I have been told that the point of study abroad is to immerse yourself so deeply into the new culture of the new country you’re studying in that you feel more like a native than a visitor. I have been told to avoid being that stereotypical American who takes pictures of everything they can, and poses stereotypically in front of stereotypical landmarks. I have been told not to be a tourist.
I live in New Jersey and I find myself in New York City pretty often. I get so annoyed with tourists. Their selfie sticks and their “I love NY” t-shirts. Their slow-walking and their stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to take pictures. They are so excited and their excitement actually irritates me. I never thought about tourists, being a tourist or my annoyance with them, until I found myself in the position of acting like a tourist. You should have seen me when I saw Big Ben in London, or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. If I found an “I heart London” t-shirt I would have gotten it, and I embarrassingly did buy a selfie stick in France. I walk slower than I ever have in my entire life; I’ll stop anywhere to take a picture.
I remember, specifically, a Mets game I went to over the summer with my brother. A few rows in front of us was this group of women who were clearly not from the area. They were covered in the words “New York” and before the game even started, they pulled out a selfie stick. Are you kidding me? Could you be a little more obnoxious? This was going to be my last Mets game of the season and all I wanted to do was watch the game.
Why do people get so annoyed with tourists? Why did I get so annoyed with tourists? Why are we so happy to be tourists in other countries but can’t stand when people are tourists in our home country?
Tourists possess the unique (and envious) quality of being able to take what they want and leave what they don’t from a country. We can take the good and leave the bad; look at the beautiful and turn away from the ugly; or, better yet, look at the ugly and distortedly think it is beautiful.
While there is certainly a shallowness to being a tourist, I think there is also a beautiful simplicity, ease, to being a tourist. We only see the good in the place we are visiting. In a way, don’t we all wish we could have a tourist outlook in our native country?
I have been told to avoid being a stereotypical tourist. But what’s wrong with wanting to see the beautiful things and not wanting to see the ugly? Some may say it’s not realistic. But, maybe it’s a desperate attempt at optimism.
In less than 3 week’s time, I will no longer be country-hopping every weekend. I will no longer be studying in Newcastle, England. I will be home in America; I will be a native, not a tourist.
I will try to keep my tourist-outlook; for I recognize that there is ugly everywhere, but I also recognize that there is beautiful everywhere, too.
