The U.S. is a large nation with a diverse population. Life can be very different from region to region. Despite this, a typically American way of life has evolved over time. Expats will likely find Americans in general to be a friendly, optimistic, and generous bunch. However, some Americans may at times seem ignorant about the world apart from their own borders. Each person's experience will vary, but here are some commonalities of the American way of life.
Family
The nuclear family unit is the most common in the USA, although there are families consisting of any combination of relationships. While marriage before children was standard, unmarried couples and single-parent households are just as common today. American families appreciate individuality, and the stigma of the past against various types of families quickly becomes a thing of the past. In spite of that, many generations of family members living together are not common.
With age, children become more independent of their families. Americans are considered adults when they turn 18, which coincides with high school graduation. Young adults should live alone, even in the same city as their parents. The US focus on personal happiness means that it is common for families to live separately because of their work or personal preferences.
Work-life balance
Americans work a lot, having more hours than any other industrialized nation. Part of this normal is the idea of the American dream and that you can accomplish anything if you work hard enough. This is probably the most valued part of American life, so much so that a job is almost synonymous with a person's identity. In fact, unlike many cultures, asking people what they do for a living is a common question that is not perceived as coarse or intrusive. In American labor life, making money is the ultimate goal and it is not considered dirty to say it.
An unfortunate byproduct of this lifestyle is that many Americans don't have a lot of paid time-off vacation (aka annual leave), or even when they do, they don't always use them. Paid leave is a marginal advantage in the United States and companies are not required to give annual leave to their employees. Entry-level jobs are typically three to five days of vacation per year, and additional days are added based on the number of years of service. In addition, if the company is operating on a holiday such as Christmas or New Year's Day, it can require its employees to work on those days.