You were lucky. It’s not usually anywhere near that cheap!
BALOR –
As has been noted above, that was not the apparent point of the OP, so it is inaccurate to say that we “missed” it. We can’t fail to comprehend what you never said.
Maybe not. But that doesn’t mean that people here are not aware that “deep cultural diversity” exists in the world. I don’t have to have been to Africa to know that it’s not like California. Respect for diversity is a principle that can be taught in the abstract, if necessary. That is not ideal, but it may be the best we can do when most Americans either cannot or do not travel internationally on a regular basis.
The purpose of domestic travel is very often to see your family and friends, whom you cannot see on a regular basis, and to reinforce and maintain important cultural connections. When Americans have to choose between “experiencing alternative cultures” and visiting their moms (because they lack the time and money to do both), it seems to me that you have little right to criticize their choice.
Surely you see that this logically does not follow. The vast, vast majority of us will never go to outer space; that does not mean we have “no rational comprehension” of it. While I would agree that it is difficult to thoroughly understand something without the benefit of first-hand experience, it is nothing short of ridiculous to claim (as you appear to) that without first-hand experience, nothing can be understood at all.
]
Pardon me while I roll my eyes: :rolleyes: It’s hard to see how you could tie 9/11 to the failure of Janis and Mort Frankweiler of Dubuque, Iowa, to take that Perillo tour to the Blue Grotto. But heck, it’s probably easier to blame the U.S. public for failing to rack up international frequent-flier miles, than it is to understand a volatile mix of religious extremism and cultural fear.
I have received an answer to my original query, which satisfies me. I have also learned some good data on who travels a lot. (I was right about the Irish being good travellers - it’s not just my globe-trotting family.)
I will not stay in this thread because I seem to hit raw nerves in some American posters. To question certain core assumptions is perceived as an attack on the integrity of the US and its people, not a basis for interesting discussion.
::yawn::
::stretch::
::open curtains, blink at sunlight::
There is more to life - I am planning a trip to Spain, to stay with some friends. Got to brush up the old Spanish first - better google up a few Spanish language sites.
Slan agaibh go leir/Adios compadres.
BALOR –
What utter BS. The problem is that you do not question “certain core assumptions” but rather ask a tangential question, which you then yourself extrapolate from to make indefensible assumptions on a totally different subject.
To review: You ask: “do Americans travel much outside the U.S.?” We answer: “Generally, no.” You then conclude that U.S. citizens “can have no rational comprehension of the world outside.” Of course, this is a huge leap of (il)logic, having next to nothing to do with your OP. It may also reasonably perceived as a slam (if not an outright attack) on (ignorant) Americans.
So when you’re through yawning and stretching and planning your trip to Spain, you might brush up on your logic skills for your next not-so-great debate.
Well I agree with the majority when they say that size is the answer to the Op question. I have the same problem as the americans but it’s ten time worse. In argentina everything is distant, our situation must be similar to canada or Australia, there are places in my country where you can drive for hours with out finding even a small town, the state of Santa Cruz (southern argentina, in the patagonia) is bigger than France I believe and it’s population density is 0.5 inhabitants per square kilometers. That is truly a lonely place.
As Australia and unlike Canada we also have the problem that we are far away from Europe and U.S.A, if you want to go to Spain you’ll spend 15 hours on a plane, if you are lucky. On the other hand we are close to Brasil and they sure know how to enjoy life 
I forgot to mention that after the meltdown of our economy we are leaving the country (in spite of all said) never to return…
BALOR,
I am an American who has never left North America. I can imagine how unlearned that must seem to you.
Do you want to know one major reason I have never ventured to Europe. Because I’m sick of Europeans who never hesitate to inform me of how vastly inferior America is to whatever nation they came from. It’s not worth the money for me to hear about how terrible America is.
Perhaps you should watch the film “Barcelona” before you go to Spain so you’ll better understand me.
I don’t know where you get off claiming to be such an expert on cultures simply because you travel.
