Interview with Julie

Julie was born in Strasbourg, France, where she grew up and went to school. A postgraduate research placement in Darwin, Australia presented her with her first life-changing experience of living in a different culture. Although she had studied English at school, she started making a conscious effort to learn the language in Australia. She moved to the UK in 2011 with her then boyfriend, on a six-month placement with her second Masters. She had no previous inclination to move to the UK, but loved her time in London, and got a full-paid job with the same charity after her placement ended. She remained in the UK after her break-up, as she felt she was making an impact through her work. Her object of choice was a very British teapot - the first thing she bought herself when she started single life in London. She met her now-husband two years later. They moved to Devon a year and a half ago to be nearer to his family, who live in Exeter. She now imagines herself living in Devon for the foreseeable future. Julie put conscious effort into her integration. She read an ethnographic book and people-watched on the bus. She upholds the importance of effective communication, a motivation behind her desire to lose her French accent. She did not want her identity as a foreigner to be instantly identifiable. The aspect of British culture that impacted Julie the most was the open-mindedness. Julie loves how her multicultural experience has expanded her emotional intelligence and world knowledge, and hopes this project will encourage people to see how enriching and advantageous cultural melting pots are to society. To those considering migrating themselves, Julie says: do it.