Being American Abroad

Slightly delayed, but still good!

With 4th of July around the corner, I've been reflecting a lot about what it will be like to celebrate the holiday while not in the States.

The first time that I lived - or travelled abroad - it was impressed on me that, whenever possible, I should pretend that I was not American. I was told that it would make traveling easier, people more friendly and generally allow me to have the sort of invisibility that would make traveling less dangerous and eliminate risk.

To some extent, this is true. When people hustle me to buy things or yell out lewd phrases, many times I will yell back in Dutch, which promptly shuts them up and makes them leave me alone. (Unlike French or German, almost no one knows Dutch, and it leaves many people feeling unable to respond back). Sometimes speaking English lets people label you as a sucker, and it's nice to not have to deal with that.

But more importantly, I have come to realize how wrong my initial advice was. If anything, traveling has made me come to realize just how American I am, and made me proud to embrace my nationality. The grass, as it turns out, isn't always greener and even the counties with the nicest people can have some pretty shady traditions. If you want a good example, google Zwarte Piete, the Dutch version of santa's elves.

Upon reflection, the advice to lay low as an American is based on the assumption that Americans are ignorant. We all know the type of Americans that perpetuate this stereotype, but it is very easy to change that opinion, and increase your own sense of national pride. I known from personal experience that it often feels great to tell someone, "I am American." Often they are pleasantly surprised.

How?

You can try your best at the language. The last time I was in France, my broken French was good enough to get me and a friend free ski rentals, a ride to and from the mountain, and a home cooked meal with a French family. People are people, in any language, and it's amazing to see how similar we all are at the end of the day. If you want to brush up before your next trip, I suggest the app Duolingo. It's free, comes in 4 languages (Italian, French, German, Spanish), and will get you through everything from the basics to some pretty crazy verbs conjugations.

You can talk about politics. I'm not talking about getting into a heated debate, but sitting down over a cup of coffee and talking about a different government is a great way to get a better sense of The United States compared with others. Many people are genuinely interested in how Americans view their own policies, and being well informed on matters back home lets you have more enlightened conversations with those overseas. I bought an electronic readership to the New York Times when I was still in college, and enjoy reading that every day to get a sense of what is going on - wherever I might be. It's pretty cheap, and I would recommend that to anyone.

Tuck into something local. A lot of the stigma forced on American travelers stems from the idea that Americans don't really try new things and only eat hamburgers. So pop on your bro tank and go to a farmers market. Slurp up some local gizzard, or pho, or knock back a ouzo or palinka. Being confident enough in your own skin to try something new is the courageous American spirit that Davy Crockett and Abe Lincoln would endorse, and allows you to feel proud and less hungry at the same time.

In short, be a happy American wherever you are. Traveling isn't a time to shed your identity, but understand it fuller in contrast to others. The USA really is the land of the free and the home brave, and going abroad is your opportunity to prove that to others - and yourself.

If you happen to be in Split, Croatia this 4th of July, try and spot me: I'll be rocking my American Flag bikini.