I want to live in America

Snowseer · 01-02-2018 7:06pm

long_b wrote: »

Everything's free in America

Stung by a bee in America.
Fell from a tree in America.
Damaged my knee in America.
Life’s not for me in Amer-i-ca.

jmayo · 01-02-2018 7:22pm

Super highways coast to coast just easy to get anywhere

And somewhere on the way you might find out who you are?

You may not be looking for the promised land
But you might find it anyway

badboyblast · 01-02-2018 8:10pm

I have travelled to alot of places in the the USA over the last ten years , the great thing is I guess is that you can get proper seasons , if it's cold where you are you can jump on a plane to another state where it would be warm, a big plus for me is that there isn't the same focus on alcohol as there is in Ireland .

If you are thinking of earning a good living you should have recognised university qualifications from major universities here in Ireland to help you land the job you want.

If you want to excel in certain fields the openings seem to be there , I'd say it isn't a place you want to be earning 40k a year and just surviving.

You can make good money there and thats a fact. It's all relative to what you want from life and for your family

Manic Moran · 01-02-2018 10:37pm

I moved to the US from Ireland back in January 2000. I had about $2,500 in my pocket when I got off the airplane in Cleveland, and a credit card with a $3,000 limit. No job lined up, no house arranged beyond a person I knew from the Internet I could stay with for a couple days, I didn't really know anyone, or have family within 3,000 miles. In hindsight, I was naively optimistic, or incredibly stupid.

I am absolutely confident I can say I have a better life here now than I would have in Ireland had I never moved. I'm not living the stereotypical dream, I don't have a mansion with a fountain to drive around, or a Maserati to drive around it in, but I have a wife and kids, own my house, cars, computers, firearms, can rent airplanes when I want to fly, go abroad every year on vacation as well as 'local' weekend trips to places like Louisiana or Tennessee... I -enjoy- my life, I don't just live it. It's about as good as one could reasonably expect. I'm registering my own company next month, so let's see if I can improve upon it anyway.

Don't let the naysayers prevent you from moving to the US if that's what you want to do. There are arguments for Canada, Australia, Brasil, South Africa... anywhere you want to move to. There are arguments for staying in Ireland, and folks are happy there too. The US is still a land of opportunity, though.

Padraig1888 wrote: »

The thing about the US is they get hardly any paid holiday days and bank holidays. You'll realise it's not so bad here tbh. Just our climate is gik.

I realise that the rates are low for the first year or two, but it's not necessarily, too horrible here. I just checked my HR folder:
Last year, I got 9x bank holidays and Christmas Week off, and earned an additional 25 days of PTO for my own discretion (which, granted, includes sick days).
That's not bad.

The U.S. has the second highest rate of imprisonment in the world. Nearly a quarter of all prisoners worldwide, are in the U.S.

Egads. So our police force is generally good at its job, and the prosecutors actually prosecute. I do hope one day we'll fix the societal problems which are encouraging folks to go into crime, but I've pretty reasonable liberty mainly because I don't do things like battery, robbery, and so on.

Would it fcuk? You get on the motorway at New York and the scenery doesn't fcuking change until you hit the Rockies. Mile after mile after mile of bull****, for 2000 miles. If it's not prairie, it's desert, if it's not desert it's wheat fields. You get past the Rockies and you're back to desert/scrubland but at least you got the beautiful city of LA to look forward to.

Depends on what route you take. For example, sure, if I wanted to go across Wyoming and Nebraska on I-80, it's boring as hell. But I do that if I'm in a hurry, such as the first time I drove it. On the other hand, if I take I-90, that's a far more scenic, through the Black Hills of South Dakota, or the Big Sky Country of Montana. Last time I went cross-country, I decided to take the Southern route, from Fort Knox via San Antonio. You'd be surprised at the amount of mountains and trees in places like New Mexico and Arizona. One nice thing about my current residence is that if I drive three hours one way, I can be skiing, if I'm two hours the other way, I can be surfing. I want to look at 100m-tall trees, I go two hours North, if I want to go mountain hiking, two hours South. Works for me. There is a -lot- of scenery in the US, if you're willing to actually look for it.

I think you have to be legally resident there first to join - ie have a green card.

Correct. It is pretty much the fastest route to citizenship, though, if you can get into the country legally.

