Pondering's of A Third Culture Kid
Where are you from?
When people ask me that question, I tend to freeze up.
I catch myself looking out into space.
My eyes drift upward, my mind starts to wander.
Where am I from? Who am I? Why did they stop making Dunkaroos?
I have a deep, longing look on my face.
The question is rattles around in my head.
This is quite literally one of the hardest questions that anyone could EVER ask me.
Why did they have to ask that!
Lets take a minute and try to explore why that is.
Where. Am. I. From? ...Well.. I was born in Australia! -But at 17 months I moved to Jakarta. I have an American passport! -I also have an Australian one. I spent six years in Singapore! -But I also spent six in Indonesia. I live in the Bay Area now! I watched the Warriors before they were popular, I ghost rode my whip... -but that doesn't make me from the Bay.
Being a TCK was a blessing and a little bit of a curse. On one side, I got to witness rich cultures - unusual practices, and unique people. On the other side, I don't have a consistent group of childhood friends, a place where my roots run deep, or a city where I can call home.
But that's OK!
I'll take sixteen hour plane rides from Singapore to San Francisco over an eight hour car ride down Highway 5. I'll take building sandcastles in the shadow of Krakatoa over watching the fog roll in on Ocean Beach. And I'll definitely take having friends on every continent then having a consistent play group at day care.
Don't Take Life Too Seriously
- Myles
1991 - Melbourne, Australia
1992 - Jakarta Indonesia
1998 - Hong Kong
2004 - Singapore
2010 - San Rafael, CA
2011 - San Francisco, CA
2016 - Oakland, CA
