Francesca’s Interview

Can you give me your first name?
Francesca

Do you know what a Third-Culture Kid is?
To be honest, only just found out like 5min ago. It was certainly a “A-ha” moment though, made a lot of sense about my behaviour and life.

Are you a TCK yourself?
Judging by the description I certainly think so.

What countries passport do you carry?
Australian, though I think I might have a US Green card somewhere….

Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’ if not, why not?
I do in some ways; obviously this is the country I spent the most time in and I consider this my “home”. I don’t really identify myself as being “Australian” though. I was born to a Filipino mother and a Uruguayan father. My brother and I are first born Australian. And we most around a lot when we were little (Italy then the States). So honestly I simply think of Australia as the place I live and am proud of.

Is it the same country you were born in if not, Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’?
Yes, though I always just think the first 18months of my life living in Australia didn’t exist.

What is your definition of ‘home’?
Wherever your family is home. Or a place that when you go to it you have a sense of ease and familiarity with, whether it’s a smell, or landmark or sound.

Have you ever lived at ‘home’?
I have lived in Australia for the majority of my life, though when I was little I was convinced that I was actually American (in true American style, didn’t actually know Australia existed until I was 7 and just about to move back lol)

For many TCKs the question ‘where are you from’ is not as easy as it sounds. How would you answer this question, Where are you from?
I say I’m Australian. I always get a response of either “where are your parents from then?” or “What’s with the accent?”. I’ve been mistaken for Half Chinese, Half Cambodian, Mexican, Hawaiian, Islander, Brazilian.

For many TCKs the answer to the previous question is multi-faceted. Is your answer a simple one to you? If not, Does it bother you and how do you deal with it?
Depending on who I am speaking to it either is simple or complicated. It annoys me when people label me as American and abuse me. It’s very time consuming the explain that I’m not American, I just sound like one. Even my friends don’t believe that I’m Australian. I grew up with an Asian/American/South American influence so I always felt that no matter where I went I never fitted in anywhere. But I have come to accept and embrace that. I see myself as a “global citizen”.

When did you first leave your birth country for a period longer than 6 months?
18months.

How many different countries have you lived in for a period longer than 6 months?
Three; Australia (0-18months), Italy (18months-5years), USA (5years-8years), Back to Australia (8years-Present)

Where do you like to go when you go on holiday? Is it your birth country or another country?
I have been very fortunate that I have travelled extensively. I feel very comfortable in airports lol. I usually go the Philippines where my mum is from as our entire family on my mum’s side still lives there. I feel very at home when I go there; perhaps it is because for me to have more than my immediate family is rare, perhaps because I feel at “home” when I am in the Phils.

Do you go back to your birth country often?
I live here.

How do you feel when you are there, How do you interact with people there?
I like living here but I always have a longing for travel. Perhaps because of my childhood I do get restless sometimes because living here is “too familiar”. I sometimes do just say I’m American because it’s too long to explain my origin or to hide the fact that I get lost when in in the city (lol).

One of the characteristics of TCKs is an advanced maturity due to increased life experience. Do you feel as if you have reached a level of adult maturity?
I do find because I have travelled so much and because I have lived in other countries that I have more life experiences than my friends. A lot of my friends haven’t even left the country yet and it makes me very fortunate that I have had the opportunity to travel. I also have a very different home environment to my friends, as they are all hard core Australian Anglo-Saxon. I have had a few friends say to me that they are jealous because I am so “multi-cultured”.

When you grow-up can you see yourself in a job that allows you to travel?
I am basing all of my future jobs based on possible travel opportunities. It’s very important to me.

Mac’s Interview

Can you give me your first name?

Mac

Do you know what a Third-Culture Kid is?

That’s why I joined the group.

Are you a TCK yourself?

Yes I am.

What countries passport do you carry?

I carry a Thai passport.

Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’ if not, why not?

Depends on the definition of home, currently I don’t consider it my ‘home’ but who knows. Although my family lives and owns a house here, it never felt like a home. My time here has always been fragmented. I never stayed long enough to make the country my home or am I planning to. When im here, I feel stagnant like life is not progressing. 　

Is it the same country you were born in if not, Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’?

It is the country where im born. Refer to the previous answer for the reason.

