Travel and living as an expat has definitely changed my view. It became even more apparent when I returned to the US. Speaking another language helps one get into a different mindset. Problem, is flying is the worst generator of greenhouse gasses. Many younger Europeans are foregoing flying and going by public transportation/rail instead.

I belong to a travel group [servas.org]. I/we have traveled with the group and I am now a host (just received 2 travelers (and their cat) and am expecting another one who is a radio journalist for a public station in Berlin. We once had 7 guests from Germany, Ecuador, Korea and one guy from Amsterdam. The guy from Amsterdam refused to fly and took a working steamer from Amsterdam to NY. He said it had great accommodations and food but was a working boat and there was no entertainment. If people can't travel they could open their home to foreign travelers and this is one of the great groups.

Certainly a great experience. I was born at Country X, worked my ass of to get a great job that brought me to the US, became Citizen a while ago. I was an ex-pat in Antwerp, Belgium few years and my job took me all over the world for more than 30 years. Yes, being exposed to other cultures, languages and places, it does change the way we see things.

I've been living in Ireland for nearly 15 years and I can see that my country, Portugal, hasn't become better economically. A few things got better but still I don't have conditions to live there. At 47 years of age I'm considered too old for the job market there. It's a great place for holidays and, if I had money, to have my retirement.

I lived in Asia and the Middle East for fifteen years, from 1985 to 2000. It was a dissatisfaction with the American way of life that drove me to leave the country for that amount of time in the first place, but as I acculturated overseas (especially in the Buddhist countries I lived in, not so much in the Muslim ones LOL), it became even more profound. I have been back "home" again for going on twenty years, but in the words of Thomas Wolfe, you can't go home again--especially as the country descends into this current weird combination of fascist corporatism and evangelical theocracy.

After living in Panama City Panama for nine years until 2015, I came to the real conclusion that even with all the wealthy and corporate corruption in the USA, it was far better than anywhere else to live.

UNTIL trump the Obstructionist republicans has made this country a third world hell hole in the making!!!

I watch Martinelli get elected to president of Panama, the first six months it looked like he would stop and halt the corruption!

Just the opposite he started so many scams with his CD party that now the courts are still under his influence by appointments.

He was arrested here in the US with a Red Interpol warrant, held here for over a year fighting extradition.

After returning to Panama a year later!

Martinelli the president of Panama sat in a Panama prison for over a year, only to be acquitted of all charges by his hand picked Supreme Court of Panama.

The Obstructionist republicans are not the only Fascists criminals on this planet!

I spent a few years in Seattle (moving from Ireland) and came away with the notion that there are different pros and cons to the different ways of life. Just as important, I think, is getting some understanding as to why people do things the way they do.

I've never been an expat but the military changed me. I was stationed in Germany and traveled Europe some, later going to Africa as a civilian in 2004. It's my honest opinion that if I had never had this experience I might have ended up just like most of Trump's support base right now. Most in my area who cannot understand why I am for diversity and the betterment of all have not even left the US in their lifetime. People need to understand that we are all together as one and that government by fear does not work.

Having spent serious time deep into Mexico, and Canada, from Hawaii to the East Coast of the US, my nation is massive … likely qualifying as five independent nations, if not fifty ‘nation states’ anywhere else on earth.

Becoming educated and familiar with our enormous and diverse nation has given me a better understanding of why so many within it tend to ‘regionalize’ or focus more on their immediate surroundings.

Also, I’ll assume there’s no more diverse a nation on earth culturally… It’s like there’s no need to travel the world - the world is here! ..if you care to look ~

Travel is essential to waken us up to the realities of this world. Those who never travel beyond their own narrow parameters (sometimes never even leaving their own districts within a country), are likely to be the most ignorant, bigoted, and racist people. Likely to have a superiority complex (totally misplaced), and vote for conservative and nationalist parties.

Coming from England to Australia I have found a much more relaxed and informal life. Even the politics is more entertaining. “She be right, mate” is the only mantra you need!

I had the privilege of working in a profession that took me all over the world. In many cases I was able to stay in country for up to 2 months, and in one case a bit over 18 months. My biggest takeaway, aside from the fact that the majority of the world's people are driven by the same wants in basic life, was that this world would be better off without nation states (tribal home ground) and the totally free movement of all peoples. Yes, I know it would take a paradigm shift on a global scale before anything approaching that could be made to work, but ... well ... damn. It's time we grew up.

I have taken trips to Egypt, Israel and China. It is good to be taken out of one's comfort zone. You learn how others live. In visiting countries that emphasize the larger group instead of rugged individualism, you learn that some aspects of American society are not healthy. In particular, I noticed that children raised in multi-generational households - common to most of the world - appear to be more confident and more self controlled than children raised with only mother and father or a single parent - this may be an over-simplification, but that is my perception.

I haven't done as much overseas travel as I might have liked, but I've
left the country a few times.
I have often been mortified by the behavior of some of my fellow Americans.

While most of the people I met in other countries held fairly favorable opinions
of Americans, I haven't left the US since long before 45 was installed.
I can only imagine how much the rest of the world is laughing at us because
of him.
Even if you (general you) didn't vote for 45, we're all still judged because of him.