When I moved to Japan for work, I suddenly became the 'foreigner' in every room, and it forced me to rethink what identity really means. I used to think culture was just traditions and food, but now I see it's also about how others perceive you. Can we ever truly separate our sense of self from the cultural labels society assigns to us, or is identity always a negotiation between internal and external factors? I'm curious how others who've lived abroad have grappled with this.