Thanks for sharing. I would say that your travel's have given you a more enlightened view of what's out there..increased your peripheral scope
in terms of seeing how other people on this globe live.

North Africa is nice. Spain is as well. For the most part, the people in New Zealand are fantastic. Some parts of Indonesia are great places to visit.
Hopefully you will have the opportunity to see more of the world in your lifetime.

__________________
CHILCUTT~
The secret to a long life. Is knowing when it is time to leave.

Los Angeles is the best place on earth, don't care much about the rest. Am I a patriot now, or just an idiot?

__________________
1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Neither. Just a guy who likes L.A.

__________________
CHILCUTT~
The secret to a long life. Is knowing when it is time to leave.

Funny you should mention Spain. Shortly after I joined the Navy I was in "A" school, and was asked whether I wanted to be assigned to an east coast unit or a west coast one, and whether I wanted the Spain and Guam rotation or the Puerto Rico and Okinawa rotation. I picked west coast, since I grew up on the east coast and wanted to experience something different, and the Spain and Guam deployment cycle specifically because I wanted to go to Spain. After training, I joined my east coast unit in Guam (which sucks). Then they changed the deployment rotations and my next trip was to Okinawa. 10+ years in the Navy and I still haven't been to Spain.

__________________
Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

Please tell me you're not serious.

__________________
Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

I have lived in and traveled to many places and Los Angeles is the best place of all.

__________________
1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Have you tried heading two hours down I-5 to San Diego? I've been to both places and find San Diego yards (meters for you metric types) better than LA.

__________________
Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

My sister lives in La Jolla and I lived there for two years before heading North to Los Angeles. Nice and beautiful place but to boring for my taste.

__________________
1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

__________________
Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

How about I lived outside of the USA for nearly 5 years (in total)? I couldn't be happier than the day I stepped through customs and re-entered my homeland. I expect I'll never leave again, even for a vacation. I have no desire to visit anywhere else.

Wait, that's not entirely true. I'd like to take a distillery tour of Scotland, I'd like to visit French Polynesia and I'd like to visit the area a where the Mekong enters China. But I could die tomorrow without any regret for not having done.

I think people confuse patriotism with chauvinism (Nicolas Chauvin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). One can be a complete patriot and be a revolutionary, like Washington or Cromwell or Mandela or Bolivar or Ho Chi Minh, etc. I doubt anybody would question the ardor of their love of country, but their loyalty to government was practically non-existent.

… but I kind of like the music. (SOMEBODY had to say it)

I have visited Spain several times. I especially liked Malaga. Spain sure has hell burnished my Spanish, which I learned in Cartegena Col and later, reinforced by Mexican teachers. I rather enjoyed my subsequent trips to Soth America with my hybrid, strange accent and pronunciation. I'd get asked if I was German or Danish, etc. Rarely asked if I were American. I think the European Spanish accent misled people. Uh, that's got shyte-all to do with the topic. Pardon the self-indulgence.

I'd say there's a difference between love of place and patriotism. Patriotism in the age of nation states is the process of taking our natural tribal affiliations and transforming them into a commitment to a state bureaucracy.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Ok, I'll play your game. Yes, I consider myself a Patriot. I love my country...just not the current government. There's a difference between being a Patriot and a slave.

__________________
1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Seems like you have your concept already figured out and are trolling, am I wrong.

For me its the love of the country and its people based on the freedoms and opportunities we are afforded. You can be anyone you choose to be and basically you can do anything you want (within reason) here in this great country. Like the Stones sang "you might not always get want you want but you will get what you need" (advanced aplogy if I screwed up that quote).

For anyone to said they have been held down or held back, well they just need to try a little harder. Patriotism is not something you are born with, its is instilled, absorbed and realized. Its not about politics, its about the love and care you feel for this country.

I have traveled and lived with locals around the world. I am a first generation American who's family on both sides came to the states, after the aftermath of hell on earth (ww2), back when you welcomed and cherished the opportunity to join the melting pot, but retained your cultural aspects, but in turn became an American to add to the greatness of this country and did everything you could to join in and make it better for everyone. I cannot say there is a better overall place to live than these great states. Terra Firma USA rocks. Its still truly the land of golden opportunity and freedom. These freedoms seem to be slowly eroding but it still rocks in my book.

In summary: Its a feeling of "hey I want to acknowledge and protect these great freedoms that we have been granted the opportunity to enjoy"!!!

You are always welcome to come back, lose the chip on your shoulder and mabe try a bit harder and see if you can find that mojo you seem to be missing Thats not meant to be rude or condescending, I truly hope you can some day find the sense of patriotism. It truly is a great feeling.

By that argument, Washington, Bolivar, Cromwell, Mandela, and Ho Chi Minh were not patriots.