How I See the UK as an American Abroad

Sneak Peek:

Kristin:    00:00:00    So we can have those rose-colored glasses sometimes looking back into the past and, and that's normal. I think that's a human thing. But I think it's about taking those best parts of what we cherish from the past and bringing those forward with us into the future, or going to places that share our same values. Why is it that we don't look to ourselves, we've been conditioned for so long to follow the rules, to sit in class, to listen to other teachers, that there's a big piece of empowerment and self-empowerment that's missing. And we can find that through travel, putting ourselves in different places and out of our comfort zone because all of a sudden it like shocks you. That's why it's culture shock, right? Like it shocks you, it wakes you up to something that was inside of you that you didn't know was there before. 

Introduction: Welcome to Badass Digital Nomads, where we're pushing the boundaries of remote work and travel, all while staying grounded with a little bit of old school philosophy, self-development, and business advice from our guests.

Kristin Wilson, Host:    00:01:23    Hey there, Kristin Wilson from from Traveling with Kristin here and welcome to episode 211 of Badass Digital Nomads. Today I want to share with you the audio from a video that went viral on my channel about how I see the United Kingdom as an American abroad or as a US citizen abroad to be politically correct. And I wanted to share this with you because it seems like it definitely struck a nerve with people in a really positive way from the comments that I've read and the conversations that are starting in the comments section. And I'll read some of the, the top comments to you at the end of this episode today. But I was really surprised that in the first two days it got more than 75,000 views. And so I think this is something that, um, clearly resonates with a lot of people. So I wanted to bring it over here to the podcast and keep the conversation going.  

Kristin:    00:02:31    Something that continually surprises me on this journey of content creation and sharing my experiences, traveling and sharing tips and information to help you travel is the kind of directions that the topics are going in. I remember when I first started my channel back in the end of 2017, beginning of 2018, I thought I was gonna be a, a travel vlogger, like just documenting my travels and doing those kinds of vlog type videos. And looking back, I think that was a time where that was a really popular thing to do on YouTube. But I'm, I'm really surprised with how nuanced, but also scientific, the topics have become that we've been sourcing collectively because everything that I talk about here on the podcast, every video that I put out on YouTube that comes from a co-creation between me and you and the conversation back and forth of how these topics affect you in your life, what they make you think about, what they make you wonder about, and you communicating that back to me, whether it's on emails or Instagram messages or YouTube comments or what have you.  

Kristin:    00:04:01    And so I find myself like literally staying up at night or at any time of the day just stopping <laugh>, stopping whatever I'm doing and writing down ideas and fleshing them out and, and writing outlines for something that I think could have some substance there. And I actually felt really good a couple weeks ago because I was reading that book on creativity by Rick Rubin. And he says something at the very end about how the creative process is 24/7, like it never ends. And you always have to be receptive to ideas that come from your subconscious, from the universe, from other people. It could just be like a tiny thing that someone says that gives you an idea for something completely unrelated or you just never know how it's all gonna fit together. And when I filmed this video in particular, it came about from just observing things in my environment.  

Kristin:    00:05:06    I, I kind of feel like an anthropologist sometimes and just normal everyday things that really stood out to me. And before I had a podcast and before I had a YouTube channel, I would just think these thoughts and they would just stay in my head and maybe I would share them with my mom or who, whoever was traveling with me at the time. And it just like blows my mind that you can have a passing thought, one of tens of thousands of thoughts per day. You can write it down and then you can share it with people and then tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands or millions of people are around the world can say, Hey, I think that too, or, I feel that way too. And yeah, so when I was filming this video, I didn't even really know, uh, what the conclusion would be.  

Kristin:    00:05:59    And it wasn't until I was sitting outside in this area called Media City in Manchester, I was taking a day off or like a half day off I guess cuz I filmed a video, but I was just having a slow morning. I was enjoying the warm weather and the sunshine and I was looking at my notes and this one note just really stuck out to me and it kind of reminded me of the video that I did when I first got to Portugal last year, which I'll link to that and the podcast for that one and the show notes as well. But it was just standing out to me and there was something missing, which was what ended up being the conclusion of what I mentioned in the intro of this one about how I felt sad when I got here after a few weeks of being here.