I’m married to an Iranian. How many people in Ireland are married to Iranians? I live in a mid-sized city that has tens of thousands of immigrants from Somalia. Have you ever been in such a place? There are also tens of thousands of Hmong people here. Do you know what Hmong people are?
By the way, maybe you shoud check out some stats on who does more travelling. I think Americans visit Europe more often than vice-versa.
I’d like to apologise for using the word curiosity in light of this news item:
I could go on and on about how NZ in the 1960s was relatively homogenous and isolated (in spite of the Maori population) but I should just close my mouth I think. I meant “curiosity” in a good way believe it or not.
Well, considering the way the bathrooms were when I went to France, I held it until I got home. 
Oh, you mean, do many Americans go abroad? Actually, I never considered it; I’m perfectly happy as a male.
There’s only one word for someone like me who makes this type of post: :wally
[QUOTE}- it’s not just my globe-trotting family.)
I am planning a trip to Spain, to stay with some friends. Got to brush up the old Spanish first - better google up a few Spanish language sites.
Slan agaibh go leir/Adios compadres. **[/QUOTE]
oh B you clover-pickin’ jet-setter you. tah-tah
I’ve been to Canada. Once. And I live very close to the border.
Chiming in as another US Citizen without a passport. Nevermind that I have spend considerable time in northern Mexico (not just the border towns). Never mind that I’ve been to the lands of the Tohono O’Odham, Navajo, Hopi, Apache, Pima, Seri (in Mexico), Quechan, and Zuni peoples. I’ve been to Canada as well, which is rather a long distance from my neck of the woods (Southern Arizona). Of course, Canada is a huge country, and I would not presume to think that I know much about it when I have not even explored my own country well.
But nevermind about that. I’m obviously incapable of understanding much about international affairs, so maybe I will concentrate on the many internal affairs that a country this big and diverse has.
Oh, yeah, and Balor – have you ever been to the US? If so, what parts?
I would have apreciated it if you had warned me that I would spend the next several hours closing pop-up windows.
Wow, so many stessed and upset people! What you guys all need is a vacation outside the U.S…
OK, maybe I’m not a typical American. In fact, nobody who knows me personally, especially the ones who aren’t American, thinks I’m a typical American. But then, the people reading this board probably aren’t, either. They are more literate than most, have Internet access, and I’d guess a higher than average level of education and disposable income (or those who don’t, don’t because they’re still in school, but their parents do).
I’m just one wacky American, but here are my stats: first travel outside the U.S. at age 13 (to Mexico, with an incredibly brave and generous Spanish teacher who voluntarily took seven thriteen-year-old girls to Mexico on her own time). Didn’t need a passport for that.
First passport at age 19, for a semester study program in Spain. Also visited Portugal, France, and Italy during that trip. Portugal was just an overnight cheap train ride, and if you stay in a modest pension, I htink it cost us $7 per person per night, including breakfast (OK, this was 1988, but still). Since I had friends in France and Italy (whom I met in the U.S., by the way), it was mighty cheap to take the “let’s crash on our friends’ sofas” tour of Western Europe.
Then spent a semester in Russia at age 21, also visiting Ukraine and Estonia (although it was all the Soviet Union then). Another trip to France, then on to grad school, during which I got a grant to spend the summer in Siberia. Renewed my passport last year, and just got back from England, where I visited my college roomie. (She always teases me; once I mentioned to her that I’d subscribed to Foreign Affairs. Her response: “why did you bother? It’s the story of your damn life!” Of course, she’s the Salvadoran-American living in Kent with her English husband, so so far I have the last laugh.)
On the second trip to France and the trip to England, I had a choice: I could spend $250 or so to fly to Florida to see family, plus have to spend $150 or so to rent a car since the public transport there sucks. Or, for basically the same cash, I could go to Europe. (I live in Chicago, an airline hub, so flights pretty much anywhere aren’t hideously expensive if you know where to look.) The flight to England was about $400 round-trip, and my last flight to Paris was about the same. I love my family, and I do visit them, too, but to me, if you want a vacation rather than having your family drive you nuts, it was a no-brainer.
