An observation

Unamerican?

I realize I really like British, Canadian, German, and Aussie travelers way more than most of the Americans I have met. Especially, Canadians, seriously they are the coolest by far and I have met so many more of them than Americans or anyone else.

Also, I am coming to appreciate the normal parts of culture rather than all the sites and other touristic things. Like in Paris, I went to the store bought some beers and went out to the park to go mingle. What I found was a community gathering with a funky local jazz band playing some pretty innovative music I hadn't really heard anything similar to before, old French ladies breaking it down doing some variation of the robot, sat down with some locals and shared some wine and hung around for another 30 minutes or so because I was really digging the music. Made my way out to go to the subway station to head a bit out of town for the big jazz festival, but before I even got into the subway stop a street performer caught my attention.

Then again that might just be me, where I don't like getting too comfortable anywhere doing the same old, never having to figure things out like you do you when you are in a different culture. When there is struggle to communicate it can feel like quite an achievement, and I am always a fan of cultural exchange. There is some adventure and excitement to be had when you are lost. Plus it is almost always hilarious when you bust out something in bad German, French, etc.

I was listening to a Rick Steves bit - interview of David Sedaris about living in Paris - and I was really feeling the same way he did. He started living outside of the States after 40 years there to work on some of his latest work and he talked about putting a new "observer" lens when you are out of your home culture you have been and just see much more of what is going around you.