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I love being mixed. I enjoy the experience of having my own sense of identity, a blend of multiple cultures. I relish in my ability to relate to different people in diverse contexts, being somewhat of a chameleon. Though irritating in excess, I like the curiosity and interest others take in my background (as long as it's coming from a good place). As a biracial young woman from California, moving to the UK and traveling Europe made me even more aware of the different aspects of my identity; half Black/African American, half White/European American, San Franciscan/Californian, etc. In the UK and Europe, my identity and ambiguous appearance was regularly commented on. Living in a new country for the first time, I technically was a “foreigner”, but when I told inquirers that I was from the US, I was often met with disbelief. Being one of few biracial/black/brown women living in the dorms or joining various travel groups, I was often singled out and mistaken for different nationalities including Cuban, Dominican, Brazilian, Puerto Rican, and Asian/Pacific Islander (Filipino, Cambodian, Samoan, Fijian). While I am met with some curiosity about my ethnicity stateside, I noticed that the questions – and the stares were slightly more pervasive in Europe. While most of my travel experiences were positive, I have observed that micro-aggressions have been a frequent occurrence for me. A handful of comments I’ve received over time: - "You're so beautiful- you must be mixed... What are you mixed with? I was thinking part Asian" (During an interview) - "So... Where are you from? No I mean originally? Like what's your background? Oh that's so cool... Can I get your number?" (During a walk in the park) - "We were wondering what your background was. You're so exotic!" (Two men in a bar) - "No you're not black. I'm darker than you!" (Middle Eastern man, on a first date) - "Wait- you're half black?! I get to call you black?!" (During a social gathering at uni) - "You're not exotic, you're just a mutt" (Another social gathering) - "You don't like hip hop/R&B that much? But you're black!" (At a job) - "When I saw you, I knew you were black but when you opened your mouth I knew you were white" (Latino man, on another first date) - "Oh, you're like... [fill in random famous mixed person- from Alicia Keys to Obama - or a relative of theirs that's mixed]” (As many conversations as the racial guessing game) The constant commentary on my mixed-ness and blackness added to cringy remarks about my country, often without apology. While this isn’t the typical travel story, I wanted to tell my story about traveling as a mixed person. As mentioned earlier, I love being mixed. I love how, despite what “mono-racials” may think, the mixed experience gives me a complex and unique point of view and life experience. While I appreciate the attention and curiosity, when done respectfully, I wish people would treat people the same regardless of race. In an ideal world, people “like me” wouldn't have to mentally prepare on another level for travel (for the micro or macro aggressions). In the meantime, I will continue to use these stories that come out of these adventures, hopefully sharing a perspective that other mixed people and people of color can relate to.