My Take On Europe

Before I traveled, I never understood the term “the West.” Even after taking a history series called Western Civilization, I still didn’t get it. This trip gave me the unique perspective of hitting Europe from the backside, after having spent two months in the Far and Near East. Coming into Europe with an Eastern perspective was very strange. I finally saw why Europe and the United States are lumped into the category of “the West.”

Back in America, lots of ignorant people couldn’t tell you the difference between Japan, China, and North and South Korea. “They’re all the same” is something most of us have heard. These countries are extremely different, but they are all so different from America that they can’t be distinguished by people who haven’t taken a closer look. As I learned, this can also work the other way.

Over the past three months, I had gradually transitioned to an “Eastern” way of thinking, mostly out of necessity. In most places I visited, buses don’t run on time, life goes slowly, and plans change quickly. People think collectively and place importance on family, and people for the most part seem satisfied with their lives. I learned to chill out, be flexible, and appreciate the small things. Being back in Spain was a sensory overload. I was not ready for the rampant consumerism. My first day in Barcelona I saw a designer T-shirt in a store window for 100 Euros and I got nauseous. That is more than most people in Burma make in a month. Truthfully, Spain felt like I was back in the U.S. The language was different, and there are small cultural differences, but the lifestyle is the same. Everything is developed, clean, expensive, fast moving, and not as personal. People are only worried about themselves, and there are all the symbols of status: clothes, watches, cars, and all that stuff. Not a single local was interested to see us in Spain, they just wanted to steal our stuff.

I do not dislike the “West” or America, it is just a completely different way of life and a different way of thinking. It is how I have lived my whole life and how I will live back at home. My point is that you are not going to learn much about the world or yourself by traveling to Europe. I had one hell of a time there, and it really was the perfect ending to this voyage. The Europe backpacker circuit is cool and really fun, but is mostly centered around partying. Did it shift my perspective on life? No. Just keep this in mind, if you want to travel and learn you should check out some place really different.