Observations in the USA

After not being in the USA for two and half years, I decided upon my return I wanted to prepare my mind for the things there that stuck out to me. I thought about it in terms of a slowly evolving jazz song that begins with a single not, but eventually takes on cacophonous forms. I think the first note was a Sbarro in the airport in Iceland where I was only changing flights – the smell was powerful and the setup familiar. Once arriving in the USA, the following is what stuck out to me:

Everything is fenced off

Farms run with limited/No human labor

Yard decorations are a massive industry

America is rich as shit- most people have no idea

It's hard to find sparkling water

Front yards are the unconsciousness of America

The deck, the outdoor deck, is a science and social relation in itself

Aluminum Siding

Women aren't selling fruit everywhere

Children aren't running around everywhere

People aren't staring at me

The only language is English, maybe some Spanish, outside big cities

Every town has a post office

Lawns, lawns, lawns, lawns

Everyone has a mailbox

Streets have names

Multi family yard sales

Wind chines

Advertisements in yards marking the work that someone did at that house, maybe cut the grass

Huge trucks

Have you seen my cat signs

Trees marked with signs – this is a Red Oak

Dog pirate flag hanging from old house

History markers

Beware of the dog

Shirtless men

Baby strollers

Ubiquitous Dallas Cowboy logo

Money is crisp out of ATMS, not old

American cars

Little coffee creamer you open yourself

Electric wheelchairs

Electric scooters

Restaurants have windows

Everything is well lit

Tip jars

Quarters feel smaller

Manhole covers

Dumpsters behind all businesses

Deaf child area

Neighborhood revitalization

Abandoned banks

Public storage

Self car wash

Miles of car lots

Antique shops

Vegetables and fruit as decoration

Tobacco shop

Escalator

Kratom

Injury lawyer

Pawn shop

Gun shop

And then I got coronavirus in Orlando and abandoned this work.