Leslie Kouba has written about her four-week trip to South America, where she spent time away from the noise of the U.S. She found it easier to become part of another culture, live like a local and avoid being touristy. She experienced a slower lifestyle, slower eating, slower service, slower food, slower walking, slower transportation, and more relaxed living. Despite avoiding news for four weeks, Kouba found the culture of South America was more engaging and less restrictive, with public transportation and public transportation being the norm. She also found a difference in her life when she returned home, finding it less stressful and less stressful. Despite her absence from the news, she found it refreshing and more engaging, allowing herself to be part of the fabric of the American identity.