I have been an expat for two thirds of my adult life – in Italy, Germany, England and finally Scotland. Although growing up no one in my family or close circle of acquaintances was an expat, I was always curious about living abroad, and when I could finally do it as an adult, I realized that being a expat was the condition which allowed me to be the best version of myself. Moreover, as an academic, one of my areas of expertise is expats: I have written a book and several articles about music and exile, focusing on Spanish exiled composers.