About Me — Melissa Chanthalangsy

Multilingual Lao French American Writer

Hi everyone, thank you for taking the time to read more about me.

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PERSONAL

I was born outside of Paris on a cold January Sunday. I’m an Aquarius Sun, Scorpio Moon, and Leo rising, which either tells you everything or nothing at all.

My family is from Laos. They landed in France after fleeing the Secret War. We later moved to the United States, making me a Third Culture Kid.

My parents and my brother are my biggest influences. When asked to describe me in two words, they chose: curious and analytical, caring and loyal, expressive and dedicated. I add: sensitive, open, and lively.

Many have painted my sensitivity as a weakness, but I learned to view it as another characteristic, if not a flat-out strength. It makes me deeply empathetic and connected to people and living things. I can also pick up on certain vibrations — if you know, you know.

CAREER

I’d been running on the hamster wheel my entire life, yet I always found ways to resist the hype. I refused to read Harry Potter until I turned 19. In college, I peeled away from the mass hysteria, especially common among Asian students, of the econ-to-banker pipeline, which means to study…