I've just returned home from a 10-day trip to Brazil. It is worth the mandatory (and exhaustive) visa process to go. Brazil was glorious. It’s everything it looks like in the best photos, but 10 times better in person. The folks who are headed there for the Olympics next year are in for a treat.

I made it to two major cities—Rio and Salvador—and both are under heavy construction, prepping for the onslaught of tourists. They are excited to host you, and for you to spend your dollars! I recommend that everyone wiling and able get themselves down there, even if it’s not for the Olympics, and bask in the (pervasive) sounds of samba, sample the Afro-Brazilian dishes and meet the people.

But after 10 days, I am glad to be back home. There are some very American things that I take for granted about our country, and I am thankful to have them back in my life. I make this list not to point out what’s better about America, but to highlight the differences that aren’t always appreciated by Americans. I’m also working on another list about things I miss about being abroad and ways America could improve. It will be much longer than this one. 

Here are the seven things I didn’t realize I took for granted (which probably would be much longer if I weren’t jet-lagged):

1. Safety: Everywhere in America ain’t safe. But in the vast majority of places, you can walk around in broad daylight wearing a necklace without fear of it being snatched. Or you can see something striking or just weird and whip out your phone to take a photo, because all phones have cameras, right?