By traveling to seven European countries in five weeks, I met people from around the world. Each encounter brought me the overall realization of how similar people are despite where they grew up.
Despite all the violence that corrupts the world, I saw how good overpowers in the world. With the stereotypes I heard about cultures, such as the French hate Americans or all the violence seen on the news, I was scared. It was embedded into my mind there was a reason to be scared.
A moment that brought me overwhelming perspective was in Rome. I made conversation with two women at the table next to me from Egypt. One asked me, "Is the United States safe?" I was shocked and I think she could see that. Immediately after she said, "I don't mean to offend you. It's just that is what we see on the news; it doesn't seem to be safe with all the shootings."
The news media focuses on the violence in each part of the world that the perception of each country is misguided. I felt just as safe in the United States as I did in Europe. There were attacks in both U.S. and Europe even though they are both usually safe places.
I did my best to forget stereotypes and to approach each country and culture with an open mind. When I went to France, I didn’t understand where the stereotype came from; people were welcoming, friendly. Even though I spoke English because I didn't know French, I acted with respect and that was reciprocated.
I met people across the world who grew up in different cultures and governments, but I related to them more than people who grew up in the same city as me. I began to realize how people are more similar than different around the world. There are good and bad people in every race, culture, city and country.
We shouldn't believe the stereotypes or base our perceptions completely off the news. I promise you, people around the world are more like you than you think.
