For any traveling journalist, one of the most important aspects of a fulfilling and memorable visit to anywhere is being able to interview, converse, and mingle with the citizens that live there and establish the rich culture of the place. Understanding the atmosphere of a place while visiting is always important; it helps us fathom how big the world really is, and how many different sets of values actually exist within our vast but limited biosphere.
Doing this can be especially hard while checking out the great land of America. The United States of America (known simply as America) is a large mix of many different cultures from around the world, so no matter how many times one visits one can never quite know everything one would like to know. You see, when America was first formed, it was formed under the basis of equal freedom for all peoples alike. It took quite a few renovations, but now the culture of America (often referred to by the locals as a "melting pot") is something created by people from all over the world.
It is impossible to attribute one main atmosphere with the entire country, one may visit one area and experience one culture and then one may visit another and experience something completely different. So the best way to really get to know the locals in America is to essentially pretend to be one.
What that means is this: because America is the land of many cultures, while visiting one should assume that one's own culture is as much a part of America as any other culture. Go to a local bar and talk about anything you want to, go shopping for things you are familiar with, eat somewhere suited to your taste; the moment you decide to make yourself at home in America, you become an American just like everyone else.
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