The flyover states are poor.

Yes and no. The wife and I were taking a serious look at moving to Kansas City last year, it's a surprisingly up-and-coming city. Decided not to as I do have a daughter who lives in California, and I'm going to wait a while before going away, but it has jobs, a cheap cost of living, it's centrally located, winters aren't too god-awful, a blossoming culture scene. Nobody ever thinks about these "little" places (KC is 2 million population), but it's well worth a look. Savannah was also a contender, although I guess Georgia is only a flyover State if you're going on holiday.

Also on my radar is Montana, though that's probably more a retirement gig, with a winter residence in Arizona or some such. It's not all New York and Los Angeles.

Ursus Horribilis · 01-02-2018 11:06pm

The more I learn about America, the less I think of the place. I'm sure it's a great place if you get to live the American dream and make your money. It seems to be a merciless place if you fall on hard times or you don't manage to get a good job. Their healthcare system makes ours look good and that's some going. It also seems to be a horribly divided, angry country when it comes to politics. Depressingly, there appears to be a large cohort of the population who are uninterested in educating themselves or believing any news source other than Fox News. So much for making America great again. Was it ever great in the first place?

NollagShona · 01-02-2018 11:08pm

Agreed. I’d live in any Western European city over USA

Herb Powell · 01-02-2018 11:29pm

LeinsterDub wrote: »

One of your cars would make the journey easier

http://media.giphy.com/media/l2JdSP4o5EZkTU16o/giphy.gif

Chalk it down.

Manic Moran wrote: »

Egads. So our police force is generally good at its job, and the prosecutors actually prosecute. I do hope one day we'll fix the societal problems which are encouraging folks to go into crime, but I've pretty reasonable liberty mainly because I don't do things like battery, robbery, and so on.

I agree with most of your post tbh, especially re: the hyperbole about being too scared of gangs to even visit, and I'm sure you can have a great life there, but man oh man, this bit. If only it was that simple.

Like, there are a (not insignificant) number of prosecutors who are eager to prosecute not because it's warranted but because it makes them money in a for-profit prison system. That's not the stuff of conspiracy, either.

MadYaker · 01-02-2018 11:34pm

I lived in L.A for 2 summers working for my uncle and renting a room off some granny he knew. I loved it and I still enjoy the occasional visit. Not sure id want to live there full time though. If you're middle class or above it's a great country. If it was relatively easy to get a visa id try it for a year.

c.p.w.g.w · 01-02-2018 11:39pm

I have no idea why anyone would want to leave Ireland for America...

Employment law is messed up in the states- look up "at will employment". There is zero protections for the unemployed, sick or poor.

Many people need to work multiple jobs and even when in employment you will probably have to depend on government food stamps.

It's the richest country in the world yet has so much poverty, that's it's genuinely depressing.

It's a country that's so divided and you'd be lucky to have anything that resembles a life

badboyblast · 02-02-2018 12:14am

c.p.w.g.w wrote: »

I have no idea why anyone would want to leave Ireland for America...

Employment law is messed up in the states- look up "at will employment". There is zero protections for the unemployed, sick or poor.

Many people need to work multiple jobs and even when in employment you will probably have to depend on government food stamps.

It's the richest country in the world yet has so much poverty, that's it's genuinely depressing.

It's a country that's so divided and you'd be lucky to have anything that resembles a life

Are you taking from experience, you seem to paint a very different picture to anyone I know working there

c.p.w.g.w · 02-02-2018 12:21am

badboyblast wrote: »

Are you taking from experience, you seem to paint a very different picture to anyone I know working there

Not directly, but I know a couple of people.

But also I have watched a number of documentaries, and read a lot of different stories.

My previous post isn't applicable to everyone

I know one person who is living the dream with regards their career and pay packet, but if you are working class in the states you are much worse off than the working class here in Ireland from what I have read and seen in a number of different documentaries

Also some states don't practice at will employment...And some company's don't use "at will employment"

Also things like paid holidays aren't available to employee's in many industries until you have served an x number of years

Spanish Eyes · 02-02-2018 12:27am

I like going to the US for a holiday, it is an amazing place.

But I would never live there, it would spoil the view so to speak. Far away hills and all that.

