Some
say perception is everything and our perceptions are shaped by our experiences.
Our experiences create how we feel about the world. I love being an American (it has it perks)
however I am not a fan of our busy fast paced culture. At times it feels
as though we are so busy that as a society we take a lot of things for granted
and expect the world to be just as life is here in the states. As an American I find that when I travel
and speak with people from around the world there is a perception that Americans
are arrogant and ignorant. Unfortunately
and honestly speaking I would have to agree that is true for a certain portion
of our population. Americans are nice people for the most part however it feels
as though we take our way of life for granted and we don’t realize the
realities of the rest of the world. I notice this often when having conversation
with other Americans when I am home and more so when I travel abroad especially
when traveling to so called “third world countries”. If we choose to get all of our news from CNN,
Fox, MSNBC etc. and depend on government to tell us everything we need to know
instead of choosing to become active and informed citizens this shows we take
our way of life for granted.
The
Americans who share my point of view are fellow travelers and or people who
study other cultures and personally know people who live in other countries. In
America we don’t get as much time off to vacation from our busy lifestyle as
compared to other countries. Travel has to be on your radar in order to make
the most of time off to actually plan and vacation somewhere outside of your
normal surroundings. Anyone who grew
up as an Army brat has an idea of what I mean.
A part of their life was traveling with their parents which exposed them
to lots of different people with different beliefs and ways of life. Not all of
these chances to interact with other people are always abroad there are lots of
places here in the states where it’s a bit of a melting pot and traveling to
have new experiences is not always a passport issue. New York, Florida and
California just to name a few has an abundance of different people from all
over the world. Also Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hawaii are great
destinations that don’t require a passport these places will get you in touch
with other cultures.
Traveling doesn't have to be really expensive. If you plan it in advance and you review all of
your options you can find really great deals. Also if you need some help The
Odyssey Goddess herself is here to assist.
For me
traveling allows me to be exposed to things outside of my norm and opens my
mind to new adventures and lifestyles. As a socially, culturally and eco conscious
American I care about what we do to our planet, how we interact with each other
and how the rest of the world feels about my country and its inhabitants. I
find it very interesting and informative to watch the news in another country
to listen to the difference in perspective on how America is viewed and how
others feel about the things going on in our world. We are
all here together and borders should not impact how we relate to each other in
the world which is why I am a strong travel advocate. The more I travel I see
how amazing the world and people are. I become more accepting, open minded and my
appreciation for what I have in life grows.
My hope is that more people get to explore and use traveling not just a
means to get away but as a chance to expand our world view.
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