Am I Really That Strange?

It’s strange to be reminded of how American I am on a daily basis, to constantly be aware of how different I am from the Aussies around me.  It’s something I’ve never dealt with before, this feeling of not quite fitting in.  One might think that, after several months of living here, I would begin to feel more worldly, or at least less sheltered and naïve.  Instead, I find myself feeling more awkward and just plain different.  My otherness is pointed out to me on a daily basis.  Whether it’s a patient asking about my foreign accent, or my coworkers teasing me for something I have said, I consistently feel like an outsider.  It’s made me more self-conscience, more aware of everything I say and do.  It’s peculiar to be so self-aware at all times.  And, while all of this can occasionally be exhausting, frustrating, and embarrassing, it’s been good for me.  It’s been (and continues to be) a growing experience.  I can thoroughly appreciate my heightened introspection and newfound awareness of how the world perceives Americans.  And, like so many experience over the past several months, this isn’t something I expected from my Aussie experiment, but is something that I can definitely grow to appreciate.  Cheers!