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Some things become clearer with some distance - like home. The farther you travel from your native country, the clearer you may be able to see it. And over the years, more Americans have left the U.S. to roam the world as digital workers. NPR's Frank Langfitt recently spoke with some of them, and they said they only gained insights into certain aspects of American culture and identity after they left the U.S.
FRANK LANGFITT, BYLINE: Michael Jensen has spent the last eight years traveling and living with his husband in 30 different countries. Jensen credits his wanderlust to America's pioneering spirit and the encouragement to explore the world.
MICHAEL JENSEN: I've had the freedom as an American to reinvent myself over and over. There was no societal norm holding me in place.
LANGFITT: Drive and hard work fueled the American dream. Jensen says many Americans want to stand out, but he found that some people in some other countries don't. He came across the following concept in Australia.
JENSEN: There's something called the tall poppy syndrome. The idea of that is, you do not want to be taller than everybody else, and if you do, they're going to cut you down. Americans, if you talked about the tall poppy syndrome, they'd be like, what the hell? I mean, that's ridiculous. Of course, you want to be the tallest poppy you can possibly be, and that's celebrated.
LANGFITT: Jensen thinks many characteristics of American life cut both ways. The United States' $30 trillion economy creates tremendous consumer choice. Jensen compares a grocery store in England - where he was living when we spoke - with a Fred Meyer superstore in Seattle.
JENSEN: Here you go to the grocery store, and, you know, there's a healthy selection of chips. But when I look at the chip aisle in a Fred Meyer, it's 30, 40 feet long of every different combination of chip. You know, on one hand, sure, it's great. You can have every kind of chip you want. On the other hand, it feels absurd and overwhelming.
LANGFITT: Michael Kohler is a screenwriter who's lived in more than 16 countries over the past nine years. One thing his travels have taught him is that Americans are comparatively very chatty.
MICHAEL KOEHLER: People from different countries have definitely pointed out that apparently, I talk a lot, which is hilarious because I think by American standards, I'm fairly introverted.
LANGFITT: Koehler recalled watching a sunset from a balcony in Poland with a woman he was interested in.
KOEHLER: And I was, like, man, just look at that sunset. Oh, you see those birds? And she goes, Michael, yes, I see the sunset. I see the birds. Can we just not mention the sunset and the birds because I have my pair of eyes as well?
LANGFITT: In coworking spaces, Koehler noticed Americans were often the last to leave, reinforcing a reputation for industry rooted in the Protestant work ethic - a reputation that some in Europe also make fun of. Koehler cites a meme about out-of-office messages a couple of years ago.
KOEHLER: The European out-of-the-office - I'll be on vacation for the next five weeks. If you email me, I'll get back to you after that. The American out-of-office - hey, so I'm going in for kidney surgery. I probably am going to have to duck out around, like, 4 p.m., but I'll be back up and running at, like, 5:30.
STEPHANIE PERRY: My name is Stephanie Perry, and I see the world as a house sitter.
LANGFITT: Perry began roaming the world full-time in 2018. She supports her travel by looking after other people's homes. Perry also happens to be Black. She says she found that when she's overseas, people see her as American first and that she's less likely to encounter racism.
PERRY: When I'm out of the United States, I never have to prepare for someone to mistreat me. Some of that is that people automatically know I'm American and I...
LANGFITT: And is it because of how you dress, the way you hold yourself?
PERRY: Definitely the Old Navy clothes. It's probably the way I smile. I'm smiling at people and saying good morning to people, right? Very American, and that comes with privileges. And there are a lot of places where the American privilege will far outweigh whatever anti-Blackness they might experience.
LANGFITT: Perry is easy to peg as an American. She has a relaxed confidence and warm personality. Perry recalls sitting on a barrier at a mall in Malaysia, waiting to watch a water show.
PERRY: The security guard came by and made everyone move off of a barrier, and he let me just sit there, right (laughter)? He was just like, she don't know. Let the American do what she wants to do.
LANGFITT: Perry runs a business that helps fellow Black women plan lives abroad. She feels more comfortable overseas and says she has no plans to return to the U.S. to live anytime soon. Frank Langfitt, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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