While riding the bus in Greece a couple of days ago, I was looking out the window thinking about all the things that I really enjoyed about my experience traveling so far. I had come up with a really great thought and decided to whip out my travel journal and write it. It read, “Different countries have different ways of doing things, some of which may be better than what we are used to at home. This is why traveling is such an enlightening experience. If you want to make a difference, then you must experience something different. You’ll realize just how much you never knew before.” The people and the culture of Greece and Germany have provided me with so much insight into the differences between my culture and theirs. Here are some things I wish the United States would consider learning from the rest of the world:
Political system
Man oh man, where do I begin? I am embarrassed to say that I have only recently learned about two concepts in our political system that are just downright messed up. These include what is known as ‘gridlock’ and ‘gerrymandering’. Gridlock is the term used to describe when the president and congress are from different political parties, republican or democratic, and it is virtually impossible to pass laws. In this situation, congress will not pass the laws that the president tries to pass and the president will not pass laws congress makes up. What I think a lot of us from the United states fail to realize is that a president is not incompetent if they propose laws that do not get eventually passed or vice versa. Unfortunately, the inability of our political parties to cooperate for the greater good of the country comes at a cost to the citizens. Meanwhile, around the world, the citizens are not limited to two major political parties but rather many parties which make it easier for those to identify themselves to a single party. After the presidential primaries so many of us were confused when certain states that we were clearly either republican or democratic were announced as the opposite party. When a party that is leading the vast majority of the congress carve the elections areas for their own political gain, we have this wonderful thing called ‘gerrymandering’. I think it’s safe to say, we need to get our act together.
Gun culture
This idea that everyone needs a gun is just not a thing here in Europe. Yes, our constitution says we have the right to bear arms but umm…. It was also written 200+ years ago. The constitution was written under circumstances in the U.S that are just not relevant anymore. Recreational use of guns is almost unheard of in Europe.
Maternity leave
In Germany, I had the pleasure of meeting a very nice and intelligent woman named Madeline on the train. Feeling pretty strongly about how the U.S. handles maternity leave, I thought I might ask about the laws on maternity leave in Germany. It turns out that in Germany each PARENT (not just the mother) can take up to 12 months of leave, of which 18 weeks are paid. Excuse me… come again? Women in the United States are struggling to decide whether to start a family because they have to choose between wanting to keep their job and miss critical time with their newborns or struggling to be financially able enough to leave work in order to spend time with their children during the first few weeks of their lives. Hi, wake up America!
Conserving resources
During my stay in Germany I found that they are huge on energy conservation. For one, their escalators are motion censored and only start moving when they detect someone. You can imagine it took me a while to figure that one out. Additionally, toilettes in both Germany and Greece have 2 ‘flushing’ options—a big flush or a little flush. The Big flushes would be used for… well you know… solids and the small flush options are for liquids. These small changes reduce energy use and conserve water in a huge way.
Student discounts baby!
You name it, they cover it. If you are a student you get discounts towards transportation (I paid only .60 cents for a bus/train ride!), movies, and tourist attractions (half off at the Parthenon—can I get a whoop whoop?!?). Good luck being a broke student in the United States #thestruggleisreal.
Drinking age
Well, self-explanatory right? The U.S. is one of the few countries on the planet that have such a high age restriction for alcohol consumption. If you can fight and die for your country, you deserve a drink. If you can get married and start a family, you should probably be able to have champagne at your reception. Plus, tell a bunch of 18-year old’s they can’t drink at home but once they step over this imaginary line into another country they can drink… you can only imagine the recklessness that will ensue.
Refugees welcome!
I have been in both Germany and Greece and seen the most beautiful thing—graffiti that says “Refugees Welcome!” It was so heartbreaking for me to compare the how people in the U.S. view the refugee crisis versus how inviting the Europeans were. Tell me about a time you experienced true heartbreak or fear… now compare that to how the refugees fleeing their homes experience heartbreak and fear on top of not being welcomed anywhere else.