I would be very concerned about Health costs, and despite all the talk here no one would be turned away in this country ever. We are living in a great country, it has many big faults, but looking after people will never be one of them. Our DSP is good, and you will not go hungry either. Never heard of food stamps here.

But I suppose the response will be "what about the homeless here"? They probably get more supports than you or I will. Up to them to avail of it, it is there. Rest my case.

US to live in NO, to visit and do the road trip YES. But no, I would not live there. Just my opinion.

10-02-2018 12:07am

Manic Moran wrote: »

Egads. So our police force is generally good at its job, and the prosecutors actually prosecute. I do hope one day we'll fix the societal problems which are encouraging folks to go into crime, but I've pretty reasonable liberty mainly because I don't do things like battery, robbery, and so on.

Easy to say when you are in good health and not dirt poor.

If you were unable to work and too poor to feed yourself, would you still be as confident you would not resort to crime?

Manic Moran · 10-02-2018 9:32am

salonfire wrote: »

Easy to say when you are in good health and not dirt poor.

If you were unable to work and too poor to feed yourself, would you still be as confident you would not resort to crime?

According to the BoP, these are the crimes putting people away in the federal prison system. https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_offenses.jsp

Is it your contention that a significant portion of the US's inmate population is because they had no recourse other than to deal drugs (46%), unlawfully carry arms, explosives, or commit arson (17%), or commit sex offenses (9%) in order to feed themselves? That's a tally 3/4 of the BoP's inmates on just the top three offence categories.

I also looked up my State, the California Dept of Corrections, https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Reports_Research/Offender_Information_Services_Branch/Annual/Census/CENSUSd1306.pdf,

The highest categories of offense in the State's overcrowded, 135,000 prisoner system are Murder (16.5%), Robbery (16%), assault/battery (12%), assault with a deadly weapon (9%), Lewd Act with Child (6.5%), which gets us almost to 2/3 the total CDC inmate population.

One might have thought that the starving, need to feed offence might be larceny or shoplifting (Petty theft). In California, that's about 1% of the inmates.

I submit that most of the US's inmates are there because of poor life choices, not desperation.

10-02-2018 10:08am

Manic Moran wrote: »

According to the BoP, these are the crimes putting people away in the federal prison system. https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_offenses.jsp

Is it your contention that a significant portion of the US's inmate population is because they had no recourse other than to deal drugs (46%), unlawfully carry arms, explosives, or commit arson (17%), or commit sex offenses (9%) in order to feed themselves? That's a tally 3/4 of the BoP's inmates on just the top three offence categories.

I also looked up my State, the California Dept of Corrections, https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Reports_Research/Offender_Information_Services_Branch/Annual/Census/CENSUSd1306.pdf,

The highest categories of offense in the State's overcrowded, 135,000 prisoner system are Murder (16.5%), Robbery (16%), assault/battery (12%), assault with a deadly weapon (9%), Lewd Act with Child (6.5%), which gets us almost to 2/3 the total CDC inmate population.

One might have thought that the starving, need to feed offence might be larceny or shoplifting (Petty theft). In California, that's about 1% of the inmates.

I submit that most of the US's inmates are there because of poor life choices, not desperation.

Nope, I am saying that in the absence of a proper healthcare and welfare system, there are people who's last resort is to turn to crime.

Wanderer78 · 10-02-2018 10:20am

Manic Moran wrote:

I submit that most of the US's inmates are there because of poor life choices, not desperation.

You probably should do more research into the fundamentals of criminality

Brian? · 10-02-2018 10:39am

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Too many gangs for my liking. Wouldn't even visit it as a holiday

The whole of the US have too many gangs everywhere? From South Dakota to Hawaii and north eastern Maine?

Brian? · 10-02-2018 10:41am

wakka12 wrote: »

Most of europe has liberty and whatever 'pursuit of happiness' entails,which is surely subjective
Why pick america over even canada? They have very similar culture overall but with most of the bad bits of american culture ironed out, like political extremism, religious fanaticism and gun culture, more equal society

Canada is too cold, eh.

Brian? · 10-02-2018 10:45am

badboyblast wrote: »

Are you taking from experience, you seem to paint a very different picture to anyone I know working there

I lived in the states and it lines up exactly with my observations.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 10-02-2018 10:51am

Wanderer78 wrote: »

You probably should do more research into the fundamentals of criminality

Some crmininality is economic based. Much isn’t.

