This summer I have been thinking a lot about traveling. My sister just returned from Australia, my roommate went to the Dominican Republic and I am spending the entire summer away from home on Nantucket. I am applying to colleges so I am learning about study abroad programs, and I have always had an overall interest in other cultures and countries.

This all started out with me becoming interested in the food around the world, and overall disappointed with American culture. I try to eat healthy most of the time and avoid processed food, but that has become so difficult in our culture because of the overwhelming added sugar in almost everything. We are the country known for obesity and gross deep-fried and oil-filled fatty foods. It is hard for me to say that this is a background I am proud of coming from.

Then election season started. Before anyone starts attacking my opinions on this matter, yes I am republican, but I do not want to even vote in the next election because of my disappointment in the candidates. Hillary just had her email scandal investigated and came out not guilty even though what she was doing was something that I would never want my president to do. I just cannot trust her. But Donald isn't much better with his racy comments and strange outbursts. I'm not sure I have faith in him to not start a war by accidentally offending someone. Are these two people really who we have given the ability to rise up and possibly rule the country? Seriously?

Recently I was talking to my SAT tutor, and what started out being a conversation about education, turned into a conversation about art and literature, and the American culture vs. Paris or another European country. Our greatest works of art and beauty for tourism are the Vegas strip and Times Square. TV screens, advertisements and commercialism rule our culture. Billboards cover the highway and commercials break up our shows every few minutes. But when you visit France or Italy or other locations, you have the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre and the Coliseums and Leaning Tower and huge cathedrals that represent true beauty.

Lastly, in light of recent events, I have become truly and utterly disappointed with Americans and how we handle disagreements and stereotypes of race, gender and sexual preference. All of the news lately of yet another and another black citizen being shot by a police officer when they are innocent makes me want to stand up and just yell at everyone. Why should anyone care about anyone's personal lives if they are not affecting anyone? What makes someone's skin color more dangerous than someone else? What is going on with the mindset of this country?

All in all, when I look at these reflections of America, I can honestly say I am not proud to call this my home. I hope some day more people will reflect on this and make a change, so that the next generation will be proud to live here and have their own families.