I read news online in Russian on a regular basis, and if anyone could tell me where to find relatively balanced reporting on the Middle East, I’d love to hear it. (English only, please; my Arabic and Hebrew are nonexistent so far, although when I win the lottery, I hope to change that.) There’s lots of great information out there, if you know where to look.
My point: it’s all about priorities, and what you choose to spend time, energy, and money on. (Traveling in the off-season helps, too.) My sister had never been outside the U.S. until last year, when she had to go to Canada for work (ironically, I still haven’t made it to Canada, although I may get to Toronto this summer). She always compains that I’ve gone all these neat places and she hasn’t. However, she probably spends a couple hundred dollars a month on clothes that she doesn’t need, and owns probably at least one of everything that Victoria’s Secret has ever manufactured. (And no, I’m not giving out her name and number.) My mom also complains that she never goes anywhere interesting, but she spends money on weekend cross-country ski trips, ceramics classes, and other discretionary things.
As for those of you Americans who have no desire to travel outside the U.S.; I hope someday you all change your minds and get a taste of what you’ve been missing. I love America, too, but there’s a whole big, wonderful world out there! and I sincerely hope y’all aren’t judging it solely by American mainstream media reports. The more perspectives we all have, the richer we are as human beings.
Yours in polynationalism,
Eva Luna
I agree with Eva that travel is useful to broaden one’s horizon but I would say more. I have met people who traveled in tour groups for short visits abroad and sometimes they would do better to stay home because their lack of understanding just reinforces their stereotypes. Travel should be a part of learning about that culture and a lot of that can be done reading at home. What travel does is reinforce the interest and complement what you learn by other means.
I agree that having friends in other countries and understanding their culture and views is something the world needs badly and should be encouraged.
1)Singapore (210 foreign travels/100 persons)
I would imagine that’s because Singapore is a city-state. Make Manhattan it’s own country, and you’ll probably get the same amount of foreign travels.
11)Canada (66)
Cross-border shopping, snowbirds, and the very close proximity of the United States to the vast majority of Canadians. I’m amazed the number isn’t higher.
13)Lesotho (59)
Completely landlocked country, a small enclave in South Africa.
15)Uruguay (55)
Cross-border shopping in Argentina, a very short drive away from Montevideo.
20)Israel (40)
HUGE immigrant population, with a lot of transplants from the United States. How many were travelers versus those visiting “home?”
I wish I could afford to travel to Europe or Asia or Australia. Unfortunately those trips are far outside my budget and time limitations, and I’m a fairly middle class person.
I can’t afford to spend even $500 on a plane ticket, let alone money for lodging, meals, and other expenses to take a trip. If a week abroad cost me $1000 in actual cash and whatever pay I would lose for taking a week off of work, that would mean that one of my bills didn’t get paid, one of my obligations didn’t get met.
My last ‘vacation’ lasted less than 48 hours and cost me a total of $90. I spent money on gasoline, slept on a friend’s couch, bought dinner as ‘payment’ for the couch, and went home. I left on Friday evening and returned on Sunday afternoon because I didn’t get vacation time from work. If I missed a day, I was not paid for it. That was two years ago.
I still don’t get vacation time at work (am not entitled to it until 1 year after the date my full time employment began, and then it’s 1 week per year up to 4 weeks.), and even if I did, I couldn’t afford to spend $1000 on a single vacation, nor would I want to make a trip without someone t share it with.
If I could spend $90 and go to France to crash on soomeone’s couch and hang out for the weekend, I’d love to. That’s just not an option for me, since the only place internationally I can travel to in less than a day’s drive is Canada.
Maybe when I’m not struggling just to pay my expenses of remaining alive I’ll be able to travel to other continents. Until then, it’s not as easy as saying that I could if I just really wanted to.