Alright United-Statesians. I have a bone to pick with you (us.)
Most of the world sees our country as one of the most powerful, influential countries on this planet. And that is probably true. But we also have some pretty incorrect assumptions about the rest of the world.
I’m a little embarrassed to even write about this, because it sounds so silly to say out loud. But these perceptions are real, and I just need to vocalize that they are absolute rubbish.
And while I’m at it, many other countries feel the same way about the rest of the world too (USA included,) so this article is for you as well.
In case you have ever entertained these feelings, regardless of where you live, I just want you to know that the world is not…
Dirty – We all have different germs and different stuff in the water and different contamination and food to adjust to. However, the rest of the world is not innately dirty. My friend from Ecuador gets sick eating our cheese when she comes and visits here in the United States. It’s not always dirty/clean, it’s just different and your stomach needs time to adjust.
Unsafe – What makes it less safe is our lack of awareness of cultural norms and familiarity with the area. But the area itself is not necessarily much more dangerous. It’s what you do; I could be in a more dangerous situation in my hometown if I’m in the wrong part of town in the middle of the night than if I’m traveling smart in an unknown land… Obviously some areas are less safe than others, but the rest of the world is not inherently more dangerous than where you currently are. It has more to do with your comfort zones. Take the time to slowly build up your abilities and travel muscles – it is worth it!
Lesser – We (me included), all of us, have the tendency to view things that are different as lesser, or maybe even wrong. I’m not a relativist; I believe there is truth in this world. However, many many things in this life are not black and white, they are just grey. Beautiful variety of tones and shades and palettes of grey hues. A more accurate analogy would probably involve all colors – the world is shades of crimson and mahogany and buttercup yellow and amethyst and sky all slathered up and mixed together and splashed and brushstroked about, and it’s beautiful. So when you’ve lived in a world of black and suddenly travel to a world that includes pops of yellow, don’t instantly reject it. That might sound crazy, but it happens all the time. I’m probably sounding a little ethereal and not concrete, but I just want to encourage us to not instantly reject something different as being right or wrong or lesser. It’s just different. Suspend judgment for a second… or the whole time abroad. Efficiency might be a great thing USA, it really is, but there might be a gem in the fact that some other countries don’t operate on a clock. It’s not lesser. Just one example to chew on… Suspend the decision a bit, and see if there’s any way to grow.
The world is not dirty, unsafe, or lesser.
It’s just simply not true.