Visiting a foreign country where you speak the language fluently is different from visiting a country where you don’t speak the language because you feel less like an outsider and get more immersed in the culture. Visiting the Netherlands is very different for me than visiting other European countries like England or France, even though I’ve been to France almost as many times as I’ve been to the Motherland. (Lets face it: for Americans, English English is a foreign language. Things like “grammar” and “wit” are completely lost on us. I got confused during the boarding instructions.)

Having the opportunity to fall into a different culture is very refreshing; it opens your eyes to things you grew accustomed to – things you stopped noticing in your every day life.

For example, Dutch and American fashion are very different (and I’m not even talking about wooden shoes). First of all, there’s a clothing store in Amsterdam called “Sissy Boy”. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that European guys wear capri pants. On the other hand, I’d completely overlooked the obsession Americans girls have with wearing tight clothes.

Just the other day, Michelle and I were at a clothing store downtown where we could donate used sweaters for a discount on new sweaters. As I waited by the dressing rooms as Michelle tried on some sweaters, a chubby girl in high heels (ouch) strutted by like she was Elle McPherson: shoulders back, boobs out, hips forward. She was wearing a top that was almost – but not quite – bursting at the seams. I did my best not to look, but it was impossible not to. She walked up to a clerk and, with an expression that did little to hide her delight, said, “Do you have this top in petite sizes?”

Now, I’m very happy that she has a positive self image – especially since we’re too obsessed with “skinny”. My point is that I feel bad for the clerk.