‘The Road That Made America': Traversing the Wilderness
These are well remembered today. Yet the oldest of the great migratory routes, and perhaps the most influential, is largely forgotten today. James Dodson explores this road in 'The Road That Made America: A Modern Pilgrim's Journey on the Great Wagon Road.'
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Buzz Feed
7 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
19 Worst Parts About Traveling Internationally
Traveling abroad and experiencing new countries and cultures is always an amazing opportunity — but it's not always smooth sailing. Recently, Redditor u/Louizythepro asked people who've been to more than 10 countries what the worst part about international travel is, and they did not hold back: "Flying with food poisoning. The worst place I've ever had to puke was in a tiny airport bathroom in Granada, Spain. I have PTSD just thinking about it." —SoberSilo "The fact that I have to limit the amount of liquid I drink in order to avoid peeing in weird places." "If you're traveling with a passport from a third-world country, the nightmare begins when you initiate your visa process, before you even start your travels. The process is long and tedious and requires a lot of paperwork and patience. It's like a passive-aggressive way of saying you aren't really welcome, but if you want to come, we will try to make it very difficult." "I find countries where you have to haggle over the price every single time you buy something so mentally draining by around day four." "The cost. It's getting ridiculous, especially when it comes to accommodations." —andreacaccese "The amount of time I spend shitting out what I couldn't while traveling is wild. Maybe it's the time differences, dietary differences, sedentary time, disruption in sleep schedule, or my gut biome going haywire due to all of the above, but I get so constipated whenever I travel internationally for work." "Not being fluent in every language in the world." "Getting sick blows." "I generally love international travel, but going through immigration pretty much always sucks, whether due to long lines or rude staff. Hong Kong is probably the best, though. You just scan the passport and move on." "The worst part is the commute, not even the travel itself. I like airplanes, and even though they're cramped and sometimes full of weird people, it's still fine. But the COMMUTE! Ugh! Your flight is at 12 p.m., so you have to get there by 9 a.m. at the latest (assuming it's a busy airport with an international flight), but if it takes hours to drive to the airport, you have to make sure traffic doesn't hinder you, so you need to leave the house at 7 a.m. That said, that means you need to be up and ready to go by 6 a.m. and make sure you have everything packed. So, by the time you get into your seat on the flight, you've already been up and stressed for the last six hours. That's basically a full day of work. THEN the traveling actually starts." —spiggerish "Being an American abroad. So many other Americans suck and give us such a shitty reputation." "It's the constant battle between wanting to be friendly and getting to know the locals, and not getting scammed. I don't want to be curt or dismissive or seem rude, but there are some countries where a small percentage of the population is just out to fleece you." "Waiting in lines: security, the rental car, customs, etc. So many lines." "'Long haul' has a new meaning when you live in New Zealand. With domestic flights, it takes a 40-hour transit to get to Europe. There's a nonstop Emirates flight from Auckland to Dubai that takes 17 hours. Then, with at least another four-hour layover, it's still another eight hours to Paris, Milan, London, etc. It's not fun!" "Food availability. In your house, you have food, and you know what's nearby if you need to go out and buy something. When you're staying at a hotel or hostel, you can't just whip up a sandwich, because you don't have anything. You might not even have a fridge. Thirsty? Maybe the place you're staying at sells drinks, but maybe not. Is there a gas station, corner store, or grocery store you can walk to? What are the hours? Oh, you've been out and about, it's 8 p.m., and you're ready to eat dinner? Well, guess what? All the local restaurants close at 8 p.m. There's just no quick or fast-food option. That's exactly how it was on my trips to Mexico City and Bogota. On day one, I was trying to find a grocery store to at least have a box of cereal for the hostel I was at." —somedude456 "I carry a cheap, second phone with me now because losing your primary phone abroad is a nightmare." "Brushing your teeth with bottled water." "Trying to pack enough to be comfortable but leave enough room to bring stuff back. I went to Norway and didn't get anything, but my bag was still too heavy to fly back." Lastly: "Coming back to America after seeing how much better other countries are." Whew, I feel so lucky that I've never gotten sick while abroad! If you're a frequent international traveler, what do you think is the worst part about it? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your thoughts using the form below!
