Remember that time you struggled to recognise someone you knew simply because you saw them in a different setting?

Change the location you're used to seeing them, and you may as well change their entire identity such is the struggle to quickly identify them.

So, we're totally with Irish J1 student, Emma Kelly, who recently served Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in a Chicago restaurant, and failed to recognise him.

Taking to Twitter to admit to her faux pas, Emma tweeted: "Leo varadkar comes into our restaurant in Chicago, first I ask is he Irish then I put him on a wait list and then I put him at a tiny table"

It turns out it took a colleague telling Emma that she was interacting with her nation's leader for the penny to drop, and Emma wasted no time holding her hands up and admitting her mistake.

"Honestly, what is wrong with me?" she asked. "I'm a public disgrace."

Thankfully, good Ol' Leo took it on the chin and posed alongside Emma and her colleague in a snap, which Emma captioned: "Painfully awkward pic of us and Leo when I realised it was the Taoiseach."

Not only was Leo happy to stall for a snap, but he even tweeted Emma in the aftermath, saying: "Thanks Emma. The food & service was gr8. Enjoy the rest of your J1."

Emma's story has, unsurprisingly, amassed serious interest online, with thousands of likes and retweets since she shared it on Sunday night.

And if she's concerned that her faux pas may count against her in the future, a Dublin eatery even got in touch and offered her a job when she returns to the Irish capital.

O'Connells Restaurant in Donnybrook responded to Emma's self-deprecating tweets, writing: "Hey Emma, it happens! If on J1, when back drop in to us – happy to offer you a job . Great reaction – once u realised, u played a stormer."

Emma, never change.