How to be Smarter: Always dress up for a phone interview. It gets you in the right mindset more than anything else.
How to be Prettier: Hot liquids fill you up faster than solid food. Have soup and hot drinks to save calories.
How to be less Awkward: If you find yourself in a situation where everyone else is foreign, but you cannot hide your American identity, say you are an American raised in Luxembourg. No one knows where Luxembourg is, no one has a problem with Luxembourg, people respect Luxembourg. Go with it.
Hello!
I found your website last week, and have really enjoyed going through all your posts, because you often give really solid advice. However, I must say I disagree with your “How to be Less Awkward” tip here. I have been in many a situation where I am the only American, and I don’t think it’s wise not to own up to your nationality. Not admitting it to foreigners seems to justify their prejudices against Americans, and you never know when someone knows where Luxembourg is! I think it might be better advice to admit your citizenship, and try to give them a good impression of your culture, rather than not own up to it.
If you are from Europe, you know where Luxembourg is!