In times of such polarized political standings, it is easy for people here in the United States to lose sight of what this country is, what it stands for — and most importantly — the influence it has on countries across the globe.
When a recent trip had me flying into Madrid, I had little to no idea what to expect. I had been to Europe once as a little kid, but I was far too young to appreciate or even remember it. I had forgotten what traveling internationally entailed.
It became very clear once we were in the city that the language barrier was going to be tough. I was a bit surprised there wasn’t more English, with Madrid being the international hub that it is, but I was wrong. This made for some tricky taxi rides and hard-to-locate sites. As we navigated our way through the tourist attractions and down the beautiful, cobblestone streets of Madrid, I heard something that stuck out: American pop music.
It was played in restaurants. It was played in taxis. It was played on the tour bus in between sites. Why were so many people who understood zero English listening to music they could not understand? Why was it normal to listen to American music in Spain, when here in the United States, we rarely ever listen to music that wasn’t produced here — let alone music that’s not in our own language. How was a city 4,000 miles away from mine listening to the same tunes I do?
I was unable to pinpoint a single reason for this in my short time in Spain, but I do attribute at least some of it to a general affection other countries have for the United States. Our country’s culture extends further than I had ever imagined, and I found myself proud to be a U.S. citizen for the first time in far too long.
With the clouds of controversy surrounding the United States, it is far easier to sit on how awful we are doing; it is easier to list the negatives shake a head in disbelief as opposed to stepping back and remembering all that this country has done and means. Regardless of the turmoil, gridlock and controversy surrounding the presidency and literally everything else in America, I realized that parts of the United States are universal — and that’s not something that can be said for just any country. Whether you are happy with how things in the government are going or not, there is something to be said for a place that has established itself to the point where its music crosses oceans and barrels through language barriers. The experience made me recognize just how far American culture goes.
As cringe-inducing as we were as American tourists in Spain — completely stereotypical and unable to speak any Spanish and constantly holding maps up to our faces — there was something really cool about hearing people so different from us, in a place so far from home, listening to the same music I listen to on the weekends in Boston.
There was no better feeling than when I saw a random “Americano” sign with a heart next to it in the window of a Spanish boutique. Our country is not perfect — it never has been — but it cannot be disputed that the United States holds a special place in the world. America has set a precedent for countries across the world, and in times where hate seems to be spreading like wildfire, I challenge you to remember the positives of what this country stands for and has done.
Traveling internationally is all about discomfort — about expanding horizons, about pushing one’s self, and frankly, about being unfamiliar. Don’t get me wrong, the changes in language, food, time zone, currency and location still managed that just fine — but hearing the songs I knew so well gave me a sense of comfort that I was proud to see even existed.
