After 45 years in the US, none of it applies. I have adapted to my new surroundings

Funny - I can't relate to any of it. lol And trust me, I grew up on the field. Maybe it has more to do with the fact that I'm of an older missionary generation/over 40 crowd now? :)

1. Monthly plans are *expensive* - plus most things like cable and internet are transferable. I usually go for 1 yr plans - even had a 2 yr for my cell phone. :) Once the contract is up, you just keep going. :)

2. My first computer ever was a PC - then a laptop - last two were PC's. Decisions were mostly determined by amt of computer for cost. I used to travel with my laptop - it's much easier without it! :)

3. Ewww :) Plus, furnished is more expensive and I like my own "home things". Yeah, it takes the larger U-haul when I move. :)

4. This is the first place I've decorated "all the way" -i.e. window dressings. But other than that, I make it my home, most definitely - pictures, decorations to my taste. This was probably learned from my folks too - no matter if we were only in a place for a year or so, they always fully unpacked, put the pictures and decorations up, bought appropriate furniture, etc.

5. I have a nice DVD and VCR AND cassette and CD library. :) I also watch online and rent Netflix. It all goes with me whenever I move. (altho' I am considering going through and culling my cassette collection for things I never listen to).

6. I definitely know how to live on a budget and tighten the belt. Both my folks taught us well - it's always wisest to buy good quality (within your means) that will last and you'll keep for a while. This went for furniture, appliances, clothes, etc. They still have furniture they bought on the field that they've shipped back; shoes and clothes that we could never have afforded in the US. :) (we lived in countries with excellent furniture making, clothes and cobbler-y traditions) Living in these countries probably also helped train me to appreciate the value of quality.

7. Books!! all the way! there is nothing like holding a book in your hand, turning the pages, underlining, notes in margins. Or knowing that the book you have has years and years of heritage and tradition attached to it. My books go with me - even all of my books from nursing school! (altho' I can probably cull those by now!)

8. My career is much more "mobile" than I would like. :( but due more to health than desire. 'course, who wanted a "career" in the first place? :) Really wanted a family in ministry. :)

9. I don't have a large wardrobe just because I don't use a lot of clothes and they are difficult to find. :) Plus, I've taken corporate classes in how to get multiple outfits out of minimal items, etc. Saves on the bucks. :)

10. Grew up with large pets - and multiple ones. In fact, we raised German Shepherds and rabbits when we were on the field. Big dogs are still my "go to" preference, but right now just don't have the room.

@ Senlando:
#3 and #9. I also think that an alone-standing bed is a complete waste of space. On the one hand I have a sleepingcouch, which I often don't pull out, and just use at it is; and on the other hand my entire wardrobe is under my bed in a seperate room, just big enough to fit my bed... actually its more like a big closet with a bed in it : ) As to the content of the wardrobe - it's also a fashion jungle. I actually have only two decent outfits - one is a suit(from my prom), the other a set of hiking clothes. The rest always miss one piece or another, and whenever I moved, the new fashion situation confused me into not replacing the old clothes that had torn or gotten too small (since I've stopped growing upwards my body has started conquering the other two dimensions...). So in the end, many of my clothes are too small and have a used look to them. I still don't have a sense of style and it take me ages to pick a new shirt of pants. Luckily I've been getting hand-downs from my uncle, but thus I dress a bit old fashioned.
Nevertheless, cheers to all the different TCK habits! : )

#1 monthly plans are the best or pay as you go, although I'm usually can commit to a year at a time. I remember getting my first phone plan, and they asked me if I wanted 1 year, 2 years, or 3 years. 3years!!! the idea that someone can plan 3 years ahead kind of surprises me, plus withing a year, most people want a new phone anyways!

#2, agreed, although with quality of a desktop computer one could get with the price of a good laptop, is sometimes very tempting, i much rather have mobility.

#3, i agree and disagree, I hate buying furniture since it's unpractical to bring along, but the idea of renting furnished (other then fridge, and stove, which is the norm in Canada) makes me feal like i don't really live their. I much rather have a lack of funiture, an the furniture i have is really cheap gradge sale furniture, that if i have to, i can throw away. btw, i sleep on a mattress on the floor, cause i don't think i need a bed or bed frame.

#4, my room, is currently completely undecorated, nothings on the wall, i don't even have curtains, which is OK since i sleep in a basement.

#5, I watch most movies online (yes I am a pirate!). Although the really good onse i must by for my collection. I really have way to many movies and cd's it's pathetic!

