Haha! Also enjoyed this, Zoey. You’ve probably noticed this too, but I find online English spaces like Medium are kinda…American-centric. Which can be frustrating for non-Americans like me (and you?). I don’t know how many times people have asked me which state I’m in…as if I couldn’t be from the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa, or the myriad of other English-speaking countries that probably have some historical connection to colonial Britain.

I’m from Canada, an hour away from the Washington border. My urban Canadian accent is almost indistinguishable from most generic American accents, so I get mistaken as American a lot. I have some very close American friends and I tend to get along with Americans the best when there are no other Canadians around, but I do tire of the assumptions sometimes. Like, no, I don’t know what 68 F means; should I wear a sweater or not?!