I must have been an expat at birth. Or even before that.
My dad is an engineer, and through the years work took him to a number of countries, mostly in North Africa. We (i.e. mom and older brother) often joined him when I was little. Each trip was a reminder that I’m a product of my parents’ extended stay in Tripoli, Libya. When I wondered why mom returned to Poland while pregnant, she explained that she wanted me to be born in our homeland.
I appreciated the decision, because it saved me from having to define where I’m from. Yet, I always enjoyed having this link to another country. It fueled my interest in travel, world cultures, and learning languages. As it turns out, it was also the beginning of my “foreign affairs.”
