There’s plenty places I haven’t been. I’ve never visited the British Isles, South America, Africa, Eastern Europe, or Antarctica. However, it seems everywhere in between can peg my accent for an obvious American despite my effort to keep my vowels neutral.

Many Americans that have been abroad recently may be annoyed to find that they haven’t traveled far enough in order to escape the hustle that has characterized our culture. Wherever there’s Coca-Cola, there’s a local that is all too familiar with the United States’ impact on the world. U.S. politics, sports, brands, events, celebrities, music, and other aspects of pop culture that have permeated through the local population. It’s hard to get through a conversation without someone asking about Trump, and even the guy working at the liquor store will tease about the Timberwolves’ record once he figures you’re from Minnesota. It can be amusing when someone on the other side of the world knows more about your home basketball team than you do. At the same time, it can leave you wondering what makes the U.S. so appealing to the rest of the world. Is it just the idea of America? The concept is very well marketed. Many believe that if you can make it in the U.S. you can make it anywhere, and they could be right. Being such a young country with a large and diverse population has spawned something unique in that sense, for better or worse. For better in the sense that our history of blended cultures has spawned countless artists recognized and enjoyed by masses across the globe. There’s also examples of how this has effected things for worse. There was this one time I was at a party in Costa Rica. The next day, I was at the beach and someone from that same party recognized me and greeted me with the phrase “What’s up, my nigga?” I was dumbfounded as to how that managed to not only get so close to the equator but work its way into the realm of social acceptability.

Perhaps one can’t expect our entertainment mediums to come with a politically correct rule book. It seems despite traveling thousands of miles, it is impossible to distance one from America’s endless reach. Hell, there’s a Starbucks kitty-corner to where I’m typing this article from! It’s getting to the point where one isn’t sure whether to be confused or annoyed, as America’s expansion has proven itself to be unstoppable. After reflecting on this, it seems like a lot of pressure to live up to the reputation of “American Exceptionalism.”

Unlike many Americans, I didn’t embark on a treacherous journey to prove my worth to this country. I was just born on the right side of the border. What does one have to do to validate their citizenship to a country everyone else sees as a financial, cultural, and military leader? The answer is elusive, so for now the best thing we can do is to live our lives to the best of our ability as an individual. Whether it be as a proud citizen of the United States or a progressive citizen of the world, it falls to the free will of the independent soul to blaze their own trail and decide their own legacy.