Would you like to live there eventually, or not?

That is a question I’ve received countless times.

The answer is no. Maybe for a little bit, not permanently. I might change my mind one day, who knows, but for now, it’s a no.

Ever since I was a child, I dreamt of visiting and living in America. I saw all the amazing cities, places and sports leagues. I thought America is the greatest place on earth. Everything seemed pink.

It does not anymore.

This is my second year living in United States and my first one being here as a student. My first year, I spent in Willkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where I lived with this amazing family and played junior hockey. Over the nine months I stayed with them, I got to visit nine different states.

The most memorable ones were definitely California and Colorado. It’s almost like a different country. So, it’s hard for me, and maybe not fair to be judging America based on my experience from living mostly on the east coast. But the culture here in general, is just different, and for me honestly, it’s not good different.

One of the biggest reasons for me to not live here permanently is my family and my friends. This has nothing to do with this country, but it’s a fact. The connections I have back home are just too strong to leave them for good.

I would like to start my own family eventually and I want my future kids to have their grandparents beside them. I want them to experience the country childhood like I had. To grow up and go to school in a safe area, which I think is not as easy to accomplish here.

What is also harder for me than I thought it was going to be is the food. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some great food here; steaks like I’ve never eaten before, great seafood, and burgers.

But in general, I have a big problem with the food. Everything is pre-made, the flavors are not what I’m used to and I don’t really like them. There’s a lot of fast food, sandwiches, pizzas and subs. This is my experience so far from what I have eaten in the dining hall, on the roads with the hockey team and what I see most of the American families are used to.

You could say, why don’t you cook then?

I know, and I do sometimes, but I don’t really have the time to cook for myself every day. Another issue is, everything is twice as – if not more expensive – as it is in Czech. It is not worth it.

Not to sound overcritical, I’ve had and I’m still having a great time here. I’ve visited some beautiful places, cities, and there is so much more to see, and I want to see it. I definitely want to travel all across the states.

I’ve created some great memories and friendships and I feel very welcomed here. In a perfect world, I would like to be fortunate enough to have my own place somewhere in the United States. To be able to keep visiting this country for the rest of my life, to keep and build up my connections here and explore more.

But my home will always be back home, in Czech Republic.