#6, yes and no. I'm the type of TCK whos lived a very stable life, I lived in the same city for 18 years! It wasn't until i returned to my parents homeland before I started fealing the need to be frugle and have less stuff, although when it comes to entertainment (flat screen tv, xbox360, surround sound, laptop, and pc) i'm a complete failure! but i do wish i could just sell it all, and start from scratch.

7#, being from a homeschool family of readers, i've always been used to having books. infact our homes in Tainan always had a school room, usually the biggest room in the house, and most of the walls would be books. We where the book library for the other homeschooling in our city. So i have naturally taken on the habit of buying books, especially language books! I would love to borrow and rent, but i take a long time to read a book, and often stop for long periods of time between readings so, i almost have to own the book to read it. (although i have found online audio books a wonderful alternative to having to own so many books!)

8# unfortunately I'm still in university, and am not free from the shackles of low paying and degrading jobs that keep me in the same city.

9# i have pilles of cloths, some of them more like rags, and i don't dress to well. Truthfully i've always been confused about newest fashions and feel weird trying anything that new. I'm usally like 10 years behind. haha.

10# i never owned a large pet. In Taiwan we had a toy poodle and a hair(large rabbit), i also owned many small turtles, and hamsters. Since i've moved to Canada and i know I'll be moving again asap, i've only owned a bata fish, who died in 6 months.

It's funny, my tck life was much more stable then most tcks but I'v always felt that everything i owned, i would one day have to get rid of, and this attitude has really reviled itself when i made my first move to Canada.

HA HA!! i pretty much relate to every single one except 3 and 4.

3 because i wasn't aware that you could RENT furniture.
4 because i enjoy decorating my room, although i have to admit i have a more minimalistic approach to home deco...

i love this! i never thought about how these quirks of mine might have been due to my upbringing! great post, though i think i read it late =P

actually I don't relate to any of those (yet)

My parents buy a lot of books and furniture

I know moving's an upheaval

but...... we just do it! Insdead of owing less things!!!!

In my opinion, I still like owing stuffs (Including buying DVD instead of online!)

It makes me feel safer, u know!?

At least I have my same stuffs I owned, no matter where I go!

I need my stuffs!!!XD

Different opinions =P

I definitely think we can be still different among ourselves!!!=P

I like nr. 6 : I'm very frugal. The less stuff I own, the less tied down and happier I feel.

I can definitely identify with that.
But then again, I've settled in one place for a longer time now, and I even bought furniture for my apartment : ) I expected to stay here at least 2 yrs, and maybe even up to 5-7 yrs. So I took the risk ; )

As to nr. 1 ; ) I'm suffering the consequences of having bought a 2 yr contract for my cellphone - now its a regular ripp-off :/ just because I moved and a different network is more popular here. I guess I jumped ahead of myself on that one.

I know what you mean. My mom was trying to get my to clear out the last few boxes of my stuff from their basement, so she looked up some article that tells you how to get rid of stuff if you're a pack rat. "If you have trouble getting rid of things, just go through and pick one item that best represents each significant event in your life and get rid of other things that represent the same event". Unfortunately, for TCKs, we have been in so many schools, so many houses, so many countries, had so many friends, had so many experiences.... I've already only got one thing for maybe SOME of the "significant events" that I want to remember. If you've only moved once or something, you could have one thing that reminds you of your old house, or one thing from 2nd grade, but... there's just no way to narrow it down for me :)

I have a lot of trouble with getting rid of stuff. It was always the one thing that remained constant for me. I find comfort in my things.
Once in awhile I do get the urge to purge and not have any stuff anymore but it's hard to let go of stuff that holds so many memories.

Yep! I can basket some of those items. I just don´t have the guts (and the drive) to get so many things. I appreciate books and over the years have indeed accumulated quite a few. That goes with the idea of not being able to move all that stuff. What I don´t like doing is making my appartment look all nice and shiny. It is too much bother and I always tend to ask: why, to what effect. First of all, it will get dirty (dusty) anyway; secondly, I still anticipate on a move from here to there. Don´t have yet a clue but that´s what the migration instinct is all about.
My windows desparately need cleaning, but I realized that its good not to be able to see so much of the outside world. Not only because I am living in a city with a few trees in front, but because I simply dislike it. I grew up in the tropics and stayed a tropical kid all those years. Just can´t get used to that kind of "unfriendly" environment. And then you have to count on the cold of winter. :((
Much to my dislike I live here in a cage. I get out for a split second, but have to go back to it. It boils down to the fact: you just can´t beat the odds.

