I arrived in Myrtle Beach, a city where it is almost always summer. Palm trees, the ocean, and endless happiness.

A taxi took me to the motel where I was going to live. I settled into my room, unpacked my big bags, stepped out onto the balcony, and sighed with relief: "I'm here."

Everything I expected from this place was the ocean and the hot sun. My expectations in this regard were met.

Myrtle Beach was especially beautiful in the evening.

The city's main attractions are the amusement parks.

I didn't think about the stereotypes that exist among most people regarding life in America. I wanted to form my own opinion on the matter. Day after day, I observed different sides of this other life.

Of course, it's worth starting with the most striking thing. That is the eternally cheerful and smiling people.

There is an opinion among us that "Americans' smiles are fake."

I cannot agree with that. Every day on my way to work or just leaving the house, I met at least 10 people who just smiled at me and wished me a good day. And I replied in kind. This is exactly what helped me in all my affairs. After all, from the very beginning of the day, I knew for sure that the day was bound to be good.

Americans, for the most part, are friendly, open, and very calm people. Their smile is their attitude toward life. That is, not everything can always be perfect, but the main thing is how you relate to it and perceive it. Despite the fact that I am from Russia, throughout the summer I was treated with respect and helped with everything. You can often hear compliments addressed to you. And these are not just polite phrases, but a sincere attitude.

It is necessary to mention food in America.

We are used to thinking that all American food is just fast food, and the products are synthetic and tasteless.

It is true that restaurant chains like McDonald's are everywhere. But that does not mean that you cannot find normal food. In fact, American cuisine itself is diverse and very tasty. America can offer a wide variety of dishes from different nationalities.

Once I was even treated to borscht, which I was extremely surprised by.

At the same time, there is also traditional "American" cuisine, which has its own characteristics from state to state. Specifically in Myrtle Beach, there was a restaurant chain called Calabash Seafood. And there were not only fresh seafood, but also a variety of tasty food we are used to. You can also go to the supermarket and cook perfectly normal food at home.

So American cuisine is more than just fast food.

How do Americans get around?

They say they don't walk at all.

Of course, knowing how to drive and having your own car is a necessity in America. People are not ready to walk further than a block. But this is not because all Americans are lazy. Especially when public transport is very problematic in cities. People cannot imagine how one can walk long distances at all. At first, I walked to work - there and back. In total, it took an hour. When my bosses found out about this, they were shocked and were surprised for a long time at my endurance. And then, they told me that absolutely every one of them was ready to give me a ride and that it was no trouble for them at all.

Attitude towards people with disabilities.

Before, I didn't think about people with disabilities and the attitude towards them. For Americans, this is especially important. When I got on the bus more than once, one could observe how they help a person in a wheelchair take a seat among the passengers. Everyone waits patiently and is in no hurry until such a person is inside the bus. As for transport, each one has a special ramp for people with disabilities. I have never encountered this in my city.