Living in a foreign country has a strange way of reminding you of ridiculous trivia about your own country. Modern Italian doors have handles. I didn’t think much about it until an American I knew said he was going home “to the land of round doorknobs.” When we were anxious in Bulgaria, I saw the round doorknobs and felt better. And on the other hand, even water coolers weren’t any huge part of my life in America, about six months into my new Italian life, I had a sudden, inane craving for that cold metallic taste of water cooler water. Tell me I’m not alone! What little factoids of life in a new country made you feel at home or not at home?
Pamela Schoenewaldt, historical novels of immigration and the search for self in new worlds: WHEN WE WERE STRANGERS, SWIMMING IN THE MOON, and UNDER THE SAME BLUE SKY (all HarperCollins).
pamelaschoenewaldt.com 
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