Kristin:    00:06:50    And I just couldn't really articulate it at first, but it did seem to come through, uh, in this video. So you'll hear that part in the end. And so I'll just let you listen form your own opinions and actively be involved in this by, as you're listening, just think about how does this relate to you or have you had similar experiences in the past where you noticed things like this or did you wish something was different or did you wonder if things would ever be the same again? And, and then maybe other people in the comments will have some, some similar thoughts and stories. But it's just been really, you know, the, the comments and everything people have been saying, it just really makes me think a lot, even something that a woman mentioned about how quick Americans are to change the thermostat on the climate control in your house, like you know, central heating and air conditioning at the first twinge of discomfort, we adjust the temperature up or down <laugh>, whereas in other countries they don't do that. 

Kristin:    00:08:05    And I remember back in Portugal, my landlord telling me because it was going into winter, she's like, in Portugal we don't turn the heat on, we put on more clothes. And I've totally noticed myself doing this in England is when it, it's a chilly day like cloudy and overcast, I just go to turn on the heat and now today I have layers on because I was thinking, do I need to do that every time I wanna change the temperature by three degrees? And so this is the kinds of things that just really expand your mindset and your worldview about travel is that so many of the things that you do on autopilot, you all of a sudden get faced with a different way to do it or the option of not to do it at all. It could even be, you know, leaving your eggs refrigerated or not refrigerated.  

Kristin:    00:09:00    Like why in some countries do we refrigerate them and why not in others? Does it have to do with the way that the food is processed or that they're handled or the bacteria or the climate? I mean so many things. So making this podcast and video and then reading over a thousand comments about it, it just makes me think even more. And that's why I love having the podcast to be able to share more with you about how the idea for these topics come about and kind of more behind the scenes of how it happened and why, uh, rather than just scrolling on YouTube and having the algorithm like show you different videos from different channels every day that you open it. And that's why I like having the podcast cuz we have more time to talk about these things and more time to reflect and more time to apply them to our own lives rather than just ingesting like a ten second TikTok or a reel or something and I'm moving on to the next thing or swiping down the feed.  

Kristin:    00:10:03    It's like, okay, I, how are these things affecting you, where you are right now geographically in the world and then also at your age in life and in your career. And yeah, because life is made up of moments and it's these little moments and then these connections with other people that can let us go down the rabbit hole. Like one guy was saying that he was thinking in his own personal life that the community aspect in his, in his town is fading away. And that was just a thought that this person had in a town that I've never been to in the UK and then he watches this video and I'm saying the same thing about how I feel like the UK has stronger community ties within the different towns, villages and cities than the cities and towns back in the United States. And so it just makes me wonder how many of us are having the same thoughts and wondering the same things at the same time even though we can't see inside of each other's brains.  

Kristin:    00:11:17    And so the magical thing about content is that it allows us to get glimpses of the insights and what other people are thinking even if we don't know them and we've never met them in person and we never will. So we'll get into the meat of this and then more comments at the end, but just wanted to preface today's episode with that and also wanted to thank NomadNeeks from Canada for the review on Apple podcasts recently. They say perfect content for travelers and nomads, great podcast for digital nomads or those who are aspiring to be nomadic, tons of content on different topics and really well-rounded overall highly recommend. Thank you NomadNeeks and thanks also shout out today to Stephen Bainten who is one of my new Patreon patrons who recently made a donation to my channel and podcast. We do have a donations tab on badassdigitalnomads.com where you can buy us a coffee or do a PayPal donation or something like that.  

Kristin:    00:12:28    So every little bit helps and every contribution can go toward funding different aspects of the production like show notes or transcripts or graphics and podcast art, editing, all sorts of stuff like that. So really appreciate all of your reviews and donations. We're two reviews away from having 100 reviews. I need two heroes out there to leave a review this week and we'll get to 100. So thanks again.

Travel Pro:

And also we are just a week away from Father's Day and we have 15% off of everything site-wide on travelpro.com, so all types of bags and luggage and travel accessories and that includes free shipping and hassle-free returns so you can grab yourself or your dad or your brother or your grandpa or your son or other dads in your life, get them a gift for Father's Day and also support the show as well by using our referral link in the show notes. Hope you're having a great day today. Thanks for hanging out with me and see you on the flip side.

