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Hi! I’m new here!

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Author:
Chryss

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Yessss…..! I am so excited to have found this group! I’m really looking forward to reading everyone’s posts, stories, and maybe even writing some of my own.

A little about me (I posted this elsewhere, so if it seems familiar, that’s why, but I think it describes my TCK situation):

I am 34 and only recently realized that parts of me I had thought “defective”, are actually a result of me being an adult third culture kid! Yay! Not defective!

My family moved to Tokyo, Japan, when I was 9 and we left when I was 15. Returning to the States was AWFUL, probably one of the worst experiences of my life. I didn’t fit in, my parents didn’t understand - they couldn’t fathom why I wasn’t ecstatic to be “home”. Furthermore, I was resentful that we stayed long enough for my brother to graduate high school, whereas I was only half-way through. I changed schools again in the States, since the rural public one I first attended did not challenge me at all, so there went that potential group of friends. Not that anyone there was interested in hearing about my life in Japan. To top it all off, we moved to a rural part of MD and to go from being independent and going anywhere by myself on the trains, I was stuck with no car and had to rely on the whims of my parents to drive me anywhere. Yikes! Thankfully, I was ahead of my classmates and was able to go to college a year early - being away at college helped a lot.

Even now though, 19 years later, I sometimes find myself still angry, homesick, and suffer from an awful wanderlust and a sense of not really belonging anywhere. When I lived in Tokyo, it was the last time I really felt like I belonged, but since I missed the last two years of high school, it’s almost impossible to reconnect with those friends now. That makes me sad and further extends my sense of not belonging anywhere.

I am really excited to report, however, that my husband and I will be taking a trip back to Japan this coming August. Don’t worry, I’m not setting myself up for disappointment, just going to enjoy what it is now, hope to see at least a few familiar things (at least ASIJ is still there!) and hopefully find some closure as well as open up a new door of my life - one involving a lot more travel!

Soooo…..I am hoping to connect with some people maybe close to my age that share some of the same feelings and experiences - the more positive the better!

Happy New Year!

Chryss


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January 2, 2008 | Filed Under Introduction 

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12 Responses to “Hi! I’m new here!”

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  1. 11
    Caitlin
    Caitlin Says:
    January 6th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

    Oh! Is ASIJ close to the Christian Brothers school (I know they were both about an hour away from where my family was)? My brother went there and my sisters went to Sacred Heart from 1979 to (I think) 1985.

    (Is this spam?)

  2. 12
    mairabay
    mairabay Says:
    January 10th, 2008 at 11:48 am

    Chryss,
    I relate to your feelings of “defecitve”.
    I’ve had that a lot too until I found out about the TCK concept, it has changed my life compeltely!
    Glad to see you here, welcome to the group! :)

    (Is this spam?)

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