He Had Kind Eyes and a Briefcase — and Shattered My Perception of Strangers
A secret I’ve kept for over fifteen years and am ready to share
In my junior year of college, I studied abroad at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. I was 20 years old, naive, and longing for friends in those first few months of adjusting to life outside of the United States.
My living situation was arranged by an International Student Affairs Coordinator and I was surprised when I got placed in a flat with two male flatmates. One was older. I can’t even recall his name, I just remember the heavy cloud of disdain that floated around him whenever we were in close proximity.
I’m not sure if it was my gender, age, love of blasting Justin Bieber when I was extra homesick, or something else entirely, but he clearly hated my guts.
My other flatmate, Jack, was younger than me — 18 years old and the sweetest of souls. We bonded instantly and I was grateful to have found at least one friend early on in my time in Scotland.
One afternoon, Jack and I went to a local boutique to find a present for a girl he wanted to impress on her birthday. He was asking for my opinion on a necklace when something caught my eye — a dress hanging behind him, beckoning me to wear it on my foreign…
