Why I Feel Safer Living in Colombia Than the United States

The first time I went abroad alone was in 2014. I went to Bali; I volunteered to teach English to locals.

I was placed with six other volunteers, and we stayed at a local homestay. We had banana pancakes for breakfast every day and tea. It was terrific; it was my first taste of solo traveling.

To say I was addicted would be an understatement. It was also my first lesson in how others saw the US.

Now that I have lived outside my home country for four years, I no longer see through rose-colored glasses. I can see it from both sides of the coin.

I see the good, bad, and ugly. I learned this lesson from a young German guy in Bali. He was a reader; we instantly connected; he was ten years younger than me and had just graduated high school.

He was in a gap year. I was in the middle of my nursing career and on a two-week vacation. Without my boyfriend, and yes, he made sure all his friends knew I wanted to go alone, and he was not invited.

I dumped him when I got back from Bali, if you wondered.

I was talking to my new friend, explaining how the only other time I left the US was with my ex-husband; we went to England, Scotland, Wales, and Spain. I loved them all and craved to see more of the world, which is why I was in Bali.

We talked about how it was not customary to see many people from the US traveling, especially alone. I said we don’t need to leave our country since we have everything we need there.

It was how naive I was. I asked him why he never visited the US as we have some of the most beautiful natural parks in the world, which I still agree with.

I have been all over the world and will still tell you that seeing a moose in Maine or Montana is one of my favorite things ever. I also love Moose, as they are just giant magnificent creatures.

He looked at me and said I never want to visit the US. I was shocked since, you know, we always hear that everyone wants to be “American.”

I said what do you mean? It’s incredible; the people are friendly, and we have everything.

He spoke of all the countries in the world; yours scares me the most. Let me remind you this is 2014 before it is how it is now.

I just looked at him and said, Well, if you change your mind, I will be your tour guide.

I had nothing else to say. I was in shock.

Yet this conversation has stayed with me as a turning point regarding how others view the US.

I was thinking about this conversation this morning because I am going home to visit my family in one month. I am flying into Boston, then we are driving to Tennessee and staying in the Smoky Mountains.

I am so excited to see my family. Yet I am terrified of going to the US. I know once I get there, I will be fine, and it will be how I remember it.

Yet from the outside looking in, all I see is violence and no matter what you believe the source of this is, the fact is that it exists. This is what most of the world sees when they look at the US.

I also look at a country that is imploding from the inside. We do not need external forces to see that the left hates the right and vice versa.

I see a country that has lost its way. I see a country that I no longer recognize as my home. I also see the need to protect her as she was once good, or was she? Is that also my nativity?

Yet I know that she provided me with an education, albeit one I am still paying for. She provided me with a passport that I could go anywhere for now. She provided me with dollars that, at the moment, are strong, for now.

Yet I feel safer living in Colombia than I do in the US. I am not anti-gun, I must tell you. I was raised in a home of hunters. Even though my father was killed with a gun.

I am also aware that my siblings will all be coming in hot to vacation. Except for my sister who is flying, but the others, yes.

It is funny because my siblings and almost everyone I know looks at me like are you safe? I look at them, thinking the same thing, then I guess I hope you have your guns locked up where your kids can not get into them.

Here I am not worried about getting shot at the supermarket. I sometimes worry about getting robbed in the city. I also worry about that when I am on the train or bus in the US. I have fear when I step foot on any public transportation.

Here I take the subway, look around, and hold my bag close. There I worry if I look at someone the wrong way, they will shoot me.

I had the feeling when I took the train from downtown LA to Pasadena last year. A man walked on the train, and naturally, you look at who gets on and off, and he started yelling, “don’t look at me and hurled insults to everyone; we all looked down” I know we all thought the same thing.

At times here, I know I am an outsider; it makes me a higher target, but I can tell you I have never felt fear living in South America.

I have gotten lost down streets I do not know, and someone always comes up to me and says let me help you find your location. In the US, this would not happen.

No one talks to anyone there, even people who look lost; we ignore them. I have had more Colombians help me find my bus, my way, than anywhere else in the world.

Yet this is a country that most look at and see drugs, the cartel, and danger. Yes, it used to be that way, but now it seems like the coin has flipped.

Many see that in the US. Something that I never thought of.

I feel safer living in Colombia than visiting the US. I guess I now see that young Germans viewpoint. I never kept in contact with him, yet I often think of him.

I am also aware that sometimes looking in seems more dangerous than living there. Yet I wonder if it is a frog in a boiling water situation?

What do you think?