The average (mean) age in prison in California is 39. Not sure why that surprised me.

Permabear · 10-02-2018 10:53am

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IvyTheTerrible · 10-02-2018 11:01am

Permabear wrote: »

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With all due respect PB, you earn much more than the average person.
Degrees from Ivy Leagues are not cheap and there is only so much financial aid to go around. Your experience is not typical.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 10-02-2018 11:04am

Permabear wrote: »

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And yet I bet there are Irish students working for large American corporations, some at a high managent layer. The idea that American being average at pisa and other tests suddenly produces the best undergraduates is clearly nonsense. These are just popularity tests. Famous schools are ranked as famous schools by professors who have heard of famous schools.

Ireland has a double taxation agreement with the US, which would negate any liability to the IRS for most US citizens living and working in Ireland. And if you move back to Ireland and really don't want to be a US citizen anymore, you can always renounce your US citizenship.

Except you have to make yearly returns all your life.

ancapailldorcha · 10-02-2018 11:19am

I think a person earning much more than the average who can provide great opportunities for their children like Permabear may find themselves better off in the US.

However, for someone on an average salary I'd say Ireland, the UK or somewhere else in Europe would be a much better option due to cheaper healthcare, better work-life balance and the like. If the US was working so well for ordinary Americans, I don't think the upset of 2016 would have happened.

On the whole tax return for expats thing, I knew an American in Brighton who told me that most people don't even bother. It's only if you're very wealthy that the US authorities get bothered enough to enforce a 0.5% tax on your earnings. They're not going to expatriate someone earning a €24,000 salary owing €120.

Permabear · 10-02-2018 11:23am

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10-02-2018 11:37am

Permabear wrote: »

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Aren't you lucky then that you, or any of your family, were not born with any serious health conditions. How likely then would you have been able to work or obtain health insurance?

You display the typical 'I'm alright Jack so screw everyone else' mentality that has left the US broken and fractured.

As for the idea that your taxes are lower, thus sparing you the cost of someone else's health coverage, are taxes really that much lower?

You have Federal, State, Social Security, Medicare payroll taxes - maybe 21% effective tax rate.

Then high property tax; perhaps 5% of your gross

Then you may have to pay insurance premiums; say 10% of your gross. Then you might have to pay all, deductibles, out of pocket expenses, medication, etc. Say other 5% of gross.

Let's say you are repaying college loans, another 5% of your gross.

Now we are up to 46% of your gross in the US vs maybe 51% in Ireland or other European countries.

Is the 5% saving really worth it just to say screw other peoples' health and education, I made my own in life ?

Fr Tod Umptious · 10-02-2018 11:39am

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I think a person earning much more than the average who can provide great opportunities for their children like Permabear may find themselves better off in the US.

However, for someone on an average salary I'd say Ireland, the UK or somewhere else in Europe would be a much better option due to cheaper healthcare, better work-life balance and the like. If the US was working so well for ordinary Americans, I don't think the upset of 2016 would have happened.

On the whole tax return for expats thing, I knew an American in Brighton who told me that most people don't even bother. It's only if you're very wealthy that the US authorities get bothered enough to enforce a 0.5% tax on your earnings. They're not going to expatriate someone earning a €24,000 salary owing €120.

But do people go to the US from Ireland for the average salary ?

I don't think so.

I'd imagine there are three major categories or Irish immigrant to the US and all are monetarily successful.

1. The modern professional (IT, engineering, medical etc) who are well educated, well skilled and as a result well paid. These people all have visas.

2. Trades people (carpenters etc), very skilled and very well paid as a result. Usually self employed. Some of these may or may not have visas.

3. Undocumented short term stayers. They work hard and long hours (males in construction, females in domestic childcare or catering) but get paid much better than they would at home and have a lot more disposable income, also they don't pay tax. They tend to be young and mobile and thus return home after saving a lot of money.

IvyTheTerrible · 10-02-2018 11:50am

Permabear wrote: »

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And what percentage of students attending Harvard came from households earning less than $65000?

ancapailldorcha · 10-02-2018 11:51am

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

But do people go to the US from Ireland for the average salary ?

