Lesson No. 2: Living outside your home country can bring out the best in you -- and the worst. I keep restarting this one. It keeps turning into this giant mush of self-pity, and that is not at all what I am intending to get out of writing this. What I would really like to come from this post is for people to see that no matter who you are, where you come from, or what your background is, it is freaking difficult to live outside your home country, and you don't have to feel bad if it's hard. I know in the heading I mentioned the best first but I will save that -- the best -- for last... I have always had this sense like certain things were harder for me to cope with than for others. I think everyone gets that feeling now and then. For some, it's paying attention in class. For others, it's noticing the emotions or nonverbal expressions of other people. For me it's keeping my cool in just about any social interaction beyond my circle of absolute closest friend...