Some thoughts on being cool

First of all, my clothes are not unfashionable, I just have a very unique sense of style. The fact that I run around a lot and in shorts makes me exotic. My tendency to make silly mistakes in French is just entertaining. Don’t forget I can speak English as well as anyone for miles around, and my Lonely Planet guidebook says that my terribly thick American accent is “downright sexy.”

More seriously, you just have to take your sense of humor, desire for adventure, love of challenge and willingness to try anything wherever you go. Here’s an excerpt from a paper I wrote reflecting on similar feelings while living in Spain:

I heard my disphonic accent and my awkward grammar saw how my clothes, my hair, and even my way of walking did not fit in. I assumed that I couldn’t find a way to fit in unless I remained unnoticed…without considering how using my voice would allow me to be an individual with a unique personality y and more than just a sum of my awkward speech and unusual appearance.