I never realized how blind I was until I moved to a another country. I’ve lived all my life in the US of A, growing accustomed to its conditions and situations, eventually becoming sheltered in its cocoon.

That all came crashing down when I moved to Asia.

It was like putting on glasses, or suddenly seeing things through a filter; it was like shining a beam of light through a prism and seeing the light fracture into a rainbow of colors.

Ok, ok, I’m starting to exaggerate a little bit. I’ll admit, the changes were more gradual rather than instant. (Think tearing down a wall. Oh wait…)

Without further ado, here’s what happened when I moved to Asia:

You become more grateful

As an American child, you will have everything at your fingertips. Netflix? Check. Food? Check. Quality education? Check. Your hardest problems are most likely the amount of homework you have, or being backstabbed by a friend, or how slow your internet is.

All being said, these are legitimate (who am I kidding…) problems, but they are miniscule in comparison to what I saw. Where I was, the average citizen has a little more than half the wealth of the poorest people in America. There were many homeless people and lower quality schools than anywhere here in America. Some people didn’t have access to good roads, lived in a corrugated metal shack, or didn’t have a proper bathroom.

When I came back, I realized how lucky I am to live in the US.

Your eyes open

I think there’s a running gag talking about how Americans are ignorant of the rest of the world. The gag is quite true, to an extent. What lies outside the US? Why do I keep hearing about this “Europe” thing? Ah, doesn’t concern me, anyways…

After I moved, the world opened to me. I learned of the vast Earth outside the US. I learned what other people thought. I first heard of contradicting opinions to that of what you learn in the US. This was around the time that I got into politics more seriously and began to educate myself about the world.

You become more open to other cultures

I grew up only knowing the American way of life; the American customs and ways of life. After moving, I saw how some other people lived. Yeah, guess what? Turns out some people have a whole week to themselves to celebrate the coming of Spring. Oh, yeah, turns out no one cares about July 4th other than America. Who knew?

Moving to another country will help you break down stereotypes as well. You can see people for what they are, not what an organization or media outlet labels them for.

In conclusion, I would recommend moving to another country. It will help broaden your horizons and help you become more open to the world.

What happened to YOU after you moved to another country? Did you have the same effect as I did? Feel free to comment.