Meet Me

Hello!  My name's Emily, and I'm a student in social justice, a self-professed worldophile, a cultural anthropologist wannabe, and an accidental writer.  Having moved ten times, changed four cities, and switched two continents since I left home, I'm on an adventure toward finding my own slice of happiness.  This is my chronicle.  Feel free to join me for the ride! ♥

Random tidbits...

Star sign? 

Pisces

Hometown? 

Beaumont, Texas, USA

Where have you lived? 

Texas (Beaumont, San Antonio, Austin); Lyon, France; Brussels, Belgium; Brooklyn, New York

When and where are you happiest?

When I'm wandering the streets of a new city, surrounded by friends or family, or lost in a good book.

Who do you admire most?

HH Dalai Lama for his incessant happiness, compassion, and simple wisdom.

What do you do?

I actively study cultural conflicts.  My primary focus is Western Europe, looking at how minority ethnic and religious communities insert themselves into the majority social paradigm.  I consider cultural differences which cause friction, the social and political response to these communities, and their own experiences navigating a foreign social sphere.  I always advocate integration (an equal negotiation of ideals) rather than assimilation (a foregoing of personal, historical, or cultural ideals so as to adopt another).

If you could eat one thing everyday for a month, what would it be?

Steamed broccoli... or pizza.

What is your most treasured possession?

Two Me&Ro pendants that my grandfather and a close friend each gave me when I graduated from high school.  Each are in Sanskrit--one for Joy and one for Wisdom.  They remind me of two pillars of a good life.