What is your definition of ‘home’?

Home to me isn’t a specific place but a feeling of comfort and refuge when I am with people I care about. To me a good connection with the people in my life is essential without this I can’t feel at home let alone find a place to call home.

Have you ever lived at ‘home’?

I have felt at home.

For many TCKs the question ‘where are you from’ is not as easy as it sounds. How would you answer this question, Where are you from?

I just assume the question is ‘where are you born?’ In this case I would answer Thailand. This is the trivial answer for me unless they ask about my background. If that’s the case then I tell them about how I grew up in Nepal, London and Thailand.
For many TCKs the answer to the previous question is multi-faceted. Is your answer a simple one to you? If not, Does it bother you and how do you deal with it?

Its rather simple to me, where im from and where I grew up is different. I separate these two facts from each other but the latter is more important to me. The people I meet the places I’ve lived shapes who I am.

When did you first leave your birth country for a period longer than 6 months?

When I was 2 years old.

How many different countries have you lived in for a period longer than 6 months?

Thailand, Britain and Nepal (not in any particular order)

Where do you like to go when you go on holiday? Is it your birth country or another country?

I’d like to go somewhere I haven’t been before. I currently live in my birth country so I’d like to explore East Asia more since I spent the better half of my life so far in Europe.

Do you go back to your birth country often?

I live in Thailand now so I guess this does not apply to me. However im due for a move soon to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. So im guessing we might return to Bangkok often because its close.

How do you feel when you are there, How do you interact with people there?

Well right now I feel misplaced. My thoughts and ideas tend to disagree with people who have lived in Thailand for all their lives, this tends to upset people or cause misunderstandings. This happens often with the relatives who have a fixed mindset on how children should act and say. Interactions with people here are limited to casual topics and common niceties. Although I understand the Thai mentality and have a good wield of the language I don’t see myself taking that perspective resulting in lack of connection with the people. My social circle is limited to the international school community here in Bangkok where I meet people like myself.

One of the characteristics of TCKs is an advanced maturity due to increased life experience. Do you feel as if you have reached a level of adult maturity?

The enriched life experience has tought me to see the the world from multiple perspectives and allows for understanding of different people, adjusting myself to fit the situation. Socially and experience wise I feel more mature when I look at my local counterparts, however, due to the experience and knowledge of ‘whats out there’ I realize that theres still so much more to see and to learn. I feel uncomfortable at the thought of limiting my life to a particular place or job this makes me indesicive and lacking a sense of purpose for myself.

When you grow-up can you see yourself in a job that allows you to travel?

Well I plan to travel regardless so I guess it would be a bonus to have a job that allows me to travel, its definitely a possibility.

Emily’s Interview

Can you give me your first name?
Emily

Do you know what a Third-Culture Kid is?
Yes- well I do now

Are you a TCK yourself?
Yes

What countries passport do you carry?
New Zealand

Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’ if not, why not?
Currently yes, because that is where I am living. But it will change when I move.
Is it the same country you were born in if not, Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’?
No and no. When I first left my country of birth I considered it to be my home, but my view has since changed.

What is your definition of ‘home’?
The place that you happen to be living at the time.

Have you ever lived at ‘home’?
Yes- every country I have lived in has turned out to be my home.

For many TCKs the question ‘where are you from’ is not as easy as it sounds. How would you answer this question, Where are you from?
I often get told by other people where they think I am ‘from’, as everybody has a different view of the word. I have a New Zealand Passport, but was born in Australia. Some people consider me an Australian, some a New Zealander. So you can take your pick which one I am from. I even have a friend who calls me a ‘mutt’, because I’m not really from one place in particular.

For many TCKs the answer to the previous question is multi-faceted. Is your answer a simple one to you? If not, Does it bother you and how do you deal with it?
The answer seems simple to me. Any qualms about it is just something you have deal with.

When did you first leave your birth country for a period longer than 6 months?
When I was 9.

How many different countries have you lived in for a period longer than 6 months?
4

Where do you like to go when you go on holiday? Is it your birth country or another country?
When I go on holiday I like to visit places I haven’t seen before, but when we were living away from New Zealand we would often come back to visit extended family.
Do you go back to your birth country often?
Not for a couple of years.

