To me, I was just a plain-Jane gal (guy) originally from the Midwest coming to a country near you via Los Angeles. American movies are what dominates the foreign box offices. A song from a US artist is at least every 5th or so piece played in the clubs. Our pop-stars are always playing, in English, on the radio. So, no matter where you look or listen, there is influence from the United States everywhere. Somewhere along the lines, America became a power house in media and entertainment. I never looked at myself as exotic until I lived overseas. And dating, as an expat? Well, that’s an entirely different animal, especially for a gay man in his twenties in countries like the U.K., France, Australia, and Costa Rica. It’s exciting because everything is different than it is back home. Vacationing is completely different than working, cooking, grocery shopping, going to the gym, and LIVING in a foreign land. I wasn’t wrong in thinking this, but I did realize that living abroad took this learning to an entirely different level. Experiencing new cultures, new people, new ways of life, and seeing things you never thought imaginable when back at home. I’ve always said that the best education possible is traveling the world.