The Need to Always Prove Yourself in America

Early this year, I moved back to the US. It’s the first time I’ve lived here full-time in almost seven years.

Looking back on all of my travels, I can now see that I went through various phases in my relationship with US culture.

In the beginning, everywhere I went felt so new and so bewildering. It was almost exhausting being confronted with so many new beliefs and cultural ideas all the time. I remember the first year feeling a sense of respite and relaxation every time I returned to the US....