Growing up in Massachusetts, Brazilian-born Julia Furlan often felt like an outsider.

It took many years and living far away for Julia to figure out where she fits on the map.

In this personal essay, she talks about her childhood, falling in love and her changing relationship with Brazilian-American identity.

Featured Image courtesy of Julia Furlan –”This is me making a joke as a 4-year-old, putting my dad’s Brazilian pajamas over my dress. Those pajamas were rad–I wish they still existed!”