Solocast start:

Kristin: I've been here in the UK for about a month now and since I made a video about why I left the US to come here, I wanted to share with you what my experience has been like so far being here as a foreigner and especially as a solo female traveler. And at the end of this video I'll tell you why it's made me sad actually and that's something that I definitely didn't expect.  

Kristin:    00:14:29    The first thing I noticed when I got here was the weather and it's either been really good like today or really bad, like cold, gray, rainy. And being from Florida that's been something that's been pretty hard to adjust to it. It's something I was expecting for sure. But uh, definitely the first month I was here was basically cold and rainy and so Manchester was really living up to the weather hype. But I am really happy that we're going into summer and right now it's sunny and like 65 degrees Fahrenheit so it feels just like winter in Miami where I was living before. So I'm really happy about that. I've just been definitely using my heating a lot, which I'm hoping isn't gonna be too expensive. And I've also been using my fireplace, which is actually quite cozy. Um, but some of the locals were joking with me that they're like, if you need the fire now in the springtime, then you're gonna be literally in the fire when winter comes and it's getting dark at 4:00 PM so I'm really enjoying these nice sunny days until 10:00 PM It's supposed to be sunny here all week.  

Kristin:    00:15:41    So really happy about that. But it's definitely been an adjustment when I first got here. The next thing I noticed is how genuinely nice everyone is and so friendly and welcoming. You can basically just go up and talk to strangers and they will talk back to you. It doesn't matter if you are in a grocery store or in a taxi or talking to somebody who's sitting on a park bench. Everyone is just really happy to have a chat and it's something that sadly caught me off guard at first, but uh, people are just having a normal pace of life. They're not in a hurry and you know, the guy who delivers your food or I had a handyman over at my house and he was talking to me about his daughter and his side hustle as a wedding photographer and it's just been really refreshing to just be able to talk to people and they always say, see you later, like you'll instead of bye, it's like see you later.  

Kristin:    00:16:41    It's kind of like in Spanish how they say Hasta luego, like they never say goodbye and it's like, even if you'll never see that person again, they're like, see you later. And so now I've started saying it too because I really like it. And another thing that they do is call you love. So I noticed this when I went to buy a bike and the lady was like texting me, oh hello love, like, yeah, sure, come on over love. And now I've like noticed it everywhere. Like I hear people saying it in the convenience store and just on the sidewalk and I think that's really friendly and cute to just call people love or in the coffee shop or something. I've also noticed this with dating, which is something that I think merits its own separate video, but my experience so far has been quite positive and a breath of fresh air.  

Kristin:    00:17:30    I've noticed that guys here seem genuinely interested in getting to know me and talking to me and like asking you questions versus my experiences a lot in the US consist of like just kind of not very engaged text messages or the pressure to move things along very fast or basically just a hookup culture. And although I'm sure that that exists here as well, I haven't experienced it yet, it's been quite the opposite. I've had guys send me like five minute long voice memos asking me questions about just all sorts of things. And so I, I feel like the friendliness of the people has extended from just acquaintances and chitchat into dating and relationships. Something that caught me really off guard is actually how much it feels like a community here. There are people who've been living here their entire lives and many of them in the same neighborhood, not even moving to a different side of town. And if there's people that went away for school, most of them came back or at least the people that I've spoken with here. And I've actually been embarrassed a couple times by asking people like, oh, where are you from? And they're like, well what do you mean? Like what side of town am I from? Because everyone's from here. And where are you from originally?  

Speaker 2    00:18:55    It's --Adam's from here from, yeah, and I'm from a little town called St. Helen's near Liverpool.  

Kristin:    00:19:01    And I think that's a good sign that people really like living here. And also it's a sign of a strong community and a healthy community and I just feel kind of like a weirdo because I'm from a place that's so transient from Florida and from South Florida and many of the people around, it's like you ask them where they're from as part of small talk and getting to know someone because there's so many tourists, there's so many people from different countries and there's so many people that weren't born there, but they moved there later in life. So that's been something that really, uh, surprised me, but it was a pleasant surprise. So it seems like everyone is friends here unless you're rooting for the wrong football team though, and I haven't really taken sides yet, so I'm gonna try to remain neutral. Uh, but another thing I've noticed that you can actually see behind me here, I'm walking in front of the BBC buildings and it looks like a yellow honeycomb.  

