I recently returned from a European vacation (see photos in the Gallery) and was more surprised than I should have been at just how much people outside of the United States dislike us. It's easy to see why: we're the wealthiest nation in the world and have a tendency to get into everyone else's business. While I did experience some degree of discrimination for being American, the time abroad was truly enlightening and inspiring.

As an Internet junkie, I like to pride myself on being an informed member of the global village. My wife and I conducted fairly extensive research into Barcelona and Paris before leaving, including how to dress, how to get around, and what to see. We talked with well-traveled friends and even bought a few books. We arrived armed with maps, sightseeing guides, phrasebooks and comfortable shoes, yet I still was amazed at how different America is from Europe.

The first thing I noticed when stepping off the metro train in Barcelona was how skinny, attractive and well dressed everyone was. This is primarily because everyone walks or rides bicycles, and smoke like chimneys. Like the rest of Europe, Spaniards also eat smaller-portioned meals more frequently, and use fresh ingredients versus the processed food and fast food prevalent in the U.S. I can't, however, explain why Americans (especially in the Northwest) dress so poorly.

While lugging our baggage down Las Ramblas (the popular main street) to our hotel, we picked up on the fact that most motorized transportation in Barcelona is two-wheeled (specifically motor scooters), mainly because fuel is so expensive and they are so easy to park. In addition, a majority of the cars were smaller than my suitcase. So small, in fact, that most models aren't available here because they probably wouldn't pass our stringent safety standards. Over our entire vacation, we saw less than a dozen SUVs.

On the first evening in our hotel room, we watched the only English station available: CNN International. My wife and I were mildly amazed by the difference in the objectivity, perspective and insight versus what we're used to in local and national news back home. After that evening, CNN became our staple information resource. I knew I was going to miss that international outlook when we returned home.

The locals were very good to us in Barcelona, which is more than I can say for the French. I was warned in advance not to take the anti-American, non-service-oriented attitude in France too personally. At the same time, however, watching my meal sit on the counter for 15 minutes getting cold was unacceptable. We agreed that it pays dividends to speak fluent, non-accented French if you want to get into certain bars or restaurants, get a good seat, or get served in a timely manner.

After five days of soaking in Parisian culture, I started to see other reasons why so many Americans dislike Europeans: they work less than we do but vacation more, and have managed to make sitting around at cafe's for hours and taking naps important parts of life. The Europeans are also extremely well informed about world issues, especially what goes on in the U.S.

So what did I learn on my vacation? Slow down and take a breath. Stop and smell the roses, or at least sniff a hot cup of joe while sitting at a corner cafe people watching and reading the paper. Look for more reliable, unbiased news sources from outside of the U.S. Eat smaller meals more frequently, and with of fresher ingredients. Take short breaks more regularly during the workday (which has shown to increase productivity), and use all your vacation - time to travel the world. Make a smaller impact on the environment by owning a smaller car and driving it as little as possible. Lastly, smoke like a chimney - it seems to work for the French.