How do you feel when you are there, How do you interact with people there?
Most relationships pick up again, but you notice that the longer you spend away from that country, the more distanced you become from the people living there.

One of the characteristics of TCKs is an advanced maturity due to increased life experience. Do you feel as if you have reached a level of adult maturity?
Not in all aspects of life. If you were to drop me in a foreign country that I had never been to before, I would hopefully be able to get myself around as well as any adult that had never left their home country.
When you grow-up can you see yourself in a job that allows you to travel?

Most definitely, I hope that it turns out that way.

Alaine’s Interview

Can you give me your first name?
Alaine

Do you know what a Third-Culture Kid is?
Yes

Are you a TCK yourself?
Yes, I’m also a second generation TCK. My parents are both TCKs.

What countries passport do you carry?
Indonesia

Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’ if not, why not?
No. I cannot relate to others from there except on a superficial level. I barely speak the language.

Is it the same country you were born in if not, Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’?
No. I was born in Singapore. I used to consider Singapore as home but it is no longer ‘home’ for me. Even though my family moved back there, they have a new home that I cannot relate to. My friends are all scattered throughout the world. The same local haunts that we used to frequent are no longer there and are replaced by new locations.

What is your definition of ‘home’?
I define home as a state of being; your memories, and being able to fully express your true self by feeling completely comfortable.

Have you ever lived at ‘home’?
When I was young, ‘home’ was the place where my family lived. So in that respect, yes, I have lived at ‘home’. Today, I like to think that New York is my ‘home’ because I am able to surround myself among different types of people and it feeds my energy and creativity each day.

For many TCKs the question ‘where are you from’ is not as easy as it sounds. How would you answer this question, Where are you from?
Hahaha… is that a trick question? If by that question you mean, where have I lived…

I was born in Singapore, moved to Indonesia after a few months and lived there for 7 years, then moved back to Singapore and lived there for 9 years, after high school graduation we moved to Southern California (Los Angeles/Orange County/Inland Empire) and lived there for 4 1/2 years for college. I moved to New York and my family moved back to Singapore. This is currently my 5th year in New York.

Culturally, I am Chinese, Singaporean, Indonesian, Californian, and New Yorker with a second-hand cultural smattering of London, Boston, Hong Kong, and Australia from my parents.

For many TCKs the answer to the previous question is multi-faceted. Is your answer a simple one to you? If not, Does it bother you and how do you deal with it?
Not a simple question. It used to bother me because I didn’t really know how to define where I was ‘from’. I went through a period of anxiety and depression where I didn’t know how to explain the cultural misfit phenomenon. I have learnt to embrace all and nothing, because that is who I am.

When did you first leave your birth country for a period longer than 6 months?
We moved to Indonesia after a few months (not known but less than 6 months).

How many different countries have you lived in for a period longer than 6 months?
3 countries.

Where do you like to go when you go on holiday? Is it your birth country or another country?
I like to travel to other countries/states. The best places are locations that I have never lived in.

Do you go back to your birth country often?
I try to go once a year but I haven’t been back in about 2 years.

How do you feel when you are there, How do you interact with people there?
I feel like I’m on vacation and not going ‘home’ even though I’m living at my parents’ ‘home’. I try to contact those that I know or friends’ of friends’ so I have other folks I can meet up with besides my family.

One of the characteristics of TCKs is an advanced maturity due to increased life experience. Do you feel as if you have reached a level of adult maturity?
Yes in many ways and no in other ways. I have a hard time making deep connections with people, as a result, I do not have close friends that I can keep secrets with. On the other hand, I can see past petty drama as insignificant and try to not get caught up in a bubble.

When you grow-up can you see yourself in a job that allows you to travel?
Yes. My goal is to tour with my dance company this year and the next couple years with the current multi-disciplinary arts project about global nomads and TCKs. http://tckcckahdanceproject.blogspot.com

Austin’s Interview

Can you give me your first name?
Austin

Do you know what a Third-Culture Kid is?
not really

Are you a TCK yourself?
i might be

What countries passport do you carry?
Diplomatic, but i guess american maybe

Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’ if not, why not?
no, home will always be USA for me.

