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September 02, 2006
Pallid and Lifeless
Every time I travel abroad, I have moments where I find myself shaking my head and saying “what the hell happened to our country? What the hell happened to our standards?
Sad comparative observations range from children in neatly trimmed school uniforms to sportless Esso petrol stations, warm and hospitable service, a proactive eagerness to please, natural food versus processed and canned, and a rich set of family and spiritual values.
Returning to the states after a recent break, the same four words came to mind as they often do…..over and over again: Generic, Bland, Pallid and Lifeless. Can we not do better than that?
September 2, 2006 in Reflections, Travel | Permalink
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Comments
Sounds like you had a great trip Renee!
I would challenge the assertion you make in this post. In my own travels this year I've determined that living somewhere and traveling to somewhere are two different kinds of experiences. There are some places I'd love to travel to, but not live. Other places are nice to live in, but boring for tourists.
I suspect many Latin American destinations are exciting to visit, but anyone used to the modern standards of the U.S. or Europe couldn't live there for very long.
Also, isn't the grass always greener on the other side? Would not a Latin American resident who moves to the U.S. (and thousands do every day!) find what we have here interesting and dynamic and exciting and colorful? Are you finding our culture boring because it's familiar?
Food for thought! :-)
Posted by: Ben Casnocha | Sep 3, 2006 8:32:49 AM
Sadly no. I've lived in a bunch of other places around the world and no, sadly no. America is special in its genericness.
Posted by: Renee Blodgett | Sep 18, 2006 5:50:46 PM
