Love us for us! Be yourself please, I love you for you!

You enter a crowded room, and you can immediately sense the collective vibes merge into a very particular ambiance. There is also something special about the combined feel of bloggers living an international life. It's hard to put my finger on it, but it's definitely a similar feeling that I’ve sensed before in my personal life abroad.

It's as if each one, no matter where they are, is a unique ingredient of the same exotic delicacy!

My French roommate and I organized a dinner party last year and our guests were friends from Russia, Germany, England, France, US , Argentina and Spain. A nice group! I set-up a table for 15 in the garden of our Guanajuato home and amidst the very diverse range of food, wines, flowers and music, we had a good time sharing a funny yet intimate conversation.

We were different people with a story to tell! Each one seeing the world and doing different things, but time and space brought us together by chance and our guards where down, we identified with ourselves. Among them I felt understood. I felt myself. I felt their vibe and it flowed with my vibe.

That night my roommate murmured while picking up the dishes “what is it about an international group living abroad? We are so different but we must have something in common since I’ve felt this before with other people no matter who they are, or in what country we meet them; it’s always the same pleasant atmosphere”.

She turned towards the kitchen and I smiled. She’s right! I’ve experienced the same feeling abroad! But not where I currently live, at home...

This past few years trying to organize my return to Italy I’ve encountered personal joy that had to remain very private since my move to Italy is hush-hush around here. We are talking about California where most people think this is the only acceptable place to live, and many foreigners agree and both ask me why I’d want to leave!

Yet in the blogosphere I am again entirely myself! I guess it takes one to know one! because fortunately, I've been able to relate to many who also have broad horizons and border-less life.

Bloggers living an international life are very interesting individuals. To read their blogs is a joy. Each day I become a silent spectator sitting in the shadowy wings of their stage quietly watching their monologue and afterwards I clap and come back for more!

Two long-term bloggers spoke about how and why they blog, and I thought to include them here since they are part of the international community and I liked what they said.

Preya is a literature teacher in Colorado. She is finishing grad school and in less than a year she will return to the International life. In her latest post "Love me, love my blog" she said:

"In order to know me you have to know my blog. Writing is the medium through which I truly express who I am and what I think. I’ve written about so much that is important to me over the years that my blog has become a second self of sorts. It can explain who I am and what I think far better than I can. So heavy is it now with 3 years of content that losing it would feel like losing a part of myself. Does anyone else feel this way about one’s blog?"

Chloe is a journalist living in Athens, Greece, and in her latest post "Sanitization is poo" she said:

"Sometimes, when we have been writing online diaries for a long time, we begin to censor ourselves. We sanitize these diaries / blogs / personal sites because on the way, we have met many people and they would be uncomfortable with what we have to say. But most importantly we censor ourselves because, as in real life, we have formed an online persona, an idealistic version of ourselves that we want to project...What I want to say is that I will never be cute and this will never be a "pretty" and charming blog. I do not want it to be that way. I am sensitive, sometimes, but most times I trample on things. So if you ever see cutesy staff here, let me know. It means I am lying to you."

You can read their entire post and more about them on their blog.

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During the music concert I saw last week-end, a fan burst into the stage and made his own show. The singer refused to let them arrest him, but she told him "This stage is mine, and here I rule!" and to our applause, she had him apologize to the musicians and the fans and the show went on.

Blogs are more than your stage, they are your podium! Do you allow other's expectations to burst into the stage of your mind and you censor yourself?

International bloggers are an amazing bunch who have a calm strength and go abroad to be themselves, so they are not afraid to be themselves; in any medium.

I applaud those bloggers like Preya and Chloe who are themselves; we love you for you...