About this episode

The episode explores how European tourists are experiencing America during the World Cup and the contrasting perceptions of the country.

As European tourists travel across the United States for World Cup matches, many are discovering an America they didn’t expect: vast landscapes, friendly strangers, huge portions, small-town surprises and a sense of abundance that Americans often take for granted. Their reactions are going viral, offering a fresh reminder that the United States can look very different from the outside than it does on social media or the news. Host Megan McArdle argues that Americans have become too pessimistic about their own country — and that seeing America through European eyes can help us rediscover what is still dynamic, generous, innovative and worth taking pride in. Subscribe to The Washington Post here .

People in this episode

Host: Megan McArdle

Topics covered

• American culture
• European perspective
• tourism
• optimism
• national identity

Keywords

• Europeans
• America
• World Cup
• tourism
• optimism
• cultural perspective
• national pride

Mentioned in this episode

Places: America, Europeans

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