Life in America is a crowned jewel to many.

Home of the famous ‘American Dream.’ But if you ask me, America is great and all, but overall, she fairs to be a very gluttonous, extravagant, and pompous country. With a whopping 200 years or so of ‘rich’ history, Americans live in a state of mind that is arrogant, and quite frankly disgusting. But this is only recognized when you see her from across an ocean.

It’s perspective. Life as we know it goes beyond the boundaries that are set. Ever since I was young, I loved to travel. Even if it was just down the street, I was always ready for the next adventure.

My wanderlust will never be satisfied.

(Munich, Germany)

Many people always ask me why I don’t favor America too much, and why I would rather spend my time abroad, and well... It’s all in one’s perspective.

When you go to another country, you leave behind this comfortable way of life and you enter an entirely different culture of new foods, customs, language, and community. To some, this is scary, or too far out of their comfort zone. To others, it’s not of interest. For me, it was to see what else is out there for me. Travel means to move, to explore, to submerge oneself into the great beyond, into another culture and way of life. For me, going to other countries fills a void in my spirit that is longing for adventure.

I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to travel to 6 different countries before I started college. Each new country taught me something new and gave me this great perspective. Each day that I spent away from the bright lights, flashy gadgets, and mass production of America, I was able to see the bigger picture called life. I was able to learn these valuable lessons that I will carry with me forever.

1. To be humble

(Rothenburg, Germany)

Take what you need, not what you want. I traveled to 4 different countries on one, 10-day trip. a trip that consisted of 7 AM breakfast calls and 48 hours (cumulative) total of sitting on the bus going from place to place. There was no room for excess, there was no room for privacy, and there was no room for hostility. I was a visitor in another country. This was not my home, and abiding by the laws and common respect really teaches you how to be humble in yourself.

2. To value life and history

(Dachau Concentration Camp, Bavaria, Germany)

There are places in Europe that date back to the BC ages. History ranges from simple traditions to deep heavy genocide. There are people who still dress in dirndls and lederhosen in Germany to keep traditions alive. In order to be a gondola driver, you have to be born and raised in Venice, which means that big bustling tourist-ridden city is actually home to people and there was so much disrespect for this city as it was littered with trash and tourists.

In Switzerland, all the tunnels that lead into it are armed with bombs in the event they’d need to close its borders or keep out an invasion. A measure taken because of the tragic events of WWII. In Munich, there are buildings that are half one kind of stone and half another because of the bombings from WWII and the rebuilding of the city.

There are memorials where the big book burning went on during the Holocaust. I visited Dachau, which was one of the first Nazi death camps and saw cremators where thousands of Jewish people were executed. I walked through a gas chamber that was marked ‘shower’ in German above the door. People died where I was standing for no reason. I could never imagine living in a place where wars and mass destruction actually met civilian life. It really opens your eyes to a life beyond our own.

3. To be flexible

(Venice, Italy)

Sometimes life doesn’t work out and being in another country is no exception. The day I went to Venice, the weather was looking to be really crappy as the day went on but I had my heart set on wearing this sun hat and dress. I had to compromise. On a more serious note, there were 40 other high school students on my trip with me and I had to be flexible and work with the group.

I had to be flexible in adapting to the country’s customs and following the society’s common respect- like greeting the shop owners, not touching everything in the stores unless I wanted to buy it, and attempting to speak the language. Blending into this culture was harder than you’d think. Some days things just didn’t work out and I had to miss out on something I wanted to do and being abroad and having limited means to work it out, I had to take the trip as it came at me.

4. To live without excess

(Lucerne, Switzerland)

People, portion sizes, roads, cars, you name it, in Europe, they’re smaller. As a spoiled American who loves food, being in Italy got me so excited to have some authentic Italian pasta. Well, I was expecting a huge bowl to be put before me, piled high with sauce, pasta, and cheese.

Instead, I got an average serving that hardly filled me up. You’ll often hear people say how America is fat, well that’s why. Our portion sizes in foods are SO supersized, it’s almost repulsive. Almost. (I like food so...) The roads were so small too, but their cars aren't that big either.

Just about everything I saw was somehow smaller and it really got me to see all the excess I live in. Traveling the way I was, I had to pack light as well, which was hard since I am such an over packer. I was taken aback by the simplistic life these people lived, and I try to practice a minimal life as often as I can.

5. To have a new perspective

(That's me in a fairytale! Insbruck, Austria)

There is a massive culture shock that hits as soon as you step off the plane. Seeing symbols and signs in gibberish that didn't make sense made me think about all the people who don't speak English that live in America and how frustrating that must be for them. For the first time in my life, I felt like a visitor I felt like I was invading the lives of the native people in the country with my camera and American style. The simplicity too of their lives hit home with me.

It really opened my eyes to the disgusting gluttony of America. The way we take advantage of our resources, spend and build and compete with one another. The modesty, the class, the true brilliance and beauty of these places brings joy to me that maybe not all hope is lost in the world. At least values are still being upheld elsewhere even if it’s not in the US.