Americans are an enigma. Their govt is one of the most hated internally and externally and this reflects negatively on how Americans are viewed by rest of planet. I also believe the planet culture is not one-dimensional and to have a complete / better view, one should study American, Russian and Chinese cultures, not just American one.
Bully for you-lol. Not sure how welcoming Russia or China are, but why don't you give them a try and let us know?