Growing up in a religiously-blended household, Erin was never “enough.” Not Catholic enough, not Jewish enough, and she even experienced a brief identity crisis when she realized that being white in her predominately Hispanic hometown of El Paso, Texas set her apart from her peers. In her words, she missed out on a quinceañera, a bat mitzvah, and even a sweet sixteen.
During a study abroad semester in France, Erin used her passion for meaningful travel to reconcile her Jewish heritage, and a fall-break trip to Germany became a rite of passage that was meaningful in reclaiming her in-between identity.
Erin now encourages others to embrace meaningful travel through her position as content manager and editor for GoAbroad, the directory for all things work, study, intern, and volunteer abroad.
My Liminal Life is a series focusing on the various forms a liminal (or in-between) identity can take. It explores the challenges of a liminal life through intimate stories of culturally or racially blended people, and the ways they have reconciled their complicated heritages.
