the duffle
the duffle, a place where we unpack cultural norms and check-in to a more global perspective. My experiences abroad have shaped the way I view the world. It has led me to question what we each consider “normal” and how much of that is shaped by the nationality we were assigned at birth. How different would my mindset be if I were Thai or French? Would I express love any differently or weigh my experiences with an altogether different metric? Let’s unpack these concepts together.
One could say that I’ve hit the nationality jackpot. The American passport carries a lot of weight. Arton Capital’s Passport Index currently reports the United States passport as having access to 173 destinations visa-free or visa-upon-arrival. (At the time of research. Data might have changed.) The Henley Passport Index has the United States passport as having access to 187 destinations. The difference can be accounted for due to the Henley Index including territories that don’t issue their own passports, while Arton Capital’s Index excludes territories annexed to other countries.
The opportunity of getting a passport and the financial capability of being able to use said passport definitely comes from a place of privilege. I would be remiss not to mention and acknowledge those facts.
With this passport comes expectations. Expectations on what your travels may look like, what experiences you’ll have, and how you’ll maneuver through the world. What I didn’t realize is that these expectations are almost always off base, and they’re biased. I’ve found that which each new country, culture, and trip, my perspective was shifting. For a long time, I was seeing and experiencing the world through the lenses of an American, and a Black American at that. My experiences weren’t pure in appreciation. Each destination was being measured against America and almost always coming up short. Why is that? One could say American Exceptionalism, my lack of knowledge and experience, or just me being judgmental. All are valid.
Yet, as I continued to move through the world and have conversations with those I considered different than me, I began to change. My perspective shifted and I found that I was now comparing America to other countries. My country didn’t always end up on top. Please don’t get me wrong. I am as “American as apple pie” in many ways. Yet, my way of existing in the outside world now effected the way I existed in America. That’s when I began to wonder. Do my values come from me and my actual beliefs or were they passed down to me from my government? How differently would I be if I weren’t American?
As we begin this journey, I want you to think about what it is that makes you [insert nationality here]. Is it your location? Passport? Values? Belief system? Or just what you were told? Take a deep dive with me into the discovery of our sense of self, nationalism, and our place in the world by checking out other the duffle articles.
As ever,
Angelique Michelle
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