This post is also available in Dutch: een moment van onrust en misverstand?
A moment of confusion and misunderstanding?
After all the stories about spontaneous conversations, helpful strangers and friendly encounters, you might almost forget that travel can sometimes bring moments of uncertainty as well.
During our road trip through the American West, there was only one occasion when I felt unsafe. Strangely enough, none of the people around me seemed concerned.
An image I won’t soon forget
We were sitting on a terrace in one of California’s mountain towns, enjoying a cup of coffee and a muffin at Coffee and, when I noticed a young man walking along the opposite side of the street with a rifle held prominently in front of him, as if he wanted to make a statement.
He was not alone; a few other people were walking alongside him.
I could not tell what exactly was going on. Perhaps it was something completely harmless. At that moment, however, I had no way of knowing.
As a European, you are simply not used to seeing someone casually walking down a street carrying a large firearm.
The sight alone triggered a sense of panic. Your mind immediately starts imagining all kinds of scenarios, even if there may be no reason for concern at all. In fact, I had already risen from my seat, ready to seek shelter inside the café.
The group continued on their way and soon disappeared from sight.
Looking back, there was probably nothing to worry about.
No one seemed concerned. No one reacted. When I asked a few bystanders whether I should be worried, they simply shrugged their shoulders. Life carried on as usual. I was the only one left with questions.
And that is precisely why this moment has stayed with me. To this day, it remains a mystery.
Another kind of reality
Travel is not only about discovering new landscapes; it is also about being confronted with different customs, different laws, and different social realities.
What feels perfectly normal to one person can seem strange – or even unsettling – to another.
That is certainly true when it comes to firearms. In large parts of the United States, they are woven into everyday life in a way that many Europeans find difficult to understand.
You do not have to agree with it to acknowledge that this cultural difference exists.
Emma
Another fundamental difference lies in attitudes toward climate change.
Read our next story to find out more.