We talk about rocks, and other geological stuff. There's field trips. Apparently, the geology dept. has tons of money to waste on the club. *ka-ching!*
So I was zoning out, sitting on one of the tables in the classroom, when I heard a girl talking about some kind of bug in Panama. I happen to know that this person has not lived in Panama since she was like, 3, which was at least 17 years ago. I then thought of a friend who loved to talk about how he used to live in New Zealand. And then I was even reminded of myself, who loves to talk about her 8 days in Japan whenever she can (and tries to make it seem like I'm an expert).
So. What am I trying to get at?
The meaning behind the term "self-exotification." That's what.
What is it? Self-exotification is the act of trying to make oneself seem cool by bragging or constantly mentioning various adventures and random things about a foreign country in which one lived/vacationed to.
Why do people do it?
To make themselves seem cool. No one's cooler than someone who's been out of the country--especially someone that's been to another continent. It also makes him/her feel like he/she has accomplished something in life--you just haven't lived until you've been to Rome/Greece/England/Russia/Japan/Brazil.
I'm all gung-ho for adventure, but I've come to realize that constantly mentioning something as short as 8 days in Japan gets really old, really fast, and takes away from the lovliness of the past adventure. It's like watching your favorite movie--too many times and you get sick of it. Our travel stories should be like the experience--once-in-a-lifetime. Sure, there may be funny stories to tell of translation books gone wrong or missing passports, but those must also be kept minimal. They're the types that you tell to huge groups at parties when the music starts to lull.
So let's all agree not to brag too much, because it makes other people think you're a show off. ;-DAaaannd, it totally ruins the adventure.
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