"Estoy americano"

I haven´t met many other americans on this trip. I´m not sure if that surprises me or not. Met a couple of women, one from Huntington Beach, the other from Idaho. I understand there is another woman from Portland about a day behind me named Janice, but we haven´t crossed paths yet.

It´s okay that there aren´t a lot of folks from the States here. I get enough time with them back home. It has made me a little bit of an anomaly on the trail, as well as becoming a debunker of myths about American culture.

Myth # 1: Wide Open Spaces

No matter who I´m talking to, whether they are from Finland or Italy, Germany or Japan...everyone seems to have this idea that our country is one big open road with nothing but empty landscape to be seen for miles.
"I think of American highway as straight line only, maybe nice for driving car...but not for motorcycle." This from a young guy from Italy who seemed to feel sad that all American drivers had no curves to wrap around. When I told him that no, really, we have curvy roads there...he seemed almost incredulous.

Most people know us from television shows, so it kinda surprises me that they think this since most of the shows that are shown here take place in cities. And in fact, New York seems to be the one place that everyone wants to go to. I met a woman from Finland who had planned a lifelong trip to New York city only to have it fall three months after 9-11. I asked her how that was for her, and she said the city was still beautiful and she loved the people, who she said were welcoming and kind and it gave her an interesting perspective on the city. They were going to cancel their trip, but were glad they didn´t. Me too.

Myth #2: Good think we have all that wide open space

"I understand that everyone in America is very fat, is this true?"

You wouldn´t believe how much I hear this. Other than the straight highway thing, it´s the one aspect of our country that people really enjoy talking about. In fact, it makes a little more sense to me, this sense we have this vast landscape. How else would we negotiate moving around without knocking each other over with our gordo-ness. So we talk about this, and the fact that our diet, which is to blame, is lurching its way across the ocean and turning everyone in Europe into gluttons. It´s always our fault, somehow.

No, I say, we are not all fat. Yes, we have a serious problem with obesity and there are all kinds of factors that go along with that. Sorry about McDonald´s coming to your country. Stop buying Big Macs.

Myth #3: What else is worth fighting for?

I was actually the most taken aback by the notion that everyone here seems to think the entire country not only wholeheartedly supports the Iraq war, but that we all stand behind Bush in that effort. This one was fairly easy for me to quell, and I was more than happy to do so. I haven´t met any Bush fans, from any country, and all are curious as to who I want to vote for and what the outcome of our election will be. I do find it telling that everyone I´ve talked to knows the names John McCain and Barack Obama. Even if they don´t speak English, they know these guys and kinda sort of what they stand for. Here´s a question for you; quick...name the leader of Spain. Norway? Any idea what their politics are? Democracy, monarchy...hmmm?

Yea, me neither. Kind of embarrassing. But it makes sense doesn´t it. If Norway was running around being a superpower...we´d know, wouldn´t we? Who´s the leader of China?

Yeah.

But, in all this conversation I haven´t met anyone who flat out doesn´t like Americans. In fact, most people are delightfully curious about the States. Most want to visit some day. My friend Carlos, who was sent to study business in the U.S. for eight months, has a lot of respect for us. He spend 4 months in Houston, and 4 in San Francisco.

"Jeez, could they have sent you to two more different cities?"

"Yes, it was...San Francisco, this was heaven. And Houston? How do you say..."

"Ummm...hell?"

"Yes, this it the word." (oh, sorry Kristie)

Carlos said one of the things he likes about the U.S. is that we are "the land of dreams, I believe this to be true." It sounds like such an old world statement, but he really felt that way.

"This is why your country is great. If I am from, Pakistan, and I come to United States and say, 'I am good with math,' you will say, 'good, we will help you become a success.' If I am from Pakistan and come to Spain and say this, we will say, ´who the hell do you think you are?' This is the difference between our countries. You believe in the individual and helping that individual. This is better.

It´s an interesting perspective, but I appreciated it. He also really liked our diversity. I mean really, 300 million people live in the States and I bet you we have representatives from every nation in the world there. It´s kind of cool really.

Anyway, I´ve been here 6 weeks now and enjoy these conversations with people. The best part is that I´ve gotten over any sort of American guilt I showed up with and no longer flinch when someone asks me where I come from. No need for that.