Spring Break
Proud to be an American in Europe
Elizabeth Miller
Issue date: 2/3/06 Section: OpEd Page
Being the European rookie that I am, Luxembourg has found a nice way of highlighting my Americanness in almost everything I do. I couldn't tell the difference between meat and cheese in the grocery store. I couldn't open the door to get off the train, and consequently missed my stop. I asked for a caramel macchiato at the local coffee shop, and they didn't even give me the gratification of replying. I settled with café au lait. Sigh, I am that American.
But just when my clash of cultures seemed at its low point, a very dark and handsome Euro waiter made my day.
"Ah, you are American?" he said in thickly accented English.
"Good guess," I said, humiliated again to be so obvious. I usually just assume that many Europeans think negatively of Americans, the land of an unpredictable Iraqi war, Nick-and-Jessica-itis, and Starbucks.
So when my waiter said, "you Americans are so lucky, I am very jealous of you," I was quite surprised.
For the next 10 minutes, the waiter ranted about the incredible freedom of the States. How accessible our educations are, how willing the government is to support us, how much opportunity is at our fingertips for those who seek it. He said he has been trying for so long to make it to our land of possibility, because his European homeland is full of dead ends.
He told me how lucky I was to be a student of the United States at such a young age. His eyes lit up at his dream that even at his age - mid 30s - that an American could get an education and better themselves, no matter where they came from.
I recently learned that even in Luxembourg (the wealthiest country in the world), only 20 percent of students are allowed to go to college. That's right, allowed. And this is determined when they are just 6 years old, dependent on aptitude tests. The rest are herded down paths of technical training, rarely able to squeeze back onto the university path.
My waiter was so right. I have a larger advantage in this world than I ever realized. Somehow amidst the American stigmas of bipartisanism, pop culture, war and consumerism I forgot the true beauty of our country. We Miami students are living in the most opportune country on Earth. Any outsider can see this, why have my blessings so easily slipped my mind?
For the rest of my studying abroad, I will wear my heritage with a new pride (don't worry, I left my American flag shirt at home). I cherish the freedom and ability to pursue whatever I desire. I realize the vigor with which we fight to maintain the principals that our country was founded upon. Now, is America perfect? Of course not. No country is. That would be boring.
So yes, I am that American. And no, I will never blend into European culture because that's not who I am. I am an American. Proudly.
But just when my clash of cultures seemed at its low point, a very dark and handsome Euro waiter made my day.
"Ah, you are American?" he said in thickly accented English.
"Good guess," I said, humiliated again to be so obvious. I usually just assume that many Europeans think negatively of Americans, the land of an unpredictable Iraqi war, Nick-and-Jessica-itis, and Starbucks.
So when my waiter said, "you Americans are so lucky, I am very jealous of you," I was quite surprised.
For the next 10 minutes, the waiter ranted about the incredible freedom of the States. How accessible our educations are, how willing the government is to support us, how much opportunity is at our fingertips for those who seek it. He said he has been trying for so long to make it to our land of possibility, because his European homeland is full of dead ends.
He told me how lucky I was to be a student of the United States at such a young age. His eyes lit up at his dream that even at his age - mid 30s - that an American could get an education and better themselves, no matter where they came from.
I recently learned that even in Luxembourg (the wealthiest country in the world), only 20 percent of students are allowed to go to college. That's right, allowed. And this is determined when they are just 6 years old, dependent on aptitude tests. The rest are herded down paths of technical training, rarely able to squeeze back onto the university path.
My waiter was so right. I have a larger advantage in this world than I ever realized. Somehow amidst the American stigmas of bipartisanism, pop culture, war and consumerism I forgot the true beauty of our country. We Miami students are living in the most opportune country on Earth. Any outsider can see this, why have my blessings so easily slipped my mind?
For the rest of my studying abroad, I will wear my heritage with a new pride (don't worry, I left my American flag shirt at home). I cherish the freedom and ability to pursue whatever I desire. I realize the vigor with which we fight to maintain the principals that our country was founded upon. Now, is America perfect? Of course not. No country is. That would be boring.
So yes, I am that American. And no, I will never blend into European culture because that's not who I am. I am an American. Proudly.