Is it the same country you were born in if not, Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’?
it is the same country

What is your definition of ‘home’?
where my family is, and where i am proud to be from

Have you ever lived at ‘home’?
yes

For many TCKs the question ‘where are you from’ is not as easy as it sounds. How would you answer this question, Where are you from?
America, but ive lived in other countries.

For many TCKs the answer to the previous question is multi-faceted. Is your answer a simple one to you? If not, Does it bother you and how do you deal with it?
its not that simple, but its not much of bother to explain.

When did you first leave your birth country for a period longer than 6 months?
when i was 3-4 years old.

How many different countries have you lived in for a period longer than 6 months?
6

Where do you like to go when you go on holiday? Is it your birth country or another country?
America, it is my birth country.

Do you go back to your birth country often?
every summer.

How do you feel when you are there, How do you interact with people there?
i meet up with some friends, chill.

One of the characteristics of TCKs is an advanced maturity due to increased life experience. Do you feel as if you have reached a level of adult maturity?
i think i have, and i think im more mature than most people in my home country.

When you grow-up can you see yourself in a job that allows you to travel?
maybe, im pretty used to travelling, so it wouldnt be a bother for me.

Hilary’s Interview

Can you give me your first name?
Hilary

Do you know what a Third-Culture Kid is?
A child who grows up experiencing cultures different from his/her place
of birth

Are you a TCK yourself?
Yes (I was when I was growing up)

What countries passport do you carry?
Australia and New Zealand

Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’ if not, why not?’
Yes, this is where I currently live. However, I feel at home in 3
countries: Cambodia, Australia and New Zealand

Is it the same country you were born in if not, Do you consider this
country to be your ‘home’?
No, I was born in New Zealand. Yes – see above.

What is your definition of ‘home’?
Any place where you have an ongoing connection through family and
wherever you currently reside.

Have you ever lived at ‘home’?
I’ve lived in all 3 of my homes – New Zealand, Australia and Cambodia

For many TCKs the question ‘where are you from’ is not as easy as it
sounds. How would you answer this question, Where are you from?
I currently live in Cambodia, but I was born in New Zealand and most
recently lived in Australia.

For many TCKs the answer to the previous question is multi-faceted. Is
your answer a simple one to you? If not, Does it bother you and how do
you deal with it?
The answer is simple enough to me and I like the fact that my answer
isn’t straight-forward. I think living overseas and experiencing
different cultures, being a part of the minority rather than the
majority, has made me a better person. My international upbringing is a
point of pride for me.

When did you first leave your birth country for a period longer than 6
months?
When I was 12 years old and my family moved to Taiwan for 4 years.

How many different countries have you lived in for a period longer than
6 months?
Four

Where do you like to go when you go on holiday? Is it your birth country
or another country?
I like to go to new places and have travelled all over Asia, Europe and
parts of America. Whenever I go ‘home’ from Cambodia I go to both
Australia and New Zealand. My sister, friends and ‘life’ is in Australia
more than New Zealand, but I have a large family in New Zealand so that
feels like home just as much as Australia.

Do you go back to your birth country often?
At least once a year

How do you feel when you are there, How do you interact with people
there?
I feel comfortable because I’m with family and we are reasonably close
despite many years apart. But I also notice the differences between us.
Most of my extended family members haven’t left New Zealand (or have
done so only once or twice) so I sometimes feel I have a different view
of the world and look at things differently from them. Neither way is
right or wrong, it’s just that different experiences give people
different perspectives.

One of the characteristics of TCKs is an advanced maturity due to
increased life experience. Do you feel as if you have reached a level of
adult maturity?
I should hope so – I’m 29! But I when I moved to Australia from Taiwan
at the age of 16 I certainly felt more mature than my peers.

When you grow-up can you see yourself in a job that allows you to
travel?
I’m proof that once bitten TCKs can’t get rid of the travel bug! As soon
as I left Taiwan as a teenager I knew I wanted to live and work overseas
again. My sister, who is two years younger than me, is exactly the same.
She’s still in Australia but is building her life plan around spending
more time living overseas.

Cole’s Interview

Can you give me your first name?
Cole

Do you know what a Third-Culture Kid is?
I believe a third culture kid is a child who grows up in a separate country from their home country. Sort of like a British kid who grows up in Argentina.

