Topic Tuesday - Cultural Differences

Now, while you don't have to have traveled outside the country for this post, have you ever traveled somewhere and been struck by the differences between there and where you live or lived? What were they? Good? Bad? Why did they leave an impression on you?
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First of all, I want to thank everyone who visited with me during the Valentine's Day Blog Hop.  The winner was notified and her prize was emailed to her.  Starting Monday (2/17) and lasting all week, is my Love Story Book/Blog Tour.  I'm giving away all three ebooks as the grand prize so please stop by & enter!

http://girlsheartbookstours.blogspot.com/2014/02/touring-now-love-story-series-by-beth-d.html

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NOW...to answer the Topic Tuesday....I have been fortunate to travel to many countries so I may have a lot to say on this.  I've been to New Zealand, Australia, I've lived in France, and traveled through out Europe, including a quick trip to Sweden and Finland.  My first visit to Paris was 18 days after September 11th, 2001, and it was a tense trip to say the least.  New York City still had smoke and ash billowing about and armed guards with machine guns were patrolling the airports.  Every trash can in Paris had been sealed off because of bomb scares, so litter was in the streets.  Everyone treated us with something akin to pity that first trip.  My second trip back to Paris was just a year later, and the city had rebounded.  In 2004 I lived there for four months and by then I was telling people I was Canadian, because they once again hated Americans.  It's a shame the American citizen gets a bad rep from what our politicians do and say.

I live in Los Angeles, a very diverse culture I must say.  My boyfriend works in television so there's always someone from somewhere else.  I heard someone comment once that they were very surprised we have our flag everywhere.  It's on cars, trucks, the flag is flown from private homes and many businesses.  He was very surprised at our national pride.  

I've not been abroad since 2007 but my family and I are planning a Japan trip in about three years, once my son reaches age ten. Our goal is to climb Mt. Fuji.  The one thing I have learned in my many travels is that the world is a very small place.  I think if everyone could travel they'd see that language is the only thing that divides us, really.  We all have the same features, the same tastes, the same desires.