I don't think so.

I'd imagine there are three major categories or Irish immigrant to the US and all are monetarily successful.

1. The modern professional (IT, engineering, medical etc) who are well educated, well skilled and as a result well paid. These people all have visas.

2. Trades people (carpenters etc), very skilled and very well paid as a result. Usually self employed. Some of these may or may not have visas.

3. Undocumented short term stayers. They work hard and long hours (males in construction, females in domestic childcare or catering) but get paid much better than they would at home and have a lot more disposable income, also they don't pay tax. They tend to be young and mobile and thus return home after saving a lot of money.

Depends. Students with a part time job will earn a wage. The woman I spoke to had married a local and worked in a furniture shop.

Even if they get a €50,000 job, that's only €250 in tax. Hardly breaking the bank and that's if the federal government cares enough to collect.

Permabear · 10-02-2018 12:14pm

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Permabear · 10-02-2018 12:27pm

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Permabear · 10-02-2018 12:34pm

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dd972 · 10-02-2018 12:40pm

Check Canada out first OP, it may be 'boring' but quite often that's a good thing a la Switzerland.

Fr Tod Umptious · 10-02-2018 1:45pm

Permabear wrote: »

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And those that are unfortunate to fall on hard times in the US or for whatever reason it does not work out for them always have the safety net of coming back to Ireland

Permabear · 10-02-2018 2:50pm

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Franz Von Peppercorn · 10-02-2018 2:55pm

Permabear wrote: »

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I’m pretty sure that wages are largely equivalent. Of course in your industry it isn’t but your industry periodically gets handouts and is a net loss to society.

And average income workers in Ireland are taxpayers. They are paying in.

If the op thinks he can get to permabears level - which probably involves selling your soul - then America is worth it. Alternatively a good job in some small mid western states but that’s probably difficult.

ancapailldorcha · 10-02-2018 3:08pm

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

I’m pretty sure that wages are largely equivalent. Of course in your industry it isn’t but your industry periodically gets handouts and is a net loss to society.

And average income workers in Ireland are taxpayers. They are paying in.

If the op thinks he can get to permabears level - which probably involves selling your soul - then America is worth it. Alternatively a good job in some small mid western states but that’s probably difficult.

Depends. I know one fella who worked at an Ivy League University who would agree. I know another chap who bought a 3-bedroom house on the West Coast for $140,000 which is almost nothing in Dublin/London terms.

The work-life balance horror stories I've heard put me off the US to be honest when I was wanting quite badly to live there but fair play to anyone who's live the dream as it were. It isn't for everyone.

handlemaster · 10-02-2018 3:10pm

Holidays are rubbish 10 days a year.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 10-02-2018 3:10pm

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Depends. I know one fella who worked at an Ivy League University who would agree. I know another chap who bought a 3-bedroom house on the West Coast for $140,000 which is almost nothing in Dublin/London terms.

The work-life balance horror stories I've heard put me off the US to be honest when I was wanting quite badly to live there but fair play to anyone who's live the dream as it were. It isn't for everyone.

Sure - a good job in an area with low house prices is the dream. However I used to work in Silicon Valley and would never go back. Can’t afford to unless I get too 1% dollar.

con___manx1 · 10-02-2018 3:20pm

I dislike america at the moment so much. They are celeb obsessed brain dead bastards. There talking of voting for opera for the next president after that muppet trump. There gun laws are ridicolous.there the fattest country in the world. I hate american english words like awsome dude when they are spoken by irish people. The war in iraq was all about oil the nukes were just an excuse. They ditched the paris aggrement so they dont give a **** about the enviroment. They are a selfish country that think they are the greatest when really they are 90% idiots. I have been to 3 differnt cities in the us. Calafornia is like a different country. People over there have more sense at least.

Donald Trump · 10-02-2018 3:31pm

Fake News wrote: »

Yester wrote: »

Riskymove wrote: »

https://www.usa.gov/become-us-citizen

That's way too much work. Could I not just marry an American girl/guy?

It has to be Bona Fide

Hehe

Boner Fido more like

Find yourself some desperate mutt and give her lad for 5 years till the papers come through

snotboogie · 10-02-2018 4:16pm

Permabear wrote: »

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Harvard is absolutely atypical in what it offers, it has the largest endowment of any university on earth and can afford these schemes. Why don't you give the costs of more typical Universities in the Boston area like BU or BC?

