Having lived in the United States for more than two decades, I’ve never really pondered whether or not I felt American. I always thought feeling ”American” meant loving the United States and being happy to live in it. So when I moved to Aarhus, Denmark this past August to study abroad, I was surprised at how American I felt and how much I learned about my own culture once I left the country.

Being surrounded by classmates from places such as Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Norway, and Poland (and Denmark), for the first time in my life I realized how isolated the United States is from the rest of the world. I had always thought that I was open-minded and knowledgable about the world, and wouldn’t have a problem living in another country, but I was not prepared for how handicapped I felt compared to other international students.

At first it was just little things. I spent my first week of school converting every measurement to the metric system, including figuring out how much or how far the school was from my dorm (it was 3.5 kilometers). I paid my first rent bill late because I had forgotten that dates are written differently outside of the United States. Then the differences seemed bigger. At parties, I mingled with international students who could engage with me in debates about U.S. politics, while I knew very little about theirs. I was also ashamed when I realized that I was completely fluent only in English. Many of my classmates, the majority of whom grew up in non-English speaking countries, could switch between two or three languages easier than we Americans can switch between a Southern and Northern accent.

Now that I have been in Denmark for five months and have adapted and almost completely relearned many things. I am inspired to do many things when I get back, including immersing myself in Spanish and French, and traveling to other countries when I get the chance. I just wish others back home could experience it as well.

As Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, former chairman and vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission, respectively, wrote last June, “The U.S. cannot conduct itself effectively in a competitive international environment when our most educated citizens lack minimal exposure to, and understanding of, the world beyond U.S. borders.”

In their op/ed piece for the Christian Science Monitor, Kean and Lee stated that only 10 percent of the American graduating undergrad class in almost any given year have studied abroad for credit. Of all students currently enrolled in American universities, only 1 percent have studied abroad for credit.

However, things are looking hopeful. According to a study from the New York-based Institute of International Education, more and more American students have decided to study abroad in recent years, including almost 2.5 million in the 2006-2007 school year. The semester I left, 286 SF State students left the States as well, shattering previous records.

So I urge my fellow students, take a chance and study abroad. And I’m not saying this as an elitist who doesn’t understand that there are many complications and costs involved. But it is a lot easier and cheaper to study abroad than you may think. And like me, after the experience, you’ll never see your own world the same way again.