Mark Abadi
The author in Banaue, Philippines.
- The United States tend to spark questions and misconceptions in many people in other countries.
- I've been to 25 countries and have noticed there are ones that come up time and time again.
- They include questions about tipping, patriotism, and the worst American stereotypes.
If you live outside the United States, the impression you get of the country could be vastly different than reality.
Many Americans who have traveled abroad have found themselves fielding questions from non-Americans about life in the US and clearing up misconceptions they may have.
I've noticed certain topics come up in conversation time and time again in the years I've been traveling. I've heard them in places from Amsterdam to Mumbai, and even far-flung locations like Tierra del Fuego and rural Malaysia.
Read on to see the questions non-Americans had about the United States, and the misconceptions I encountered all around the world.