Permabear · 10-02-2018 4:54pm

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BattleCorp · 10-02-2018 5:19pm

I worked in America a good few years ago. It was an eye opener.

I was earning ok money but the cost of living swallowed it up. I had to work 6 days per week to make ends meet. I worked much harder over there than here, much longer hours too.

When there was a holiday such as 4th July or Thanksgiving, I got a day off but didn't get paid for those days.

You could be let go from work at any time with no redundancy. Workers rights were close to zero.

The people aren't the least bit friendly or helpful. If you don't have loads of money, you are dirt.

Some lads I know were robbed at gunpoint by a 13 year old junkie while working on a building site. 2 of them thought they were going to die. Both of them left America within a month of that incident.

There were homeless everywhere. Plenty of bags of clothes under trees in Golden Gate Park where some of the homeless were living. I saw plenty of people eating out of rubbish bins. Much worse than here.

I was talking to one truck driver who was 81. I asked him why he was still working at his age. He told me that he has to keep working to pay his rent.

That said, if you have money, then it's a great place. Loads to see and do. I did get to have lots of good experiences and I don't regret going.

If anybody is thinking of going, do your research because it isn't a bit like home.

10-02-2018 6:56pm

Permabear wrote: »

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That's a nonsense opinion. There is plenty of money to make in Ireland and wealthy people here have a good lifestyle in a stable and safe country.

A country where you are a lot less likely to be gunned down by cops or simply attending a music concert.

Donald Trump · 10-02-2018 7:18pm

Permabear wrote: »

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The points about scholarship availability are well founded and true.

However it neglects the financially poor student who, while perhaps above average academic ability, does not have a family history of third level education and also is not going to have direct access to Harvard etc.

Focusing on the likes of Harvard is really out in the tail of the distribution and is not representative.

Will the American equivalent of the "working-class" Irish kid with 450 points in their leaving and no family history of university get into Harvard? Probably not. Will they get into the next tier or education institution (for want of a better word)? Has their family organized and coordinated a few years of extra curricular activities in order to fill out their CV to try to get them in the door? They probably don't know how to play the game. Is that kid going to have the same access to education as they would in Ireland - probably not. Will they feel comfortable taking on massive amounts of debts which seem so large in comparison to their current family income?

The difficulty is that people who have gone through the system take it for granted that it is the default thing to do. Yes, technically all hurdles can be overcome. But those hurdles often seem insurmountable for people who have never navigated the system.

I've been through the third level system. I know it is navigable. If I have kids, I assume they'll go too (unless they seriously do not want to). But when I was 17 I didn't know that I would go. Even with the free fees the opportunity cost vs a low paid manual job seemed large then. If you had put tens of thousands of pounds in fees on top of that.....I think I'd have taken a completely different path

Kivaro · 10-02-2018 7:38pm

handlemaster wrote: »

Holidays are rubbish 10 days a year.

That comment is rubbish. It ain't true.

Some of the other generalizations on here are bewildering in their inaccuracies.

Permabear · 10-02-2018 10:59pm

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Franz Von Peppercorn · 10-02-2018 11:02pm

Kivaro wrote: »

That comment is rubbish. It ain't true.

Some of the other generalizations on here are bewildering in their inaccuracies.

10 days is in fact true.

https://gusto.com/framework/health-benefits/paid-vacation-time-how-do-you-stack-up/

23% of Americans get 0 paid holidays a year.

Manic Moran · 10-02-2018 11:44pm

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

10 days is in fact true.

https://gusto.com/framework/health-benefits/paid-vacation-time-how-do-you-stack-up/

23% of Americans get 0 paid holidays a year.

And others get more. I got 39 paid days off last year, only 9 of which were federal bank holidays. I'm trying to remember how many I got when I worked in Ireland, but I don't think it was that much. (I didn't use them all, but I earned them. The rest are sitting in my PTO balance)

Permabear is quite right. You don't come to America because you're looking to be in the bottom 23%. You come to the US because you believe you can better your situation. If you're only worried about how bad it can be, you'll never take any risk at all. Spend all your time looking down, how will you ever get up?

I want to live in America

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