I was born in the Palouse. In Pullman, Washington to be exact. Since December 6th, 1987, I have lived mostly in Moscow, Idaho, but also in San Sebastian/Donostia, Spain; Bilbao, Spain; Rouen, France; and Amherst, Massachusetts. Most of my summers were spent in my mother's hometown of Parma, Italy, a place that gave birth to prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I speak English, French, Italian, and Spanish, and would like to learn German, Arabic, and Basque. Every place I have been has left its mark on me; every language I've heard has managed to leave a trace in my mind.
It's a strange bundle of places... The Palouse, Euskal Herria, Normandy, and the Pioneer Valley. A concoction that is unique to my experience, though I often wish it were otherwise. This year, I stumbled upon "Third Culture Kids," youth and adults who spent large parts of their childhoods abroad due to their parents careers. I finally had a label to attach to myself, a definition that transcended the usual labels of nationality or ethnicity. However, I soon came to realize that TCKs live extraordinarily diverse lives, and my experience of public schools in small town America and Western Europe was not easily replicated.
This year, I will be returning to Parma, this time to work in a local pizzeria and live with my Italian cousins. I will also head to Paris, for an academic year at Sciences Po, the Institute of Political Science. It is my hope that I will come to terms with who I am and that I will find an area of study that will lead to a future career. This blog was created for travel financial aid from my college and the Global Education Office there, but I hope to use it as an aid in my self-explorations and meanderings.
Feel free to leave comments, questions, and whatever else. I'll most likely respond to anything posted since online procrastination is my favorite kind.
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