Kristin:    00:20:00    And this is one of the things that I have learned while being here is that like their mascot here in Manchester is the bee like a worker bee. And from what people have told me, it became a symbol of unity after the bombings here a few years ago. And so you'll see like bees everywhere, you'll see a bee statue, you'll see bees on straws, <laugh> for your drinks, you'll see um, bees on signs, bee shaped sponges at the store and the cleaning aisle, like there's bees everywhere. And I feel like every city should have a mascot. One thing that I've really liked is being in a foreign country where English is the first language because I always feel a little bit guilty if I don't know the language. I don't know, maybe you feel the same way. I do speak Spanish fortunately, and so whenever I travel to Spanish speaking countries, that makes it a lot easier.  

Kristin:    00:20:54    But there's quite a few countries where I don't speak the language. And so it's been really nice to be somewhere where everyone speaks English and I don't feel bad asking for things in English, although the accents have been a bit difficult in some cases. I, I would say, I mean I understand a lot of people, but now and then, uh, there's some slang that I don't know or there's someone with a much, uh, thicker accent and it, it can be hard for me to understand. But the good news is that people seem to like American accents and I really like British accents so it works out pretty well. But one day I was actually outside on the sidewalk picking up some trash and one of my neighbors walked by and he asked what was I doing? And I couldn't understand what he was saying, but he was basically asking me if I was trying to feed the horse that lives across the street and he kept saying like, house or Haas or I, I could not tell what he was saying, he had to say it like seven times before I was like, oh, horse <laugh>.  

Kristin:    00:21:56    And so there have been a few miscommunications that way but I have noticed quite a variety of accents around here. And so it seems like different neighborhoods and different towns and villages and other nearby cities, uh, people will have a different accent. So that's been pretty interesting, but I'm still happy that we're all speaking English. There's also quite a bit of slang here, which I have been Googling and I learned that grafting means working hard and mad as a bunch of frogs means funny. So if you know any other slang words from northern England then let us know in the comments below. It's also been really nice to live in an actual neighborhood and not in a touristy area or some kind of tourist hotspot. And that's something that I was specifically looking for when I came here. But when I actually got here and started feeling settled, I realized like how often I been in touristy areas, whether it was in Portugal or Croatia or Greece.  

Kristin:    00:23:00    And it really hit me when I wanted to send a postcard to my mom for Mother's Day and I couldn't find postcards anywhere. I was like, oh my god, I'm in a place with no postcards and was kind of trying to remember the last time that happened if ever when I was traveling and I asked this guy that was working in a mall and he's like, Nope, haven't seen a postcard around here ever. Not at the post office, not at card stores. And so I think that's a real clue that you're just in a regular local area. Also, when you get a reaction from people about like, whoa, American accents because they're so rare. And I literally haven't heard another person speaking with like a US accent since I've gotten here. So it has been nice to be in just a normal area and be able to observe and, and participate in the daily normal life, uh, in a foreign country.  

Kristin:    00:23:54    And I'm really enjoying that. You also get a sense of what the city is actually like and not the whitewashed version of it. Like there's some areas that are really nice and that have been gentrified and then there are some areas that aren't and they're full of trash on the ground or uh, they're just kind of not the best parts of town. And a lot of times in tourist areas you only see the nice parts. So it has been really refreshing to just be in like a very diverse city with lots of diverse neighborhoods and, and in the suburbs where yeah, it's just life as usual and they're not like putting on a front or trying to create this little like Disney world paradise for the tourists. I've also found myself adopting more British customs, which I find kind of funny and endearing, like I've been drinking more tea lately, but that's also because I don't have a freezer in my house.  

Kristin:    00:24:46    I only have a refrigerator, which is something that I never thought to ask about, you know, like you might ask, oh is there a washer and dryer? Is there a dishwasher? But you wouldn't be like, is there a freezer? And I know Europeans don't like ice that much, but come on. So yeah, I, no, no more iced coffee for me it's too cold and I don't have a freezer so I have been drinking more tea. I've also become addicted to crumpets. I don't even really know what a crumpet is. It kind of looks like a English muffin, but it has a different texture I've been eating like <laugh> one or two crumpets a day or scones or something like that. Speaking of washers and dryers, I don't have a dryer and I do really miss that. Um, there is a wash dry fold place near my house, so I'll take the towels and sheets there, but in general just been hanging stuff out to dry the old fashioned way.  

