Courtesy of Ilya Davydov.
- Ilya Davydov was raised in England, Russia, and Switzerland and came to the US for college in 2022.
- He said the US's car culture makes for dull, sprawling cities that are unsafe for cyclists like him.
- He regrets moving because he's had a hard time making friends and getting around by bike.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ilya Davydov, 20, about his regret over moving to the US from Switzerland. Davydov was raised in Europe and moved to College Park, Maryland, a college town about 10 miles outside of Washington, DC, to attend the University of Maryland in 2022. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.