Though I was born in Chicago and have spent most of my adulthood in Seattle, I’ve always felt more European than American. There’s nothing really wrong with America, it is the land of hopes and dreams and opportunity. America’s resourcefulness and belief in a better tomorrow is ingrained in me. The open friendliness of America is in me too. But in a country that looks to the future, we don’t often value the past. And I’m big into the past. The past is like a dream to me. It draws me in whether it’s a book about a historical era or an antique chair. It’s romantic and ethereal to me. Even the dark parts. The past is filled with stories of all kinds and perhaps that’s why I like it. I like stories.