Many travel internationally, they all learn multiple foreign languages in school and they're usually very good at geography. A lot of German students at my university are also very involved in international politics. Some have even asked me about the midterm elections in the US!
Because of this perspective, many Germans find Americans to be somewhat self-absorbed. Most Americans can only speak English, and many have never left the country before. Only about a third of Americans even have a passport! However, this doesn't have to do with being self-absorbed or too lazy to travel. If might have to do with the fact that the United States is over twice the size of all of Europe! In Germany, if you travel for more than a few hours in any direction, you might find yourself in a new country that speaks a different language. In the United States, you can drive for hundreds of miles without ever even crossing state lines, and everything will always be in English! Since the United States is so large, many people here seem to feel there is enough to explore here without traveling to a new country.
Despite this difference in perspective, I want to help Americans realize that there is a world outside of the United States. International travel is so important in expanding one's world view, and learning a foreign language makes the world seem even smaller, and more connected. It also makes meeting new, very different people to share your individual experiences with a lot easier! If we all come to understand each other's perspectives about the world, no matter how big or small they might seem, the planet would be a lot more positively connected.
