General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: "Do you have a New Mexico passport?" [View all]appalachiablue
(41,103 posts)and the West came to sightsee in DC. At the time I was working at the Smithsonian and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. I couldn't believe how little tourists knew of US history, geography, culture and science.
In the next few years visiting families kept asking me if I was Irish, several times. I didn't know why and was puzzled. Years later I thought maybe a tour operator told them that the 'East' had many people of 'Irish heritage'- like Ronnie Reagan of CA. Lol. Boston and NY are noted for their prominent Irish communities, not as much for DC, other Eastern cities.
We inherited a love of learning and travel from our parents. I've visited Seattle several since 1979 to see close friends, and have also enjoyed travel to SoCal, Idaho, Wyoming and the SW. So vital that people meet other Americans and people from other counties. Isolation and exclusionary thinking are killers, a real death sentence to cultural expansion and strong societies.