Should I be worried about being an American abroad?

The short answer is: it depends. I didn’t know a lot of people who had been to the Netherlands before I made the great voyage abroad so no one could really tell me whether I should be excited or worried about my nationality. I was very fortunate to find that the Dutch are extremely forthcoming with Americans (at least the ones I encountered). However, that’s not always the case.

For instance, I’ve visited London a few times before; the first time with a university class for a week and the locals couldn’t have been nicer. But when I went by my lonesome the second time, I found that I was not greeted with as much warmth. And people’s hospitality wavered from place to place. I could be greeted with open arms in Canterbury but regarded with disdain in Bristol. It changed everywhere I went in the U.K.

And there’s really nothing you can do to soften the blow of being regarded contemptuously as an American. Some friends have suggested taking on a faux-Canadian identity just to curb some of the hatred. However, people tend to judge you before you can even identify yourself with a certain nationality just because of your accent. There’s not a striking difference between a Canadian and American accent but most are quick to assume that you’re from the U.S. as soon as you utter a single word, and it’s hard to convince them otherwise.

But I don’t want to give the impression that all places are scorched earth for Americans, because that’s just not the case. Although Paris is regarded as perhaps having little patience for those from the States, I actually found my visit to be quite enjoyable with little to no crooked glances or malicious stares. And, as mentioned earlier, the Netherlands is a prime spot to visit if you’re an American. The Dutch are some of the friendliest, most patient people I’ve ever had the pleasure of coming in contact with. Obviously I haven’t been to every part of the country but I’d wager that the majority of the Netherlands is pretty accepting of those from the U.S.

In the end, there’s no foolproof way of gauging whether you should be concerned about your nationality when going abroad. But it does help to be prepared and maybe nix packing your American flag tee. It also wouldn’t hurt to try and blend in with the locals. I know that Americans are stereotyped as being loud and obnoxious and, while I’m not obnoxious (I don’t think), I can sometimes get a little rambunctious. It’s best to try and moderate yourself so that you don’t stick out from the crowd.

If you really want to go the extra mile, the U.S. State Department issues travel warnings for specific countries that may not be very forthcoming to Americans. It’s always a wise decision to check out their alerts before booking any trips. No matter where you go, the most important thing is to be safe and try to have some fun! Even if a few people here and there scowl at your nationality, there’s not much you can do to change their minds about you. So just try to enjoy yourself, respectfully.

UPDATE (6/2018): Since President Trump's election to office, I have found that many foreigners show a piqued interest in how I, as an American, feel about him holding office. While I am not one to shy away from a good political chat, I would recommend exercising caution on the subject. A great many people do not like Trump and could possibly project their distaste for him onto you simply for being an American. To avoid this, I'd advise dodging the topic altogether.