Band Trash yay

The Alabama Tourists of '89

So this is a fun anecdote that my mom likes to tell me occasionally. It is just one of many interesting stories about her childhood that she likes to relate.

Unfortunately, last time I visited family in Europe (a few years back), it started making me feel super awkward about the fact that it happened (you'll see why).

So, here goes:

~~~

My mom was traveling to Eastern Europe with her European History class back in 1989. However, since they were from Hawthorne, which used to be broke and ghetto af, they were forced to travel with another group of teens - from Alabama (no offense to anyone from there - I'm sure not all of you are like this hopefully).

But yeah. Essentially, they were extremely rude and embarrassing to travel with - not to mention kinda... weird?

For example, in a graveyard they encountered while traveling, some Alabamans were randomly knocking stones off of graves despite the fact that the stones had been put there to show respect for the dead (and the tour guide had explained that at the beginning).

They also would make faces at the food and say rude things about really loudly - with the waiter right there.

Also, the trip happened to coincide with July 4th (American Independence Day). Now, since they were all traveling, my mom's group didn't really care or remember what the date was. And, even if they had, it wasn't like Thanksgiving or something; what "special thing" would they do anyway, traveling all over Europe?

Whelp. They came out of their rooms in the morning and were greeted by a veritable storm of red, white and blue. Seriously. There wasn't even one Alabaman who wasn't wearing those colors. On the bus, they were completely shocked that no one in my mom's group was wearing patriotic colors (and of course talking loudly amongst themselves about how my mom's group must not be proud to be American. Obviously. Why else would they choose not to dress head-to-toe in red, white and blue??)

~~~

Anyways. Not all of this is bad, I guess. There's nothing wrong with being really, really patriotic (as long as you are able to rationally recognize faults with your country).

That wasn't really the problem. The problem arises when you have a total lack of respect or understanding for any culture that isn't your own isolated bubble. Serious, ya can't find it within you to even try to experience a different culture? Or at least be nice to people - even if they don't speak English! Shocking, I know.

I guess what I'm trying to convey by all of this is that... well.... I hope I'm wrong, but I feel like tourists like the Alabaman Tourists of '89 are the stereotype for Americans.

Think about it. You probably don't really remember a modestly dressed, relatively quiet group of teens walking by your store, but a bunch of openly obnoxious teens all insulting your food in an obvious Southern twang and wearing an outfit like the Star-Spangled Banner threw up on them....

They're probably gonna stick in your brain. And since they're so obviously American, you associate them with what all American tourists are like.

Again, I'm not trying to stereotype Alabamans either. The group just happened to be from there. But I'm sure there's probably a whole lot more Americans just like them (considering... recent developments back in November of 2016. Lol I wanna die).

Remembering that story made me feel really self-conscious a few years ago whenever I had to speak with my American accent in public in Hungary.

Obviously my embarrassment back then had NOTHING on how I felt this year.

But that can wait for another time.