1. Haha, yeah...I don't know if I'll ever come up with long term plans for anything. I can't seem to think more than a couple of months in advance.

2. Well, the only reason I don't have a laptop is I hate the keyboards and the screen drives me crazy (I do like the compactness). So I got an iMac. Which, IMO, is probably the next best thing since it's basically a big monitor. :D

3. All the furniture I have isn't mine. People have given them to me. My older brother is the same way. The only furniture he owns is his computer desk, and an inflatable mattress.

4. I do decorate my room, but I think it's because I want it to reflect me and who I am. And I think it worked because everyone who seems my room says, "Oh Sara, this room is just so...you!"

5. Ah, half and half...I have half my movies on my computer and the other half in actual DVD form. All my music is on my computer, but I seem to still hang onto the CD's. Maybe I'm scared my computer will crash and 80 GB's worth of my musical life will be gone with it. :)

6. I guess I'm opposite on that too...I want to belong to feel rooted. So I think I accumulate lots of things to feel that way. And also, I'm very sentimental and I tend to hang onto things. Although, your viewpoint is very enticing.

7. I have a mini library (two small bookshelves), but that's because I LOVE books so much. And they're all ones I would read over and over again.

8. I don't have a job yet... :(

9. All my clothes would pretty much fit in one big closet and dresser. But I alternate, right now I have my winter clothes out and my summer clothes are in storage. I wish I had a smaller wardrobe!

10. I don't have any pets, but the grandmotherly lady I'm staying with has a large fluffy white cat who sheds everywhere! :D

1. Monthly plans for everything. Phone, Cable TV, and Internet. There's no way I'll buy a 3-year plan. my phone is prepaid and the internet is my parents

2. Laptop instead of a bulky Desktop PC. It's useful when you visit family overseas. laptops are amazing.. && wireless to!

3. I prefer to rent furnished. The thought of buying furniture irks me. I watch my parents trying to move all their furniture and laugh..

4. I don't heavily decorate my room. Why bother buying fancy curtains and repainting? I'll move soon. My walls get covered with pictures and anything else that has special meaning to me that will stick to the wall with sticky tack

5. I prefer watching movies online than owning DVDs. No, I'm not a pirate! yes... DVDs and CDs are really bulky..

6. I'm very frugal. The less stuff I own, the less tied down and happier I feel. mhmm.. knowing that all your worldly possesions are in just a few bags.. it makes one feel free

7. I borrow books whenever possible. Ever tried moving a library? It's not fun - books are heavy! I have a lot of books.. mostly old journals!

8. My career is mobile. I like being able to decide where I want to work. student..

9. I don't have a large wardrobe at home but I dress well. my wardrobe has been in two continents for almost a year. It's all in the same city now but some is still in storage.. I really want to sort it all out.

10. I don't own any large pets. But I can accommodate a cat.
No pets.. I detest them!

Brice, I really cant sleep since I found Tck!!! it feels so good to learn soooo much and for once ....just feel normal!!! ;-)) yep...procrastination!!!!

You've been on this site for 6 hours? Wow, I need to put that "warning: may cause addiction" sign back somewhere. lol. You almost beat the record though, someone has once been on here for over 12 hours straight!

Welcome to TCKID, the home of procrastination. :)

I could probably add a few to that but I've been reading/typing for apparantly the last 6hrs :-D

Yes our household is a mixture of all relics/furniture/antiques and other items we have stored on our travels throughout Southeast Asia.

But i am good going anywhere and staying long term, as long as i have decent conversation/exposure/acceptance from locals, which is the hard party. Therefore, i seek to return to Britain, and if that place has changed or is not good, i will go where i have felt at home and where half of my family is, Australia.

We eat a mixture of food, italian, chinese, boring english, unhealthy american, salads, friend vegetables, Indian, southeast asian etc. WE are very adaptable

We speak english, with mandarin, bahasa and german as secondary languages.

I also share the idea of not having a particularly favorite music, i can listen to anything that is listenable- so I am not a fan of most normal conversations about music involving who is gay for listening to a certain thing and who is not.

We seek to travel and work anywhere, but preferably China, for i believe that is most lacking in Anglo-Sino relations now; the Aussie are picking up on that with KEvin Rudd, and he is an inspiration for me, but i just wonder how familiar he is with Chinese culture.

