I'll be the first to admit that I anticipated feeling embarrassed to be an American during my trip to Bologna. Before I left, I was warned to tell people that I was Canadian to avoid trouble. I began to wonder why I wanted to travel to countries who would not welcome me. I could not have been more wrong. This trip has smashed the "glamorous" light that so many Americans hold Europe in, and truly made me proud to be an American. Europe has always seemed so enchanting. I always believed it had culture and class, not to mention a rich history. I suppose you could say that I had great expectations of what I would see in European cities, and what I would hear from others about my home. True, I have seen much beauty. The city of Bologna, the home of the oldest University in the world, may have great tradition, food, and shopping, but it is surprisingly dirty, and churches and buildings which have stood for centuries are covered in graffiti which has not been bothered to clean up. My train ride from Munich to Bologna was six hours long, but it flew by. I sat next to a Brazilian student studying in Munich, and a girl from New Zealand backpacking across Europe. Once we discovered that we spoke English and could communicate, we began to discuss our cultures, and ideas we have about others. Of course there were questions about Bush, Katrina, and health care. I answered them as honestly as I could: Bush won one election by a slender margin and the other with help of silly and outdated rules. Hurricane Katrina was hard to watch, but it forced people to stand up against the administration. And, yes, we do have a broken health care system that is seemingly beyond repair. Yet, amidst those questions were opinions I did not expect; praises about America culture and what it has brought to their lives. I learned that both of them routinely listened to American music, watched American movies, had favorable opinions of America in the past, and enjoyed their time visiting the United States immensely. To them, it was the land of freedom, wealth, and opportunity. As I got off of the train, I realized that I was proud to be an American. I have spend so much time over the past few years hating Fox News and George Bush, that I temporarily lost pride in my country. The United States is open to all, perhaps not to the extent that people would like it to be, but we are still young. We value our history, despite its short length. Never would you see buildings important to our history covered in graffiti. Yes, we are intense, but hard work is rewarded in our society. I have always made fun of the tourists who flood Washington, D.C. wearing Old Navy T-Shirts with flags on them. I do not think that I will be joining them this Independence Day, but I certainly understand their feelings of pride in the U.S.A. |
