Ten words or less

Living in Minnesota made me a public radio fan, and I recently discovered NPR's Project Xpat blog.  Project Xpat is doing a story about what it means to live as an American expatriate. They are asking readers to sum up their experience in ten words or less.

I decided to do something slightly out of character and submit something. This blog is the most public sort of writing I have done ever, and I haven't entered a writing competition or anything like that since high school. That's the beauty of the internet, I guess. If you want to be a writer, go for it.

So, especially since the most American of holidays is coming up this week, I thought I'd all share my thoughts with you on what it means to be an expatriate, in ten words or less. Here are some that didn't make the cut:

No Chipotle or Target in sight; where am I?

Showing the world, we don't all wear sweats in public

Expat = Learning to be confident while feeling like an idiot

Yes, the United States is just like on TV

I'm sorry to make you speak English around me

Just nod and smile

Moving away makes it easier to see where you were

Beer is cheaper than water, everything is closed on Sunday

I live in the place where fairy tales come from

The metric system really is better 

My state is bigger than your country

You think winter here is cold?

I now realize that American multiculturalism is a real thing

Real friends are close no matter where you live

I can't explain why Americans don't all have health insurance

If you ask 'how's Germany?' I'll smack you

People in other places don't always understand why we left

Yes, I really live here now

It's like the Omaha of Germany

How do you know when you're at home, anyway?

Is this a parallel universe?

I sometimes really miss it, sometimes never want to return


And finally, the one I actually submitted. To me, being an expat means:
Feeling at home while being out of place