Going abroad, not simply as a casual tourist who’s there for a short trip but as someone who is open to taking in everything the foreign country has to offer, can open one’s mind, stretching the horizons of one’s worldview. Charlie, a 23-year-old American TikToker, can attest to this fact.
Charlie hails from Miami, Florida, but is currently living his best life traveling in Europe – the Netherlands and Spain, specifically. Considering how he’s been enthusiastically sharing his experience on his TikTok account, it’s clear he’s been having a memorable time abroad.
In one of his videos singing Europe’s praises, Charlie discusses a particular difference in education he perceives between European countries and the United States: Generally speaking and from a comparative standpoint, Europeans “know so much more about other cultures” whereas U.S. education is more U.S.-centric – for instance, when it comes to history or geography.
However, as it was late at night, Charlie committed a verbal slip-up that European TikTok users could not let slide.
Owning up to his honest mistake like a great sport
The internet can be unforgiving even towards the most honest of mistakes. But the truth is – even if it has been stated to the point of cliché – we all make mistakes from time to time. And, while I have heard Europe being unironically referred to as a country before, it is obvious that Charlie misspoke. Still, it is admittedly amusing that it was in the same video wherein he discusses feeling “like an idiot” comparatively to “cultured” Europeans, that he happened to refer to the continent as a country.
Predictably, many netizens from all over Europe who watched Charlie’s video got a real kick out of calling out and making fun of the verbal lapse:
“You made your point in the first 5 seconds,” commented one. Others turned it into a running gag by going along with the mistake with palpable sarcasm: “I’m from the city of Norway in the country of Europe apparently.” “I’m in the country of Europe, city of Finland, District Tampere.”
Other netizens still, were more understanding and empathetic towards Charlie’s unintentional gaffe: “Be nice to him. I am guessing he misspoke, he has been speaking about other countries in Europe as well. Keep it up dude…. from Norway”
All jokes aside, Charlie managed to unequivocally conquer everyone’s hearts in how humbly he addressed his mistake in a video he posted the very next day.
Judging from the comments, the netizens’ consensus was that Charlie handled the situation commendably well. “The country of Europe fell in love with you,” playfully quipped one commenter.
No matter where one is in the world –America, Europe, or someplace else –there is no overestimating how enriching an experience it is to go abroad and dive head-first into a culture, getting to know its people and how they think and see the world. You cannot understand how limited your perspective is, being in the same place, dealing with the same culture, and surrounded by the same people, until you break out of your comfort zone and go experience the endlessly diverse and fascinating world that is out there.
Charlie’s TikToks share these sentiments. He advocates for multicultural awareness with so much positivity that it’s hard not to feel inspired to embark on a similar journey – or, at the very least, to follow along with him as he continues to share his memorable overseas experiences on his platform.
Published: Oct 24, 2024 01:42 pm