TCKs represent!

Senior year of college... one might think this would be a time of looking to the future, trying to figure out what the rest of your life is going to look like. For me, it was slightly different. This past (school) year became a time of finding myself- not like I went on an epic journey to far off places to do this- although that would have been awesome! Instead, even in the little hamlet of Grantham, these last couple months have been a time of self-discovery.

Fall: Enter Senior English Seminar. Although a literature-based class, it's claim to fame is the twenty to thirty page paper one has to write by the end of the semester. Thankfully, it's a topic of your choice- because if you're going to write thirty pages about something, it should at least be something you're interested in. For my topic, I picked TCKs. For those that don't know the lingo, a Third Culture Kid is someone who has grown up in a culture different from their parent's/home culture. This means they have the privilege of experiencing various cultures at a young age and can become excellent "bridges" between various cultures- among many other fantastic qualities.

Fabulous example: A Teacher, A Cultural Translator -Cassie Vergel http://www.denizenmag.com/2012/06/a-teacher-a-cultural-translator/

Being a TCK can also lead to various struggles, especially throughout a transition from one's adopted culture to one's "home" culture. The feeling of being thrust into a culture in which you are expected to know the various social cues and supposed to know the pop culture that you have missed out on- these can be trying times as one attempts to adjust in order to fit in.

These are just a few tidbits I learned as I was writing my paper- now some of you may be sitting there and thinking to yourselves- "Danielle, you lived in Ethiopia. That would mean you're a TCK right? How did you just now learn what a TCK was?" You know what?! That's a great question!
But, alas, it's true. It was not until this fall and this massive paper (thank you CD!) that I truly learned what a TCK was- and how much I am a TCK- and how that has affected my life in so many ways. (For example, if I haven't been on a plane in six months- there's a problem. Rootlessness/restlessness sound familiar my fellow TCKs?)

Why do I tell you all this? Because I am proud of my TCK-ness. I am grateful for the gifts it has given me. I am even grateful for the struggles it has put me through. Though my heart still hurts at the thought of them, I have learned so much about myself, about my culture, and about other cultures.
And now, I have the exciting privilege to teach fellow TCKs! As I look forward to my students in Ethiopia, I am excited to share in life with them- their joys and their struggles of life as a TCK- because I have been there. Our stories may look slightly different, but they boil down to the same truths. Here's to being a Third Culture Kid!

Hey, any fellow TCKs or people working with TCKs~ if you're looking for a great resource, Van Reken and Pollock's book: Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds - it's also known as the bible of TCKs.