Ignorance Abroad

…with apologies to Mark Twain

Herein I share my adventures in cultural ignorance and education the hard way. You’ll find some differences that are fascinating and intriguing, humorous, or irritating — the last two need not be mutually exclusive.

What prompted me to create this series of articles?

Fortunately, I did not brush my teeth in the second one, for it was a bidet. I had never seen one before, having grown up in a rural part of America where a couple of neighbors didn’t have indoor plumbing yet.

I reflected at the time that someday I should write a book about these discoveries and impressions.

What are my qualifications to be a “travel” road warrior?

• I’ve flown over 2 million miles in my career. This is roughly the equivalent of flying around the world 80 times or four roundtrips to the moon.

• I (used to) travel 100,000-200,000 miles a year for work.

• I have traveled to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America… and to 47 of these United States of America.

Will there be pictures?

Oh yes. With the advent of digital photography and smartphone cameras, I have chronicled my travels and will bring you interesting photos from around the world.

Thanks for coming along.

Bill Petro
billpetro.com

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