With regard to travel we are easily adaptable, for vacation we prefer post-terrorist attack places because security and service are usually better off after an attack.

Whilst it is all good, it can get very lonely. We did all this travel expat stuff long before it became fashionable. And now with the increasing influx of expats, they themselves are different because they are merely travellers who have still been brought up in their own countries/cultures throughout their teenage lives-they are not veteran travellers or TCKs at all. They are the sort of people that go to Xi'an and go clubbing everynight of all places in the world... with no idea of the culture or the historical essence of the place... We as TCKs are not like that.

That's all for now.

corporal.charlie@gmail.com

Yes our household is a mixture of all relics/furniture/antiques and other items we have stored on our travels throughout Southeast Asia.

But i am good going anywhere and staying long term, as long as i have decent conversation/exposure/acceptance from locals, which is the hard party. Therefore, i seek to return to Britain, and if that place has changed or is not good, i will go where i have felt at home and where half of my family is, Australia.

We eat a mixture of food, italian, chinese, boring english, unhealthy american, salads, friend vegetables, Indian, southeast asian etc. WE are very adaptable

We speak english, with mandarin, bahasa and german as secondary languages.

I also share the idea of not having a particularly favorite music, i can listen to anything that is listenable- so I am not a fan of most normal conversations about music involving who is gay for listening to a certain thing and who is not.

We seek to travel and work anywhere, but preferably China, for i believe that is most lacking in Anglo-Sino relations now; the Aussie are picking up on that with KEvin Rudd, and he is an inspiration for me, but i just wonder how familiar he is with Chinese culture.

With regard to travel we are easily adaptable, for vacation we prefer post-terrorist attack places because security and service are usually better off after an attack.

Whilst it is all good, it can get very lonely. We did all this travel expat stuff long before it became fashionable. And now with the increasing influx of expats, they themselves are different because they are merely travellers who have still been brought up in their own countries/cultures throughout their teenage lives-they are not veteran travellers or TCKs at all. They are the sort of people that go to Xi'an and go clubbing everynight of all places in the world... with no idea of the culture or the historical essence of the place... We as TCKs are not like that.

That's all for now.

Yes our household is a mixture of all relics/furniture/antiques and other items we have stored on our travels throughout Southeast Asia.

But i am good going anywhere and staying long term, as long as i have decent conversation/exposure/acceptance from locals, which is the hard party. Therefore, i seek to return to Britain, and if that place has changed or is not good, i will go where i have felt at home and where half of my family is, Australia.

We eat a mixture of food, italian, chinese, boring english, unhealthy american, salads, friend vegetables, Indian, southeast asian etc. WE are very adaptable

We speak english, with mandarin, bahasa and german as secondary languages.

I also share the idea of not having a particularly favorite music, i can listen to anything that is listenable- so I am not a fan of most normal conversations about music involving who is gay for listening to a certain thing and who is not.

We seek to travel and work anywhere, but preferably China, for i believe that is most lacking in Anglo-Sino relations now; the Aussie are picking up on that with KEvin Rudd, and he is an inspiration for me, but i just wonder how familiar he is with Chinese culture.

With regard to travel we are easily adaptable, for vacation we prefer post-terrorist attack places because security and service are usually better off after an attack.

That's all for now.

I notice that I cherish those things that I got from the foreign places I have been. I have a capiz lamp my parents bought from the Philippines while we were stationed on Okinawa, it is 33 years old and I still have it. I have my Taiwan temple lamp and my Greek vase. I have my bamboo nativity set. When I met my husband, I had nothing but my clothes and these "pretties" as I call them. They are really memories. Now that I have lived in one place for ten years, I finally feel at home yet I still have no friends to speak of and I don't fit in anywhere.

I can pack up our whole house (there are six of us, four are kids!) in a flash, find a house to rent in a day, move in and be comfortable in a week. Everyone I know that is not a TCK is always amazed that I can do those things so fast. They take FOREVER to pack up, need tons of people to help them move, and seem to take forever to find a rental and get unpacked. It is too funny!

When I did travel, I just seemed to know how to get around. I didn't seem to need a tour group like everyone else did; striking out on my own was the way for me!

I know how to cook foods from many places so my family eats lots of ethnic foods. I make Arabic, Greek, Japanese, Chinese, Cajun, German, Italian, Spanish (from Spain) Mexican, Navajo, French sauces (some) and oh yeah, American food. (Seeing as how I am an American, I guess I should know how to make hot dogs, hamburgers and apple pie.)

