scenery was replaced.

Places like Joshua Tree, Monument Valley or the Hawaiian Islands feel like they belong in another world – and yet they’re right here.

That’s what I love. You can just get in the car and go.

Our campervan trips were more than just travel. Sleeping under the stars, coffee in the desert sunrise, breakfast under redwoods – it became a ritual. A way of breathing again. A lifestyle.

You don’t have to plan a year in advance. Sometimes a thermos, a few snacks and a notebook are enough.

This freedom, this connection to nature – it’s one of the biggest gifts of living here. Because every road trip is not just a journey outwards. It’s a way back to yourself.

2. People Are Genuinely Kind

In Phoenix, where we live now, people are friendly and open. Not fake. Just… warm.

At farmers markets, they ask what we do, share stories, cheer us on. Some come back week after week just to say our drink made their day. In stores, cashiers ask how your day is – and they mean it.

In Portland, neighbors left us cards on our doorstep. In Arizona, they offer ice on 110°F days because they know fridges might not keep up.

It’s small gestures that add up.

Sometimes someone buys our drink. Sometimes they just say: “Thanks for being here.”

3. The “Just Try” Mentality

No one here says, “What if it doesn’t work?” People say: “Why not try?”

That mindset shift is huge. In Poland, I often heard: “Who’s going to let you do that?” or “It’s not practical.”

Here, you can start from scratch. Even if it’s messy. People support you. Even if they don’t fully get what you’re doing – they root for you.

When I showed up at my first market with a cooler and no table, squeezed between eggs and handmade jewelry, no one laughed. They tasted. They asked questions. They came back.

For someone building something from zero, that kind of encouragement is fuel.

Now, every Saturday, I get to talk about desert-inspired flavors. That’s what my American life looks like.

4. Daily Life Is Just… Simpler

Amazon in a day. Registering a car online. Printing labels without leaving the house. Even government offices email back. Sometimes with actual kindness (!).

Getting a driver’s license? Online theory test, no lines. Practical exam? Calm, local, low-pressure. Temporary license printed on the spot – a huge contrast to the weeks-long wait I experienced in Europe.

When you don’t have to spend hours standing in line or running after paperwork, you get your time and mental energy back.

That, to me, is the definition of luxury.

What I Find Hard About Life in the US

1. Healthcare. The Never-Ending Frustration.

You can have insurance and still pay hundreds of dollars for something that’s free or cheap in Europe.

You never know what a prescription will cost until you’re at the pharmacy window. And insurance? Doesn’t guarantee anything. Sometimes it covers your medication. Sometimes it just… doesn’t.

In Oregon, things were more streamlined. One platform, one patient portal, it worked. In Arizona? Every doctor has their own login, their own forms, their own clinic rules. Even for a basic appointment.

You start to delay going to the doctor. You wait, hoping things get better on their own.

And if you have a cat with allergies? The vet bill might leave you speechless. (And I say that as someone used to the much lower veterinary costs back in Europe.)

That silent stress of “what if I need help” never fully goes away.

2. Lack of Walkable Everyday Life

In Europe, life happens on foot. You walk to the bakery. To the café. To the market. In the US? Not really.

Arizona summers are too hot to walk. And even if it wasn’t, there are no sidewalks. Everything is designed for cars.

Want milk? Drive. Want coffee? 15 minutes by car. There’s no such thing as “just walk out and see where the day takes you.”

Sometimes neighbors look confused when I go for an evening walk around the neighborhood. No dog? No emergency?

Even if something is 10 minutes away – it’s 10 minutes driving. No sidewalk. No crosswalk. Just an overpass and Exit 178.

3. Plastic, Excess, and Too Many Choices

Sometimes the US feels like the land of “too much.” Plastic cutlery with every meal. Drinks in liter-sized cups. Produce wrapped in layers of plastic.

In Arizona, stores still give out plastic bags by default. I bring my own. Cashiers thank me for it.

And then there’s the endless choice. 100 chips. 50 sauces. 30 types of plant milk. Most full of additives and “healthy” branding with nothing clean about them.

Choice is great. But it can be overwhelming. I miss simplicity.

Sometimes I just want to bring my own jar to buy soup and not feel like the weirdo.

4. Cultural Loneliness

This one’s hard to explain. I speak the language. I work. I connect with people. But still… sometimes I feel a bit outside.

There are no familiar holidays here. No shared traditions. No one knows what I mean by “a homemade dessert and a family meal mean something truly mattered.”

Holidays that were sacred back home? Just regular weekdays here.

There’s no shared pause. No collective rhythm.

And no one complains about the weather with you. Everyone’s “super, great, amazing.” And sometimes, I just want to sigh and hear: “Yeah, I know. Me too.”

I’m building my own rituals. But still, sometimes I miss that deep-rooted sense of shared understanding.

You can be in paradise. And still feel a little… apart.

Life in Arizona – Light, Heat, and Everyday Desert Magic

Arizona feels like another planet. Winters are mild and golden. Spring smells like orange blossoms.

And summer? Summer is like living in a kiln set to “pottery dry.” The air scorches. The tap water comes out warm without a heater. AC becomes a soundscape. You breathe slowly.

And yet… there’s magic in this desert light. The way the sun paints the walls at sunset. The stillness. The space. The rhythm that slows you down whether you want it or not.

Here, I learned to sip my coffee on the patio and just watch the light change color.
It may sound simple. But the desert teaches presence. And I love it for that.

So… Should You Move to the US?

People ask me this a lot. Is it worth it? My answer: it depends.

For me – yes. Because I wasn’t looking for a perfect place. I was looking for a new way of life. And I found it.

I can live on my own terms. Work remotely. Create. Have space to be myself.

But it’s not easy. You need a strong inner compass. You need to become your own anchor, your own home, especially when everything around you feels new and unfamiliar.

Life in the US can be magical. But it can also drain you. Especially when everything familiar is far away.

If you ask me, “Is it worth it?” I’ll say: Yes – if you’re ready for this to be your path. Not someone else’s. Yours. With all its light and shadow and 6am desert stillness.

Living in America isn’t a fairy tale. It’s an everyday life that teaches patience, presence, and how to build home wherever you are – as long as you start by building it inside yourself.

What About You?

What surprised you the most about life in the US? Or what do you wish you had known before moving here?

Share your thoughts in the comments – I’d truly love to hear your perspective.
And if this post resonated with you, feel free to pass it on to someone dreaming of life across the ocean.