Kristin:    00:25:36    Something that I thought was going to be worse than it is is the drinking culture. Like people told me I would just see drunk people everywhere and see people throwing up on the sidewalks and stuff and I haven't seen that at all. Um, people have been very, very friendly at the bars and clubs and restaurants and I haven't noticed anyone drunker than in other parts of the world. So yeah, that's been totally fine. Uh, as I expected, the cost of living is definitely lower than it is in the US Now, London of course is gonna be more expensive and mainland Europe is definitely less expensive than here. But in general, like my food bill, cell phone, internet, things like that are a lot cheaper. I've noticed that something that might cost seven or $8 in the US or even $9 is like one or two pounds here.  

Kristin:    00:26:27    So if you get a salad at a grocery store that's like $9 or $8, it would be like two pounds here, maybe three pounds a bag of tangerines or oranges, that would be $7 cost one pound here. Um, Serrano ham that costs seven or $8 costs one or two pounds here. So you're really saving a lot of money on groceries and eating out and stuff. But the internet has surprised me because it's really slow in some places, but then it's like fiber optic fast internet in other areas. Like when I first moved into my house, the internet was like five megabits per second, which I haven't seen in at least 10 years or more. And I didn't even know they had internet that that was that slow anymore and they called it broadband. Uh, but I was able to get a contract with Virgin Media where I now have 500 megabits, uh, per second, but it is pretty expensive.  

Kristin:    00:27:22    It's about 50 pounds per month and the minimum contract you can get here is 18 months, like maybe 12. And if you cancel it, you do have to pay this like big cancellation fee. But in the US like you can, even if you have a contract, you can pretty much get out of it I feel like. So the internet has been more than I expected. We'll have to see how much the utilities are with all that heating, but at least I don't need air conditioning in the summer. So that will be good. As I mentioned at the beginning of this video though, there is something about being here that has made me feel quite sad and it took me a couple weeks before I could really put my finger on it. And I think it's a combination of things like I think it's the friendliness of the people.  

Kristin:    00:28:07    I think it's the very healthy pace of life and the community aspect that when it all combines together, I've realized that it makes me feel very nostalgic and like sentimental about my childhood, oddly enough. Like it feels like being here feels like what the US was like 20 or 30 years ago and I don't know if it's because like I've gotten older and so as an adult you perceive the world differently. But I do feel like the US was different, especially before the internet and before the toxic media culture that we have today. And what makes me sad is that even though there's debates here and there's politics and there's debates over the economy and different points of view and different religions here in the UK, I I feel like it's just a healthier place to live in general and that the narrative is not as damaging or divisive as it is in the us.  

Kristin:    00:29:16    And so even though they have technology here, they have internet, they have tabloids, they have like all of those same things. There's something that's more civil about being here and it makes me wonder if we'll ever see that again in the US It's like kind of going back to what it felt like growing up in the US in the eighties and nineties when things felt more community oriented, the pace of life felt slower. Like even though I'm sure there was a rat race mentality in the eighties, it was like in the town where I grew up in Florida, it, it was like a small town and yeah, things were just more relaxed. You knew your neighbors, you had more connections with the community and it seems like now maybe it's like that in some of the smaller towns and cities in the US but especially in the bigger cities and places where there's big tech hubs or big tourism hubs, it feels like it's very hard to really connect with the community. 

Kristin:    00:30:17    People are always coming and going and then there's this kind of underlying tension about the political situation that is just kind of this hanging over the country. And so I guess that's why I've been feeling a bit sad here, like almost most almost jealous of what people have here and, and I don't know if they would see it that way, like I don't know if the locals would see things the same way, but I just feel like I wish that we had more of this feeling that I get here in the US but I am really glad that I came here and I'm looking forward to sharing with you more of my discoveries as I travel around England and Scotland this summer. So make sure those notification bells are on and if you're curious about what my first month was like in Portugal compared to the UK, then you can check out that video next.  