I like music from all over and have an international collection of music. I have Japanese Obon music, Classical Chinese, Classical and Village Arabic, Turkish, German, Celtic, Italian, French, Belgian, and Greek music.

I know idoms or phrases in several languages like :
Momon Jun-Jun (Persian for Mama's Sweetheart)
Greek phrases, Palestinian Arabic, some Hebrew, German, some Japanese, a smattering of Spanish and even a bit if Navajo.

That's all I can think of for now!

babette -

I get pretty attached to stuff too since they are the only things that ever remained constant. Also because almost everything has some sort of memory attached to it. I tend to try and make where ever I am as "homey" as possible. I am also very fussy about drawers and closets. I've developed a huge dislike for living out of a suitcase. The notion of "home" to me has become associated with being able to put my things in closets and drawers.

It often leads to me forgetting things somewhere, but I'd rather forget a pair of flip flops or a pair of jeans on a trip back to England than to be on edge and irritated the entire time that I am there.

haha, it's crazy how people can relate to all of this... cami, I too have a constant suitcase in my room already ready to travel with. The holiday thought sounds familiar too, at least once during my holiays will you hear me say, " I can see myself living here actually.." Although i agree with most of the list, I do get pretty attached to my stuff actually. I feel because I don't get attached to the place, my stuff is really important to me.

I agree with all of those lol. The only one that I'm not so much with is the first one in terms of cell phones. I have a cell phone on an 18 month contract, which I now totally regret as I just decided not too long ago that I would move as soon as I graduate which will be about 12 months into the contract. Which leaves me paying another 6 months for my phone when I won't be in the country...
Anyone know if I can switch from T-mobile in one country to T-mobile in another with the same phone/contract? Lol

I can relate to a bunch of those! I also have a suitcase in my room - never empty (or forever half-packed?), like I need to be ready at a moment's notice to leave for somewhere. That can't be "normal", can it? :-p Likewise I am uncomfortable with having too many things or spending too much money on something I can't pack in a box and take with me to wherever I'm headed next. My career is definitely mobile; I've never been very happy in a typical corporate environment (am allergic to desks, it seems).

And jboudreaux: whenever I visit a new place, I ask myself "Can I live here?" within a few hours of arriving. And usually, the answer seems to be "yes".

yes i think like that too! my attitude to holidays is totally different from others. Also, the holidays i choose to do are hardly ever purely holiday, I need to get involved...

When you go on a vacation to a new country, do you wonder if you could live there? Do you often say yes? I do! That's a big habit of mine.

1. I will do a yearly plan because I´m locked into education right now which requires me to live in one place at least 9 months of the year....although I´m ¨studying abroad¨ so I guess it doesn´t work now

4. I know I probably be able to use a place very long but I LOVE to decorate. I do it cheaply though. For example, my doorm room was decorated with easily portable things that looked expensive or things that I made and I absolutely covered the walls with pictures from National Geographic. It looked really cool.

5. I prefer to own movies because I have a laptop it doesn´t matter but I watch all my TV online

10. I don´t own pets. Partly because my mother hates animals, partly because they would cramp my style. The closest we got were fish and a tortoise we found on the side of the road. That didn´t last long...it ran away........yeaaaahhhh.

1. My goodness, you mean there actually are people who use yearly plans!?O.o I don't think I could manage that, it'd make me nervous. Monthly plan all the way.

2. Laptops are to me as the utility belt is to Batman. Though my family does have a Desktop.

3. My family has never had alot of furniture. We like to look but never buy. I don't think I'm going to veer from this...ever.

4. Yup, room is bare. Though, now that I have to share a room with my siblings they have pictures and stamps on the wall.

5. Actually, I like to own DVD's but I don't have alot.

6. I agree, especially since I'm a compulsive cleaner. Not having alot of stuff makes me happy. I mean, my siblings are very careful of having alot of things in the room (they ask me first) because I go nuts when they bring in something we don't need.

7. Here is where I disagree the most. I am very attatched to books. They have helped me get through all the terrible things in life. As bare as my room is there is always a bookshelf filled top to bottom with books. I've also read them all multiple times.

