DaylandS, 'Stars Stripes and Sky Ambient Filter' June 14, 2008 via Flickr, Creative Commons License

Since starting this blog I’ve made a mini network of traveling friends whose blogs I follow and stories I read. More often than not they discuss a situation where their lifestyle was challenged or witty comebacks when someone asks you the same exact question the last person you mentioned your plans to had said. This has never happened to me before, I’ve had family ask if I wouldn’t be lonely and miss them but never someone outright challenging my quest to explore the world, that is until I ventured into Iowa.

As I was sitting at a BW3‘s chit chatting and getting egged on to try the Blazin’ Challenge I was discussing my current ‘Why not’ theory with my motorcycle trip and how it extended to me trying to swing my way out of the US eventually. I discussed the idea of becoming a Peruvian citizen and exploring South America and Asia flinging out whichever passport that would aid me along the way. Then it hit me, like a left hook you weren’t expecting, “Well that sounds unpatriotic.” The wording kind of made me take a step back, but before I could vocalize anything intelligent I merely uttered, “That’s because I’m not.”

Yeah, the blank stare of disbelief hit his face so hard I think I heard his brain stop for a second. Now I always new I wasn’t the most patriotic individual, which seems weird since I’m a licensed social studies teacher, but I really just have never been. You humans get so caught up on ownership of land that three feet of some line can cause hatred between people who are otherwise living similar lives. I’ve always been a go with the swing kind of monkey, and thought of myself as more of a citizen of the world. I always thought it was odd that people take such great pride in something they had no choice in, in a land where their historical ties can only go back a few generations. That is minus the Native Americans but of course, who generally have their own idea about the perception of owning earth.

Before I could explain myself further he snapped back with the, how great America is speech and how I couldn’t get ‘this’ anywhere else. I was kind of confused on what he was referencing as he pointed to his chicken wings. It wasn’t the wings but the restaurant, the brand the name that he was referencing. To me this was the worst selling point I’ve ever heard because to me, I can make a better version at home the true enjoyment of going out is the company and sampling various bits of alcohol without getting suckered into buying the whole bottle. Plus the world has so much more to offer than a BW3′s give me Ceviche on the beaches of Peru, a Salgadinho or one of those funny hotdogs they sell at Ipanema Beach in Brazil, Curry in India, a cafe in Paris, a taco stand in Mexico of ‘steak’ for less than a dollar or a hot waffle in Belgium. America, I’m sorry, is not exactly the king of all foods if you are not afraid to explore what the world has to offer, and I’m not saying you have to get all Andrew Zimmern about it but life is about watching the views, smelling the spices of life and tasting the culture out of a street vendor food cart.

I honestly tried not to challenge his beliefs because I understand that these things have importance to him and there was an aspect that I could tell I was missing, a part of the story that wouldn’t reveal itself until the next day.

As I was helping one of my friends move out of their apartment, I was asked why I ventured to Iowa City. This got me on my whole travel talk, that is until I heard, “Man, you really don’t like America do you?” First of all I was offended, I’m a monkey, not a man and secondly I never stated that I don’t like America I just haven’t seen enough of the world yet to compare it to anything else. Again, I did my politician deflect and when needed answer indirectly. Through these discussions I learned that my anti-American accuser was from Haiti which started to piece together why these things meant so much for him.

The point in which I was trying to convey is that it is not simply the place you are located at that will give you a happy life, but your perception of the life you are living and the company you keep that will matter more in the end than the shade of your passport. It isn’t about being un-American but pro world, and realizing that there are just as many things that connect you to your current country as it does to someone else on the other side of the world. Happiness is largely perception, I’m sure you can think of someone who has everything but is miserable and another who has nothing but is happy with their life and makes the most out of what they have. Every place has it’s pro’s and con’s but a newspaper story can’t tell you if you’d like a certain place. It is up to you to get out there and see for yourself, are you patriotic? Me, I’m not so sure and until I get to see the world I’ll never really know.

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Tags | america, anti-american, fourth of july, Monkey, patriotic, Travel, United States, unpatriotic, USA