The title About is in reference to my experience as a foreign student. I assumed that living in upstate New York would be very similar to home. I mean, I was only a three-hour car ride away from home. 

 

Over the two years that I lived in the United States, I noticed many differences. One difference was dialect. I personally did not notice much difference in how I said “house” or “bagel” but my American friends were sure to point out the discrepancy each time I said these words.

 

When I returned home after only my second year of graduate studies and said the word “about” to my Canadian friends, they too noticed a difference in my pronunciation.

 

I was no longer pronouncing words as a Canadian, and yet, I was not pronouncing them as an American either.

 

This piece is about feeling like I was almost fitting into two separate places while being aware that I was not fitting into either.