The Not So Ugly American

Ah, the Ugly American. You know the one. The American you see on the streets of Europe who lets us down—wearing running shoes for comfort, they are hell-bent on checking off as many sights as possible in the shortest amount of time. The stereotype of the “Ugly American” was always that of a person in jean shorts (or similar American-looking shorts), a t-shirt, baseball cap, and white sneakers, snapping pictures and asking questions in a thunderous American voice.

I had my first experience living abroad when I studied Art History and Renaissance Architecture in Florence, Italy on a summer program in college. I vividly remember tourists walking around the piazza in front of the Duomo committing huge fashion sins in one of the world’s most fashionable cities. One gentleman was wearing shorts, running shoes, a baseball cap, three cameras around his neck, and a “Take Me Drunk, I’m Home” t-shirt.

I actually gasped when I saw this poor man. What was he thinking? Actually, I know what he was thinking: “it’s hot in Italy, so shorts are my best option; I’ll be doing a lot of walking, so I should wear my comfy tennis shoes even if that means wearing brilliant white socks up to my calves; I’ll need a cap to keep the sun off of my face, good thing I brought along my baseball cap; I don’t want to miss a second of this trip, so I’ll record it on all the cameras I own.”

I made a solemn vow, there and then, that I would never be that person.

Only, I already was, in a way. I totally over packed for that first trip—my motto being “if I can pack it, then I can carry it!” Seriously, you should have seen my duffel bag. A small woman (and her four children) could have fit inside easily. Even though I didn’t bring any shorts—opting instead for sun dresses and walking sandals—I had enough clothes for an entire summer, without doing laundry once. Ah, yes I was a symbol perhaps of American excess.