Are you a TCK yourself?
I myself am a TCK. I was born in Washington DC, USA but I’ve grown up in four separate countries.

What countries passport do you carry?
I am American.

Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’ if not, why not?
Cambodia is my home. However, America is my home country and I love it.
Is it the same country you were born in if not, Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’?
I was not born here.

What is your definition of ‘home’?
“Home is where the heart is.” I love school here, I love the kids here, I love the city, and I love the culture. Sounds like a lot of love to me. I think my heart is here.

Have you ever lived at ‘home’?
I lived in the US for the first two years of my life. Later I lived in Seattle for second grade and San Diego for third grade.

For many TCKs the question ‘where are you from’ is not as easy as it sounds. How would you answer this question, Where are you from?
I would say “Originally, I’m from California but I’ve lived overseas for my whole life.”

For many TCKs the answer to the previous question is multi-faceted. Is your answer a simple one to you? If not, Does it bother you and how do you deal with it?
I would say it’s fairly easy to answer. I’ve said it practically every week for the past 13 years. It doesn’t bother me.

When did you first leave your birth country for a period longer than 6 months?
When I was 2 years old I moved from the US to Kenya.

How many different countries have you lived in for a period longer than 6 months?
Five. USA, Egypt, Cambodia, Kenya, and Madagascar (not in that order).

Where do you like to go when you go on holiday? Is it your birth country or another country?
I’ve travelled to many countries, but I’ve vacation in my home country a lot.

Do you go back to your birth country often?
I usually go once every year.

How do you feel when you are there, How do you interact with people there?
I am NOTHING like other Americans. Nothing at all. I cannot interact or talk with them at all. Not about American stuff anyway.

One of the characteristics of TCKs is an advanced maturity due to increased life experience. Do you feel as if you have reached a level of adult maturity?
Well, hehe, almost. But yes, I feel that I can make justified decisions, unlike my fellow countryteens.

When you grow-up can you see yourself in a job that allows you to travel?
Oh definitely. I really want to strive for a career in filmmaking, and I dream of allowing this job to maintain an international relationship.

Paul’s Interview

Can you give me your first name?
Yes.

Do you know what a Third-Culture Kid is?
No, I didn’t but now I do.

Are you a TCK yourself?
Yes.

What countries passport do you carry?
Australian and British.
Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’ if not, why not?’
I consider Australia to be my home.

Is it the same country you were born in if not, Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’?
Yes, I was born in Australia.

What is your definition of ‘home’?
Where my family, house and personal belongings are in storage.

Have you ever lived at ‘home’?
Yes, but my parents moved the home regularly so home is not necessarily fixed, but a place of privacy and family gathering.

For many TCKs the question ‘where are you from’ is not as easy as it sounds. How would you answer this question, Where are you from?
Nobody really cares, so I just say Australia. I learned long ago that my travels and experiences are more interesting to me than other people, who may ask, but don’t really understand.

For many TCKs the answer to the previous question is multi-faceted. Is your answer a simple one to you? If not, Does it bother you and how do you deal with it?
As above. But I usually say I grew up in the Pacific Islands were my father was a sea Captain, who trained local people.

When did you first leave your birth country for a period longer than 6 months? 1972 before I turned One year old.

How many different countries have you lived in for a period longer than 6 months?
Six (6)

Where do you like to go when you go on holiday? Is it your birth country or another country?
Somewhere I have not been before. I like to explore.

Do you go back to your birth country often?
Yes, due to business and study needs.

How do you feel when you are there, How do you interact with people there?
I feel free and relaxed at first, but then I feel Australia is over regulated and everyone is in blind compliance with policy and procedure. Even so, Australia runs rings around many of the countries I have lived in, due principally to the quality of government and the multicultural tolerance of the Australian people.

One of the characteristics of TCKs is an advanced maturity due to increased life experience. Do you feel as if you have reached a level of adult maturity?
Good question, hard to answer. As a 38 year old I believe I have reached adult maturity. At least I am married with three children assumes I have achieved legal maturity under Australian Law. As a kid growing up overseas, I found that upon returning to Australia my experiences had shaped me differently to my peers. I think I had grown up faster and this was not respected by my Australian peers or adults who had grown up with stereotyped inhibitions; which took many years to shake off.

