Essay: Why Travel to Europe? What's Wrong with the U.S.?

I wonder why those of us who find travel abroad so enriching, so invigorating, find it necessary to justify our excursions, to others or to ourselves. I consider myself a patriotic person. I taught American history for many years. I've walked countless Civil War battlefields, read thousands of pages of American history since college, and remain active in voter registration and grassroots politics. I cherish the personal relics we display in our home from our ancestors who fought against royal birthrights in the Great War, Fascism in World War II, and the spread of Communism in the post-war Army of Occupation, Korea and Vietnam. I think the Founders of this great nation were sophisticated, open-minded Enlightenment thinkers who realized at conception that the nation to which they and the courageous young men in arms gave birth would be complicated, evolutionary, a constant work in progress, a perpetual striving to ensure equality of opportunity and personal liberty for every citizen...probably never finished, entirely, but always forward-looking, optimistic, hopeful of getting just a bit closer to that glorious ideal Mr. Jefferson put, so eloquently, into words.

And yet I am asked often, "How could you spend so much time and money going to Europe when there are so many places in America you haven't yet seen?" As if it somehow makes one more American--or more responsible with his or her money--to lounge by the pool in Vegas, whoop it up with Mickey and Donald in Orlando, catch a Broadway show on Broadway, or even camp alongside the beautiful Yellowstone River out west.

In recent years I've encountered and developed some wonderful justifications for our love of travel abroad: to see firsthand where we, a nation of immigrants, came from; to learn about ancestors and the lives they led before coming to America; to gain a more global perspective on the challenges America and the world face in the 21st Century; to be inspired by the infinite variety of cultures this wonderful little planet holds; to support today's global economy, impacting positively not just the countries we visit, but America, too; to get far enough away from work and our day-to-day routines to truly relax, disconnect a little, and grow even closer together, my wife and I (amazing how you can still do that, no matter how many years you've had as a couple or how close you already are); and to learn, no matter where you travel, that when it comes right down to it people always have more in common with one another than anyone suspects.

Even travel guru Rick Steves seems to feel the need to justify his business in terms of the opportunities European travel offers to bring the world closer together, to try to build a better future for us all by increasing global understanding and empathy, and sharing possible solutions to universal problems. His latest book, Travel as a Political Act (2009), a book I really like, makes a compelling argument that travel abroad is itself an action individual citizens can take to do their part to bridge the divides between societies that so often lead to misunderstanding and fear--and violent conflict.

I was amazed to see, recently, that even America's first family, the Obamas, are not immune to narrow-minded attacks when it comes to European travel. When the first lady traveled to Spain this month with a young daughter--accompanied by a dear friend who had recently suffered a death in her family and very much wanted a change of scenery and the close company of her old friend, Mrs. Obama--she and the President (who did not go on this trip) were accused by political opponents of enjoying lavish holidays abroad while the American people were left behind to suffer through an oppressive summer of high unemployment and nagging economic anxiety. The implicit message here was not very subtle: travel beyond the shores of the US is for rich, elite pleasure-seekers who don't believe their own country is worthy of their time and money.

I can't help but wonder if these same small-minded critics would possess the courage to level such ridiculous charges against Ben Franklin, Tom Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, old Sam Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, or JFK.

I doubt it.

And although I believe that the various justifications for travel abroad referenced above possess merit, I don't much care. I've come to view European travel the same way I view a glass of wine. You can analyze it all you want, write about the terroir, the wine-maker's intentions, the history of the vineyard, the unique characteristics of the varietal, the science employed in its making, the type of barrels used in the aging process, the impact of the year's weather on the ripening of the grapes, and the tasting notes published by the world's leading experts...but in the end it comes down to this: if you like it, you drink it. And if you like it a lot, you drink some more.

I like the taste of Europe, so I drink it. I like it a lot, and so I drink some more.

The rest is just icing on a very delicious Sacher torte, to accompany my wine.