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Westmount, a borough and an enclave of Montreal, Quebec

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When I think of my place-based identity, I immediately think of Montreal. It is a true home—vibrant, welcoming, and deeply personal. This place makes sense to me; it is tied to both highs and lows, joyful moments and losses. In Montreal, I feel like a fish in water. It is a place where everything feels right.

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When I moved to the U.S. for my graduate studies, I spent a lot of time in Evanston, an affluent suburb about 12 miles north of downtown Chicago. As a true urban girl, I always felt connected to the world in this "almost" metropolitan community. Evanston became my favorite hideaway whenever I needed an escape from the provincial charms of the Midwest.

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Evanston colors, Illinois | 4K footage in 3 seasons

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Iowa City, the University of Iowa Capitol Building

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Iowa holds a special place in my heart. Iowa City is where I grew both personally and professionally—it shaped me as a scholar and also became a true home for my family.

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My Happy Place

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Born and raised, family, roots

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Life starts here

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Yeehaw 🤠

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Everything grows here

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sister

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The place where I was born and where I spent my childhood

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Childhood, home, family, life, everything... ज़िन्दगी

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I was born and grew up in

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Kris - Campustown, Champaign, IL 61820, USA

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Kris - Campustown, Champaign, IL 61820, USA

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Friends and fun! My hometown and where I did my master's degree.

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My happy place

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New home, new family

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Repatriation, time capsule, reverse culture shock, new understanding of home culture.

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my hometown

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UMass Amherst, Massachusetts Avenue, Amherst, MA

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UMass Amherst, Massachusetts Avenue, Amherst, MA

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UMass Amherst, Massachusetts Avenue, Amherst, MA

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Live there for 8 years, reshape a new ME

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Where I became a New Yorker for life

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First foreign country where I lived

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College of Languages - University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

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College of Languages - University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

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College of Languages - University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

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Sarav Al Ani

This is where the whole journey into the world of languages started. I studied there, I worked there and I still have lasting friendships that sprung from there. ❤️

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Beloit College, College Street, Beloit, WI

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Kris - Beloit College, College Street, Beloit, WI

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Kris - Beloit College, College Street, Beloit, WI

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Curiosity - where I did my undergraduate degree. A lot of my interests were sparked here.

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First stop in the US

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I call this place as my hometown in U.S.

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Carefree college years

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Where my Deaf identity began

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Family, friends, best skiing on earth

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becoming a mom here, expericing the fullfillemnt of both family and career

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Family, friends, good food, beaches and mountains

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The place where I have lived the longest

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Joys of life; learning to love प्यार

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CLS!

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I spent lots of years in Kunming before I came to the U.S.

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my favorite vacation destination

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Where I currently live, post NYC

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Education - where I took my first steps as an educator as an English teacher at Seondeok Middle School

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Great colleagues

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Yale New Haven Hospital, York Street, New Haven, CT

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Yale New Haven Hospital, York Street, New Haven, CT

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Yale New Haven Hospital, York Street, New Haven, CT

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Sarab Al Ani

This is where I started my journey into the "love language" when I became a mom.

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Great Plain Elementary School, Stadley Rough Road, Danbury, CT

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Great Plain Elementary School, Stadley Rough Road, Danbury, CT

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Great Plain Elementary School, Stadley Rough Road, Danbury, CT

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Word 1: FAMILY When I reflect on my early identity, I think immediately of Danbury, CT where I grew up and live now with many extended family members. When thinking of a specific place, it is either Danbury High School or Great Plain Elementary, where I attended with 15+ deaf and hard of hearing students from the district, with a deaf teacher and team of interpreters. We had an ASL/Deaf classroom and I grew up with a strong sense of both Deaf and local Danbury identity. I also began using interpreters at 5 years old, and this has been a very strong part of my identity and academic experience.

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Naval Submarine Base New London, Crystal Lake Road, Groton, CT

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Naval Submarine Base New London, Crystal Lake Road, Groton, CT

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Naval Submarine Base New London, Crystal Lake Road, Groton, CT

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Born and raised here, my identity and personality were shaped in this place, and I often find myself thinking about my time here in my everyday life

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met my husband and got married here, many memories

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There are many famous historic sites, such as Tiananmen Square, Great Wall, Dugong palace.

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I have been living in New Haven since 2012.

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Freedom, community, happiness.

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new season

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Teachers College, Columbia University, West 120th Street, New York, NY

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Teachers College, Columbia University, West 120th Street, New York, NY

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Teachers College, Columbia University, West 120th Street, New York, NY

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Word 2: ACADEMICS I chose Teachers College because I have been part of this school since 2009 when I began studying for my PhD. It is where I grew as a student, researcher, and first began teaching ASL.

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Vrindavan

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American School For the Deaf, Twin Lakes Road, Salisbury, Connecticut

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American School For the Deaf, Twin Lakes Road, Salisbury, Connecticut

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American School For the Deaf, Twin Lakes Road, Salisbury, Connecticut

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Word 3: Deaf I chose ASD and Isola Bella, where I became part of the broader Deaf community and continue to engage.

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I started my teaching for the frist time

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I visited Japan for a conference, and it was a very special cultural experience

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CLS

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met my husband, started my career