An (American) Idiot Abroad

For the first time in my life I had the privilege of being able to travel to various parts of the United Kingdom / Northern Europe with my lovely new wife. What you might expect following that would be descriptions of various excursions we took during the trip, recounting the breathtaking sites seen, and an endless supply of anecdotes and pictures.  

However, that is not what I will be sharing today. So ha!

That's not to say it wasn't a marvelous trip- unlike any other I've ever taken in my life. I'll never forget it. What I will be sharing though is how eye opening my interactions with citizens of other countries turned out to be during this vacation.  

You might say I don't get out much- of the country that is- and during this trip I was finally exposed in person to folks from other places and their opinions regarding all things United States. You see, I've learned that the limited people that I had exposure to had a few key thoughts about the land of the good ole' red, white and blue. Some positive, some negative, as well as some with validation, and some without.  

Without further ado, I wanted to touch on a few...

TRUMP

Perhaps the most obvious would be the statements and general reactions that were made about President Trump. These were always colorful. For instance one gentleman from Denmark began giggling when he broached the topic, stating, "I want to thank your country for the endless entertainment you have provided us lately." To which a Canadian couple agreed, but also added, "Yes he's highly entertaining, as long as he doesn't start World War III."

Now of course this was merely casual jokes at the dinner table. However, it does make one recall the old adage, "a lot of truth is said in jest".

Throughout the cruise I was reminded that many individuals from other countries seem not to consider Trump dangerous as much as they seem to accept him as a side show act mixed with a dash of pity.  

AMERICAN EDUCATION / HEALTHCARE

We often found ourselves discussing the state of education in our respective countries. This forced us to review things like teacher wages, charter schools, as well as the rising cost of college. Several of the couples we met were from places that had the entirety of their schooling paid for, up to and including their doctorate degrees.  

Obviously this involved some level of chatting about taxation and the large role government plays in most of European society. A fellow from Holland summed it up quite nicely by saying, "Is our tax too high? Perhaps, I thought so as a young man just starting out. As you get older, have a family and life sort of happens around you, you begin to see that the cost is worth it when it comes to the bigger things. It ends up being one of the main benefits of the socialist’s mindset.”

“Oh wait a second now,” I joked, “You can’t say ‘socialist’ to an American, it’s like a swear word, we get angry for no reason, and start to break out in cold sweats.”

THE AMERICAN DREAM

The conversation that stands out to me the most during my time outside the U.S. is one I had with a cruise ship photographer from Argentina. With a mind full of these bits and pieces of foreigner’s thoughts on America, I felt overwhelmed by everything I had heard, and needed to ask a direct question in order to receive a direct answer.

I asked of him, “What is your opinion on America?”

He chuckled at my ignorance and perhaps my boldness all at the same time. He began in a languid accent, “I think for me most people hold America in high regard. Though not because the strength of its government. It is because of the strength of its people.”

He went on to explain to me that America still holds value as a place where anyone is capable of achieving. He added that statement does not hold true for many around the world.    

It was this conversation that resonated most with me as it made me think about the reputation we have amongst other countries in the world, and what a tremendous responsibility that can be. Going forward, I hope to remember that I carry a small part of that responsibility on my shoulders.