Traveling Wins (If you're from 'Merica)

   I'm going to paraphrase someone famous whose name and exact quote I don't feel like googling but with the appalingly low* amounts of Americans with a passport a group of American's discussing the world is like a bunch of virgins discussing a porno flick starring Gianna Micheals. I doubt any of my esteemed, well traveled, intellectual readers has any of these problems but I shall still impart to you some of the traveling wins that I have experienced. I can only write about this from the prosepective of someone from ' Merica and as such I have noticed SO MUCH WIN!!! So here we are, a few traveling wins when you're from 'Merica even when you're not exporting democracy.
    I cannot underestimate how amazing it is that wherever you go, people speak English. Not that everybody everywhere speaks English but enough people speak enough English that you can be understood. This is a perk that CANNOT be understated. Want to find a place to eat/drink/party dart show ask a few people. Someone close to you will speak some English. If you're in a touristy spot you'll find either other Americans or white people Europeans that speak English and they can help you out! This doesn't always work. When I was in Thailand I found myself, inexplicably, in a Russian club. There I met this guy named Nicholai. He spoke very broken English and I speak no Russian but we were able to have a struggling conversation in French. That only barely has to do with this post but it's a cool story I wanted to share. Another win is the American dollar.
   
    Yes, yes, yes I hear you. The American dollar isn't what it used to be since Obama ruined the economy. Sure, the greenback might not have the buying power that it used to but you know what it does have? Acceptance. I swear a good old fashioned American dollar is taken neigh anywhere in the world. From seedy Thai "establishments" to backwoods restaurants in the desert, people WILL take American currency. Now, I suppose this might also be the case for other foreign currencies (Euro, Pound, etc) but I'm out for Presidents to represent me (Shoutouts to Nas). To be fair you only really need to carry dollars on your person if you are in an emergency or neglected to exchange money at the airport/ nearest bank to your hotel. For me, speaking and money aren't the best part about 'Merican traveling wins.

    Despite all the messed up stuff that America has given the world in the past few years people still LOVE AMERICANS!!! This might be the limited scope of travel that I've done but no matter the country people love us. I'm not really sure why. What I do know is that as soon as people find out that you're from America they get so happy and say things like "America number one!" it is pretty random. For most of the world I'm willing to bet that it's a combination of the exportation of our TV shows and our culture. Maybe the old phrase that the black American man is the most copied person on the planet rings true. I've only been to 4 continents so I can't speak for the other ones but it seems true to me. You know to know something really random (That again only barely relates to this post) African kids LOVE JOHN CENA. It is one of the most random things I have ever seen.

    So there you go, the three greatest traveling wins (If you're from 'MURICA). From our culture, to our money, to the  language (shoutouts to the Limeys for starting it) we should feel very comfortable traveling more. After traveling so much I'm semi baffeled why more American's don't travel more often, I'm telling you it's AWESOME!


** Please note: I just got my blue passport 2 months ago but I still got around.
   

Token is Traveling!!!!!!

   So check, check, chcheck it out wh wh wh what's it all about! For the 3 of you that probably read this blog you already know but (Hopefully) I'll have some new readers one day. The token is traveling!!! I bet you didn't see this coming with the name of the blog and what not. But yea, I'm going to a far away land to have a kick ass time and get paid for it protect America and her interests. I'll be somewhere in East Africa doing all sorts of awesome things and laying the righteous hand of god down leaving my own personal indelible imprint on East Africans. I suspect this journey will be fraught with lots of adversity and opening up my eyes to new cultures and ways of thinking. I really wonder what Africa is all about and what the people are like. Yes, I know Africa is by no means a monolith and it's huge so there will be numerous different perspectives that I have to account for.
    I remember being a kid and reading my favorite book of all time, The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I remember how when Malcolm got to Africa he was so surprised at the worldlyness of African's and their awareness of the (Im paraphrasing here) "plight of the negro in America". Not specifically pertaining to black people in America but what do they think about America and her people in general? I'm willing to bet they echo some of the same sentiments that I see on the interwebs. Will they think that know that things have changed? Will the recognize the ways that the changes have occurred? I wonder how they regard Obama and what he means for their lives verses how some black people in America feel. I'm VERY interested in how Africans regard me as a black American and what I'm all about. Will I experience a new found brotherhood that I've never experienced before? Will I be regarded as an "other" too dark for mainstream white acceptance but too light for mainstream African acceptance? Will attitudes change once they find out what it is I do there? These are all questions that I truly look forward to having answered and if not answered then experiencing.
    So many questions that I sincerely look forward to having answered! So many new experiences to drink in! I can't wait for this opportunity. Hopefully, nothing but positivity will come out of this.

All that said..... MURICA!!!!