August 04, 2003
How did I get here?
You can divide the world into two types of people, a billion ways. Those who think popcorn shrimp is good eating, and those who puke just at the smell of fish, for instance. Or those who think cocktail pajamas are perfect office attire versus those who go for a more, um, traditional business look. Then there are those who, when they travel can't wait to get home, and those who, whenever they find themselves in a strange place, imagine themselves living there.
I belong in the second camp. I always imagine myself living somewhere else.
I've imagined myself living a good many places, from Louisville, Kentucky to Paris, France, from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Langkawi, Malaysia. I'm an insufferable romantic.
What is astonishing, is that I sometimes still have flashes when I see people who are obviously tourists (especially Americans, like I did today, with their white anklet socks and fanny packs and extra personal space) who remind me that, hot damn, I am actually living somewhere else. It's sort of the same as that old Talking Heads' song, "Once in a Lifetime," and it's sort of the opposite:
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself-Well...How did I get here?
I know exactly what you are talking about! Today is the fifth anniversary of my arrival in London. I basically stumbled off the plane at Heathrow with an overladen backpack, a camera bag and vague plans to see as much of Europe and the UK before my open-ended return airticket expired in 12 months time. FIVE YEARS later and I'm still here. How did this happen, I keep asking myself? How did I get here? It was like one grand accident, but an accident that was meant to happen. I miss Australia, especially family and friends, but I am also grateful for the opportunities this decision to stay has granted me. I wouldn't change a thing, even if I don't have a clue as to how all this came about . . .
Posted by: kimbofo at August 4, 2003 08:54 PM> I belong in the second camp. I always imagine myself living somewhere else.
So do I (hopelessly stranded in Stuttgart, Germany). Being German myself, this is kind of strange, but I would prefer living, say, in the U.S., or in London (or, maybe, in Paris, if my French was better).
Posted by: Claus at August 6, 2003 05:57 PMI was in a diner in Bakersfield, California one summer as a kid, driving through with my family, and briefly imagined living there and it freaked me out. Until then I'd thought anywhere would be nicer than where I was growing up.
In general, I suppose I'm in the third camp: I can only imagine living in certain places, usually remote. Or in Greece. Or Northern Italy. Or where I live now. When I first passed through, I thought, "what a charming place to live. How nice it must be to live here." And I was right.
Posted by: mig at August 6, 2003 07:22 PMi think that i could throw myself into anywhere, as long as i were convinced that my life depended on it. i remain a fervent canadian, but probably couldn't settle there again; i am, at the same time, eleven-twelfths dutch, despite my major irritation at typically dutch things like...well, that's a whole other story. i suppose i am just adaptable. and there are a thousand places i could learn to love in a future incarnation.
Posted by: lynn at August 7, 2003 07:33 PM..."extra personal space," eh? Is that typically American? I've been living abroad since the 80s, and whenever I've seen my brother in recent years, he has chivvied me about standing too close. But I thought that was just him.
Posted by: opie at August 11, 2003 06:00 PMgee uh, living anywhere but here... my feelings exactly! I currently am enjoying living in 4 places at once: Atlanta,GA, Los Andes, chile, Concepcion, Chile, and Oberlin, OH. And I snore loudly at night thus canīt sleep all that well and sometimes forget where, properly, I am, and sometimes I walk out on people at parties, or begin speaking in different languages, or begin looking for new languages to learn or new places to see. pero in any case, see you all in Greece. Charming place, surely....
Posted by: Alice A G A at August 15, 2003 07:38 AM