Expat Focus on, well…me

I was surprised (and delighted!) when the website Expat Focus asked to interview me for their “Expat Experiences” section.

Not only did I get to talk about myself, but it gave me the excuse to get my friend Dani, a professional photographer and resident at 59Rivoli, to take photos of me in front of several Paris landmarks. (Actually, I say that like it’s a good thing. I don’t like talking about myself or getting my photo taken. Both were fun, nonetheless).

Contemplative Sion - This photo is just waiting for its book jacket, no?

If the explanation on this blog that I moved to France on a “romantic whim” is a bit too vague, the interview fills in a few of those holes. (Though after reading the longer version, you’ll probably still reach the same conclusion).

I used to eschew labels. Chalk it up to never quite fitting into any one category. A New Yorker who grew up in North Carolina, a mixed-race girl obliged to check the “other” box whenever she filled out official information (whoever thought “other” was a good way to classify people’s race and/or ethnicity has some explaining to do).

In short, I’ve long been accustomed to dueling identities. Nothing prepared me for the tug between these two worlds, though – France and the United States. So one label I do strongly identify with now is “expat.” There’s nothing hazy about the situation: I am a citizen of one country living her life in another.

I’m happy to share my experience of what that looks like. (What that feels like? Yes, probably the better question.) Feel free to read my story here.