I discovered a new appreciation of my American home after I moved far away from it

Of course, not everyone was welcoming, and much of the friendliness was superficial, but some acts were truly magnanimous. Churches gave us clothing and others in the community helped us navigate our new life. I associated being American with friendliness, but I had not thought of myself as part of that America. Not long after this exchange, a Vietnamese national working in Singapore, whom I had just befriended, mentioned how I use upbeat phrases, such as “that’s great” or “awesome,” more than might strictly be necessary. “Very optimistic, very American,” she said. To her, I was wholly American.