When you grow-up can you see yourself in a job that allows you to travel?
In retrospect this has occurred. I get itchy feet to travel and work overseas. I am comfortable with other cultures. This differentiates me from my Australian peer group who have not travelled.

Please include a picture of yourself that will not identify you, but says something about you. I have assumed that you want a word picture?
I am an introverted ‘Jack of All Trades’ but master of none. I am a ‘hands on’ practical person. I am not a politician!

Suzanne’s Interview

Can you give me your first name?
Hallo. Dobry Vechir. Guten Abend. My name is Suzanne

Do you know what a Third-Culture Kid is?
YES~!

Are you a TCK yourself?
YES! ATCK.

What countries passport do you carry?
United States

Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’ if not, why not?
No. I was born here, but I did not grow up here, and I’m not one of these people. ;D In short, I don’t think like an American, feel like an American, or behave like an American. I think, feel and act, as a European who was originally from West Africa or the Middle East.

Is it the same country you were born in if not, Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’?
See above.

What is your definition of ‘home’?
Robert Frost, poem, “Death of the Hired Man” – 1914: “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to let you in.”

Have you ever lived at ‘home’?
Yes. I do live in the States now. But I am unhappy and want to leave.

For many TCKs the question ‘where are you from’ is not as easy as it sounds. How would you answer this question, Where are you from?
I grew up on Pan Am Airways.

For many TCKs the answer to the previous question is multi-faceted. Is your answer a simple one to you? If not, Does it bother you and how do you deal with it?
No it is not simple, and I hate this question. (No offense to you – I know what you are trying to do.) It drives me insane that people seem to see geography as a place of physicality, and not as a landscape of the heart.
I try to avoid the question with humor (as my example above: I grew up on Pan Am…do you have a few days to talk???) I have often tried and failed miserably to explain “what” I am and “where” I am from. Until I learned about TCK (last couple months) I did not have adequate language and people looked at me like I was crazy. Now they seem to understand a bit better!

When did you first leave your birth country for a period longer than 6 months?
I was six weeks old. I did return very briefly, about 1 and a half years, and then did not return again until I was 18. I immediately took off again for europe and was very restless. I am still restless but I have been living in the States for about 20 years now.

How many different countries have you lived in for a period longer than 6 months?
As a child: 4 = Bucharest Romania, Liberia, W. Africa, Behshahr, Iran and Frankfurt Germany as a child.
As an adult: (immediately after a “failed” repatriation) : Barbados, West Indies; Donegal, Ireland; London, UK; Paris, France.

Where do you like to go when you go on holiday? Is it your birth country or another country?
I like anywhere in the tropics and I think this may have to do with my buried and also very conscious memories of Africa. I also like “wild” places and have always enjoyed the “thrill” of the Middle East, and I think this is because I lived in Iran. Of course, I also spend a lot of time (when I have the money) in Europe and naturally it is because I want to “high school” there. I am more comfortable ANYWHERE, except the US.

Do you go back to your birth country often?
I live here. But I can’t wait to leave.

How do you feel when you are there, How do you interact with people there?
It has been 20 years since my repatriation. But it is a constant struggle. People are nice, in general (there’s bad people everywhere) but I do not understand them, how they think, and they really do NOT understand me. There is a gap I seem unable to bridge, and at this point, I have even lost interest in doing it. I’d rather just go and be done with it. After 20 years of trying, I see no point in continuing to beat my head against the wall. The plain fact is: I do not belong here, and I do not WANT to belong here. I am only here due to family obligations and work necessities.

One of the characteristics of TCKs is an advanced maturity due to increased life experience. Do you feel as if you have reached a level of adult maturity?
Well, I’m an adult, but my answer would be yes. When I was 15, I was 25 but at the same time I was 12 if you know what I mean.
I was worldly wise, and very politically astute, as well as extremely well read and well educated. But I was completely unprepared for “relationships” and “work obligations”. I was a child in an adult body with an adult mind, but with a childish heart and a childish way of relating to other people. Entirely too trusting, entirely too “naive”, entirely too “spoiled”.

When you grow-up can you see yourself in a job that allows you to travel?
Yes. I am working on that.