Kristin:    00:31:20    Okay, I hope that these topics and themes resonated with you and that you had some ideas or memories of how you experienced them at some point in your life and in your travels. And if you did, feel free to hop on over to the show notes and leave a comment yourself. Uh, you can also share your thoughts with me over email to hello@travelingwithKristin.com. And I'll just share with you a few of the most top upvoted comments over on the video. We have. First up, @asinglewomanontheloose who says, as a 72 year old American, I can confirm you're spot on changes in America, everyone is angry and often dangerous. I'm actually thinking about doing more and more pets sitting abroad as I just don't fit in here. I spend much time in West Yorkshire with my college friends about 45 minutes outside of Manchester.  

Kristin:    00:32:20    People are lovely there, so I'm not sure where @asinglewomanontheloose where you're living out in America, but it just goes to show that age is just a number and no matter how old you are when you're thinking these things, it's never too late to start traveling abroad and start expanding your horizons and go out there and visit your college friends in different countries and do pet sitting and other cool things like that. Um, one really popular site that I've recommended and talked about a lot is Trusted House sitters. So I'll link to them in the show notes if you wanna check that out. My mom has actually, uh, become a host on trusted house sitters because she wants to come visit me. My mom and dad wanna come over and they have a dog in Florida. So house sitting in pet sitting is the most economical way for pet owners to be able to travel long term.  

Kristin:    00:33:20    And it's also a good way for people that are looking for accommodations and pet lovers to be able to get free or reduced accommodation to watch someone else's pet. So if you're looking to save money on hotels and Airbnbs and you want to pet sit, it's good for you. And if you don't wanna spend, you know, 50 or a hundred dollars a day, um, paying someone to come watch your pet, then it works for you too. @Kelborn says, as a Brit who recently returned from Florida, I can definitely confirm that the UK has a stronger sense of community. I stayed in central Florida and used to say hello to the locals every day. There was an old guy who walked his dog there and I could tell that I made his day just by waving to him and the older ladies who would sit out in the afternoon just stopping to talk with them about the weather.  

Kristin:    00:34:11    A very normal British pastime and it was like I was the first human that had spoken to them <laugh> and they didn't want me to leave. He says it was nice to spend time with them, but it was also sad just showing basic British manners was seen as being friendly and charming over there. Ooh, I can, I can definitely relate to this one because it does seem a lot in the US that you would be considered very weird if you just talk to strangers on the street or wave to them. And as someone who does a lot of exercise, I'm always flabbergasted that I walk around or go running in the US and I wave to other people who are exercising and they usually just look down or look away like, why are you waving to me or why are you saying good morning? And so if you keep getting, you know, rejected that much, then you stop doing it as often.  

Kristin:    00:35:06    And so you just kind of go into your bubble with your noise canceling headphones and you don't really look at anyone or make eye contact or wave. And just yesterday I went to the grocery store and then I was walking back and I decided to stop and get some flowers cuz there's a little florist out there and I end up just chit-chatting with the guy who owned the flower shop and it turns out he's from Malta. He married a British woman, they moved here and I just probably stood there for 15 minutes talking to him and like we're talking about coffee and then travel and Malta and the weather as @Kelborn says, talking about the weather. And yeah, it was just really nice and I came home in such a good mood cuz I wasn't in a hurry or anything. It was like it was the morning and I'm in a time zone ahead of the US so it was just kind of a leisurely walk to the park, walk to the supermarket, pick up some flowers on the way home, like a very European kind of morning.  

Kristin:    00:36:10    And I got home and I just kind of reflected on that for a minute of like, wow, I just had a nice walk and talked to a stranger and had a nice morning and it just made me in a good mood. So I can totally relate to what @Kelborn is saying. And having been born and raised in the US definitely um, have seen both sides of that coin. JLM says, wow, a video not from London, I'm from Manchester and when I watch other videos by Americans reacting to the UK, they always go to London and never anywhere else. So it's refreshing to see my pleasure, JLM, that's why I'm here. I love London. I've been there quite a few times, but definitely wanted to explore farther afield and I'm so glad I did. So if you haven't been to Northern England yet, I hope that today's podcast and this video brings awareness to this city and that it puts it on your travel radar.  

