Expert Expat

It seems that on this side of the pond, I am an expert on something I never expected to be:

AMERICA.

Not the history, but the culture. And geez, it's a lot of pressure. I am the only American in my department, so naturally when people are curious about the states, they field the questions to me. In the beginning, I'd start out unsure because I didn't really want to speak for all Americans:

"Ashley, do American's go clubbing a lot?": Ummm, I guess in cities like New York, LA, Miami, and especially in Vegas it's really popular. But I don't think it's as popular in Seattle.

"How often do people drive in the states?": Well, it really depends. There are a lot of factors like commute, how good is the public transportation system, where you live, etc. I feel like I can't really answer this question...

"What are the popular TV shows in the US?": Hmmm, I like New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Modern Family... but I did hear that the most popular shows were NCIS and The Big Bang Theory which is really weird because I never watch them.

But then, I got tired of being vague. Now, I am just selfish and bold:

"What do you eat a lot of in the US?": Way more Mexican food and Burgers. Next question, go!

"Where do American's shop?": Nordstroms and Amazon, the only two stores you will ever need. Continue!

"What kind of music do American's listen to?": Good ole fashioned country : ) it's the only way to go.

Okay maybe not to that extreme... but I've realized that I am representing and speaking for America over here. I never thought of myself as an expert expat for the US, but Aaron and I definitely are. And although it's a lot of pressure, I like it. It makes me feel proud to tell other people about where I'm from.

So the next time someone from Europe thinks your a clubbing, burger-eating, NCIS-watching, country-music-listening American... you know who to blame!