Please include a picture of yourself that will not identify you, but says something about you.
Okay. Best wishes for your success in your study.!

Tanya’s Interview

Can you give me your first name?
Tanya

Do you know what a Third-Culture Kid is?
Yes but I didn’t when I was a kid

Are you a TCK yourself?
A Third Culture Kid adult now

What countries passport do you carry?
A New Zealand passport but I can also have a British passport too

Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’ if not, why not?
I consider New Zealand the country ‘home’, more specifically I sometimes refer to my parents house in New Zealand as ‘home’ even though I have never lived there. Until earlier this year I still referred to Palmerston North (where I met my husband, where my kids were born and where we own a house- which we used to live in) as ‘home’ but the last time we went back I realized it no longer felt like home. I also refer to the place we are currently living as ‘home’.

Is it the same country you were born in if not, Do you consider this country to be your ‘home’?
I was born in England to New Zealand parents on their O/E (a rite of passage in NZ O/E means ‘overseas experience’ ) at the end of a PhD. I was 6 weeks old when we moved to Makassar Indonesia and still (at 40) haven’t made it back to England yet so no, England is not ‘home’. But being born there gives me the right to a British passport which I can hold concurrently to my New Zealand one.

What is your definition of ‘home’?
‘Home’ to me means family. Whereever my family is is ‘home’.

Have you ever lived at ‘home’?
I have lived in New Zealand but not in the town my parents now live.

For many TCKs the question ‘where are you from’ is not as easy as it sounds. How would you answer this question, Where are you from?
I usually just say New Zealand because it is easier.
Sometimes I ask: Do you mean where was I born? Or where do I live? Or my nationality? Because the answers are all different.

For many TCKs the answer to the previous question is multi-faceted. Is your answer a simple one to you? If not, Does it bother you and how do you deal with it?
It can be simple. When I am outside of New Zealand I definitely feel like a kiwi. It is more complicated when in NZ as I don’t feel like everyone else. I didn’t deal with it very well as a teenager after we came back to New Zealand to live. I have felt ‘different’ for as long as I can remember. It took me a while to work out that I am much better being ‘different’ somewhere where I am not expected to be the same.
When did you first leave your birth country for a period longer than 6 months?
When I was 6 weeks old.

How many different countries have you lived in for a period longer than 6 months?
6 different countries but I have lived in Singapore twice- once as a child and then again as an adult with my own children. So if I can count that twice then 7.

Where do you like to go when you go on holiday? Is it your birth country or another country?

I love to travel and explore new countries but I miss people at home especially those who can’t travel and so don’t visit us so sometimes it is a conflict. Going ‘home’ is not a holiday as there are chores and obligations that take time and energy and sometimes there is guilt especially with family. We try to balance travel and adventure with periodic trips back to NZ. We are lucky we are only 10 hours away at the moment!
Do you go back to your birth country often?
Once every one or two years depending on where we are.

How do you feel when you are there, How do you interact with people there?
I feel sentimental and proud to be a kiwi but I look at New Zealand with a mixture of familiarity and awe like I am seeing it like a tourist and there is also a sense of deja vu, like stepping into an alternate reality where I have moved on but ‘home’ has stayed the same. I love the way the immigration staff say ‘welcome home’ that doesn’t happen anywhere else.
I enjoy reconnecting with friends. It always amazes and delights that we can just pick up where we left off but I also feel under intense pressure not to leave anyone out- especially family. My sisters have children now and I can’t help feeling that I am missing out on knowing them as they grow up.

One of the characteristics of TCKs is an advanced maturity due to increased life experience. Do you feel as if you have reached a level of adult maturity?
I did feel different as a teenager, I felt like I was pretending. I have always been more sensitive to global issues and ‘worldly wise’ so much of what was important to teenagers at ‘home’ seemed trivial to me. We had our first child at just 20 so I became a ‘responsible’ adult earlier than almost anyone we knew anyway.

When you grow-up can you see yourself in a job that allows you to travel?
I was planning a travel orientated job but then became a parent which put my career plans on hold. It took me a few years but eventually I convinced my partner to become an expat (he is not a TCK ). Now he has the travel bug. Once a wanderer always a wanderer I guess.