8. I'd like to have a career like that but as of now still in school.xD

9. Oh yes, not many clothes. I never cared much for clothes. My mother though....>.>

10. Now, I have 5 medium-large dogs and a couple of birds but when we move their all goin' to my relatives. My family overseas are dog lovers to the extreme. Growing up we only had one small dog though which ran away or got kidnapped.T_T I'd like to own a cat. I love dogs but I'm more of a cat person.

I sure relate to part of #4 when you wrote:
"Why bother . . . ? I'll move soon."

Unfortunately, that sums up a lot of my relationships and lifestyle. I think I've got to learn how to get past that!

let's see...um i strongly find tat I am a much lighter packer than my TCK frds and I can somehow magically manage to bring more stuff with a lighter bag. and I am just better at dealing with packing and unpacking because on my trip to mexico I ended up doing all of the unpacking and LOTS of organizing for my roomate simply because I cudnt stand her speed and the way she complicates very simple things...
another thing is tat I literally bring electric adapter with me EVERYWHERE I GO and ppl dont understand why LOL.
I also refuse to buy cars, houses and furnitures, definitely true. But i never managed to stop buying clothes and makeup.
And I find tat TCKs are definitely less picky about specific items...like once when I went on this voulunteer trip and I am just like...ok um towel is thick and heavy, I am just gonna bring a huge t-shirt tat I am just gonna throw away at the end of the trip and then the teacher just kept giving me death glares. i was just like wt? It's not my fault tat you are a bunch of picky, specific ppl obsessed with material who probably never knew how to survive with 10 different kitchen knives and dishes even though you don't even know how to cook!

LOL... you've hit the nail on the head! I agree with and do everything on that list save one. No. 8 as i don't have a job yet. But i'm sure that'll soon change... time will tell

Margo: Some really interesting insights there about Foreign Service families and why they do certain things, i.e. why most Foreign Service families have small dogs only, or a cat.

Ha Ha!
How about always having "storage?" I am an adult TCK and all my 5 bros and sisters have rental storage units. Cause growing up, we always had to have storage someplace, for all the family stuff. It baffles my other friends, who think its a huge indulgence.
Also-I love animals but have only allowed myself one cat, because in the Foreign Service, in the event of an evacuation, we were only allowed to take what we could carry. This is why most Foreign Service families have small dogs only, or a cat.

* have a complete list in your head of basic things to pack when going on trips e.g wet wipes, hairbrush etc....just use the same list every time you pack.

*find that you are always trying to arrange trips with friends, then get annoyed when they are so dumb about arranging travel or are scared of travelling on their own.

*get a rush whenever you step into an airport or onto a train platform...

1. Monthly plans for everything. Phone, Cable TV, and Internet. There's no way I'll buy a 3-year plan.
--- I do either that or a prepaid stuff so that I don't have to worry about paying bills later.


2. Laptop instead of a bulky Desktop PC. It's useful when you visit family overseas.
--- Yeah, I got a laptop too.

3. I prefer to rent furnished. The thought of buying furniture irks me.
--- True...it's hard to move furniture.

4. I don't heavily decorate my room. Why bother buying fancy curtains and repainting? I'll move soon.
--- Yeah, I put pictures instead!! =)

5. I prefer watching movies online than owning DVDs. No, I'm not a pirate!
--- I watch series a lot online =)

6. I'm very frugal. The less stuff I own, the less tied down and happier I feel.
--- Yeah, cos if not, I end up being like a rat pack.

7. I borrow books whenever possible. Ever tried moving a library? It's not fun - books are heavy!
--- We lost a lot of books because of that... =)

8. My career is mobile. I like being able to decide where I want to work.
--- Not there yet.

"I was born nacked, I will die nacked so might as well live the time inbetween NACKED - Joke. =D But I have to be honest. In my area of control I like to take of my cloths." -> this made me laugh! good choice of expression!

"I have a security vest that I carry pretty often under my cloth (a result of being attacked multiple times and also having a knife in your body - aint something you wanna experience)." -> That's crazy. Do you still have the knife with you? that thing must have given you hard times! and multiple attacks. =( yuck that doesn't sound pleasant at all! do you mind sharing with us what happened?

