Same Same But Different

What's going on A? Thanks for the cat.

My quick two cents for today. We both have traveled fairly well and I want to ask you. Do you think it's all becoming the same? I feel like despite being thousands of miles away from the good old U.S. of A., I could seriously be in some new-fangled state. There are Starbucks, McDonald's, even Dunkin' Donuts (which you can't even get in California) infiltrating main roads and tiny corners of Bali. I feel like the world I left four years ago here no longer exists.  It breaks my heart to see western travelers choose these options over local cafes and coffeehouses. Why bother traveling if you're going to stay in your big air-conned tour bus, eat at western master chains, and stay in gated compounds??? I remember 10 years ago, the only two truly international brands were Coca-Cola and Marlboro's (and seriously, what's up with the Marlboro's?)