I’m from the U.K. and have lived in America for 17 years, which is about 75% of my adult life. The opportunity here, and lack of old world “ceilings” has been amazing, as has the relative ease at just living an ordinary life if you work hard. None of this is true about the U.K.. however, what America severely lacks is communal life, real “village life” (which paradoxically you can have even in a major conurbation) whereby people mingle, they know you, there’s a shared oneness in society. Here, it too easy just to drive from you home to your work, you favorite spots, sports, a few restaurants and shops etc., and for some people a church…and never see people, really mingle, and just enjoy that community. Making real connections with people is just ridiculously hard, regardless of how easy people are to talk to that first time. There’s a social layer missing here between the inner layers of family and people we knew growing up, and colleagues and mere acquaintances.

I am a college professor, and see students enjoying community, only to change within a few years once they graduate, to a life they believe has to be the norm. It’s saddening. It’s a big part of why for all the material things we have here, life -particularly in the suburbs — can feel “off”.