Vagabonding Q&A in World Hum

The current edition of World Hum features an interview with me about my new book. World Hum takes travel seriously, so I was pleased to be able to tackle the kind of questions I don't usually get. Among other things, I was able to share how long-term travel has affected my attitude towards America:

"Traveling has deepened my understanding and appreciation of America, in part because my first vagabonding stint was an eight-month sojourn across the United States. But beyond that, living and traveling in other countries has made me realize how diverse and tolerant and generous Americans are. I realize, of course, that it's fashionable for American travelers to reflexively bash their own country, but I prefer not to. America has some unpopular policies and practices -- many of which embarrass and perplex me -- but America is not its politics. America is its land and people, and I give high marks to both. This is not to say that America has a monopoly on virtue, since I think the world has countless lessons to teach Americans -- particularly in the ways of humility and hospitality. But gaining new life perspective from Asians or Europeans has never made me feel less American. In fact, experiencing the nuances of other cultures has made me realize just how instinctively American I am. Americans are always obsessed with their immigrant roots, but traveling has made me realize that being German-American or Scottish-American is a pretty abstract concept. At the end of the day, I feel that I culturally have more in common with a Cuban-American or a Hmong-American than I do with a German or a Scot."

The full Q&A can be found online here.