X – Xenia, The Xenophile

Xenia loves all things foreign.

Accents, countries, cuisines, even confusing customs—she’s enchanted by anything with international flair.

But the charm? It sometimes borders on… selective enthusiasm.

I met Xenia for the first time during a short trip to India.

We were at a friend’s get-together—warm, casual, filled with laughter and snacks.

Xenia was polite, but distant.

That surface-level, mildly distracted tone that says, “I’ve already decided you’re basic.”

She asked me what I do. I said something casual, nothing fancy.

She nodded, unimpressed, and moved on.

Ten minutes later, the friend who introduced us casually said:

“You know she lives in France, right?”

Xenia (visibly transforming): “Ohhh my god, that’s AMAZING! Paris or the South? I love French markets! Have you been to Lyon? Do you just drink wine all day?”

The accent in her voice shifted. The enthusiasm spiked.

Suddenly, I wasn’t “a person,” I was “a portal to Europe.”

It was like I had unlocked a hidden level in her personality with a passport.

She then asked if I’d tried “authentic pain au chocolat,”

and proceeded to tell me about that one time she spent four days in Nice and “felt like she was home.”

The Xenias of the world remind us that curiosity is a beautiful thing…

until it starts treating foreign as superior.

They’re fascinated, inspired, and full of wanderlust—but sometimes, they forget that people are interesting whether or not they come with a visa stamp.

Have you met a Xenia in your life?

Or have you ever watched someone’s energy shift dramatically once they found out where you’re from?

I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z"

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