I agree with some points.
1. I don't like to buy a house or something else like property, cause I'm not sure where I'll be living next, so what good is a house, if you don't live in it?
2. Every now and then I try to get rid of things. Most of the time, when we're moving. Cause all stuff that is damaged or that I don't need anymore is packed in the cellar.
3.Bying stuff like phones or so for two or three years... well I have to, cause you don't have much choice in germany. But we have a flat rate for the net, that we can get rid of easely.
4. I don't have any plans for the future, which sometimes scares me, when I see my friends planing their carreers. They decide now, what they want to do in two years. I say I'll just try to finish my studies now and then we'll see.
5. Oh, we got pets. We got two cavys, but there are used to travel round or be with friends of mine.
6. I wonderd, when the kindergarten of my daughter asekd me, what school I'd like to sent my kid to.

everything on the list applies to me. i am still not used to the concept of buying my own furniture since i am still in college and want to reduce the load.

i get rid of things when i can but it seems like my belongings only increase because i keep every single note, letter, card, gift from my friends, families and acquaintances. it is as though their love is embedded in the littlest things they've given me. >_<

p.s. as long as the table is pretty it's good :)

The only thing from the list that dosnt apply to me is 9. Clothe shopping is the only thing that keeps my sanity. Although im still in college im trying to aim for a job that has you travel all over the world, pay for me to live in hotels and never be in one place for less than a year. Itll be nice to be all over the place because i hate investing into anything. Thus my extremely short relationships!

I had a panic attack when we bought our sofa, even though we'd sort of agreed we'd be living here for a while. Scary stuff!

I thrive on thrift stores. I'll fix stuff up so that it suits me. When I don't need it anymore I'll sell it in a yard sale or give it back to the thrift store. I don't attach to my stuff. I tend to create an atmosphere with the stuff I get for the house, rather than "decorate". The stuff doesn't make it homey, it's the atmosphere that makes it homey.

When we moved to Canada, we arrived here with a backpack each, and we had about 10 boxes of stuff come by sea. The majority of those were books and stuff that my husband didn't want to let go of (it was his first move out of his country of origin). We have too much stuff now, but none of it is 'emotionally binding'. If we'd move back to Europe, we'd probably come with a backpack each, and 10 boxes by sea.

We don't own videos or dvds; we rent them.

1. hehehe...it's more like 6 months. i'll NEVER do more than a year..lol

2. yes.i LOVE my laptopt. that's my lil treasure (since I dont have a car..hehe)

3. soooo true

4. i do decorate my room with stuff that i've collected from all over the world. I have flutres from Honduras and Peru, paintings from Honduras and the Philippines, a little box from Korea, chopsticks from china, a necklace from the Philippines, a lil wooden duck from Chile, a lil bag from Thailand, etc.etc. i display all my lil global-treasures...and i put up pictures EVERYWHERE. but that's as far as my decoration goes.

5. hahaha...YES

6. yupp..now that i've been in the US i have more stuff than i've ever had because there are 4 seasons here...but even then i don't have anything compared to most of my friends..and i like it that way. i know people who have 1/4 of what i have. i feel bad having too many thigns when i know other people are half naked and starving to death.

7. for this one i'm a lil different. i do own books. they're a big thing in my family too! :) my parents are teachers, so they own a LOT of books and i have my little library. I LOVE IT.

8. well...i'm a student right now..but my career will surely involve some moving around. i'm studying International Community Development. :D

9. true true!!

10. lol.i've never had a pet. move around too much.
:)

I totally feel #3.

The idea of buying property scares the bejeezes out of me. I don't even own a car.

Everyone's now asking me why I don't jump in and buy a home or a condo. My answer is always ...well I don't think I'm going to live in NY for the rest of my life. Who knows, I might get a job that moves me to Norway for a year. And anyway, I think my "post" might be up soon 'cause I've been here almost 2 years and I'm starting to get "the itch".

Oh that's a good one, buying in bulk. I used to do that too haha.

Definitely agree. I'd also add, since being an MK and going back "home" every one or two summers:

#11. Buy everything in bulk [i.e. food you like] or for clothes & shoes, buy them too big so they'll last at least two years!!

My family is still trying to get over the "buying in bulk" syndrome. When we first came to the States we bought everything we possibly could in bulk (we still do it a lot to save money) because "you never know if you'll find it again" :D

But I definitely agree with the fully-furnished home idea. I don't want to think about owning furniture--what will I do with it?? I'd rather have variety anyway :) imagine having a different set-up in your house every few years!!

As for decorating, pictures and maps are the lightest and best decorations anyway. World maps :) so I can see where I want to travel next :D

1. I'd go for a 1-year max, but I think the ideal for me would be 6 months.

2. I agree, and you can take it in your own trips too.

3. and 4. are strange, because I do share your feeling. But on the other hand I would like to live in a place with the stuff that **I** chose.