Newsweek
19 hours ago
- Newsweek
People Horrified As American Brings Water Backpack to European Restaurants
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. When 34-year-old Liz White from North Carolina couldn't find the water she wanted on her European trip, she came up with an unusual solution—bringing her hiking hydration backpack to the restaurant. White had been traveling through London, Venice, and the Dolomites, where she says she struggled to meet her daily water intake. "I drink a lot of water in general," she told Newsweek. "After a few days of struggling to get the water amount I desired at restaurants in Italy and England, I realized I could be innovative." Her solution? Bringing her hiking hydration backpack to sit-down meals. "It worked really well! I didn't have to repeatedly ask for water refills, or buy water at the restaurant," she said. "I adapted to the conditions by just sipping from my backpack instead." Pictures of Liz who shared why she came up with the water backpack idea. Pictures of Liz who shared why she came up with the water backpack idea. @lizwizdom/TikTok She shared her unusual method for hydration in a now-viral video on TikTok which has more than 100,000 views since being shared last week. The response was swift as people reacted to White's backpack solution. In the video she said: "Y'all are flaying me alive in the comments, calling me a stupid American, but I don't think you understand how accessible water is in the States," she explained that the difference in Europe was stark, offering examples: "This is a typical pour of water I receive in Europe when I ask for water in a restaurant," she said, showing a small glass of water. The debate follows a recent wave of TikTok videos where American tourists claim water is hard to come by in Europe. Europeans took to TikTok to debunk the idea that water is hard to access, with one viral clip showing a Danish woman calmly filling her bottle from a bathroom sink, captioned, "It's literally free from the tap." While Philippa Raphet Meeg from France responded to the trend saying: "Just because we don't carry around big Stanleys all the time doesn't mean we don't drink water. Please, please stop." Read more Americans book table for dinner in Europe, realize mistake once they arrive Americans book table for dinner in Europe, realize mistake once they arrive As White's video gained more attention, opinions on White's water method were seriously mixed. "This is satire right?" asked Noémie. While Alex said: "Tap water is free all over Europe. This is insane nonsense." While others agreed with White's idea. Kat from Arizona said: "I feel dehydrated just looking at this. You go girl!" While another commenter said: "They never serve you enough water and the 500ml bottles for 4€ is too much!" The clash, however, isn't just anecdotal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) U.S. adults drank an average of 44 ounces of water per day. While data from the European Commission found that most European countries consume less than 34 ounces per day, with the exception of Austria, Germany, Norway and U.K. White was shocked by the reaction, but added that it didn't put her off her new water travel hack. "I was pretty surprised how offended many Europeans were," White said. "I don't think I said anything insulting, nor did I indicate that anything should be different. In fact, I shared how I chose to adapt to the culture by bringing my own water. "I do think Americans are much more used to kind of poking fun at each other, and I've learned Europeans are a lot more defensive of their homelands," she said.
Newsweek
19 hours ago
- Newsweek
American Millennial Films Herself Eating Pasta in Italy—Then Comes Outrage
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A video capturing how an American tourist did while having pasta at a restaurant in Italy has gone viral on TikTok. The clip was shared by 37-year-old solo traveler Charisse Bruin (@charissesstyles), who lives in Savannah, Georgia, but has been visiting a few countries in June. The viral video, which amassed more than 3.2 million views since it was shared on June 11, was captured in Venice, Italy. "It was my first time, hopefully not the last," Bruin told Newsweek. Text overlaid on the clip simply reads: "Eating pasta in Italy." The video shows Bruin sitting at a table at a restaurant in Murano, a small island of the Venetian Lagoon, tucking into a dish of spaghetti pasta. Bruin later stares down at her dish before nervously grabbing a knife and cutting into the pasta, flashing a slight grin as she puts the knife back down. A caption shared with the post notes: "the noodles are so loooooooooooong." A screenshot from a viral TikTok video in which Charisse Bruin cuts her pasta with a knife at a restaurant in Italy. A screenshot from a viral TikTok video in which Charisse Bruin cuts her pasta with a knife at a restaurant in Italy. @charissesstyles on TikTok Bruin told Newsweek: "No one at the restaurant corrected me nor offered me a spoon—just more wine." Around 300 million tourists were reported to have traveled internationally in the first quarter of 2025, around 14 million more than in the same period last year, notes the U.N. World Tourism Organization. Contrary to what some might believe, most Americans have been out of the country at least once, according to a June 2021 Pew Research Center survey. It found that 71 percent of U.S. adults traveled internationally at some point in their lives, while 27 percent have not. The survey found that the degree to which Americans have traveled varies widely. Nineteen percent have been to only one foreign country, while 12 percent have been to two countries. Meanwhile, 15 percent have visited three or four countries and 14 percent have traveled to five to nine. Only 11 percent of Americans were reported have been to 10 or more countries. 'I Wasn't Expecting That' Bruin has been traveling to find a new home in Europe or Central America. She told Newsweek: "I'm a creative entrepreneur and content creator so I have flexibility to move around the world." The content creator said she typically does not use a knife to cut pasta, "but now I definitely know better and realize how serious the pasta cutting is and that it is pasta and not noodles." Viewers on TikTok were amused and shocked by Bruin's pasta-eating technique in the viral clip. Véro said, "Oh. I wasn't expecting that," and Laura wrote: "I am Italian. Don't do it again!!!" Emhyr Van Emreis noted, "i'm offended and i'm not even from Italy," and Chantel posted: "I'm American and don't cut my pasta." User @ur_favofficegirlie wrote, "Girl why you make me scream like that," and @user356746843237 said: "I ain't never seen nobody do that ever Italy or America." Others were less bothered by Bruin's use of the knife, such as Attolini Claudia who wrote: "As Italian, I think people should be free to their spaghetti as they feel most comfortable." AliceB noted: "I'm Italian and I tell you: just eat like you want, you're on vacay so you should relax." Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
