So their ideas of what a life in America looks like is influenced by reality shows about ultra-rich celebrities, or by movies set in places like New York City or Los Angeles. So many Belgians have questioned me why I would ever come to the small country of Belgium, given that I have "everything I would ever want" in the U.S.A. I think that the core of this question comes down to the perceptions of how grand and luxurious the U.S.A. is. Which it definitely can be! But I think for the most part, neighborhoods in the U.S.A. don't look much different from neighborhoods in Belgium.
Overall, representing the United States in Belgium has been very interesting. Answering questions ranging from "Do you all really ride in a yellow bus to school?" to "Do Americans really not speak any other languages other than English?" has made me think a lot about my own experience of being American. I hope that given all the things Belgium has taught me, I can teach something myself!