5. Yep, I prefer to rent than to buy them.

6. I feel like that too! When I was traveling in Canada last year and all I had was my suitcase I felt SO good, like my world was only that! I only had that to worry about. Life is about being, not having things! :D

7. Nope, I like to have books (contradicting to my sentence above). I think a few of the things that are worth having are books and CDs, especially CDs. Music for me is everything. I think in a way it was the only thing that I was allowed to have from my "host" culture during all my life.

8. Yep, that's one of the reasons I chose IT: there's a high demand everywhere.

9. hmmm...depends on what you mean by large... :D

10. I have no pets and have no intention of having any (reason: what if it dies? more pain and grief...I can't deal with more of that right now :( )

I think I just read my future.
Wow.

1. 3 years! I don't think I will be here in 3 years. Well maybe but probably not.

2. Ah, the laptop. I just bought my first desktop when my laptop died a horrible death. It took lots of atlking me into to make that change too.

3. I have a few peices that I own some stored and some I am using. I could never buy new stuff though my family are compulsive grage sale shoppers and pretty much our whole house is furnished with grage sale specials. Nothing you can't sell again when you move.
I was at my fireds house last week (tehy are moving overseas in a few months) and she had the best littel table ever. I remember when i was small trying to make colapsable tables after my Dad told a story about someone they knew who built a whole houseful of furneture that colapsed into a van and drove it to the Middle East from Europe (they even had really really really small washer and wringer) Well this table my friend got is sooo cool.
it lookes rather like a tall wooden breifcase when folded up then you open the case from the two bottom sides and square legs fold out from opposite side it is soo small you caould take it in a carry on if you wanted yet when you fold it our it is the size of a medium coffe table. I liked it a lot.

4. I have a few decorations that travel with me including material that can be draped over existing curtins or used as table covers. My things make my room my room no mater what room I am in.

5. I have DVDs but I never buy them form more then a dollar I get them at said grage sales then I get ride of tehm when I leave.

6. Every once and a while I will check to be sure everything fits in my suitcases. we used to only get one suitcase each for personal stuff and one for school books but I think I have now outgrown that. With large suitcases I could probably get all the stuff i would keep in two still though and now I don't need school books yah!

7. I have some old books tha I keep and a few I take but I also borrow books. I do have hte advantage (if it can be called that) of remembereing pretty much everythign I read so that I can never really rereadbooks this is bad in some cases but if I wait 6 or 7 years I can reread some of them that I have forgotten the details to.

8. I wouldn't really say I have a career I swich jobs about as easily as i switch homes.

9. Clothes really don't mean tah tmuch to me if I am going overseas I usually take almost no clothes as I can buy them there cheep butthen I have troubles comming back as I need to bring my clothes but I want to bring back stuff too.

10. The pets I have had have not made major moves with us they wher moslty tortouses (as you can see I can't spell) and camelions anyway and would not have been allowed to travel.

one and two are very true for me. Three... well, I now own a table and chairs that I inherited from my great-grandma, and just this morning I was wondering whether to take it or store it the next time I move. In the past, I've borrowed furniture. Other than the table and chairs, all my current furniture is borrowed, except that I bought the fridge. Four is not true for me. I do decorate and paint. I figure even if I'm only here for a month, it is home. I got that from my mom -- she made every place beautiful no matter how short a time we stayed. I prefer renting movies to owning them. I like to own as little as possible. I do buy books that are really good. Yes, they're hard to move, but it's worth it. I do make a point of *only* buying books that are really good -- not just kind of good. My career isn't that mobile -- it's an international career but I can't just pick up and move whenever I feel like it. I do have a lot of flexibility, though. Nine and ten are true, too! (Or would be if I had a cat! lol)

Haha, all of that would be true if I never met my bf and still single now. But now some have changed. I'm not complaining, I like the stability he can provide for my lifestyle :D

The only one i don't id with is number 9...have way too many clothes and shoes!! I can always pack my car or mail the light clothes to the new place i'm moving. Yes for the rest, especially number 8. Everyone (parents, grandparents type) knows i can do better in my career, but then that would mean staying in one place longer than 2 or 3 years...why would i do that?

If I identify with any of them???

Let's see... the only one I don't really identify with is 7, but my family has always read a lot and English/French language books weren't always easy to get. So we just had a large stock that got recycled every once in a while. Otherwise, I definitely identify with all of the rest!