deja vu - noun - an illusion of memory where a brand-new situation feels intensely, yet illogically, as though it has been lived or experienced before (Reddit).
If you have been following this blog, you may already know that I did a lot of international traveling this year, which is on the unusual side for me. My bucket list is starting to diminish in length–a good thing, I think–as it simply means that I am not allowing time to run out on me. I am choosing to live large in the time I have left, something that everyone should do when given the opportunity.
In 2026, fearless I visited locales on four continents: North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. I spent 72 days on two ships (65 on one and seven on another), a generous amount of time on jets, and a few assorted hours on tour buses and in cars. I also spent a lot of money paying for these extravagant jaunts. What have I learned? Many places on the planet look alike in terms of the landscapes, meaning I experienced a continental deja vu when I found myself in some countries that were not associated with the U.S.
Believe it or not, much of the world could be Pennsylvania. (I think I did mention this in a blog last winter.) Those of you who live in PA can rest assured that if you stay put there, you've already seen much of the physical earth. Elsewhere there are wide swatches of farm land, punctuated by rolling hills that expand vertically as they undulate to the horizon, forming exponentially higher hills, but not mountains. Portions of New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Canada, and Italy look like this–like the rural portions of Pennsylvania (and much of the American Midwest).
Other doppelganger terrains include industrial Thailand (around Bangkok) and New Jersey, Corsica and St. Croix, Australia and Canada, Aruba and Arizona, Sweden and the San Juan Islands (or even the Thousand Islands in New York), Hawaii and Moorea, Scotland and Big Sur, California, the Golan Heights (I haven't actually been, but I've seen photos) and South Dakota or even Nevada.
Needless to say, there are many geographic areas of the world that are unique unto themselves, such as some of the National Parks in the U.S. My personal favorites are the Badlands of South Dakota, Arches in Utah, and Joshua Tree in California. Fortunately, I did not encounter continental deja vu in any of them. In fact, their unparalleled beauty astonished me. Seriously, when I was standing anywhere in each, I felt as if I had been transported to an entirely different planet, perhaps outside of our galaxy. That's how inimitable each is. If you want to sidestep continental deja vu, put all three on your bucket list.
Now I'm not suggesting that global touring is repetitive. It is far from it as most spend multiple weeks and dollars exploring foreign lands to indulge in their individual, very worthwhile cultures. Customs, cuisines as well as languages vary and attract the curious. I am one. Viva la difference! Earth would be pretty boring sans cultural contrasts. But I will say that in the U.S., there are various lifestyles that reflect the plurality of the country. For instance, here in Southern California, the traditions and speech of Mexico (Spain) are very much alive and well (deja vu!). Also, I recently saw a commercial reminding residents that there are one hundred Native American tribes still sharing CA with the rest of us. (I wish they were louder, though.)
What I am leaving you with is this: if you happen to live in the United States like I do and have time and money, begin your globe trotting here. The more I venture off to cross distant borders, the more I realize just how extraordinary my homeland is. America doesn't need to be made great again. It already is. And if you can't see that, chances are you haven't been outside of your own county. Enough said.
#travel, #culture, #globe-trotting, #blog, #blogger, #personal essay