Kristin:    00:37:09    MF says, for me the UK was definitely very different before the internet and mobile phones wonderful innovations, but I do miss the days of not always being quote unquote on and more living in the moment. Totally agree MF, I guess that is for everywhere in the world it before and after the internet and mobile phones. But I did think it was interesting how people have continued to be able to be in the moment here more so than in the US from my perspective. Lavender and Sage said, I think you have the perfect explanation for why you're feeling the way you feel. I have felt that for the last several years as well. And I missed the way it felt living in the eighties and early nineties in the US. It was a more simple life and definitely not as divisive as it has become over the last 10 to 15 years. The place I've always called home isn't a place where I want to be anymore. And that's very sad.  

Kristin:    00:38:07    That is sad. But we do need to have a way to move forward together in a positive way because we can't go back. Like things are never gonna go back to the way that it was in the eighties and nineties, nor do we really want it to, right? We love our technology, we love the increasing freedom and opportunities and technological innovations that allow us to live life on our own terms today. None of us would be here on this podcast right now if it were the eighties. And so we can have those rose colored glasses sometimes looking back into the past and, and that's normal. I think that's a human thing. But I think it's about taking those best parts of what we cherish from the past and bringing those forward with us into the future or going to places that share our same values and even keeping it front of mind.  

Kristin:    00:39:12    I've talked about before on the podcast that there's this fine line between do you stay in a place that's not working for you and try to enact change or do you just move on and go somewhere that more fits who you are as a person? And I don't have the answer for that. I think it depends on you and your individual goals and where you're at in life and and what you feel called to do. But that's, uh, definitely something that I think about a lot. And one of the beautiful things about the time that we're living in is that change is happening really fast in every individual person has the opportunity to make the change that they want to see and be in the world, right? Gandhi style. And I actually just saw a documentary on the music scene in Melbourne in Australia that was made by Vice.  

Kristin:    00:40:05    And somebody in there said something that really stuck with me. They were talking about how people in Australia during the nineties were watching the explosion of electronic music and the clubbing culture around the world from Australia and wishing that they could have it there, but that everybody was looking externally or looking to each other like, who's going to create this, when are they going to do it? And the person being interviewed on this documentary, he said no one was looking at themselves. And it wasn't until people started saying, well, I guess I'll throw this event, or I guess I'll organize this party or I'll create this experience. That that's when things really took off. And just let that sink in for a moment. Why is it that we don't look to ourselves? We've been conditioned for so long to follow the rules, to sit in class, to listen to other teachers.  

Kristin:    00:41:06    There's a big piece of empowerment and self-empowerment that's missing and we can find that through travel and we can find that through putting ourselves in different places and out of our comfort zone because all of a sudden it like shocks you. That's why it's culture shock, right? Like it shocks you, it wakes you up to something that was inside of you that you didn't know was there before. And when this guy said that, it's like, oh God, yeah. Like when you're looking at things and wishing that it was a, a certain way or wishing it was different, it's like, oh well, well what can you do? Like what can we do? You know, what can I do to make it that way or make a change and make it different? And so it's cool to pick up these hints and clues during your journey through life, whether it's a person that you meet when you're traveling or whether it's a conversation that you overhear when you're walking down the street or whether it's something that you see in a documentary on YouTube.  

Kristin:    00:42:13    So keep your personal antenna up, right? Keep your radar going and, and listen for those ideas and hints from your surroundings and, and what that's going to lead you to next. Scott Mann 895, a long-term Patreon patron also had a popular comment here on this video. He says I agree with you toward the end of the video. It seems that more and more people here in the US are more divided and not as communal as it was a while back, which is really sad to see. But that's the great thing about travel. We can learn from other cultures on how we can improve our own culture. I'm optimistic that if more and more people can show kindness and love with each other here in the US we can change things for the better. It won't be easy, but I think it can be done. I agree, Scott.  

Kristin:    00:43:07    I think it can be done. And I think that is a great positive high note to end off with here. The more of us who are out there traveling and learning and applying what we learn in our life and and in our interactions with others, the better as long as we're doing it in an environmentally sustainably way. So thanks again for being here with me today. Thank you to NomadNeeks for the podcast review. Thanks to Stephen Bainten for the donation. And thank you to you for being here and living your best life in seizing that day. Take advantage of that 15% off Travel Pro discount and promotion we have going on right now on all bags, luggage and travel accessories on Travel Pro. Use our link in the show notes. Take care and see you again next week.