> not everyone is walled off in their car/suburban house all the time I can't compare to Italy, but I find suburban US bleaker and more isolating than I did li

> not everyone is walled off in their car/suburban house all the time I can't compare to Italy, but I find suburban US bleaker and more isolating than I did living in Germany. My suggestion would be to go to your nearest urban area. Even the worst car-centric US cities have walkable parts - in a pinch, figure out where the local college is to start. Apologies to those who like them, but suburbs are culture-deprived wastelands[1]. Go somewhere where people actually want to engage with the world and you'll have better luck. [1] Obviously, I like cities. But even rural life is better - much cheaper, and instead of the illusion of privacy, you can actually be alone.