An American in Europe

So, contrary to what a few conservatives might think, I am very proud to be an American. I think my country has accomplished many amazing things and is, overall, a pretty great place. Being in Europe, however, has made me realize what it means to be an American outside of America.

Many Americans come to Europe and manage to somehow keep themselves surrounded by other Americans. We haven't had that luxury. Somewhat by choice and somewhat by chance we have found ourselves thrust into the middle of a couple of cultures that we are not, as of yet, really a part of. Before coming here you have an idea of how an American would be received in this situation. You might think that we would be hated, you might think that we would be loved, what we find instead is either indifference or mild curiosity. Being an American here doesn't seem to be any different that being Chinese or Brazilian to the people we are meeting. When we are in areas not frequented by tourists there is at most slight surprise that we would leave the tourist areas where all the signs are in English. When we get the chance to have a conversation with someone in these areas we suddenly learn what it really means to be an American.

In the US I am from Nashville or from Tennessee and both of things carry certain connotations with them. I am a liberal or I am gay or I am white or I am middle class. Here I am none of those things, I am simply an American. Here I am cut from the same stone as Barack Obama and Pat Robertson. I am from New York and LA. I am a cowboy and a robber baron. Gay, liberal, Nashville, none of these things mean anything here, I am simply an American without any asterisks.

This has led me to think that the US, which for years was a great melting pot, has become a very divided place where none of us really are Americans any more, at least until we leave the country. We have stopped being proud of our nation and instead have become proud of our ideologies or lack there of. We have taken sides on everything to such an extent that we have become blind to the things that should be holding us together. The rest of the world still seems to see us as a single entity, why can't we?