The Typical American

         During one of the most rejuvenating experiences of my life, I was beyond excited to have taken the opportunity to immerse myself in the French and English culture. While on my trip I found myself making many observations about all of my surroundings. I compared most everything to the American lifestyle, and found myself missing home quite often. I have grown so accustomed to the way of life in America that I have never really given myself the chance to branch out and experience other cultures, and this trip was the perfect chance for me to do that. I began this trip being slightly nervous because I had no idea what to even expect. I had endured many stereotypes before I left and found myself already going into the trip with a closed mind, something that is common with Americans, oops! Soon after I arrived in London though, I asked myself why I would travel four thousand miles from home and only keep a closed mind. I did not travel across the world to be negative and prove truth to the stereotypes I have heard, but rather to learn what life on the other side of the world was like, and boy was it different.

           

To start off, I loved London for many reasons, but I also disliked it for many reasons. I loved the beautiful architecture and “historical” look many of the cities portrayed. My favorite activity in London was experiencing the London Eye Ferris wheel ride. I loved this activity because I was able to see the entire city and all of the amazing views it had to offer. I also enjoyed going to Picadilly Circus at night because it reminded me a lot of New York City. I found myself comparing London to New York City a lot, and felt like I was not that far away from home. Personally, London did not give me much of a “culture shock”, perhaps because there was not a language barrier between the citizens of London and me. I can admit that the money situation was somewhat confusing at first though. During my first day in London I had trouble with the money situation. I found myself unsure of how to use the currency in London and for the first couple of days I used a card instead of cash. However, I quickly learned the way the currency worked and no longer felt so out of place. I was also shocked at the fact that sometimes we had to pay to use the bathroom as well..that is unheard of in America! The people in London were usually friendly, but there was the occasional snobby citizen who hated that a giant group of American tourists were constantly in their way. I actually do not blame them because I would have been annoyed of our group to!

           

I was actually quite surprised that the people in London were so welcoming because I constantly find myself judging people who come to America to tour. I do see myself thinking negative thoughts, wondering why people would even want to come to America, what was so special about it anyways? I seemed to neglect the idea that many people around the world find our traditions and customs unique, just as we find theirs. I have grown so accustomed to the ways of life in America that I began to forget the importance of the traditions and customs we have created. Being away from home helped me recognize the differences that exist in traditions between many countries around the world.

           

From the moment I set foot in France, I began to feel like I was four thousand miles from home, and the “culture shock” aspect begun to sink in. Our journey started with a ferry ride across the English Channel. As if we were not all cranky enough from the three hours of sleep we all received, having food taken off our trays for breakfast did not make anything much better. On the boat we were told we were not supposed to eat certain foods, and personally it made me feel like an outsider. I suddenly began to feel uncomfortable with my surroundings and caught a glimpse as to why Americans consider French people so rude. A majority of the workers on the boat were very mean to us, and I felt very uncomfortable being stared at everywhere I went. It was very obvious that we were American tourists, with our group of fifty two I guess I should not have been surprised that we got so many stares. Our group was loud, and obnoxious, and annoying…now maybe I can see why the workers acted like they hated us. As our journey through France began I recognized that the stares we received from everyone were anything but welcoming. Everywhere we went people stared, and stared…and stared. Going up and down in the escalators at the metro station was always so uncomfortable because I always observed eyes creeping on our group at all times. Maybe they were curious, but they gave off a vibe that they hated all of us, and I did not feel welcome. Besides the staring, I found myself struggling to communicate with the Parisians. I spoke very little French, and at times many of the Parisians spoke very little English. Most often, our only means of communication was pointing fingers and nodding heads to explain what we wanted. I tried to immerse myself in the culture as best I could, but still struggled. I saw the Parisians struggling to in an effort to communicate, and often times I would see many of them beyond annoyed. Many workers I encountered would roll their eyes when I asked if they could speak English, and were very rude to me. I truthfully was not surprised though. I was also somewhat shocked at the portion sizes in France. I am so used to everything being super-sized in America, which directly correlates to the problem of obesity that exists in our country. I did find myself hungry a lot of the time because of all the walking we did, and especially because many of the portion sizes were nothing compared to back home. One day I was craving a taste of American food so bad that I caved in and bought McDonalds, yes, McDonalds. Surprisingly there were many of them around France, and after eating there I found myself considerably full for one of the first times the entire trip.

 

            As different as surrounding countries are around us, I think it is extremely important for people to recognize that the differences in traditions and cultures around the world is what makes every country so unique. If we were all the same what would be the adventure in that? Being surrounded by people who do not share similar traditions, customs, or even language is a struggle, but provides evidence to support the fact that our world is full of unique people. Also, it shows that sometimes, our egotistical minds prevent us from stepping outside of our comfort zones and prevent us from taking a look at what is around us. The world is such an amazing place, so why not branch out and experience something completely different than you’re used to? It could be a life changing experience. Take a risk, live your life, and don’t be afraid to experience what the rest of the world has to offer.